Chapter 97
Ex-Husband’s Regret
Amusement park
Ava
âMomy, are you almost done?â Noah yells through my bedroom door âItâs almost time Vie sie
going to be late.â
âJust give me a secâ I yell back as I quickly put on my outfit for the day.
Nowadays, Iâm more comfortable with dresses, so thatâs what I had on 1 had on a cute sundress
with thin straps and that reached above my knees. I paired them with sandals. Since we were
going to spend most of the time walking, I assumed they will be more comfortable.
My hair was in in a curled pony tail with loose tendrils framing my face. I didnât have much make
up on. Mainly because I felt too lazy to do it.
I didnât want to do this whole thing. I easily get tired nowadays and I didnât want to ruin the day by
being worn out too quickly. The smile on Noahâs and Gunnerâs faces is what made me change my
mind. They were both so excited for this day.
Gunner needed this after what happened last week. He needed to feel loved and treasured. I hoped
that being surrounded by those that love him will give him new memories. Memories that would
replace those few painful ones of his mother.
I take my purse and open my door only to find Noah waiting for me outside.
âIâm ready. Letâs goâ
Just as I finished the sentence, we hear a honk outside my house. I guess that both Calvin and
Gunner were also ready to go
Since were going to the same place, we saw no need for travelling separately. We decided that we
would take Calâs car since it was bigger and that he would be driving.
âIâm so excitedâ¦Iâve been waiting for this day since you agreedâ Noah says as he gently pulls me
down the stair while being mindful of my condition. âI even called dad yesterday. He was sounded
funny, but I let him know that I wonât be home todayâ
Iâm surprised that he called Rowan. He usually tells me when heâs going to call his father. He
never mentioned it yesterday though.
At the mention of Rowan, I get an uneasy feeling. In the past months he has been what I can only
1/3
15 BONUS
persona
Pushing thoughts of him aside, I focus on the day ahead
We get out of the house and Noah rushes to Calâs car. I follow behind him once Iâve locked the
door Climbing into the passenger seat, I smile at the fatherâson duo.
âHello you twoâ I greet as cheerful as I can.
âHey Ava!â Gunner screams with excitement.
Cal smile back at me âHeyâ
We all buckle up and then Cal starts the engine and drives off.
Thirty minutes into the trip, the boys are still as excited as the first day we made these plans.
They were so hyper that it was funny how they behaved.
âHow long till we get there?â Noah asks, buzzing with joy while Gunner bounced up and down his
seat.
âAbout forty minutes give or takeâ Cal answers.
They are quiet for a while before they start conversing on their own. Their talk mostly consisting
of all the things theyâre going to do while there. The games theyâre going to play. The rides theyâre
going to try and the foods theyâre going to eat.
âTheyâre really excitedâ Cal says, his eyes flashing to mine before going back on the road.
I chuckle. âThat is an understatement. Noah barely slept last night and he when he did. He was up
again at the crack of dawn ing me up like there was a freaking apocalypseâ
%
He laughs at that. Real laughter. I stare at him in wonder. Unable to tear my gaze from him.
âWhat is it?â he asks when his laugh dies down.
I shake my head to clear my thoughts. âNothing. Iâve just never heard you laugh like that before.
You should laugh more often. It suits youâ
The smile he had earlier disappears. He was back to being unreachable and detached.
I really needed to help. Show him how to live. Whoever Gunnerâs mom is, sure did a number on
both father and son. Iâm only grateful that Rowan only hurt me. I donât know what I would have
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+15 BONUS
We drive in silence after that Mostly itâs the kids that engage us in their conversation. Those two
surprised me at how in sync they were with each other. They were even finishing each otherâs
sentences which Calvin found hilarious.
Soon we get to our destination. We get out of the car immediately Calvin finds a parking spot.
âWhere to first?â Cal asks as we faced the gate to the amusement park. There were probably
thousands of people walking about.
âThe rides, definitelyâ Noah and Gunner chorus together.
The faces were split into wide grins and their eyes were shimmering with excitement.
âThe rides it isâ I grin and take both their hands as we head into the sea of people.
About two hours later, my legs were aching, but I was happy. I take a seat by the bench and watch
as Cal, Gunner and Noah play around.
Rubbing my feet I canât help but turn wistful. This is what I always wanted for me, Noah and
Rowan. I always wanted us to do such fun things together. Every time I broached the subject,
Rowan would turn me down.
He always said that he didnât mind spending time with Noah, so long as I wasnât there to ruin their
moment because my presence disgusted him. 2
It hurt as always, but I swallowed it down. Except that vacation we went to as a family, and which
Noah insisted. We never did anything as a family. It was always either Rowan and Noah or Noah
and me. Never the three of us.
âI donât like another man p.
his voice.
ig dad to my sonâ I sit frozen, unable to believe that Iâd just heard
Itâs like my thoughts had conjured him out of thin air.
Yeah. I should have definitely listened to my brain when it told me that Rowan was probably
going to show up. This was sure going to be a fucking disaster.