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

quiet as she answered. “When Travis was two

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

screamed in fear, My fear must have

where she was or how she moved. She saved Travis

in a coma for two months. They amputated her right

also had a limp since then because of the permanent njury

it out. “We accepted her request because we felt we

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

went through. So when

You should have tossed

the

having a good memory with

misery.

woman. Do you know how many people would kill to

ask, sneering me

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

slept with your damn boyfriend, get the fuck

watching a thirty year old woman throwing a hissy fight like

two year old. Noah behaves more mature than you

looks down, her cheeks a shade of

and realize that it’s Nora. I look

sitting right next

”

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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

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

looks up before looking back down again. I felt the Nora’s threat and

spine.

know how we treated you over

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 do with any of you” I

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

the pain was just too much.

done here” Theo speaks up. “I don’t care what you

we all must agree that your contempt

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

suffering in your

is filled with something dangerous. It chokes the air

Howell isn’t someone you

Howell”

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

any?” Nora hisses at mother.

eyes.

She looks down in

I say staring

and their time was up.

leaving. Rowan follows and then

anything ever again. Your enemies

has hurt you will pay. No one will

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

felt great to have someone backing me up.

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

turn against their

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here?” Rowan booms, his cold grey

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 him

sound of his voice pulls everyone’s eyes

he quickly hides it. “What are you

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

say that I am pleased with how you’ve

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

possible? Travis has shock

the Howell’s are.

possible” Nora

had a shocked expression. Her mouth hang open in disbelief. If

careful she would catch a

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

laptop. He sets it down and we

Soon

Emma tells her and she

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you, Ava?” she asks

she all over sudden cared about me when she hasn’t for more than

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 along to

do. She was too

takes a calming breath before beginning. “You came to

you until you were

“What do you mean?”

1

had worked for

You see, her husband died after seven

recovered. They were planning to start a family

that was taken away from her

husband over” she explains.

didn’t want to ever get

on adaption. About a month after she made that

that the preacher of their church found a

if anyone wanted to

other. Was it a coincidence? Was the preacher Winnie’s mother

my grandfather? It was too much to be just a

“She took a one week break and went back to

week after, but she ended up

came back. No one knew who the

it was probably a scared teen that gave birth

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

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

baby she adopted was you” mother says looking at me before continuing “I had not seen

happy since her husband died. It’s like Ava breathed life back