Ex-Husband’s Regret by Evelyn M.M

11. Shooting range

“So how’s your day sweetheart?” I ask Noal

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The phone is between my shoulder and eat I was trying to maximize by talking to him while doing some cleaning. It wasn’t an easy but at least my shoulder was doing so much better now.

“It’s awesome“” he shouts through the phone almost bursting my ent drums “We just had ice cream and now we are going to the slides, they have slides here and they lead straight to the

ocean”

His excited chanter makes me happy. His happines in my happiness The fact that he is safe and enjoying himself was enough for me.

“That’s great baby…see, I told you that you would have lots of fun”

Giving up on cleaning, I take a seat on the couch. It would be better to finish talking to him first.

“What about you mommy, how’s your weekend?”

What could I say? It was boring as hell. My eight year old son was having more fun than I was. I didn’t have anywhere to go or anyone to hang out with since I had no friends.

My colleagues used to invite me to things but they stopped after I kept turning them down Deep inside I knew they invited me as a formality, because I was there when they were inviting others. Not because they genuinely want to know me or hang out with me.

“Uh, it’s okay…just doing some cleaning” I murmur

I hear him sigh. “Mom, you need to go out and have fun like I am. Since I’m not there, I don’t want you to stay at home all alone”

Why the hell did I feel so chastised right now?

“I will, I just have to finish my chores first” I lie.

After cleaning I would probably just watch a movie and drown myself in junk food. Or I would just catch up on sleep. Both options didn’t seem that bad.

“Fine…I have to go mommy, Pa is calling for me”

“Okay my love, talk to you at night”

“Bye, and grandma says hi to you”

Noah calls mother grandma and used to call father grandpa. As for Rowan’s parents, he calls them

Pa and Ma

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“That’s good be careful on the slides” I say, completely ignoring the greetings from my supposed

mother.

so excited about the

usually in tune and nothing escapes his notice. A character he got from his father, but not today. Today his mind

go through the biology essays of my students. So far the ones I’ve marked have done really well!

my subject being the best performed

My heartbeat lurches when I see Ethan’s

of me afraid that he had dialed my number by

Ava…are you busy?” he

guess it hadn’t been a mistake like

“Not particularly, why?”

the station’s shooting

together”

the things he said were making any kind

be

you family is there. They were all advised to train in shooting and to get

just in case

make sense. I mean having a gun when dealing with a dangerous gang

one told me about this but I couldn’t

fuck themselves for all

up?” Ethan asks interrupting

do. Plus this could be fun. Not to mention that I get to hang

again.

“Sure”

I’ll be there

to my bedroom to find

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minutes like he said

decide to become an officer of the law?” I

and I felt at ease around

around another adult for

dad was killed by a

frown, a bit surprised. “That would turn most people off from being

and neither

firearms I was actually

my dad who thought was untouchable made me want to do the

living in a safe

tell there was something more. The way he

his father wasn’t just bad, he was a

in my class. Students who had really abusive parents. I try to help

child needed such parents. Abuse was abuse. Whether it was

emotional.

made you

usually hold myself back but I find myself opening up to him, something that takes

surprise.

best and I was neglected as

She was everything I wanted my mother to be. She cared, praised me, hugged me when