Dear Ex-wife Marry Me by Twin Bridge

"Yeah, Mom's got a new beau now and doesn't need him or Dad anymore."

Sister Rosemary used to say that stepmothers could be wicked, leaving kids hungry, cold, and sometimes even selling them off to some godforsaken place in the boonies. The more Nolan thought about it, the deeper his sense of loss became.

As recess rolled around, Zoey stepped out of the classroom and immediately spotted Fitch standing not too far away.

She wasn't exactly fond of the man, but he was, after all, Zion City's biggest investor. She owed him some courtesy.

"Mr. Haskins."

She called out and started heading to her office.

"Ms. March, are you off for a break now?"

Zoey forced a smile, not too keen on chatting, but managed to respond, "Yeah, in an hour the kids will have lunch. I need to get the storybook ready for our pre-meal reading." "I'll join you."

"That won't be necessary, Mr. Haskins. I'm sure you're quite busy."

"Not at all."

Taking a deep breath, Zoey replied with feigned cheerfulness, "Really, it's fine. This sort of thing, I usually do with my boyfriend."

Fitch didn't budge, fiddling with his lighter that he had pulled out but hadn't used, twirling it between his fingers.

wasn't insisting, Zoey continued

whipped out his

other end made the

like this, I refuse to believe he'll pass it up. Have the official side send him

"Yes, Mr. Haskins."

approached the classroom door, catching sight of Nolan staring

was precocious, aware at such a young age that Zoey was his mom, yet he dared not call out

Deep down, Nolan probably

was about to start a new family and didn't want him anymore. The child's fear

with her job at the kindergarten, the faint bond of mother

her eyes, every child was hers, her love equally divided among all her students, with

be so hard

the urge to smoke again; the greatest wrongs in his life were done

and walking to the front to grab the craft Zoey had demonstrated.

first time Fitch had seen Zoey create something, and his

the insurmountable separation adults talked about, but why did

to touch the little cat,

class adored Zoey, all vying for the

kitty is