Ex-Husband’s Regret by Evelyn M.M

56. Baby Ava

“What the fuck is he doing here?” Rowan booms, his cold grey eyes shooting daggers at Ethan.

I was really not in the mood deal with his tantrums. Yes he was there for me yesterday, but that doesn’t mean he has a say on who is in my home.

Theo or should I say my dad clears his throat. It was going to take some time to get used to the idea of calling him dad.

The sound of his voice pulls everyone’s eyes to him.

Theo Howell?” Rowan says in surprise but he quickly hides it. “What are you doing here?”

Rowan looks between all of us. His eyes moving from Theo and Nora then back at me. Slowly connecting the dots.

“It’s been a while Rowan, though I can’t say that I am pleased with how you’ve treated my daughter Theo says with a dangerous smile on his lips.

“What he means to say is, we’re downright pissed off with the way you and your family has treated our daughter and we can’t see ourselves having such business partners” Nora adds. She doesn’t smile and for the first time since she came to my house, I feel hostility and hatred radiating off her.

“How’s this possible? Travis has shock written all over his face

Like I said, everyone in the country knows who the Howell’s are. They may like to keep their life private, but they’re still known.

“Oh, trust me darling anything in this world is possible” Nora says glaring at him. Fire burning behind her eyes.

I look at Emma and she too had a shocked expression. Her mouth hang open in disbelief. If she

wasn’t careful she would catch a fly

“Can we just get this over with so that you may all leave?” I ask looking directly at him.

He nods his head and pulls out his laptop. He sets it down and we gather around it. He doesn’t

waste any time skyping mother. Soon her face fills the screen.

“We’re all here mom” Emma tells her and she nods her head.

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“How are you, Ava?” she asks slowly.

I don’t know why she all over sudden cared about me when she hasn’t for more than twenty years

of my life.

“Just say what you want to say, no need for the fake pleasantries”

She looks hurt, but at this point I just don’t care. I wasn’t going to play along to whatever it is she

was trying to do. She was too late to fix was what was broken.

She takes a calming breath before beginning. “You came to us when you were weeks old, but we

didn’t adapt you until you were about fifteen months old”

“What do you mean?”

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a wonderful housekeeper. She had worked for us for years. She wanted

herself bearing another man’s child. You see, her husband died after

and she never recovered. They were planning to start a family

stable. All that was taken away from her when a drunk

husband over” she explains.

to ever get married again or

adaption. About a month after she made that decision, she was called

preacher of their church found a baby

wanted to

each other. Was it a coincidence? Was

too

went back to her home

she ended up taking two weeks, but

one knew who the

it was probably a scared teen that gave birth and left the baby

wasn’t an issue, the social worker allowed Winnie

works for adoption. The baby was a blessing to Winnie,

you” mother says looking at

her husband died. It’s like Ava breathed life back into her and Winnie

her like she

pauses and I take a moment to digest what she just told us. Winnie seems like a great

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raise me? How

family?”

a year after she got you, she was diagnosed

her and that she only had a few months to live. Before she died, she

you. We didn’t want to, we already

anymore”

must have happened because I ended

did you take me in

quiet as she answered. “When Travis was two years

he was about to cross the road. There was an

to him in time, I screamed in

she did it, or where she was or how she moved. She saved Travis that day,

up in a coma for two months. They

limp since then because of the permanent njury

in a deep breath before letting it out. “We accepted her

tried to compensate her it would never have been

went through. So

look down, muttering. “I wish you hadn’t. You should have

the life I lived

don’t remember ever having a good memory with them. They

misery.

Do you know how many

Emma ask, sneering me in my

before I shut it up for you permanently.” I

stupid comments. I slept with your damn boyfriend, get the fuck over

thirty

year old. Noah behaves more mature

Emma looks down, her cheeks a shade of

feel hands hold me, and realize that it’s Nora. I look up at her and she’s grinning.

that they were sitting right next to

”