Goodbye, Mr. Regret

Chapter 93

Jessica forced a faint smile.

No matter how tactfully Sallie put it, the message was always the same— Jessica's muteness was a disappointment.

She should try harder.

But Jessica had been trying, day after day, to prove herself worthy of Timothy. She'd done everything she could think of. If only the Lawsons could show her a little more respect, maybe Henry wouldn't have grown so distant, so ashamed of having a mother who couldn't speak.

But what could she do? She was voiceless, powerless.

That's why she was so willing to support Carlisle and the others they worked so hard to prove that even without a voice, they could live, work, and create just like anyone else.

Sallie, meanwhile, felt she'd done all she could for Jessica. She'd given her advice, offered reminders, and now, if Jessica couldn't appreciate it, she'd just have to deal with the consequences herself. As for Sheila, Sallie was sure their grandfather would step in.

With that, Sallie left.

Jessica made her way to Henry's hospital room.

He'd had surgery just before dawn; now that the anesthesia had worn off, he probably still hurt. Even in his sleep, his small face was scrunched up in pain.

clung to Sheila and seemed embarrassed by his own

she wasn't tired that night. She kept watch at Henry's bedside, quietly waiting for him

Morning came.

his

a little boy, opening his eyes to see his mother slumped in the same spot, trying to stay

didn't love her. But she couldn't

man in Riverside City,

just didn't want them to find out that his

"Mom..." he whispered.

snapped up at

here all night?" Henry asked

Jessica nodded.

phone and typed into a text-to-speech app: "Henry, are you hungry? Do you want

from the phone, and Henry noticed the ring on Jessica's finger-the one his

synthetic voice was pleasant enough, but it was still artificial, a reminder that his

language, Mom. I know how to read it. Dad

throbbed in Jessica's

she just smiled, put away her phone, and began signing: "I'll go get you something to eat. You just lie still, okay? You just had surgery, and you