honey.”
“Maybe.” So many parents sacrificed
everything for their children. I wouldn’t. Life
was too short. Ethan was different. He craved
family. A loving wife, obedient or
rambunctious children – that was his vision
of happiness.
<
“I think you’ll be a wonderful father,” I told him. “You’ll give our child everything you wished you’d had. You’ll spoil them rotten.”
And in doing so, he would heal the wounds of
his own childhood. That’s why I wanted this
baby. For him.
He hugged me. “You’re the most important
thing, Avery. I just… I want a baby. I’ll be a
good dad. I promise.”
“I know you will.” I smiled. I knew he’d be
happy. I knew he’d live a long, full life. I would
be there with him, watching him thrive. We
would have a beautiful future.
Bonus:
Ithon
ver told Avery about the first time
<
Ethan never told Avery about the first time he
saw her. It was behind the high school, by the
dumpster. He was filthy, starving, scavenging
for food. Then Avery appeared, an angel in a
white dress. She watched him for a moment,
pity in her eyes. She gave him two thousand
dollars. “Find something else to do,” she said
gently. “Don’t do things you hate.”
Ethan didn’t know why she helped him. Pity?
A random act of kindness? He only knew
she’d saved his life. He used the money to
leave town, working day and night, using his
innate talent to ride the tech boom. When he
returned, he was a successful businessman,
surrounded by advisors. Avery had blossomed
into a stunning young woman, flitting from
one boyfriend to the next. He wasn’t
surprised. A girl like Avery deserved to be
adored. But it hurt. Something primal,
<
something ugly, whispered in his blood: Take
her. Lock her away. Make her yours. He
fought the urge. The struggle tore him apart.
Proposing to the Grays was a desperate
gamble. He ached for her, consumed by a
loneliness that threatened to swallow him
whole. But if she refused… he wouldn’t force
her. He wouldn’t become his father. Then
she’d come to him. He’d won the lottery of
life.
Six years later, their son was two. Ethan
dreamt of his other life, dying alone in that
cold, dark room. He saw Avery placing a
single red rose beside his body. He spent the
rest of the night on the balcony, smoking,
staring at the moon, round and full, like the
mooncakes Avery had made last year. If she’d
run away again… I would have died. He
<
couldn’t comprehend the despair he’d felt
then, but he understood. A broken man was
capable of anything. But she hadn’t run.
“What’s wrong?” Avery’s arms slipped
around his waist. “You’ve been quiet all
afternoon.”
He wanted to tell her, to confess his fear, but
the words wouldn’t come. He picked her up.
She gasped, her legs wrapping around his
waist. “Put me down, you brute!”
He blushed, nuzzling her neck. He didn’t need
to ask. Avery didn’t like him dwelling on the
past. Focus on the future, she always said. He
would. She was here. With him. He smiled. “|
love you so much, honey.
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