Part 1The Husband I Never Knew

The morning after accepting my crush's confession, I woke up to find myself ten years in the future, lying in a stranger's bed.

The first thing I saw was a little boy with wide, innocent eyes timidly calling me "Mommy."

Then I found wedding photos in a dusty storage room.

This couldn't be real. The groom in the picture wasn't my crush. It was him.

I woke up, ten years in the future, lying in an unfamiliar bed.

Just as I was totally lost and confused, a tiny figure suddenly darted in through the door.

I instantly froze, pretending to still be asleep.

Footsteps slowly drew closer, then a soft little hand rested on my forehead.

His tiny voice babbled softly about what he'd eaten and played with recently.

Just as I was trying to figure out my relationship with this child, his next words totally scared me awake.

He said, "Mommy, you've been sick for days, why aren't you waking up? You don't like Leo, but Leo really misses you. Mommy, please wake up."

Mommy?

This kid called me Mommy!

I snapped my eyes open.

Right by the bed, a cute kid with big eyes and a small mouth was staring at me in terror.

Before I could even say anything, the little boy scampered off.

Oh my gosh!

I had just gotten together with my crush last night, and now I had a son this big?

After the boy ran off, I immediately grabbed my phone to call my childhood bestie, Chloe.

I had no idea what I'd been through these past ten years. My phone barely had any messages.

My old friends had vanished from my contacts without a trace.

The phone rang several times before Chloe finally picked up.

"What do you want?"

Her voice was colder than I'd ever heard it.

I scratched my cheek; her icy tone caught me off guard.

When I didn't speak, Chloe on the other end grew impatient.

"Ava, are you going to say something? Didn't you say you'd never contact me again?"

Seriously, what the hell did I do over the past ten years?

I thought for a moment and said, "Chloe, I know you're usually cool and distant, but let's skip that for now. I just want to ask you, who's my husband?"

That was my most pressing concern.

Chloe paused. "Ava, are you off your meds today?"

Huh? Ten years later, Chloe's learned to insult people in a roundabout way.

"I'm serious! Are you? Ugh, fine, just wait at home. I'm in line for a PCR test right now; I'll be over in a bit!"

Chloe's tone was really serious. Was I not time-traveling, but just... sick?

And what's a PCR test? And why do I have to wait in line for it?