Ex-Husband’s Regret by Evelyn M.M

114. The wait

I stare at the doctor as if I’m a damn idiot who can’t comprehend what he just said. In my defense, his words didn’t register wholly with me. He was asking me to choose between Ava and her baby. Does he know how difficult that is?

“Mr. Woods, time is of the essence. We need to know your decision,” he all but begs.

I open my mouth, but no words come out. I try again, and the same thing fucking happens.

“Mr. Woods?” the nurse calls, concern in her voice.

“The baby,” Letty’s soft voice suddenly says, breaking the silence. “Save the baby, if it comes down to it.”

The doctor and nurse nod their heads before rushing back to the ER. I turn to face Letty with mixed feelings waging war inside me.

My look must have communicated something because she hardens her eyes in defiance before speaking.

“Don’t look at me like that, Rowan. This is what Ava would have wanted,” she says through gritted teeth.

Corrine comes to the defense of her friend.

“She’s right. Ava would have picked her baby over herself any day, any time. If we picked her over the child, she would have hated us.

I deflate after she voices what I was thinking just a few minutes ago. I know she’s right, but that doesn’t take away the heaviness I feel in my heart.

I would never wish her baby harm. All I pray right now is that it doesn’t come down to that. I hope that

both of them make it. Ava deserves to know happiness, and her baby deserves to live.

I resume my seat and wait. It killed me to wait, but what choice do I have? I’m not a doctor, so I can’t

really help her. All I can do is continue praying.

I don’t remember the last time I prayed. Probably when I was still a kid in Sunday school. Right now, I’m willing to pray to anyone who’ll listen and answer my request. If it was possible to trade places with her,

gladly done so, even if it meant that

I would do it. I would sacrifice everything I have right now just to see her scowling or glaring

“It’s my fault.”

voice

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her missed call, I told myself I’d call her

arms as she

Letty. You couldn’t

anyone is to blame, then it should be me. I picked up her call. She wanted us to go shopping, but I was busy, so I asked her if we could postpone. If only I’d gone with her. Maybe I could have done something to prevent her from getting hurt.” She had her arms wrapped around herself as if she were cold. Just like Letty, she

their friend shining through their eyes. They haven’t known

have predicted something like this happening, so don’t blame yourself. The only one

We need to focus on Ava and the baby.

for them,” my mom

the emergency room, waiting for someone

waiting. The worrying. The

is going to be okay. That she and the baby were out of

silver lining. For a kind of miracle.

angel of death to stay away. Their souls weren’t his to claim. Not now. It wasn’t their time yet;

when they’ve both barely begun

she didn’t see the glass

smile.

She hit it right in the face before she fell

she couldn’t stop laughing about it because it was so

There

I gritted my teeth and forced myself to

her talking about how cute

but she didn’t get it, not until the man cleared his voice,” Corrine says with a

on her face.

us to leave because she couldn’t face him after that.”

2/3

place

+15 BONUS

of silence. Everyone was probably lost in memory lane. For the others, there probably weren’t any good memories.

of them.