The Unwanted Wife's Return (Ex-Husband Wants Me Back) novel Chapter 364

The Replacement
MARY’S POV:

The question hung in the air between us, heavy and fragile, like a soap bubble that might pop at any moment. 

Elowen was still watching me, her small face tilted up, her eyes full of hope and uncertainty. She had asked if Mar! could be her father. She had said she liked him. She had said she thought he would make me less sad. 

I didn’t know how to answer her. 

I opened my mouth, closed it and opened it again. The words wouldn’t come. They were stuck somewhere deep in my chest, tangled up with everything I had been holding in for weeks. 

Marl broke the silence. 

“Really?” He laughed, a low, warm sound that seemed to fill the space between us. “I’m honored. Next time, please call me ‘dad’ in front of Alistair.” 

I stared at him. 

The joke was so unexpected, so completely out of left field, that I didn’t know how to react. My brain processed the words, turned them over and I tried to find the hidden meaning. But there was no hidden meaning. Just a man making a joke to make a little girl smile. 

Elowen giggled. “Really? I can call you dad?” 

“Only if your mom says it’s okay.” 

She looked at me, her eyes wide and hopeful. “Mommy? Can I?” 

“I’ll try,” he said. “No promises. But I’ll try.” 

Elowen hugged him. Her small arms wrapped around his waist, her face pressed against his jacket. I watched him freeze for a moment, surprised and then slowly relax. His hand came up to rest on her back, gentle and careful. 

1 looked away 

The sun was already setting behind the house which was also casting long shadows across the driveway. The air was cold, and I could see my breath forming small clouds in front of my face. Somewhere in the distance, a dog barked. A car drove past. The world was moving on, ordinary and indifferent, while I stood here trying to figure out how to put my life back together. 

Elowen finally let go of Marl and skipped toward the front door, her new soccer ball tucked under her arm. I watched her go, then turned back to Marl.