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

faltered, caught off

hurt at

knew Jessica

Her wounds were deeper.

beginning to understand. His own injuries could be

the pain inside Jessica—there was

to grab the steering wheel today, knowing

a

She really wanted out.

it was time to stop clutching

certificate like a shackle.

time he imagined letting go—releasing the kite string he'd held

felt

driving Sheila mad. They were in

somewhere else—somewhere

becoming heavier and

now that Jessica was

felt as if an invisible

years, but the man she loved was

and further away.

returned to Sheila. "Go home. Don't make me say

again."

they

each one tearing at the wounds

back straight

closed his eyes. His face was empty,

Herbert had left half an

Vince

at the small, simple cottage, his heart aching for

quite name.

place was cozy and welcoming

living room. As she prepared some

asked in

grow up here?"

voice, and the way he

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

unsettled.

hide how much he

to live with my mom in the city.

is where

warm. Your grandmother must have loved you

smiled softly. Yes, her

treat Jessica's

had worked herself

bone. She'd

advantage of, and

being able to

weighed

the end, the double blow