Page 2 of Sassy Surrogate
She wets her lips, clears her throat, looks at me, but is unable to hold my gaze. What the hell? My gut tightens, and I prepare for her to turn my world on its head. Again. Over these past few years, her shenanigans have proved her to be a master at creating unending drama to get own her way.
“I’m sorry, Bear,” she says so quietly I almost don’t hear it.
“I beg your pardon?” I ask, a little dazed at her words, sure I’d misheard her.
She clears her throat again, taking a sip of water. “I’m sorry, Bear. More than I will ever be able to tell you. For everything I’ve put you through in the past few years.” Her eyes flood with tears. “For everything, in general. More than you’ll ever know.”
A tear trembles on her lashes for a moment before tracking down her face. A rather pale face, now that I’m actually studying her, trying to figure out her endgame. “I was furious with you for wanting a divorce, and I behaved appallingly, making things as difficult as possible.”
“Yeah, tell me about it.”
There’s a beat of silence at my words, a look of devastation crossing Felicia’s face.
“Heath, I know you and Felicia haven’t seen eye to eye for a long time now, but I encourage you to hear her out today,” Noah says unexpectedly.
While he’s always been polite to Felicia and treated her respectfully, I’ve always known he wasn’t her biggest fan. So for him to plead her case is highly out of character. I nod but say nothing, waiting for her to continue.
Felicia pushes the glass of water she has her hands cupped around back and forth between them over the glossy surface of the conference table for a moment. When she lifts her head and looks me in the eye, I see tears tracking down her cheeks.
“I fired my attorney. I’m dropping this stupid suit for more alimony.” Her bottom lip trembles, and she clamps it between her teeth.
“Why?” The single word comes out far harsher than intended I’m so taken aback by her words.
“I…” Her words fade, a sob breaking free as she breaks down.
I look at Noah at a loss.What the fuck?I mouth at him. He gestures for me to be patient, going over to pat her shoulder awkwardly. After long, uncomfortable minutes, the tears finally slow, and she rummages around in her purse for a Kleenex. She mops her face and blows her nose before straightening in her chair. I watch as she composes herself, then turns her attention back to me.
A quick sip of water, and she proceeds to drop her bomb. “There’s no easy way to say this, so I’m just going to say it.” Her breath hitches, and I expect another bout of tears, but she gets herself under control and continues, tearing my guts out with one simple sentence. “The doctors tell me I’m dying.”
I stare at Felicia like she’s lost her mind.
After long moments of silence so absolute I could hear the sounds of Noah’s offices beyond his boardroom as if the door were open, she finally breaks it, clearly unable to take the silence any longer.
“Heath?”
Shaking myself out of my stupor, I hear myself say, “I’m sorry. I could have sworn you said you’re dying.” The words come out sounding like I’m chewing on broken glass.
She nods. “Yes, that’s what they say.”
Once again, I look at Noah, and by the expression on his face, her news doesn’t come as a surprise. “You knew?”
He nods, looking apprehensive.
“You knew, and you never said a word? You left me to be blindsided by this? What kind of a friend does that, Noah?” I can feel the heat rise in my face as anger floods my veins.
“Dude, come on. That’s not fair. This is not my story to share.”
I rub the back of my neck, trying to ease the tension that’s been building since the start of this conversation. “Shit.” Heaving a heartfelt sigh, I continue, “You’re right. That was out of line. I’m sorry.”
Turning back to Felicia, I cock an eyebrow and wait for her to say more, but that’s all she says. “I’m going to need more than that, Fee.”
Watching her like a bug under a microscope, I see Felicia take a deep breath. “About four months ago, I began experiencing severe headaches. At first, I put it down to stress and poor sleep. I went to the doctor, and he gave me something to deal with it. But when the headaches continued to worsen instead of improving, I went back to him. He sent me for a host of tests.”
I wait, still not saying anything. I’m not sure I’m capable of it right this second. I may have wanted out of the marriage that turned into a sham, but we’d started out as friends. Despite the acrimony of the past few years, which I now realise was her way of hitting back at me for leaving her, I continue to care about her in my own way. I would never wish her ill.
“They found a tumour on my brain. Just behind my left ear. There’s nothing they can do. The best we can hope for is slowing its growth. But it will continue to grow and, eventually, it will reach a point where all life-sustaining function will be compromised, then cease.”
Her words strike me as cold. As if this is happening to someone else. “That’s an interesting choice of words. Rather clinical.”
