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Chapter 3

Author: All Is Well
The morning I left the hospital, I joined a video call with the International Aid Organization from my room.

"Ms. Ross, our records say you're married," the coordinator said.

"Married volunteers need their spouse to sign a waiver acknowledging that we may not be able to recover their remains if they die during deployment. Would your husband sign that?"

I pulled the paperwork from my bag and held it up to the camera. "I'm filing for divorce today. This is my decision."

I pressed a hand against my still-tender abdomen.

"I have no family. No one's waiting for me."

A chime sounded, and my application status changed to "Approved."

At noon, I finished the discharge paperwork and walked out alone.

Emmett stood beside his car with a large bouquet. His eyes lingered on my loose coat.

"I've paid off the last of Melissa's IOUs."

He held out the flowers, looking relieved, as if that settled everything.

"I don't owe her anything now. I was in the area, so I figured I'd pick you up. These are for being so understanding the last few days."

I didn't take the flowers.

"Get in," he said, lowering them. "I'll take you home for dinner. After everything you went through for the baby, I owe you that."

He still didn't notice my flat stomach.

I got into the back seat. I wasn't going home, but the law firm was downtown, along the way.

Melissa's sickly sweet perfume filled the car. Emmett used to complain if I left a water bottle in it, but now her things were everywhere: a pink scrunchie on the seat, fuzzy slippers on the passenger-side floor, and a half-finished iced latte in the cup holder.

A card with aftercare instructions from a cosmetic clinic poked out of the glove compartment, Melissa's name printed across the top.

Emmett glanced at me in the rearview mirror. "You look pale. When we get home, I'll have the nutritionist…"

A photo from Melissa popped up on the dashboard screen before he could finish. Her voice came through the speakers, thick with tears.

"Emmett, Bubbles is in kidney failure. The vet says he might not make it through the night. I know we're done with the IOUs, but we raised him together. Please, can you come?"

Emmett tightened his grip on the wheel.

"How did he get so bad so fast?"

He slowed abruptly on the overpass, pulled onto the shoulder, and turned to me.

"Melissa has an emergency. I have to go.

"The exit's about 100 yards ahead. Walk down and call a cab. I'll have accounting cover the fare and pay you 3 times that for the trouble."

I rested my hand on the door handle. "Emmett, I just got out of the hospital."

"You can walk, can't you? Then you're fine."

He wouldn't meet my eyes, but his tone left no room for argument.

"Bubbles was our dog. We adopted him together and signed the adoption papers. You know how I am, Katie. If I owe someone, I make good on it."

I fought off a wave of dizziness and opened the door. Before I got out, I grabbed the flowers he left on the passenger seat and dropped them on the shoulder.

"Go on, Emmett. You owe Melissa."

He caught the door. "Katie?"

"Spend the rest of your life paying her back." I pushed his hand away. "You and I are done."

I flagged down a passing cab and settled the envelope of divorce papers on my lap.

"Linton Family Law, downtown."

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