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.

that. Good thing he’s so excited about the slides

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

I decide to go through the biology essays of my students. So far the ones I’ve marked have done really well! I don’t mean to brag

subject being the best

heartbeat lurches when I see Ethan’s

me afraid that he had dialed my

Ava…are you

hadn’t been a mistake

“Not particularly, why?”

at the station’s shooting range. I thought maybe we could drive

together”

of the things he said were making any

would I be at a

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

in case they

guess it did make sense. I mean having a gun when dealing with a

about this but

go fuck themselves for all I

pick you up?” Ethan asks interrupting

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

again.

“Sure”

be there

to

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ten minutes like he said and

made you decide to become an officer of the law?” I ask turning to

at ease around him. It was nice. I

around another adult for

a cop” he

would

man and neither was he a good father. When

selling illegal firearms I was

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

I was living in

there was something more. The way

his father wasn’t just bad, he was

had really abusive parents. I try to

Abuse was abuse. Whether it was

emotional.

what made you become a teacher?”

back but I find myself

surprise.

weren’t the best and I was neglected as a child. When I was around

me when I needed a