Goodbye, Mr. Regret

Yates spoke with an easy, indifferent air. "Figure out who you're looking for before

you accuse me of stealing your woman."

Vince couldn't help but silently give Yates a nod of approval.

It was the kind of question Timothy simply couldn't answer.

He could only try to find his wife, Jessica.

But when he arrived at the Zimmerman house, there was no one named Jessica.

He asked for Salome, but Salome had nothing to do with him.

Timothy's expression darkened. "So you're against me too?"

"No," Yates replied calmly, "I'm just trying to protect my fiancée. Timothy, if you

can't answer that question, you should go. Your wife isn't here. The only people in

this house are Vince's sister, Mrs. Zimmerman's daughter, and my fiancée."

Inside the house, Jessica and Mrs. Zimmerman emerged from the study. Zachary

set a steaming dish on the dining table and called out, "Salome, your brother and

Yates are outside. Go call them in for dinner."

"Okay."

Jessica opened the front door, surprised to see snow quietly falling outside.

Wonder lit up her delicate features.

She tilted her head back, gazing up at the sky.

She hadn't even looked toward the front gate yet.

before she could, a

Timothy's eye.

did he realize just how much he'd

"Jessy!"

spoken in that familiar yet foreign voice, cut through

ears. She

was Timothy, kneeling just outside the iron fence,

it had

eyes froze for a moment, her heart pausing before

steady beat.

calling out to Vince and Yates, "Dinner's

to come get

Vince said, wrapping an arm protectively around Jessica's

siblings turned to head back

feet, gripping the wrought-iron gate with both

need to

Jessica stopped, turning back.

off his coat and draping it

might get

something to say, say it. Everyone's waiting for us to eat,"

soft and as cold-as

almost melodic, but every word landed on

like a stone.

she had waited for him at home

nights and days they could have spent together.

face felt like an impossible

"I'm sorry."

else? Dinner's

as detached as if she were speaking to a

day at the

me you'd

month of reflection. The

yet. I've come to take