Dear Ex Wife Please take me back by The Every Woman

ATHENA

"Hi mummy!" Rayen's sweet voice reaches me, and my heart instantly melts. It's been over a month, and I still feel like I'm dreaming.

Everything finally ended. Leah is in prison along with her mother and father. We took everything they had and compensated all the victims. It didn't bring back what they lost, but it helped a little, and that was better than nothing.

I was moved to the ER and it has been extremely busy. I can barely feel my bones from how exhausted I've been.

lan asked if it was too much, so he could change my station to only attend to VIP patients but I turned it down. I want to be everyone's doctor, not just those with money.

That's why I plan on opening a foundation dedicated to helping those who can't afford health care. I would have with the fortune my parents left, but my aunt, being the greedy woman she is, took all my money before I turned eighteen and could claim it.

"Hi, baby. How was school?" I ask as I pick him up and pepper kisses all over his cheeks, making him giggle.

"Mummy! Please stop, I'm ticklish!" He screams as he laughs.

The sound is like music to my ears, and I can't help but laugh along.

Sometimes co-parenting is hard.

There are days when I come home craving the comfort of my son's arms only to remember it's Alex's day with him. We agreed on a schedule, but life and work tends to break the plans forcing us to bend in otherways.

Shockingly, though, we've made a decent team. Civil, even. For Rayen's sake, we're trying.

Just as I'm setting Rayen down and about to bribe him with cookies so he'll do his homework, the doorbell rings.

"Maybe it's Aunt Izzy." I say to Rayen, who probably can't hear me as he rushes upstairs. With a shake of my head, I walk towards the door.

"I didn't-" My words are caught in my throat as I open the door.

Alex.

Standing tall in a crisp navy shirt, with sleeves rolled to the elbows, veins prominent, hair tousled like he just walked off a magazine shoot, and a stupidly unfair smile tugging at his lips.

Ugh.

Why does he still have to look this good? Life would have been really easy if he weren't easy on the eyes.

"Hey," he says, his deep voice smooth. "Ready to go?"

I blink. "Go where?"

He chuckles softly. "I told you earlier. About the stop we need to make."

"Oh. Right," I murmur.

you forget about it?"

"Nope." I lie.

I totally forgot.

glance at the clock, then at the comfy couch, then back at him. "I just got

really tired. Maybe I'll sit

His tone is gentler now, not

That's new.

behind me like

trip, Mummy! We'll

did you come down, little man?" I ask

"Just now!"

eyes at my son. "Rayen... did you

He gasps dramatically. "Nooo000!"

giggle and those

"Hi, Daddy!"

to his dad,

extremely rare, makes me pause,

just a second, maybe less, but something passes between us. Something unspoken,

throat and look away, pretending to fuss with my

can come in. I'll

"Take your

Take your time.

I pause mid-step.

is many things, but patient is not

hell is

quick shower, and despite my desire to stick around and soothe

delicious heat of water, I

favorite grey sweatpants and

want is to sleep for

the second he sees me, he tucks it away and stands

deliberately, until my skin burns like he set me on fire with a single

deep voice lower now, like a secret slipping

more beautiful

so hard I'm certain he can hear it. My cheeks warm,

care what you think,” I toss back casually, ignoring his smirk as I head to the kitchen to scoop up Rayen, who's too busy munching cookies and

"You ready, baby?"

"Yaayy! Let's go!"

energy. He's talking about everything and nothing all at once. School snacks, a book

take my spider costume! Is

trip?" I ask with

superhero-themed bus