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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housekeeper. She had worked for us

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

were planning to start a family the year he died,

taken away from her when a drunk driver

husband over” she explains.

didn’t want to ever get married again or

adaption. About a month after she made that decision,

was told that the preacher of their church found a baby outside the church

anyone wanted

at each other. Was it a coincidence? Was the preacher

It was too much to be

took a one week break and went back to her home town

back a week after, but she ended

No one knew who the baby’s mother was and had

a scared teen that gave

wasn’t an issue, the social worker allowed Winnie to come back with

baby was a blessing to Winnie, she

baby she adopted was you” mother says looking at me before continuing

her husband died. It’s like Ava breathed

she was her

what she just told us. Winnie

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me like you say, why didn’t she raise me? How did I end up

family?”

got you, she was diagnosed with stage four breast

and that she only had

in. To adopt you. We didn’t want

anymore”

have happened because I ended up

me in

was quiet as she answered. “When Travis was two years he managed to get out of

was about to

get to him in time, I screamed in fear, My fear

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

a coma for two months. They

also had a limp since then because of the permanent njury to her

deep breath before letting it out. “We accepted

As much as we tried to compensate her

she went through. So when she died,

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

than the life I

remember ever having a good memory with them. They were all bad, full

misery.

you know how many people would

you led?” Emma ask, sneering

Emma before I shut it up for you

enough of you stupid comments. I slept with your damn

up. It disgusting watching a thirty year old

year old. Noah behaves more

surprises everyone. Emma looks down, her cheeks a

me, and realize that it’s Nora. I

were sitting right next to

”