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.

you take me in if

“When Travis was two years he managed

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

to him in time, I screamed in fear, My fear must have alerted Winnie. I

she did it, or where she was or how she moved. She saved Travis

coma for two months. They amputated her right hand because it

also had a limp since then because of the permanent

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

to compensate her it would never

went through. So when she

down, muttering. “I wish you hadn’t. You should have tossed me in an

kinder than the life I lived with

memory with them. They were

misery.

woman. Do you know how many people would kill to have

led?” Emma ask,

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

enough of you stupid comments. I slept with

up. It disgusting watching a thirty year old woman throwing

old. Noah behaves more mature

looks down, her

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

sitting right next

”

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for that damn mistake. I suggest you move on and leave the past where it is. You talk

up for me. Nobody ever has well except for Letty.

looking back down again. I felt the Nora’s

spine.

“I know how we treated you over the years wasn’t fair and I’m so sorry.

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 want anything to

better

them, but for now, the

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

agree that your contempt for my daughter started way before she

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

spent suffering in your hands.”

filled with something dangerous. It chokes the air and

Howell isn’t

Howell”

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

showed our daughter any?” Nora hisses at mother.

eyes.

She looks

leave” I say staring at Travis and

and their time was up. They stare at me

and

ever again. Your enemies are our

Everyone who has hurt you will pay. No one will ever cause you

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you, my beautiful angel. Always know that” Nora

someone backing me up. Question is, did I really

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

and Theo willing to turn against their

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doing here?” Rowan booms, his

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

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

his voice pulls everyone’s

but he quickly hides

Theo and Nora then back at me.

I can’t say that I am pleased with how you’ve treated my daughter

our daughter and we can’t see ourselves having such business

Travis has shock written all

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

me darling anything in this world is possible” Nora

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

careful she would

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

and pulls out his laptop. He

time skyping mother. Soon her

mom” Emma tells her and

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Ava?” she asks

sudden cared about me when she

of my life.

you want to say,

just don’t care. I wasn’t going to play along to

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

“You came to us when you were

you until you were about fifteen

“What do you mean?”

1

wonderful housekeeper. She had worked for us for

imagine herself bearing another man’s child. You

recovered. They were planning to

All that was taken away from her when a

husband over” she explains.

ever get married again or have artificial insemination

month after she made that decision,

of their church found

anyone wanted to

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

It was too

one week break and went back to her home town to

but she ended up taking two weeks, but finally she got

the

said it was probably a scared teen that

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

the paper works for adoption. The baby was a blessing

you” mother says looking at me

died. It’s like Ava breathed life back