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.

water, took some medicine, and lay down to rest. Her sleep was restless, haunted by shadows. In the end, a nightmare jolted

dreamed of that fire

grabbed her phone. It was already seven thirty in

old town near

eight, crowds would gather along the shore for

water every evening. If you dined at

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

newly married, she longed for those little moments with the man she loved. If Timothy wouldn't go, she felt there was

wish was shelved

now, with her days numbered, she

got up, washed her face, threw on a coat, and

lakeside, crowds drifted along the

hand-in-hand, whispering, some

through the throng, offering roses

Almost every rose in the country came from here so many varieties, in colors brighter than

own love story had never involved roses. In

tore her gaze away

fireworks show was about to

boom, the first firework

scattering color across the

twin lotus blossoms bloomed above