Goodbye, Mr. Regret

The nurse saw Jessica signing and, blinking in sympathy, lamented, "She's so beautiful—what a shame she can't speak."

Henry could read Jessica's sign language. She was telling the nurse that she was his mother. He tensed, terrified she'd use her voice synthesizer and reveal the

truth.

Annoyance crept into his voice. "What are you waving your hands around for? No one else understands your sign language."

Jessica pulled out her phone, intent on using her voice ring to speak.

But Henry snatched her phone away before she could, turning to the nurse with a bright, practiced smile. "Ma'am, she's our housekeeper. My dad likes a quiet home, so he hired someone who doesn't talk."

Jessica froze.

Did he just say she was the housekeeper?

She'd seen this plot play out on TV-sons, ashamed of their mothers after making something of themselves, introducing them to others as the help or distant relatives. The mothers never got angry; they'd just cry quietly, terrified of embarrassing their child.

Jessica had always despised those ungrateful sons with a vengeance.

that one day, she'd find herself in their mother's

of those silent tears-the pain was like a knife twisting in

Henry's arm and dabbed his skin

hug Henry, worried he might be

voice tinged with impatience. "I'm not a little kid anymore. I'm tough—I'm not scared of needles. You don't have

was, smiled approvingly. "You're a brave young man,

nurse inserted the needle, Henry's face tightened and his brows furrowed, but he bit down hard and didn't

years-she knew better than anyone when he was putting on

puffed up a little with pride. "See? I told

nurse finished securing everything and affectionately ruffled his hair. "You did great, Henry. Last time you were here with your mom, you still needed

nurse last time that Sheila was his mother, and

your

started tidying up, but then glanced at them curiously. "By the way, where's your

dad on a business

hands clenched into fists before she could stop

Gilded Whisper Estates last night— she'd gone