Mistakes of our past | Rhekker

Chapter 2- Sophia

Ava picked up her bag with her free hand, placing the file carefully inside. She nods to Connor for him to follow them. They walk for ten minutes before Ava slips through two green gates leading to the front door of a bungalow. It was quaint, with lush plants and flower boxes on the windows. Ava shuffled for her keys, still holding the girl with one arm. Prying the door open she leads them inside.

Throughout the walk Connor was in a daze, Ava had a child. Did this mean she wouldn't come back to Chicago with him? Was Ava married? When Connor looked at Ava's girl, he couldn't help but wonder her age, "She could be three, easily" Connor thought in a panic.

Ava sat the girl down on the kitchen counter dabbing at her knees with an alcohol wipe.
"Wat het gebeur?*"Ava sighed, plastering the girls knee. The sun was setting as Ava took the girl into a separate room, leaving Connor in the kitchen. Having not spoken to Ava since meeting mini her Connor was at a loss for words until she came back.
"Sorry" she sighed rushing back into the kitchen after loosing her hat and glasses.
"Is this way you can't come back to Chicago" Connor asked "She can come with us, the hospital has childcare"
Ava took some pills from a cabinet and chugged some water, slowly thinking.

Still at the sink Ava began "That is Sophia, my daughter". She smiled at the word daughter, just even the though of Sophia overjoyed her.
"Is she..?" Connors voice trailed off, unsure of how best to word this question.
"She's two" Ava said, getting two beers out of the fridge and going to sit with Connor
"Her fathers out of the picture" Ava added quickly.
Connor nodded, he was nether relived or saddened by the news that Sophia was not his. Just like he was neither happy nor sad to be back in Bekker's presence.

"So will you come back with me?" Connor asked looking straight at Ava.
"I'll have decided by tomorrow" Ava told him again.
They were quiet for a minute just gazing at each other before a smile came across Ava's face.
"So what's life like in Chicago?" The house was dead silent, only some faint nosies from the streets outside.
"More or less the same since you left, some new nurses hear and their. Will and Nat got married last year"
"And how's Robyn?" Ava asked taking a slow slip of her beer.
"She left Chicago about a month after you, she's in Canada last I hear"
Ava only nodded in reply, staring off into the distance.

"I'm sorry for leaving so suddenly" Ava said pursing her lips.
Connor nodded, "I came in to do a value repair and was met by Sarah, from Salt Lake City. Goodwin said you'd talked it out with her, refused to tell me where you'd gone"
"Why did you want to know where I'd gone?" Ava questioned looking at him.
"I was worried, I still cared about you, to some degree. I thought this was you running away, trying to get away after killing my farther, but you were cleared of all wrong doing"

Ava finished her beer in silence taking in this new information. "I was running away, it was cowardly of me" Ava frowned looking up at him

"There a sofa in the living room with some spare bedding" Ava got up and cleared the table, leading Connor into the living room.
"Goodnight Ava" Connor smiled at Ava as she turned to leave
"Night Connor" Ava said without looking back.

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* "What happened?"