Goodbye, Mr. Regret

Jessica hesitated, unsure if she should hand her phone to Herbert.

But Herbert had already slipped it from her grasp.

He tapped away in the app store, quickly downloading a new app.

After a moment, he typed a line into the app: "Little Mute, how does this voice sound?"

A stranger's female voice came from somewhere nearby.

"Do you like it?"

He typed again, the same gentle voice repeating his words.

Jessica realized the sound was coming from the necklace.

Her eyes lit up with surprise. She had never seen a necklace like this-it was fascinating.

And the voice sounded eerily similar to her own, as if it carried echoes of her past.

Jessica hadn't been born mute.

Herbert handed her phone back to her.

"With this app, you just type what you want to say," he explained. "The software can mimic your tone, too. And the more you use it, the more natural it gets."

Jessica's heart skipped. The prospect was tempting.

could read sign language. Herbert only knew it because, after they'd reconnected, he'd begged her to teach

or type messages on her phone and

speak for her-no more awkward moments or delays waiting for

a diamond this

typed into her phone: "It's too valuable.

necklace's voice matched not just her words, but her

"Silly, the diamond's just a replica.

much was it? Let me pay

in years, and you're quibbling over a little

smiled, letting his kindness stand and

remember-don't

and watching as

disappeared down the street, she turned and

when a warm, strong hand caught her wrist, pinning her

Jessica looked up.

Timothy's,

tried to push him away, hand pressed against his solid chest,

the box with the necklace from

one hand trapped,

open the lid with his thumb, studying the

the ring he had once bought