Goodbye, Mr. Regret

He'd walked right up to Jessica—a woman he'd never even met before—and

proposed to her on the spot.

Even now, he couldn't forget the way she looked at him in stunned silence, her

eyes wide and searching.

Time seemed to freeze in that moment.

Waiting for her answer, he'd felt a strange mix of emotions—an unfamiliar struggle

twisting inside him. Would she say yes? Would she turn him down?

After what felt like forever, she finally smiled and nodded.

The tension in his chest unraveled in an instant, his heart swelling so wide it felt

as if it could contain mountains and rivers.

It wasn't that he didn't have feelings; he was just always so reserved, so careful

with himself.

That impulsive rush carried him all the way to the courthouse.

It was only when he stood there, marriage certificate in hand, the seal still fresh,

that it hit him—how reckless he'd been.

He told himself to calm down, to think.

That was when she brought up taking wedding photos.

He refused.

Now Timothy wondered if maybe, from that very moment, he'd already started to

hurt her.

"Timothy?"

Her voice pulled him back to the present. "You should go home," he said quietly.

"I'm fine."

He couldn't let Sheila get any closer to him. If things kept going this way, the

distance between him and Jessica would only grow.

Sheila was stunned. Of all the things Timothy could have said to her, "go home"

was the last she'd expected.

Trying to hold herself together, she protested, "You're hurt so badly—how can I

just leave you here?"

"She's hurting more than I

Sheila faltered, caught off guard. "Don't worry, Vince

not hurt at

Jessica

Her wounds were deeper.

to understand. His own

the pain inside Jessica—there was no cure for

wheel today, knowing her temperament, it had

a

She really wanted out.

go. Maybe it was time to stop clutching that

certificate like a shackle.

go—releasing the kite string he'd held

felt empty, hollowed

They were in the

somewhere else—somewhere

becoming heavier and heavier in his

now that Jessica

an invisible fist

so many years, but the man

and further away.

"Go home. Don't make me say

again."

calm, but they crashed

each one tearing at the wounds

straight and proud, but so utterly

his eyes. His face was empty,

Herbert had left half an hour before Vince,

Vince

simple cottage, his heart

quite name.

the place was cozy

Vince to sit in the living room. As she

space, then finally asked in a trembling, hoarse

grow up here?"

and the way he

with an emotion Herbert couldn't quite name—made the whole room

unsettled.

made no attempt to hide how much he cared

with my mom in the city. After she passed away, I moved

suppose this is where I spent most of

Your grandmother must have

softly. Yes, her grandmother

Jessica's

worked herself

bone. She'd

advantage of, and the

being able to

weighed heavily

the end, the