Dear Ex-wife Marry Me

"Yeah, Mom's got a new beau now and doesn't need him or Dad anymore."

Sister Rosemary used to say that stepmothers could be wicked, leaving kids hungry, cold, and sometimes even selling them off to some godforsaken place in the boonies. The more Nolan thought about it, the deeper his sense of loss became.

As recess rolled around, Zoey stepped out of the classroom and immediately spotted Fitch standing not too far away.

She wasn't exactly fond of the man, but he was, after all, Zion City's biggest investor. She owed him some courtesy.

"Mr. Haskins."

She called out and started heading to her office.

"Ms. March, are you off for a break now?"

Zoey forced a smile, not too keen on chatting, but managed to respond, "Yeah, in an hour the kids will have lunch. I need to get the storybook ready for our pre-meal reading." "I'll join you."

"That won't be necessary, Mr. Haskins. I'm sure you're quite busy."

"Not at all."

Taking a deep breath, Zoey replied with feigned cheerfulness, "Really, it's fine. This sort of thing, I usually do with my boyfriend."

Fitch didn't budge, fiddling with his lighter that he had pulled out but hadn't used, twirling it between his fingers.

Seeing that he wasn't insisting, Zoey continued on her way.

As soon as she left, Fitch whipped out his phone and made a call.

Whatever was said on the other end made the corners of his mouth curl into a cold smirk.

"With an opportunity like this, I refuse to believe he'll pass it up. Have the official side send him an email."

"Yes, Mr. Haskins."

After hanging up, Fitch approached the classroom door, catching sight of Nolan staring blankly at the crafts they'd made.

His heart ached instantly. The boy was precocious, aware at such a young age that Zoey was his mom, yet he dared not call out to her.

Deep down, Nolan probably

understood that Zoey was about to start a new family and didn't want him anymore. The child's fear was palpable, but Zoey was blind to it.

She remembered nothing, and with her job at the kindergarten, the faint bond of mother and child seemed all the more fragile.

In her eyes, every child was hers, her love equally divided among all her students, with no special place for Nolan.

It must be so hard for Nolan.

Fitch felt the urge to smoke again; the greatest wrongs in his life were done to Zoey and their child.

Nolan seemed to notice him, getting up from his seat and walking to the front to grab the craft Zoey had demonstrated. Zoey was skilled; the little cat she made was charming.

This was the first time Fitch had seen Zoey create something, and his heart felt a bittersweet ache.

At least being with Mom didn't mean the insurmountable separation adults talked about, but why did it still feel so distant?

Just as his fingertips were about to touch the little cat, another child snatched it away.

The kids in the class adored Zoey, all vying for the things she made.

"Ms. March's kitty is mine, all mine!"

"I want it, wahhh, I want Ms. March's!"

"Stop fighting, just stop!"

Before the words had even settled, Nolan was knocked to the ground by another child rushing in, and a lump swelled on his forehead. Chaos erupted among the children, and the kid who had knocked Nolan down hurried to pick him up.

"Whoa, there's blood! Go get Ms. March!"

It was an accident; the child hadn't.

meant to hurt anyone, just trying to dodge the others and grab the kitty him.

without seeing Nolan et

No sooner had the words left their mouths than Fitch strode in,

headed straight for the ms.net

scooped up Nolan in his arms, andContent (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

office.

nurse's