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.

+15 BONUS

“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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had a wonderful housekeeper. She had worked for us for years. She wanted a family but

man’s child. You see, her husband died

never recovered. They were planning to start a

was taken away from

husband over” she explains.

wanted a child, but didn’t want to ever get married again or have

after she made that decision, she was

that the preacher of their church found a baby outside the church and

if anyone wanted to

other. Was it a coincidence? Was the preacher

too much

break and went back

expected her back a week after, but she ended up taking two weeks, but

one knew who the baby’s mother was and had no identification

a scared teen

an issue, the social worker allowed

adoption. The baby was a blessing to Winnie, she

says looking

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

her like she was her own”

I take a moment to digest what she just told us. Winnie

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didn’t she raise me?

family?”

she was

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

To adopt you. We didn’t want to, we already had two children and we didn’t

anymore”

must have happened because I ended up with

did you take me in

she answered. “When Travis was two

was about to

I couldn’t get to him in time, I screamed

she did it, or where she was or how she moved. She

They

then because of the permanent njury to

deep breath before letting it out.

tried to compensate her it would

she went through. So when she died, we adopted

muttering. “I wish you hadn’t. You should have tossed me in

kinder than the

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

misery.

you’re such an ungrateful woman. Do you know how many people would kill to have

Emma ask, sneering me

Emma before I shut it up for you permanently.” I hiss,

I slept with your damn

thirty year old woman throwing a hissy fight like

Noah behaves more

up surprises everyone. Emma looks

realize that it’s Nora. I look up at her and she’s grinning. I’d

were sitting right next

”