Goodbye, Mr. Regret

Sheila stepped into the room.

She walked over to the bedside, her expression etched with worry as she glanced at Henry. "Jessica, is Henry alright?"

Jessica knew Sheila could read sign language, so she skipped typing on her phone and signed directly.

"It's appendicitis, but he's okay now. The surgery's done."

"How did he get appendicitis all of a sudden?"

Jessica shook her head.

Sheila's face softened with sympathy. "Poor thing, must have been so painful for him."

Sheila pulled up a chair and sat down next to Jessica.

Jessica frowned, her mind drifting.

Timothy had suddenly started doting on her, buying her cake, acting unusually close, and upending one of her long-held suspicions.

Because she loved him so much, she was utterly defenseless against his gentleness.

her heart was

since they were the same age, they never acted like aunt and nephew. That strange lack of boundaries made it awfully hard for Jessica to feel comfortable around

all, both Phelps and Sallie had dropped hints about Sheila

up uninvited, Jessica's emotions

reminder of

in to the urge to ask Sheila outright—just to get the truth out. But she

first appeared before her, in both words and

would Sheila ever admit it? And if word got back

prided herself on being

was only because she was so conflicted inside, desperate to know the truth, that she

down and sat quietly, not saying

broke

all night-why don't

other hand, just got off a long flight and haven't adjusted to

then said, "Actually, Jessica, there's something you should know. Last time Henry had a fever, the nurse who gave him the injection was his classmate's mother. He asked me to pretend to be you-he didn't want his classmates

didn't finish, but her meaning