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.

she imagined that

tears-the pain was like a knife twisting in

nurse gently wrapped gauze around Henry's arm

instinctively tried to hug Henry,

impatience. "I'm not a little kid anymore. I'm tough—I'm not

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

tightened and his brows furrowed, but

his mother for six years-she knew better

the needle in place, Henry puffed up a little with pride. "See? I told you-I'm

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

time that Sheila was his mother, and guilt pricked

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

glanced at them curiously.

my dad on a

into fists

The Gilded Whisper Estates last night—