Goodbye, Mr. Regret

"Allen, are you seriously trying to rub salt in my wounds?"

Jessica hung up furiously.

She'd been on the fence about deleting Allen's number, mostly because he hadn't been too harsh with her. But now? No more hesitation. She blocked his number without a second thought.

Allen, realizing Jessica wouldn't pick up, switched to texting. He hurriedly typed out everything he wanted to explain.

[Ma'am, the night of the thunderstorm, President Lawson had already booked a flight to come see you, but the storm canceled all flights. He had to turn back. As soon as you called, he personally piloted the helicopter to the capital. The brooch it was a gift President Lawson bought for you at the airport. When I handed it to Miss Howard, she saw it and assumed it was for her. She called President Lawson and said she wanted it. Since she's his aunt, he probably felt awkward saying no, so he let her keep it...]

Allen thought for a moment, then quickly added another line: And before the holidays, President Lawson asked me to book three tickets-he wanted to take you and your son to Oakwood for a trip. When he couldn't reach you, he ended up only booking two.

Satisfied, Allen hit send.

But the message came back with a glaring exclamation mark.

She'd blocked him.

but the call wouldn't go

Lawson really cared about her. Why did she

Allen was baffled.

there was no one else to ask. Allen decided

introducing himself as her

to him: her last checkup showed she was a candidate for a transplant, and if the tissue

Vince's general health screening came back clear, the doctor led

for results. The doctor told him that live-donor compatibility

too long, Vince thought, a bit

his

diagnosed, the doctor had given her six months at best. Even now,

hadn't been a chance for

all of

been for her to hold

was her husband, always by her side, yet he hadn't noticed a