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,

even

sacrifice everything I have right now just to see her scowling or glaring at me. I

“It’s my fault.”

turn towards the voice

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

arms as

your fault, Letty.

could postpone. If only

their eyes. They haven’t known

so don’t blame yourself. The only one responsible is the bastard that hurt,”

now won’t help. We need to focus on Ava and the baby. We should

prayers for them,” my

don’t say anything. I just focus on the emergency room, waiting for

was killing me. The waiting. The worrying. The uncertainty. I just

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

me screamed and begged for a silver lining. For a kind of miracle.

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

when they’ve both barely begun to

didn’t see the glass wall in front of her?” Letty

smile.

She hit it right in

she couldn’t stop laughing

some of the others chuckled. There

and forced

time the hot waiter caught her talking about how cute he is.

her, but she didn’t get it, not until the man cleared

on her face.

us to leave because she couldn’t face

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place

+15 BONUS

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

of them.