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 want

she answered. “When Travis was two years

the time I realized it, he was about to cross

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

or

in a coma for two months. They amputated

since then because of the permanent njury to

out. “We accepted her request because we felt we

we tried to compensate her it would never

went through. So

“I wish you hadn’t. You should have tossed

kinder than the life I lived

memory with them. They were all

misery.

ungrateful woman. Do you know how many people would kill

you led?” Emma ask,

fucking mouth Emma before I shut it up for

slept

watching a thirty year old

behaves

up surprises everyone. Emma looks down, her cheeks

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

that they were sitting right

”

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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 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 do

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

I felt

spine.

attention back to her. “I know how we treated you over the

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 want anything to

and done. It was better this way. Maybe

for now, the pain

all said and done, we’re done here” Theo

but we all must agree that your contempt for

my words, you will pay for every tear she shed and

she spent suffering

dangerous. It chokes the air and

isn’t someone

Mr. Howell” mother

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

daughter any?” Nora hisses at mother. Pure

eyes.

doesn’t say anything. She looks down

think you should all leave” I say staring

was up. They stare at me for a

and leaving. Rowan follows and then

again.

hurt you

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know

leave soon after. It felt great to have someone backing me up. Question is, did I

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

Theo willing to turn against their son for

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the fuck is he doing here?” Rowan booms, his cold grey

his tantrums. Yes he was there for me yesterday, but that doesn’t mean he has a say on who

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

his voice pulls

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

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

pleased with how you’ve

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

this possible? Travis has shock written all over

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

in this world is possible” Nora says

at Emma and she too had a shocked expression. Her mouth

she would catch

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

laptop. He sets it down and we gather

skyping mother. Soon her

here mom” Emma tells her and she nods her

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are you, Ava?”

about me when she hasn’t for more than twenty

of my life.

you want to say, no need

just don’t care. I wasn’t

She was too late to fix was

“You came to us

you were about fifteen months

“What do you mean?”

1

wonderful housekeeper. She had worked for

You see, her husband died after seven

she never recovered. They were planning to start a family

taken away from her when a drunk

husband over” she explains.

child, but didn’t want to ever get married again or

after she

the preacher of their church

wanted to adopt her”

a coincidence? Was the preacher Winnie’s

was too much to be just a

week break and went back to her home town to get

a week after, but she ended up taking two

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

a scared teen that gave birth and left the baby

issue, the social worker allowed

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

baby she adopted was you” mother says looking

It’s like Ava breathed life back into her