Ex-Husband's Regret

Baby Ava
“What the fuck is he doing here?” Rowan booms, his cold grey eyes shooting daggers at Ethan.

I was really not in the mood deal with his tantrums. Yes he was there for me yesterday, but that doesn’t mean he has a say on who is in my home.

Theo or should I say my dad clears his throat. It was going to take some time to get used to the idea of calling him dad.

The sound of his voice pulls everyone’s eyes to him.

Theo Howell?” Rowan says in surprise but he quickly hides it. “What are you doing here?”

Rowan looks between all of us. His eyes moving from Theo and Nora then back at me. Slowly connecting the dots.

“It’s been a while Rowan, though I can’t say that I am pleased with how you’ve treated my daughter Theo says with a dangerous smile on his lips.

“What he means to say is, we’re downright pissed off with the way you and your family has treated our daughter and we can’t see ourselves having such business partners” Nora adds. She doesn’t smile and for the first time since she came to my house, I feel hostility and hatred radiating off her.

“How’s this possible? Travis has shock written all over his face

Like I said, everyone in the country knows who the Howell’s are. They may like to keep their life private, but they’re still known.

“Oh, trust me darling anything in this world is possible” Nora says glaring at him. Fire burning behind her eyes.

I look at Emma and she too had a shocked expression. Her mouth hang open in disbelief. If she

wasn’t careful she would catch a fly

“Can we just get this over with so that you may all leave?” I ask looking directly at him.

He nods his head and pulls out his laptop. He sets it down and we gather around it. He doesn’t

waste any time skyping mother. Soon her face fills the screen.

“We’re all here mom” Emma tells her and she nods her head.

+15 BONUS

“How are you, Ava?” she asks slowly.

I don’t know why she all over sudden cared about me when she hasn’t for more than twenty years

of my life.

“Just say what you want to say, no need for the fake pleasantries”

She looks hurt, but at this point I just don’t care. I wasn’t going to play along to whatever it is she

was trying to do. She was too late to fix was what was broken.

She takes a calming breath before beginning. “You came to us when you were weeks old, but we

didn’t adapt you until you were about fifteen months old”

“What do you mean?”

1

“We had a wonderful housekeeper. She had worked for us for years. She wanted a family but she

couldn’t imagine herself bearing another man’s child. You see, her husband died after seven years

of marriage and she never recovered. They were planning to start a family the year he died, they

felt they were financially stable. All that was taken away from her when a drunk driver ran her

husband over” she explains.

“Winnie wanted a child, but didn’t want to ever get married again or have artificial insemination so

she settled on adaption. About a month after she made that decision, she was called by her

mother. She was told that the preacher of their church found a baby outside the church and was

wondering if anyone wanted to adopt her” 1

We all look at each other. Was it a coincidence? Was the preacher Winnie’s mother was talking

about, my grandfather? It was too much to be just a coincidence.

Mother continues. “She took a one week break and went back to her home town to get the baby.

We expected her back a week after, but she ended up taking two weeks, but finally she got the

baby and came back. No one knew who the baby’s mother was and had no identification on her.

The preacher said it was probably a scared teen that gave birth and left the baby there”

“Since there wasn’t an issue, the social worker allowed Winnie to come back with the child as she

prepared the paper works for adoption. The baby was a blessing to Winnie, she named her Ava.

That baby she adopted was you” mother says looking at me before continuing “I had not seen her

that happy since her husband died. It’s like Ava breathed life back into her and Winnie adored her.

Loved her like she was her own”

She pauses and I take a moment to digest what she just told us. Winnie seems like a great woman.

215

+15 BONUS

“If she loved me like you say, why didn’t she raise me? How did I end up as part of the Sharp

family?”

“About a year after she got you, she was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer. The doctors told

her it was too late for her and that she only had a few months to live. Before she died, she asked us

to take you in. To adopt you. We didn’t want to, we already had two children and we didn’t want

anymore”

Something must have happened because I ended up with them.

why did you take me in

“When Travis was two years

the time I realized it, he was about to cross the

couldn’t get to him in time, I screamed in fear, My fear

or how she

two months. They amputated her right hand because it

then because of the permanent njury to her

deep breath before letting it out.

we tried to compensate her it would never

what she went through. So when

you hadn’t. You should have tossed me in

kinder than the life

don’t remember ever having a good memory with

misery.

ungrateful woman. Do you know how many

ask,

before I shut it up for you permanently.” I hiss,

heard enough of you stupid comments. I slept

disgusting watching a thirty year old woman throwing a hissy

behaves more mature

surprises everyone. Emma looks down, her cheeks a shade of

feel hands hold me, and realize that it’s Nora.

they were sitting

”

3/5

+15 BONUS

suggest you heed the warning of my daughter, girl” Nora says. “It’s been years and you’ve all surely made her pay for that damn mistake. I suggest you

shocked that she would stand up for me. Nobody ever has well except for Letty.

looking back down again. I felt the

spine.

our attention back to her. “I know how we treated you over the years wasn’t fair

stop. Like I told your son, it’s a little too late for your apologies now. I really don’t want to hear it and neither do I

was better this

but for now, the pain was just too

that it’s all said and done, we’re done here” Theo speaks

agree that your contempt

you

spent suffering in your hands.”

filled with something dangerous. It chokes

isn’t someone you cross.

Mr. Howell”

You didn’t care did you? Why

any?” Nora hisses at mother. Pure hatred

eyes.

anything. She looks

you should all leave” I

what they came to do and their time was up. They stare at me for

and leaving. Rowan follows and

never have to worry about anything ever again. Your enemies are our

who has hurt you will pay. No one will

4/5

+15 BONUS

angel. Always know that” Nora

have someone

that hurt me? And even if I did, would

and Theo willing to turn against

5/5

fuck is he doing here?” Rowan booms, his cold grey eyes shooting daggers

in the mood deal with his tantrums. Yes he was there for me yesterday, but that doesn’t mean he has

to take some time to get used to

sound of his voice pulls

Howell?” Rowan says in surprise but he quickly hides it. “What

between all of us. His eyes moving from Theo and Nora then back at me. Slowly connecting

I am pleased with how you’ve treated my daughter Theo says with a dangerous

and we can’t see ourselves having such business partners” Nora adds.

possible? Travis has shock written all over his

I said, everyone in the country knows who the Howell’s are. They may like to keep their life private, but they’re

anything in this world is possible” Nora says glaring

had a shocked expression. Her mouth hang open in

would

just get this over with so that you may all leave?” I ask looking directly at

out his laptop. He sets it down and

skyping mother. Soon her face fills the

all here mom” Emma tells her and she nods her

+15 BONUS

Ava?” she asks

she all over sudden cared about me when

of my life.

to say,

point I just don’t care. I wasn’t

too late to fix was what was

beginning. “You came to us when you were weeks old, but

adapt you until you

“What do you mean?”

1

had a wonderful housekeeper. She had worked for us for years. She wanted

herself bearing another man’s child. You see,

planning to start a family

they were financially stable. All that was taken away from her when a drunk driver ran

husband over” she explains.

ever get married again or have artificial

on adaption. About a month after she made that decision, she was called

was told that the preacher of their church found a

wanted to adopt her”

at each other. Was it a coincidence? Was the preacher Winnie’s mother

grandfather? It was too much to be

week break and went back to her home town to get

back a week after, but she ended

came back. No one knew who the baby’s mother was

it was probably a scared teen that gave birth and

an issue, the social worker allowed Winnie to come back with the child as

The baby was a blessing

adopted was you” mother says looking at

Ava breathed life back into her and Winnie adored