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.

wildest dreams had she imagined that one

silent tears-the pain

gauze around Henry's arm and dabbed his skin

Henry, worried he might

a little kid anymore. I'm tough—I'm not scared of needles. You don't have to

how brave he was, smiled approvingly. "You're a

Henry's face tightened and his brows furrowed, but

for six years-she knew better than anyone

puffed

ruffled his hair. "You did great, Henry. Last time you were here with your mom,

He remembered telling the nurse last time that Sheila

and he grinned. "Well, with your mom around, you're supposed to act a little

glanced at

with my dad

clenched into fists before she

Gilded Whisper Estates