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

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

wrapped gauze around Henry's arm

instinctively tried to hug Henry,

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

brave he was, smiled approvingly. "You're

when the nurse inserted the needle, Henry's face tightened and his brows furrowed, but he bit down hard

his mother for six years-she knew better than anyone when he was putting on a brave

needle in place, Henry puffed up a

finished securing everything and affectionately ruffled his hair. "You did great, Henry. Last

time that Sheila

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

up, but then glanced at them curiously.

with my dad on a business

clenched into fists

back to The Gilded Whisper Estates last night— she'd gone to Capital City with