Ex-Husband's Regret

Shooting range
“So how’s your day sweetheart?” I ask Noal

15 BONUS
The phone is between my shoulder and eat I was trying to maximize by talking to him while doing some cleaning. It wasn’t an easy but at least my shoulder was doing so much better now.

“It’s awesome“” he shouts through the phone almost bursting my ent drums “We just had ice cream and now we are going to the slides, they have slides here and they lead straight to the

ocean”

His excited chanter makes me happy. His happines in my happiness The fact that he is safe and enjoying himself was enough for me.

“That’s great baby…see, I told you that you would have lots of fun”

Giving up on cleaning, I take a seat on the couch. It would be better to finish talking to him first.

“What about you mommy, how’s your weekend?”

What could I say? It was boring as hell. My eight year old son was having more fun than I was. I didn’t have anywhere to go or anyone to hang out with since I had no friends.

My colleagues used to invite me to things but they stopped after I kept turning them down Deep inside I knew they invited me as a formality, because I was there when they were inviting others. Not because they genuinely want to know me or hang out with me.

“Uh, it’s okay…just doing some cleaning” I murmur

I hear him sigh. “Mom, you need to go out and have fun like I am. Since I’m not there, I don’t want you to stay at home all alone”

Why the hell did I feel so chastised right now?

“I will, I just have to finish my chores first” I lie.

After cleaning I would probably just watch a movie and drown myself in junk food. Or I would just catch up on sleep. Both options didn’t seem that bad.

“Fine…I have to go mommy, Pa is calling for me”

“Okay my love, talk to you at night”

“Bye, and grandma says hi to you”

Noah calls mother grandma and used to call father grandpa. As for Rowan’s parents, he calls them

Pa and Ma

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“That’s good be careful on the slides” I say, completely ignoring the greetings from my supposed

mother.

He hangs up after that. Good thing he’s so excited about the slides to realize I ignored his

grandmother’s greetings. Noah is usually in tune and nothing escapes his notice. A character he got from his father, but not today. Today his mind was completely on having fun.

I get back to cleaning but soon I’m finished. Instead of watching a movie like I had planned, I decide to go through the biology essays of my students. So far the ones I’ve marked have

subject being the

was almost done when my phone rings. My heartbeat lurches when I see Ethan’s name flashing. This

answer unsure, part of me afraid that he had dialed my number by

Ava…are you

guess it hadn’t been a mistake

“Not particularly, why?”

the station’s shooting range. I thought maybe we could

together”

he

be at

rest of you family is there. They were all advised to train in shooting and

license just in case they ever got

me but I guess it did make sense. I mean having a gun when dealing with a dangerous gang could come

that no one told me about this but I couldn’t bring myself to

fuck themselves for all I

you up?”

to do. Plus this could be fun. Not to mention

again.

“Sure”

there in ten

I rush to my bedroom to find

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Ethan arrives in ten minutes like he said and

made you decide to become an officer

felt at ease around him. It was nice.

adult for a long

by a

surprised. “That would turn most people

man and neither was he a

down for selling illegal firearms I was actually relieved. Seeing those cops

was untouchable made me want to do the same thing.

living in

something more. The way he talked about

his father wasn’t just bad, he was a terrible

kids in my class. Students who had really abusive parents.

needed such parents. Abuse was abuse. Whether it was

emotional.

what made you

I find myself opening up to him, something that takes me

surprise.

weren’t the best and I was neglected as

teacher. She was everything I wanted my mother to be. She cared, praised me, hugged me when I