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,

hurt

knew Jessica

Her wounds were deeper.

beginning to understand. His

the pain inside Jessica—there was no cure

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

a split-second

She really wanted out.

go. Maybe it

certificate like a shackle.

go—releasing the kite

heart felt empty,

Sheila mad. They were in the same room,

somewhere else—somewhere

and

now

an invisible fist was

hard, for so many years, but the man she loved was

and further away.

returned to Sheila. "Go home. Don't

again."

calm, but they crashed through

shore, each one tearing at the wounds inside

tears, her back straight and proud, but

his eyes. His face

an hour before Vince, arriving barely

Vince finally

stared at the small, simple cottage,

quite name.

the place was cozy and

living room. As she prepared

in the space, then finally asked in a

grow up here?"

raw in his voice, and the way he

couldn't

unsettled.

made no attempt to hide how much he

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

is

it's warm. Your grandmother must have loved you very

Yes, her grandmother had loved

treat Jessica's mutism,

had worked

bone. She'd been

advantage of, and the

able to cure

had weighed heavily on

the end, the