It was Henry calling.


    Timothy answered, putting the phone on speaker—after all, Jessica would want to hear their son''s voice too.


    "Dad, where did you go? Did you forget I have the kids'' arts and craftspetition today?"


    Both Timothy and Jessica were well aware of Henry''s big day.


    After their recent family event, Henry had insisted She apany him, not wanting the other kids to tease him about his mom being unable to speak.


    "I''m on my way to pick up your mom. We''ll all go together, the three of us."


    Jessica shot Timothy a sideways nce, raising her hand, ready to refuse. But before she could, Henry''s voice piped up from the phone, "Dad, I already asked Miss She toe with me. Remember? We agreed she''d keep mepany! She''ll be here soon-we''re just waiting on you."


    Thinking back, Timothy felt a twinge of guilt.


    He hadn''t put a stop to it the first time, and now Henry''s impatience with his mother was starting to show-something Timothy found harder and harder to ignore.


    But Henry had already arranged for She to be there, and she was probably about to arrive. Backing out now would only make things awkward.


    "I understand," Timothy replied. "I''ll be home as soon as I can."


    He tucked his phone away and turned to Jessica, looking a bit sheepish. "I''ll take Henry to thepetition first," he said. "Once it''s over, I''lle back, and we can talk about the wedding arrangements, alright?"


    Jessica silently urged him to hurry up and leave-she didn''t want him dying her own ns any longer.


    Timothy let go of her hand and stepped into the elevator.


    The doors slid shut, cutting off the view of his handsome face.


    Jessica nced down at the ring on her finger.


    He''d given it to her once before, but she''d returned it, not wanting to ept the gesture. This time, though, she didn''t intend to give it back.


    Whether she ever used its special voice function or not, the diamond alone was worth a small fortune.


    If she hadn''t experienced what it was like to be left penniless because of his pressure, she might have been foolish enough to refuse it again.


    She slipped the ring off and tucked it into her purse, then pressed the elevator button.


    Her next stop was Herbert''s office.


    The first thing Herbert did when he saw her was to take out the Voice Emitting Ne he''d given her earlier.


    "You didn''t want to ept it before, just to avoid any awkwardness. But now that you''re getting divorced, l hope you don''t mind. You''ve seen for yourself how much trouble ismunicating withwyers or anyone else. This makes things so much easier. It''s got smart features-even typing a letter or two brings up wholemon phrases. For you, it''ll be a real help."


    Jessica epted it with a grateful smile, reaching out to thank Herbert.


    Her marriage with Timothy had reached its breaking point. There was no reason to care about appearances anymore.


    Herbert could read signnguage, so Jessica didn''t actually need the ne tomunicate with him.


    She got right to the point-asking about the results of hertest brain scan.


    "We''ve gone over everything in detail with a team of specialists," Herbert much


    exined, "Your situation


    better than most. Two minor surgeries should do the trick. regr therapy and rehabilitation afterward, you''ll be able to speak again."


    It was a dream Herbert had always hoped woulde true.


    And for Jessica, it was a dream she''d held onto for years.


    Her eyes, dull for so long, suddenly sparkled like stars.


    Her hands moved with new energy as she signed, "That''s wonderful news! Oh, by the way, the famous director Mr. Smith reached out to me about a role-and he said he''d introduce me to a doctor who specializes in treating speech loss. It sounds like he''s talking about the same person you mentioned. I''m nning to travel abroad with him tomorrow, and I''ll consult with your friend about having the surgery there."