Goodbye, Mr. Regret

"Vince, | went to bed early, so | woke up early too. When | saw how beautiful the snow looked, I just had to come

outside," Jessica said, her voice soft in the morning stillness.

A few snowflakes landed in her hair. Vince reached out and gently brushed them away, his eyes warm and full of

affection as he gazed at his little sister. She was lovely-gentle, almost ethereal, her spirit as pure as the falling

snow. He wanted nothing more than to gather her up, shield her from the world, and bring her every happiness

she'd missed out on over the years.

"Jessy, letbuild a snowman with you. When we're done, I'll head to the hospital. | promise I'll save you. I'll

make sure you live," he whispered.

Jessica threw herself into his arms. The air was sharp and cold, turning her nose a rosy pink.

"Vince, | feel so happy right now. | never realized how many people truly love me," she murmured.

The truth was, Jessica had always longed for love.

Her adoptive mother died young, her father disappeared, and her grandmother's kindness faded when Jessica

turned thirteen. The only person who'd quietly cared for her when she was young, Herbert, had moved abroad

before her grandmother passed away.

Later, she met Ines, who gave her a warmth she'd never forgotten. Jessica was always grateful for that.

And then there was Timothy.

At her lowest point, he appeared out of nowhere-almost like a guardian angel. He draped his coat over her

shoulders and pulled her into the car, holding her close as if she were something precious.

Scents linger in memory the longest. Even now, she could recall the cedar scent of his suit that day, the strength

of his embrace. She'd never been held by a man before; only then did she realize how fiercely warm a man's

arms could be.

She craved love. She wanted to give it and to receive it.

She poured so much of herself into Timothy, believing love would flow both ways.

But it hadn't.

Love, she realized, isn't always reciprocated just because you give it. The people who truly love you can't bear to

see you give everything without return—they warm you with their own love, without conditions.

Her brother, her mother, her father, her grandfather-no matter how far she drifted, no matter if she failed to

respond, their love for her never stopped. Now, the moment she stepped back into this house, their affection

wrapped around her like a blanket.

Even on a day like this, with snow swirling and cold biting at her skin, Jessica didn't feel chilled at all. She was

loved those feelings flickered inside her like little flames, chasing away the cold and filling her heart with gentle

heat.

If your heart is warm, it can drive away even the sharpest cold. If it's frozen, even sitting by a fire won't help.

Vince let go of her shoulders and smiled, his gaze soft. "Because you deserve to be loved."

"Con, let's build a snowman."

He went inside and returned with a pair of garden shovels, usually used for turning the flower beds. He handed

her one, and together, the siblings began to build snowmen in the yard.

Upstairs, Yates stood by a window, a cigarette between his fingers, watching Vince and Jessica from above. Their

laughter echoed up to him, bright and genuine.

He found himself smiling involuntarily.

But after a moment, the smile faded, and his brow furrowed. He remembered the first the'd seen her at the

Red House. Why hadn't he stepped forward, the way Vince had? Why hadn't he simply walked over to help her,

without a second thought?

He regretted it now.

If he had, would she be smiling at him the way she smiled at Vince?

Cto think of it, he'd rarely seen her smile since they met.

She was beautiful when she smiled. Even after all she'd been through-marriage, motherhood, twenty-six years of

life-she still looked like a girl untouched by sorrow. Neither pain nor tnor hardship had left any visible mark

on her.

Vince had planned to make just one snowman, but Jessica insisted on four. Two large, two small.

Two men, two women.

As the snowmen took shape, Vince suddenly understood, feeling a sting behind

his eyes.

This was his sister, through and through.

When they were kids, every tthey built snowmen, she'd make four.

No-five.

The fifth was always Timothy.

He remembered asking her, "Why not make one for Yates? He'll be part of our family one day."

She'd answered, "Yates already has

parents who love him. But Timothy doesn't have a mother-he's alk

alone. Let's make him part of our ofour

family, so our parents can love him

too."

It was hard to believe, but her childhood wish had ctrue. She'd married

Timothy. He'd becpart of their family.

But now...

All that was left was bittersweet regret.

Vince felt as if a thorn was lodged in his throat.

How could Timothy be so cruel? Even after learning who she really was, he used her own identity to threaten her,

forcing her to stay.

One of the maids brought out scarrots. Jessica whittled four noses, large and small, and stuck them onto the

snowmen's faces.

"Vince, can you take a picture for me?" she asked.

She stood beside the snowmen, her smile radiant and gentle. Vince captured the moment a beautiful, perfect

image.

He needed to leave for the hospital. Once in the car, he sent the photo to Jessica, then posted it to his social

feed.

Caption: The most amazing girl | know.

*

Timothy stepped off the plane and

slid into Secretary Allen's car. As they pulled away from the airport, he looked out at the city, surprised to see

snow falling over Riverside Snow before New Year's-almost unheard of.

sw

Night had already settled in.

Timothy sat quietly, scrolling through his phone, when a photo of Jessica appeared on his screen.

The most amazing girl | know.

Jessica stood in a red, fur-trimmed coat against the snowy backdrop, her skin glowing, her smile lighting up the

whole frame.

He remembered how she smiled just like that when they first married. When had her laughter started to fade?

His hand trembled as he tapped on the photo, his finger tracing the curve of her smile.

Four snowmen.

He wasn't one of them.

Riverside didn't get much snow. Whenever it did, and she built snowmen, there

were always five.

Suddenly, the taste of iron filled his mouth. He coughed, blood splattering over his hand and onto the seat.

He felt utterly drained, collapsing,

back, eyes fluttering shut. For a

elnet

moment, he thought he saw droplets of blood staining Jessica's face. He reached out, desperate to wipe them

away-'

Secretary Allen slammed on the brakes. He turned, startled, to see Timothy's hand fall limply, his phone slipping

from his grasp and clattering onto the floor.

Timothy slumped, motionless.

"Mr. Lawson!"