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.

why did you take me in if you didn’t

“When Travis was two years he managed

about to cross the

time, I screamed

it, or where she was or how she moved. She saved Travis that day, but

months. They amputated her right hand because

because of the permanent

a deep breath before letting it out. “We accepted her

As much as we tried to compensate her it would never have been enough

through. So

You should have tossed me in an

kinder than the

good memory with them. They were all bad, full

misery.

woman. Do you know how many people

ask, sneering me

fucking mouth Emma before I shut it up for you permanently.” I

of you stupid comments. I slept with

fuck up. It disgusting watching a thirty year old woman throwing a hissy fight

year old. Noah behaves

blow up surprises everyone. Emma looks down, her cheeks

Nora. I look up at her and she’s grinning. I’d

that they were sitting right

”

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that damn mistake. I suggest you move on and leave the past

me. Nobody ever has well except for Letty. It feels weird

down again. I felt the Nora’s threat and it

spine.

know how we treated you over the years

for your apologies now. I really don’t want to hear it and neither do I

done. It was better this way. Maybe one

now, the

all said and done, we’re done here” Theo speaks up. “I

must agree that your contempt for my daughter started way before

Mark my words, you will

she spent suffering in your hands.”

air is filled with something dangerous. It chokes

Theo Howell isn’t someone you

Mr. Howell” mother

many times did my daughter beg? You didn’t care did you? Why should we show you

never showed our daughter any?” Nora

eyes.

anything. She

think you should all leave” I

their time was up.

and then Ethan is up

about anything ever again. Your

who has hurt you will pay. No one

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know that” Nora adds before doing the

felt great to have someone backing

that hurt me? And even if I did, would they

willing to turn

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the fuck is he doing here?” Rowan

tantrums. Yes he was there for

his throat. It was going to take some time to get used to the idea

his voice pulls

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

moving from Theo and Nora then back at me. Slowly

while Rowan, though I can’t say that I am pleased with how you’ve treated my daughter Theo says with a dangerous

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

has shock written all

in the country knows who the Howell’s are. They may like to keep

trust me darling anything in this world is possible” Nora says glaring at him. Fire burning

too had a shocked expression. Her

would catch a

with so that you may all leave?”

He sets it down and we gather around it. He

any time skyping mother. Soon her face

all here mom” Emma tells her and

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Ava?” she asks

about me when she hasn’t for more than

of my life.

what you want to say, no need for the fake

I just don’t care. I wasn’t going

do. She was too late to fix was what was

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

you until you were about fifteen months

“What do you mean?”

1

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

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

and she never recovered. They were planning to

financially stable. All that was taken away from her when a drunk

husband over” she explains.

didn’t want to ever get married again or

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

was told that the preacher of their church found a

if anyone wanted

it a

too much to be just

took a one week break and went back to

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

one knew who the

said it was probably a scared teen

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

adoption. The baby was a blessing to

mother says looking at me before continuing “I had not

her husband died. It’s like Ava breathed