Ex-Husband's Regret

Chapter 0247

Ethan.

muh

When I got the news from one of the inmates that Ava had been shot, I felt like my heart had been split wide open by a sledgehammer. Everything in me died when he told me that there was no further news, but the grapevine believed that she was dead because no one could survive that shooting. That, and the

fact that her family kept quiet about it and there was no official report that was released,

I love Ava, and I love my baby even more. Knowing that they both hadn’t made it almost drove me to

insanity.

I waited the whole time with my heart in my throat. I waited for my parents to reach out and give me the bad news. When night arrived without a word from them, I was convinced that the rumors must be true. somehow. Otherwise, why would they take so long to make contact?

I barely slept an inch the whole night. Worry and anxiety were constant companions, driving me to the edge of insanity and filling my head with painful thoughts.

At one point, I cried to God. Praying that he could somehow do a fucking miracle. I didn’t believe in

any deity, but at that point, I was willing to believe in anyone who would tell me that they were both alive and okay.

My cellmate, the guards, and other inmates gave me pitying looks. I felt horrible, I looked horrible, and I was pretty sure that I was fucking dying inside.

When moming came, I could barely keep my breakfast down. The images of one adult–size casket and another tiny one kept wreaking havoc inside my head. It’s all I could think about. It’s all I saw.

My heart skipped a beat when I was called into the warden’s office. I didn’t say anything when I saw my parent’s lawyer.

When he told me that I had been pardoned for a few hours, a ray of hope started rising inside me. On our way to the hospital, that small ray bloomed into something bigger when Christopher, the family lawyer, told me that Ava and the baby were alive but in the ICU.

I thanked whatever power that had done it. They were alive, and that’s what mattered the most.

Ethan, are you okay?” Mom’s voice brings me back to the present.

I stare at her, wondering how the fuck I got so lucky. Most women in her position would have kicked me out of their lives, but she didn’t. Neither did my father.

My eyes search for him. They finally land on him. He was a few feet away from me, and he had his hand clamped on Rowan’s shoulder.

ready to kill me as his eyes seared me with hate. I didn’t mind at all.

around with Noah, and they follow a

just relieved, Mom,” I tell her as

lost

Ethan,” she says as tears fall down her

seeing her heart break. I can see

was killing her.

into my arms

worry. Ava

dad says, and mom and I

“What?” I stammer.

smile. “You have a baby

was holding back? Yeah, I couldn’t hold them back any more, so they fell freely

her?” It was a beautiful name, but I was afraid Ava would be pissed that they named our

they settled on Iris if she was a girl and Kaden if he

in my lungs,

you happy with the

not that. Iris is a beautiful name. It’s just that I once

smile, and Dad

happened to mention it to Ava. I told her if I ever had a son, he would be named Kaden. The fact that she took me into consideration and decided to give the baby a name I loved in case it was a boy meant the fucking world to

can say anything, a nurse calls

arranged it. You’re her father; you deserve

nurse. After they’ve dressed me

my daughter.

tubes attached to

to be

was wrong. Right there, Iris becomes my world. I doubt anyone could ever be as important to me as

confident that she’ll be okay,” she

know every father probably thinks the same, but damn,

believe that Ava made such a perfect being. She was everything to me

pregnant,

but I will do everything I can to protect her, and because of her, I will be

minutes with her before Mary, as she introduced herself, tells me it’s time