Chapter 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.

“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?”

“We had a wonderful housekeeper. She had worked for us for years. She wanted a family but she couldn’t imagine herself bearing another man’s child. You see, her husband died after seven years of marriage and she never recovered. They were planning to start a family the year he died, they felt they were financially stable. All that was taken away from her when a drunk driver ran her husband over” she explains.

“Winnie wanted a child, but didn’t want to ever get married again or have artificial insemination so

she settled on adaption. About a month after she made that decision, she was called by her mother. She was told that the preacher of their church found a baby outside the church and was wondering if anyone wanted to adopt her”

Mother continues. “She took a one week break and went back to her home town to get the baby.

We expected her back a week after, but she ended up taking two weeks, but finally she got the baby and came back. No one knew who the baby’s mother was and had no identification on her.

The preacher said it was probably a scared teen that gave birth and left the baby there”

“Since there wasn’t an issue, the social worker allowed Winnie to come back with the child as she prepared the paper works for adoption. The baby was a blessing to Winnie, she named her Ava.

That baby she adopted was you” mother says looking at me before continuing “I had not seen her that happy since her husband died. It’s like Ava breathed life back into her and Winnie adored her.

Loved her like she was her own”

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

“If she loved me like you say, why didn’t she raise me? How did I end up as part of the Sharp family?”

“About a year after she got you, she was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer. The doctors told her it was too late for her and that she only had a few months to live. Before she died, she asked us to take you in. To adopt you. We didn’t want to, we already had two children and we didn’t want anymore”

Something must have happened because I ended up with them.

“Then why did you take me in if you didn’t want to?” I ask.

Everyone was quiet as she answered. “When Travis was two years he managed to get out of the house. By the time I realized it, he was about to cross the road. There was an incoming car and I knew I couldn’t get to him in time, I screamed in fear, My fear must have alerted Winnie.

I don’t know how she did it, or where she was or how she moved. She saved Travis that day, but she ended up in a coma for two months. They amputated her right hand because it was too damaged.

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

She takes in a deep breath before letting it out. “We accepted her request because we felt we owed her. As much as we tried to compensate her it would never have been enough for saving Travis and what she went through. So when she died, we adopted Ava”

I look down, muttering. “I wish you hadn’t. You should have tossed me in an orphanage. It would have been kinder than the life I lived with you”

I don’t remember ever having a good memory with them. They were all bad, full of pain and misery.

“Gosh, you’re such an ungrateful woman. Do you know how many people would kill to have the life you led?” Emma ask, sneering me in my direction.

“Shut your fucking mouth Emma before I shut it up for you permanently.” I hiss, my anger rising.”

I’ve heard enough of you stupid comments. I slept with your damn boyfriend, get the fuck over it and grow the fuck up. It disgusting watching a thirty year old woman throwing a hissy fight like a fucking two year old. Noah behaves more mature than you do❞

My blow up surprises everyone. Emma looks down, her cheeks a shade of red.

I feel hands hold me, and realize that it’s Nora. I look up at her and she’s grinning. I’d completely forgotten that they were sitting right next to me.”

“I suggest you heed the warning of my daughter, girl” Nora says. “It’s been years and you’ve all surely made her pay for that damn mistake. I suggest you move on and leave the past where it is. You talk to my daughter like that ever again and you will not like what I do to you”

I’m shocked that she would stand up for me. Nobody ever has well except for Letty. It feels weird but good at the same time.

Emma looks up before looking back down again. I felt the Nora’s threat and it sent chills down my spine.

Mother clears her voice, pulling our attention back to her. “I know how we treated you over the years wasn’t fair and I’m so sorry. More than you’ll ever know”

“Please stop. Like I told your son, it’s a little too late for your apologies now. I really don’t want to hear it and neither do I want anything to do with any of you” I simply say.

Too much had already been said and done. It was better this way. Maybe one day I will be able to forgive them, but for now, the pain was just too much. 2

“Now that it’s all said and done, we’re done here” Theo speaks up. “I don’t care what you felt she did, but we all must agree that your contempt for my daughter started way before she made a

mistake of sleeping with Rowan. Mark my words, you will pay for every tear she shed and for every year she spent suffering in your hands.” 2

The air is filled with something dangerous. It chokes the air and suffocates my lungs. Everyone knows Theo Howell isn’t someone you cross. Ever.

“Please Mr. Howell” mother pleads.

“How many times did my daughter beg? You didn’t care did you? Why should we show you mercy when you never showed our daughter any?” Nora hisses at mother. Pure hatred reflecting in her eyes.

Mother doesn’t say anything. She looks down in shame.

“I think you should all leave” I say staring at Travis and Emma.

They did what they came to do and their time was up. They stare at me for a while before standing up and leaving. Rowan follows and then Ethan is up next.

“You never have to worry about anything ever again. Your enemies are our enemies and we will fight those who fight you. Everyone who has hurt you will pay. No one will ever cause you pain.

“We love you, my beautiful angel. Always know that” Nora adds before doing the same.

They leave soon after. It felt great to have someone backing me up. Question is, did I really want revenge against those that hurt me? And even if I did, would they hurt Ethan for hurting me?

Were Nora and Theo willing to turn against their son for me?