Goodbye, Mr. Regret

After her shower, Jessica settled down at the desk and began sketching patterns onto the fabric spread before her.

She knew the fabric would fray once it was cut, and since she didn't have the right stiffening spray at home, she'd had a professional at the textile market handle it for her.

At least she wasn't a stranger to crafts-years of helping Henry with his paper- cutting projects had kept her hands nimble and her lines steady.

Her movements were fluid, almost instinctive.

Still, after that dizzy spell this morning-passing out in the car and ending up in the hospital-she wasn't quite herself. A dull ache pulsed in her abdomen.

When she'd first heard the diagnosis-cancer-she hadn't believed it. She'd always felt healthy, never had any pain. The only time she could recall real discomfort was that one day her stomach hurt so badly she'd gone to the hospital -and that was when her world shattered.

Life could change in an instant.

The doctor had warned her: if she was feeling pain, it meant things were already serious.

Ever since then, even the smallest twinge seemed magnified.

She stood up and took a couple of pills, waiting for the pain to subside, then quietly returned to her work.

Ten minutes later, there was a soft chime.

The door opened.

turned. Timothy had

narrowed, brows

chill in his demeanor, dark

lowered her head, ignoring him, continuing her careful

his

to her, yet she didn't even

a moment, he

hand pausing for just a

the wall, silent for a while, then finally spoke, his voice low and gravelly—almost beautiful in its roughness. "So,

kept her head

was the scratch of her

from her hand and tossed it onto the

really going to keep this

soft and distant, yet her eyes glistened with

a moment, something tightened

He released her jaw.

marriage certificate-I spoke to my grandfather.

pocket, he produced a velvet box. He took

sparkled, catching the