Goodbye, Mr. Regret

Chapter 26

Jessica hesitated, unsure if she should hand her phone to Herbert.

But Herbert had already slipped it from her grasp.

He tapped away in the app store, quickly downloading a new app.

After a moment, he typed a line into the app: "Little Mute, how does this voice sound?"

A stranger's female voice came from somewhere nearby.

"Do you like it?"

He typed again, the same gentle voice repeating his words.

Jessica realized the sound was coming from the necklace.

Her eyes lit up with surprise. She had never seen a necklace like this-it was fascinating.

And the voice sounded eerily similar to her own, as if it carried echoes of her past.

Jessica hadn't been born mute.

Herbert handed her phone back to her.

"With this app, you just type what you want to say," he explained. "The software can mimic your tone, too. And the more you use it, the more natural it gets."

heart skipped. The

after they'd reconnected, he'd begged her to teach him,

everyone else, she had to scribble notes or type messages on her phone and show

necklace, she could just type, and it would speak for her-no more awkward moments or delays waiting for someone to read her words. It would

diamond this size

her phone: "It's too valuable.

but her own cadence and inflection—exactly the way she imagined herself

the diamond's just a replica. I was worried you'd be upset it

was it? Let

in years, and you're quibbling over

his kindness stand and typed two words:

should let you get some rest," Herbert said, gathering his things. "Just remember-don't

nodded, waving goodbye and watching

disappeared down the street, she turned and unlocked her

barely stepped inside when a warm, strong hand

Jessica looked up.

eyes met Timothy's, his gaze brooding and

away, hand pressed against his solid

the box

with one hand trapped, she couldn't

flicked open the lid with his

he had once bought

knit with