Goodbye, Mr. Regret

Chapter 33

Jessica sat beside her on the antique wooden settee.

The two of them faced each other across a small coffee table, which was scattered with all sorts of delicate paper cuttings.

"Jessica, I'm just not satisfied with any of these decorations," Latonia sighed. "It's

a pity your grandmother passed away years ago. The neighbors told me you're quite talented too. Could I trouble you to make some for me?"

Jessica nodded silently.

She didn't speak a word.

Latonia had heard from Herbert that Jessica still hadn't regained her voice.

Latonia led Jessica around the villa, asking her to help spot the best places for the decorations. Jessica took her time, studying the rooms, and snapped photos on her phone of the spots that needed some color.

Communicating in gestures and notes on her phone, Jessica let Latonia know she could finish everything in about two days.

Latonia, who hadn't seen Jessica in so long, insisted she stay for dinner.

Afterwards, Latonia had Herbert drive Jessica home.

Herbert

need to buy some materials-could you drop

paper cuttings?" Herbert was

and signed

designs. Your house has a classic look-if I use ordinary paper, it just wouldn't

effortless elegance, her fingers nimble and wrists poised, making her sign language

looking forward to seeing

her

she had

she'd even surpassed her

at the fabric market, but

wave him off, insisting

to communicate with the

relented, letting him

inside when Jessica

Lawson was carefully inspecting bolts of

Jessica ducked down another

were twins, both twenty-nine this

unlike her brother, Sallie was single-a hard-charging career woman. After college, she'd used her degree to launch a boutique fashion label, now with stores all over

looked down on Jessica, seeing her as nothing