Goodbye, Mr. Regret

It was exactly her style.

Her mother must have decorated the bedroom based on what she remembered Jessica loving as a child, assuming her tastes hadn't changed with time.

"Salome, I'll go run you a hot bath. You'll feel so much better after soaking for a while," Mrs. Zimmerman said.

Jessica quickly caught her mother's hand. "Mom, you're not in the best health. I can take care of these little things myself—I'm all grown up now, not a little girl anymore."

Mrs. Zimmerman smiled gently. "But you were only six when you went missing. I missed out on taking care of you all these years. Let me make up for lost time, just for today-let me look after you."

This wasn't just about looking after her. This was a mother's fierce, overwhelming love for her child.

"Mom, you're so good to me," Jessica choked out, her voice trembling.

Mrs. Zimmerman's smile deepened as she walked into the bathroom. She turned

on the faucet, adjusted the temperature, and started filling the tub.

Jessica grabbed some clothes from her suitcase and stepped inside. Mrs. Zimmerman sat on the edge of the tub, turned to her, and said, "Salome, you've always loved the scent of gardenias. I bought a special gardenia bubble bath just

for you."

She squeezed some of the fragrant liquid into the water and swirled it with her hand, filling the tub with delicate bubbles.

Jessica's eyes stung with tears.

Some things about a person never change.

She'd loved gardenias since she was little-her grandmother had planted two bushes by the front door and another in the backyard. When they bloomed, the whole house would be filled with their sweet scent.

After marrying Timothy, she found out he preferred the smell of orchids. Out of habit, she'd swapped out all her scented products for orchid-scented ones.

The bath was ready.

me to do that for you when you were little. And at bedtime, you wanted me to

even softer as she

rough with emotion. "All these

she spoke, tears spilled

Lawson was her

cancer diagnosis, when her own life was slipping away, she found herself thinking most about

broken her heart, she probably would never have stopped worrying about

sweetheart, why are you crying again? Of course I missed you. Isn't that what mothers do when their children aren't by

seven years, Jessica had lived with the Lawsons-years

cared for her. That

long ago, even her son's love slipped

now did she truly understand what a blessing it was to be loved-how it made

twenty years apart, Jessica felt no

sank into the bath, letting the warm water and steam blur

she finished and came out, Mrs. Zimmerman had already drawn

and Mrs. Zimmerman sat at the bedside, gently stroking her hair. "Close

she could stop herself, Jessica whispered, "Salome loves Mommy so

Mrs. Zimmerman's eyes turned red, her eyelids trembling as she fought back tears. She answered in the same

Jessica closed her eyes.

Riverside City.

the hospital for

when she arrived, his room was empty. When she asked around, she

had insisted on

Timothy, but his phone was

tried his

Timothy

"No, he hasn't."

Told you where