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.

it because, after they'd reconnected, he'd begged her to

scribble notes or type messages on her

for her-no more awkward moments or delays waiting for someone to read her words. It would

diamond this

phone: "It's too valuable. I can't

her words, but her own cadence and inflection—exactly

hand. "Silly, the diamond's just a replica. I was worried you'd be upset

Jessica typed, "How much was it? Let

other in years, and you're quibbling over a little gift? Are you trying

smiled, letting his kindness stand and typed

gathering his things. "Just remember-don't get the necklace wet, and

waving goodbye and watching as he

the street,

when a warm, strong hand caught her

Jessica looked up.

met Timothy's, his gaze brooding and

his solid chest, but he was unmovable—tall, powerful,

down, sliding the box with the necklace from

couldn't speak, and with one hand trapped, she couldn't

open the lid with his thumb, studying

matched the ring he had once