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

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

hurt

knew Jessica wasn't physically

Her wounds were deeper.

His own injuries

the pain inside Jessica—there was no cure for

to grab the steering wheel today, knowing her temperament, it had to

a

She really wanted out.

let her go. Maybe it was time to stop

certificate like a shackle.

he imagined letting go—releasing the kite

heart felt

driving Sheila mad. They were in the

somewhere else—somewhere with

becoming heavier and

now that Jessica was

invisible

hard, for so many years, but the

and further away.

gaze returned to Sheila. "Go home.

again."

calm, but they crashed through

each one tearing at

straight

eyes. His face was empty,

left half an hour before Vince, arriving

when Vince finally

stared at the small, simple cottage,

quite name.

the place was cozy

sit in the living room.

asked in a trembling, hoarse voice,

grow up here?"

was something raw in his voice, and the

couldn't

unsettled.

hide how much he

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

I suppose this is where I spent most of

it's warm. Your grandmother

her grandmother had

Jessica's mutism,

had worked

bone. She'd been tricked

advantage of,

being able

had weighed heavily

the double