Goodbye, Mr. Regret

Sandra's eyes glowed with pride and approval.

Sallie, on the other hand, just rolled her eyes. She couldn't see the appeal of those paper-cut artworks-she had no idea what was going through these old folks' minds, but they all seemed to love it.

She thought, It's just a mute girl, is it really worth all this attention?

Abell had the paper-cutting sent to his study, and once the housekeepers announced dinner was ready, everyone made their way to the dining room.

Sandra made a point of seating Jessica beside her, with Timothy on Jessica's other side, clearly hoping to give their marriage a little boost.

If that silly spat between them could be settled tonight with a real conversation, all the better.

Vince took the seat directly across from Jessica. He'd promised her that if Timothy stepped out of line, he'd make sure she was safe. He hoped the evening would be uneventful-get her here, then get her out again in one piece.

Timothy hadn't said a single word to Jessica since they'd arrived. Sandra was the one making conversation with her. During dinner, Sandra even nudged Timothy, saying, "Go on, help Jessy to some food."

placed them

scene with a chill running through

Howard" felt heavier than ever—a title that had become a burden. At home, she hardly dared to

ten more days, she told herself.

her head, but never saying

front of the elders, Jessica didn't refuse Timothy's gentle courtesies at

hand in hers, she spoke earnestly: "Marriage isn't easy. A little friction is inevitable. Timothy can be a bit cold, I know, but I hope you'll

to smooth things over, thinking it was just a minor

the rift was so deep-they were heading for

the elders. There was no "minor disagreement"-they really were getting a divorce. Better for them to know the truth than to try and force her

divorce. I hadn' planned to come tonight, but since he asked Mr. Zimmerman, Tagreed so as not to make things difficult for him. This is my first time at

the phone