Goodbye, Mr. Regret

Jessica braced herself against the wall, the bowl of water she'd been carrying slipping from her grasp and crashing to the floor, sending water splashing

everywhere.

She looked pale and unsteady.

Timothy hurried over and caught her before she could fall. "Jessy, what's wrong? Are you feeling sick? Let me take you to the hospital."

She tried to shrug him off, but a sharp pain twisted through her abdomen, leaving her too weak to resist.

Vince rushed over, gently prying Timothy's arm away and wrapping his own around Jessica's shoulders.

In a faint voice, Jessica muttered, "Vince, make him leave. I don't want to see him."

Timothy's heart pounded in his chest. "I'm not going anywhere! You're sick, Jessy. Let me take you to see a doctor."

Jessica shot him a cold look. "I don't need your help. Just go."

Even though she was barely holding herself together, her words came out with surprising force.

"Didn't you say you were going to change? She doesn't want to see you, and she's obviously

moment he finally turned and left the room,

he was gone, Vince helped Jessica over to the bed next to Daisy's and eased her down. "I'm going to

it. I

keeping vigil. When Zachary saw him, he said, "Vince, why don't you take your mother and Jessy home to rest

go get

the room. He poured her a glass of water and handed it

swallowing them with a sip of

you up for it? If you're

me like this, she'll only worry and insist I

Mom and then come back for you. Jessy, don't be scared. The test results will come quickly, and once they're in, I'll take you abroad for the surgery. You're going to get better. I

found her again—he couldn't bear to lose her now. No one

and had even taken her as

so

nervously, watching as Vince led Mrs. Zimmerman out to the car. Once they'd