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.

in if you didn’t want to?”

she answered. “When Travis was two years he

I realized it, he was about to cross the road. There was

time, I screamed in fear, My fear must have

did it, or where she was or how she moved.

up in a coma for two months. They

since then because of the permanent njury to

it out. “We accepted her request because

her it would

through. So

hadn’t. You should have tossed me in an

kinder than the

with them. They were

misery.

you’re such an ungrateful woman. Do you know

Emma ask, sneering me

fucking mouth Emma before I shut it up for you permanently.” I hiss, my anger

heard enough of you stupid comments. I slept with your damn

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

behaves more mature than

blow up surprises everyone. Emma looks down, her cheeks a

me, and realize that it’s Nora. I look up at

they were sitting right next

”

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that damn mistake. I suggest you move on and leave the past where it is. You talk to my daughter like that ever again and you will not like what I

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

felt the Nora’s threat

spine.

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

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

had already been said and done. It was better this way. Maybe one

the pain

we’re done here” Theo

all must agree that your contempt

my words, you

she spent suffering in

with something dangerous. It chokes the air and suffocates my lungs.

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 hisses at

eyes.

anything. She looks down in

I say staring at Travis

their time was up. They stare at me for a while before

follows and

ever again. Your enemies are our enemies

hurt you will

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love you, my beautiful angel. Always know that” Nora adds before doing the

felt great to have someone backing me up.

me? And even if I did, would

and Theo willing to turn against their son for

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Rowan booms, his cold grey eyes shooting

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

dad clears his throat. It was going to take some time

sound of his voice

says in surprise but he

looks between all of us. His eyes moving from Theo and Nora then back at

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

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

this possible? Travis has shock written all over

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

possible” Nora

she too had a shocked expression. Her mouth hang open

she would catch

you may

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

time skyping mother. Soon her face

mom” Emma tells her and she nods her

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Ava?” she asks

cared about me when

of my life.

what you want to say, no need for the fake

at this point I just don’t care. I wasn’t going to play

do. She was too late

before beginning. “You came to us when you

adapt you until you were

“What do you mean?”

1

for us for years. She wanted a

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

recovered. They were planning to start a family the year he died,

was taken away from her when

husband over” she explains.

ever get married again or

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

of their church found a baby

if anyone wanted to adopt

Was it a coincidence? Was the

my grandfather? It was too much to be

one week break and went back to her home town to

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

one knew who the baby’s mother was and had no identification

teen that gave birth and

social worker allowed Winnie to come back with the child as

adoption. The baby was a blessing

looking at me before continuing

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