Goodbye, Mr. Regret

The walls she'd built around her heart-so solid for so long-collapsed in an instant.

She just couldn't bring herself to be ruthless, to turn her back on him, no matter what.

The nurse hadn't been especially attentive and hadn't bothered to wipe the dried blood from the corner of his mouth. It had caked into dark patches.

Jessica pulled a pack of wet wipes from her purse and gently dabbed at Timothy's lips, moving slowly and carefully. She had to let the blood soften before she could clean it away.

Maybe it was just who she was-her calm, steady presence seemed to quiet the entire room, settling the restless energy in the air and bringing a strange sense of peace.

No one else could have cared for Timothy this way. Anyone else would have fallen short.

Once she'd cleaned away every trace of blood, Jessica's voice was low and

hoarse. "You have to live. You have to wake up. If you don't, I'll never forgive you. When I left home, my son was healthy don't you dare try to leave me with a sick child while you run away from everything."

Timothy's right ring finger, hidden under the blanket, trembled ever so slightly. The doctors had already let the family come in to see him, and now a nurse began to wheel Timothy away.

all followed

around Jessica,

Timothy interacted-it was unmistakable. There was something between them, a connection that ran bone-deep. It left Herbert standing there, unable to work up the

on, let's go," he

stepped up to him. "I'm sorry I couldn't take you to the movie premiere tonight. And I've kept you here with me for so

forget—I'm a neurologist. I have plenty of colleagues in the field. I'll talk to his attending physician, get his chart, and discuss

you, Herbert," Jessica whispered, her eyes shining with

what I should do. You two go home-I'll go

could barely walk. In the end, Vince knelt down and let her climb on his back so

ever feel like life is testing me?"

makes you say

away from finalizing the divorce then Henry gets diagnosed with aplastic anemia, and now this happens to Timothy. We were a family once, you know? No matter what's happened, I can't just stand by and do

a divorce, Vince. That's

know. But right now, you need to