100 Days with My Ex-husband

NORA’S Point of view I sat across from Emily, my fingers nervously drumming against the edge of the table. The café buzzed around us—quiet chatter, the clinking of coffee cups, the faint smell of freshly brewed espresso—but none of it seemed to register. All I could hear where the words Emily had just dropped, words I couldn’t quite make sense of. “Are you sure about this, Nora?” Emily asked, her voice softer than usual, but the concern was there, unmistakable. “I mean, hiring a surrogate? I get it, I do. You and Cross want a baby so badly, but... are you sure this is the right way? With everything that’s been going on between you two lately?” I met her eyes, steady, but there was something tightening in my chest. I loved Emily, always had, but sometimes she had this way of seeing problems where there weren’t any, of digging too deep and pulling out things I didn’t want to confront. “I’m sure, Em,” I said, my voice firm but gentle. “I know it’s a big decision, but this is our dream. Cross and I have talked about it for months. He’s on board, and so am I. We’ve already found someone who is perfect for the job.” Emily didn’t look convinced. Her eyebrows furrowed, and her lips pressed into a tight line. I could see her trying to hold back, like she wanted to say something, but wasn’t sure how. Finally, after a long pause, she spoke. “I saw them last night,” she said quietly, her words dropping between us like stones. “Cross and Lia. The surrogate. They were having dinner together at that new place on Maple Street. And... they were being really sweet with each other. I mean, they were practically glowing. Nora, it was... like they were already a couple.” A cold shiver ran down my spine. I wanted to laugh it off, to tell her it was nothing, that she was overreacting, but the words caught in my throat. Instead, I just stared at her, my heart pounding. “What are you trying to say, Emily?” I asked, my voice suddenly tight. Emily’s eyes were full of worry, but she didn’t look away. “I don’t know, but it doesn’t look like they’re just talking about the surrogacy process. You’re not even there, Nora. It’s supposed to be your dream, your plan. Why are they the ones spending all this time together?” Her words hit me harder than I wanted to admit. Why weren’t they telling me about this? Why was Cross spending so much time with Lia? I forced myself to take a breath, pushing the panic down, trying to keep my voice steady. “No. That’s... no, Em. It’s nothing. Cross is just... he’s just making sure she’s comfortable. They’re talking about the process. That’s all.” But even as I said it, something inside me twisted. A small, quiet voice in the back of my mind whispered that maybe, just maybe, Emily was right. Maybe there was more going on than I wanted to admit. But I shut that voice down before it could grow any louder. I trusted Cross. I had to trust him. “Don’t overthink it, okay?” I said, forcing a smile that didn’t quite reach my eyes. “Cross loves me, Emily. You know that. We’re a team.” Emily didn’t seem convinced, but she nodded slowly. “I hope you’re right.” The drive home was different than usual. The sun was starting to set, casting long, sharp shadows across the road. The fading light made everything look distant, like it belonged to someone else, like I was driving through a dream. The uneasy feeling I’d been trying to suppress grew stronger with each passing mile. My mind kept returning to Emily’s words. Why was Cross spending so much time alone with Lia? Why hadn’t he told me about their dinner? The questions spun in my mind like a whirlwind, but I couldn’t shake them. Not now. By the time I pulled into the driveway, my hands were gripping the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles were white. My breath felt shallow, my chest tight. I tried to calm myself, telling myself everything was fine, that I had no reason to doubt Cross. But the unease was still there, gnawing at me. I stepped out of the car and walked toward the front door, trying to push the nagging feeling away. When I opened it, I froze. Cross was sitting on the couch, a manila envelope in his hands. He looked distant, like he wasn’t even in the room with me. His posture was rigid, his face unreadable. When his eyes met mine, there was a coldness there that I hadn’t seen before. It sent a chill through me. “Cross?” I called softly, trying to keep my voice steady. “Hey, babe. You’re home early.” He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he handed me the envelope, his gaze never leaving mine. I didn’t even know what to think, but I took it from him, my hands trembling. “Open it,” he said, his voice low and almost emotionless. Confused, I ripped open the envelope, the paper inside rustling in my hands. As I unfolded it, my heart started to race. I scanned the words, and as I read them, the world seemed to stop. "We're finished, Nora. I’m filing for divorce." The words blurred in front of me, and I couldn’t breathe. I stumbled back, the paper almost falling from my hands. “W-what...?” I gasped, the panic rising in my chest. “Cross, what is this? Why? What... what is happening?” He didn’t move, didn’t try to comfort me. He just sat there, his eyes cold and distant. I felt like I was suffocating, like the walls between us were growing taller, thicker, until there was no space left for me at all. “This isn’t funny,” I said, my voice trembling. “Cross, is this some kind of joke? Please, tell me it’s a joke.” He shook his head slowly. “It’s not a joke. Lia is pregnant. The baby’s mine.” The floor dropped out from under me. My knees buckled, and I stumbled toward the couch, gripping the edge of the cushion to steady myself. I couldn’t breathe. My mind couldn’t process what he was saying.