Ten Years a Ward

, Ava removed Ethan from

. She would use that time to com

e, the house was

oodles. As she was eating, she

won't be b

oto of a candlelit dinner and anoth

mbled. She calmly

r high school group chat. They w

the country, she decided to go. It woul

he group men

rip, Mr. Hayes flew back from a business trip ove

now an icicle, makin

eplied, "He'

d and been rejected. They didn't

, she slep

She was eight years old. He had looked at he

start, her fac

beginning, would she have recogniz

ing received all his affection, o

d saw the suitcase fi

days unti

row it all away,

tairs and ran into Ethan and C

ere are you going

id calmly. "These are just some u

e from her and tossed it into the donation p

hear

was filled with gifts he had give

for argument. "There's no need to move in

ly of Chloe. He didn't car

stairs with

e ask softly,

"She's an adult now. She need

the stairs, then continue

now. She would