Goodbye, Mr. Regret

"What's that supposed to mean, Jessica?"

Sallie could hardly ignore how strange Jessica was acting today.

Jessica didn't speak-she never did and she clearly had no intention of pulling out her phone to type a reply for Sallie to read.

She'd already made up her mind: she didn't want her husband or her son

anymore. Why would she care what Sallie thought of her?

When Jessica remained silent, Sallie's irritation only deepened. Huffing, she snapped, "I'm calling Timothy right now. I'll tell him to dump you!"

With that, Sallie whipped out her phone.

Jessica didn't move. If Sallie really could convince Timothy to leave her, so much the better. She wanted the divorce anyway.

The call connected quickly.

Timothy, having failed to find Jessica at the hospital, was already heading to the hotel.

She's dragging a suitcase around, who knows where she's planning to go. Didn't even bother to greet me. I tried talking to her, but she ignored me. Henry's still in the hospital and instead of taking care of her son, she's wandering all over the place. Honestly, if you ask me, you'd be better off

poured out all her pent-up anger in one

calm and even, his tone cool, "Keep an eye on her. Don't let her leave. I'll be

smirk. "I've called Timothy. He'll be

her gaze, an ironic smile tugging

on her brother with almost blinding devotion. Timothy was

Jessica so much as

family, loving her as she would an older sister, never once losing

remembered one winter when Sallie was in a minor car accident and fractured her leg. Henry was just a few months old, and Timothy was out of town. Jessica

much she gave,

trying to win over people who would never warm

beside Jessica, parking neatly at

stepped out, and Sallie hurried to

You'd think I owed her millions,"

and dignified as the day he'd walked up to her and asked if she would