Goodbye, Mr. Regret

"Herbert."

Jessica's voice broke as she interrupted him, her words trembling with emotion. "Why are you so foolish?"

"Why didn't you tell me you were leaving the Wheeler family?"

"Why didn't you ever mention you'd spent seven years researching aphasia for my sake?"

"You came back to find me just to help me get better, didn't you?"

Herbert's eyes darkened, his expression freezing for a few seconds. Then, awkwardly, he forced a smile. "Who put that nonsense in your head? Whoever told you must be trying to upset you."

Sallie, overhearing the exchange, was completely stunned.

It was Herbert who had spent seven years researching Jessica's aphasia-and cured her?

Tears spilled down Jessica's cheeks. She shook her head. "No one told me. I saw the news about you leaving the Wheeler family. Just now, I overheard the nurses talking about the scientist who spent seven years on aphasia research. That's when I realized it was you. Herbert, you've done so much for me. How could I ever repay you?”

for you, it helps so many others. You should be proud. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been inspired to focus on this at

downplay everything, hoping Jessica wouldn't

had never needed anything from her. Everything he'd done, he'd

that Jessica's heart still clung to Timothy. The look in her eyes yesterday, when she gently wiped

she loved Timothy, Herbert would

never been about possession. It was

his embrace. Someone who'd given

felt like it couldn't

Sallie panicked.

tip the scales-that Jessica would

she was afraid Timothy

step forward, but someone grabbed her

in surprise. It was

and

fine, but the Lawson family can pay him-teh times, a hundred times the medical bilts, whatever

she