Chapter 74 Freedom at Last
No longer did she feel the need to tread lightly around Alexander. She found herself speaking freely in his presence, her conscience unburdened.
Alexander, however, wore a sullen expression."Alright, I should be on my way," declared William, his voice steady and polite. In contrast to Alexander's stormy temperament, William was a welcome breath of fresh air.
"I'm truly sorry for the inconvenience, you coming all this way to see me," Ava expressed, her face a mirror of remorse.
"No need to worry, I was heading to the office anyway. Don't feel obligated. I must be off, take care," he responded before making his exit.
Once William was out of sight, Ava's polite facade chilled into a frosty demeanor towards Alexander.
The shrill sound of Amelia's pager broke the silence. She was needed elsewhere but hesitated to leave Ava alone with Alexander. "The stress is only making Ava's stomach issues worse. Don't exacer bate it," she cautioned him.
Uncharacteristically, Alexander refrained from a sharp retort, merely grunting in acknowledgment, a response that was surprisingly out of character for him.
"Amelia, you should go," Ava urged, hearing the persistent beeping of the pager.
With a nod, Amelia exited the room.
"Let's head home," Alexander suggested, gathering the neatly packed bag from the sofa and lifting the bouquet of lilies he'd brought, deliberately leaving the roses behind.
However, Ava had no intention of leaving the roses. She picked them up, causing a flicker of annoyance in Alexander, but he swallowed any retort that threatened to surface.
Upon their return, the house felt vacant and hollow. Without their presence, it was merely a house, not a home.
Ava took her time arranging the roses in a vase, relegating the bunch of lilies to the side.
"Mrs. Mitchell, what should I do with these lilies? Would you like me to put them in a vase?" inquired the butler, Vince.
"There's no need," Alexander interjected as he approached, "Just throw them away."
If Ava didn't care for them, there was no point in keeping them.
Vince picked up the lilies, a pang of regret coursing through him. The flowers were fresh and beautiful; it seemed such a waste to discard them. But Alexander had spoken, and he was obliged to obey.
As he turned to leave, Ava's voice halted him, "Wait."
"What can I do for you, Mrs. Mitchell?" Vince asked.
"Place those lilies in a vase. It would be a shame to waste them."
Regardless of Alexander's feelings, the flowers were blameless. Plucked in their prime, so vibrant and full of life, it would be pitiful to consign them to the trash.
"Of course," Vince agreed, fetching a vase for the lilies.
Even if the instructions of Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell contradicted each other, he knew that siding with Mrs. Mitchell was usually the safer bet.
Alexander's sour mood seemed to lighten slightly."I didn't destroy the divorce papers. I didn't lie to you," he confessed, fearful of her harboring resentment or misunderstanding him.
As he explained himself to Ava, he was struck by the harsh reality of how it felt to be on the receiving end of false accusations.
Ava positioned the vase in the center of the table before responding, "It's fine, just print out a new set and I'll sign them."
"I will. You'll be free soon."It was clear that she yearned for her freedom.
With a soft "Hmm," Ava, drained of energy for further discussion, slowly ascended the staircase, made her way to her bedroom, and lay down.
Now was the time to focus on her pregnancy.
Alexander didn't linger in the house after Ava had settled in. He left, presumably heading towards Isabella's place.
By evening, Ava dined alone but felt content, her solitude softened by the company of her unborn child.Just as she returned to her room after supper, her phone rang. It was a call from Mia.
"Hi, Mom, what's up?"
"Have you eaten yet?" Mia inquired.
"I've just finished."
"Eat up. Pregnancy can make it hard to stomach food, but you have to force yourself. The baby needs nutrients."
Ava murmured an agreement. "Yeah, I've been trying to eat well. Gotta nourish the little one."
"Let's meet up tomorrow, how about we grab lunch together at a restaurant?"
"Tomorrow?"
"Yes, are you busy tomorrow?" Mia asked.
"No, I'm free, Mom. Why don't you come over? I can cook for you."
"No, dear, you and I have never really gone out just the two of us. I know you need to take care of yourself. I won't tire you out. No shopping, just lunch. Have your driver bring you over. It won't be a long walk."
"Alright. Which restaurant do you have in mind? I'll make a reservation," Ava conceded.
"No need for you to bother. I'll take care of it. I'll send you a message with the details, and you can just have your driver drop you off tomorrow."
"Okay, got it."
After ending their respective calls, Ava sat on the edge of the bed, gently touching her belly. "Baby, your grandma seems to be kind of a tough cookie with a warm center. She doesn't appear as cold as she seems. I wonder what happened between her and your grandpa."
