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.

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“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?”

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“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.

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“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.

did you take me in if

Travis was two years he managed to

he was about to cross the road. There was an

get to him in time, I screamed in fear, My

or where she was or how she moved. She

for two months. They amputated her

then because of the permanent

breath before letting it out.

compensate her it would never have

So when she

you hadn’t. You should

been kinder than the life I

memory with them. They were all bad, full of

misery.

woman. Do you know how many people would kill

Emma ask, sneering

I shut it up for you permanently.”

I slept with your damn boyfriend,

It disgusting watching a thirty

behaves more mature than

blow up surprises everyone. Emma looks

feel hands hold me, and realize that it’s Nora. I look up at her and she’s grinning. I’d

sitting right

”

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damn mistake. I suggest you move on and leave the past where it is.

would stand up for me. Nobody ever has well except for Letty. It feels weird but good at the same

I felt the Nora’s threat and it

spine.

attention back to her. “I know how we treated you over the years wasn’t fair and I’m so sorry. More than

I really don’t want to hear it and neither do I want anything to do with any of

and done. It was better this way. Maybe one day I will be able

them, but for now, the pain was just too

done, we’re done here” Theo speaks up. “I don’t care what

all must agree that your contempt for my daughter started way before

Rowan. Mark my words, you will pay for every tear

she spent suffering in your

dangerous. It chokes the air and

isn’t someone you

Mr. Howell” mother

beg? You didn’t care did you? Why

never showed our daughter any?” Nora hisses at mother.

eyes.

say anything. She

I

time was up. They stare at

and leaving. Rowan follows and then Ethan

worry about anything ever again. Your enemies are

those who fight you. Everyone who has hurt you will

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angel. Always know that” Nora adds before doing

to have someone backing me up. Question is, did I really

And even if I

to turn against their

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

was there for me yesterday, but that doesn’t mean he has a say

I say my dad clears his throat. It was going to take some

voice pulls

he quickly hides it. “What are you doing

from Theo and Nora then back at me. Slowly

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

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

this possible? Travis has shock written all over his

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

world is possible” Nora says glaring at him. Fire burning behind

had a shocked expression.

she would catch a

just get this over with so that you

head and pulls out his laptop. He sets it down and we gather around it.

any time skyping mother. Soon

Emma tells her and

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are you, Ava?”

cared about me when she

of my life.

want to say, no need for the

I just don’t care. I wasn’t going to

to do. She was too late to

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

you were about fifteen

“What do you mean?”

1

had worked for us for years. She wanted a family

imagine herself bearing another man’s child. You see, her husband died

planning

stable. All that was taken away from

husband over” she explains.

but didn’t want to ever get married again or have artificial insemination

she made that

was told that the preacher of their church found a

wanted

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

was too much to be just

continues. “She took a one week break and went back to her home

a week after, but she ended up taking two weeks, but

one knew who the baby’s

was probably a scared teen

the social worker allowed Winnie to come back with the child

for adoption. The baby was a blessing to Winnie, she named her

mother says looking at me

Ava breathed life back into her and