Goodbye, Mr. Regret

With this, Jessica saw hope-clear and bright, flickering to life in her chest.

As hope grew, so did her longing to speak. The moment her throat felt a little less raw, she set down her water glass and signed, "Herbert, thank you."

Herbert smiled gently. "After all these years, you don't need to thank me."

She signed again, "With my condition, how long before I can talk again?"

She needed to know. Half a year-that was all the time she had left. If she could recover within those six months, maybe she could finally do all the things she'd once dreamed of, the ones that had always felt out of reach.

"We'll need to wait for your neurological test results before I can give you a definite answer," Herbert replied. "But trust me, it shouldn't take too long. My friend's had patients in worse shape recover in about six months. You're already able to make sounds, so I'd say you'll be fine within half a year."

A soft smile spread across Jessica's lovely face. Herbert could tell how badly she wanted to speak again. Honestly, he thought she'd need much less time—maybe just a few months-but he set her expectations a bit longer, knowing she'd be even more thrilled if she could beat that timeline.

He led her off for her neurological exam.

***

Villas in a foul mood. She drank herself into a restless sleep, and woke up with her throat burning the next morning. She

flared. "Have you forgotten how many surgeries

voice was hoarse, her face

expression darkened. "Don't say another word. I'm

shrill cry rang out behind him. Whipping around, he saw

her by the arm before she could fall, then scooping

and a hint of smoke from his jacket. For a moment, she felt impossibly close to him. She pressed her cheek against his solid chest, listening to the strong, steady

so dependable-yet he belonged to

Jessica out of lust, Sheila could have endured

fault-her silence, her mysterious allure. Men couldn't resist a