Goodbye, Mr. Regret

Did someone just send her a Christmas Eve gift?

Herbert.

It had to be him. Again.

Timothy grabbed his phone and called Secretary Allen.

"Go buy 999 gift-wrapped apples and have them delivered to The Gilded Whisper Estates. And arrange for a Christmas tree."

He hung up before Allen could respond.

Timothy picked up the apple sitting on the vanity, meaning to toss it into the trash -but after a moment's hesitation, he set it back down. The last time he'd pretended to throw away that necklace Herbert gave her, she'd been furious. Why was he getting so worked up over an apple anyway?

Was she out to dinner with Herbert again tonight?

Agitated, Timothy pulled out his phone and dialed Jessica.

Meanwhile, Jessica had already bought the gold-plated cutlery and bowls. Carlisle and his crew-five key members in all-were present to witness her officially naming Daisy as her goddaughter.

Just as her phone buzzed with Timothy's call, Jessica glanced at the screen and muted it, choosing not to answer.

Vince beamed at her. "Hey, why don't I take a photo of you and Daisy to commemorate the occasion?"

"Great idea,” Jessica replied.

several pictures, then helped Jessica get a few

the street. She'd bought a bunch, and now everyone was

new movie's trailer dropped across every social media platform. Vince had picked this date for a reason; now, movie teasers were flooding the internet, and there was even

Vince switched on the big screen in their private room. The film channel was running their trailer

catch the start: the screen exploded in a wash of deep-blue waves, only to fade quickly to black. Over the sound of surging tides, words appeared, each letter

becomes a message in a bottle, can you hear the

over him. The umbilical cord snaked from his abdomen, twisting into a fragile glass bottle. Somewhere, a mother's agonized cries

pregnant woman in labor, her screams splitting the night as a storm raged outside. Just as the

...

was transfixed, eyes glued to

a mother, in the film, the boy's mother

cords exploded into a brilliant starry sky. The deaf boy tipped his head back, and

caption read: "Let the umbilical cord connect a heartbeat once

from the boy's body,

in a Bottle*-coming

script, but seeing the trailer, so beautifully crafted, moved her deeply. The rest

Carlisle and the others

were

This movie was their

was finally

reach the world.