Goodbye, Mr. Regret

Chapter 13

"She's here for the comic convention. I actually made a whole book of paper-cut illustrations for her. I wonder if she'll like it?"

Jessica's throat tightened.

She watched as Timothy and Henry stepped into the elevator together.

She was the one who had taught Henry how to make those paper-cut illustrations.

Most kids loved cartoons, and since she couldn't speak, she'd worried Henry might get bored when she watched him. After each show, she'd sit with him and do crafts, cutting out his favorite cartoon characters, making up little stories, and pasting them into a scrapbook.

Henry used to praise her for how pretty her paper-cuts looked, and in time, he'd learned to do it alongside her.

They'd created so many of those illustrated scrapbooks together.

Henry once promised that when he could finish a whole book by himself, the very first one would be for his mom.

Jessica never expected that day would come so soon-that Henry could already make a whole scrapbook on his own.

Her face pale, Jessica stepped wordlessly into the elevator.

Back in her room, a dull ache burned in her stomach, and fatigue pressed down like a heavy blanket.

took some medicine, and lay down to rest. Her sleep was restless, haunted by shadows.

dreamed of that fire from seven years

It was

old town near

a lake, each night at eight, crowds would

fireworks burst over the water every evening. If you

see the fireworks show. The Silverthread Eatery was less than thirty minutes from The Gilded Whisper Estates, but in seven years, Timothy had

the man she loved. If Timothy wouldn't

was shelved

numbered, she owed herself this one small

got up, washed her face, threw on a

the lakeside, crowds drifted along

hand-in-hand, whispering, some stealing kisses

throng, offering roses to every

rose in the country came from here so many varieties, in

roses. In truth, it

gaze away from

was about to

boom, the first

lit up the dusk, scattering color across the

of twin lotus blossoms