A Mother's Curse, A World Undone

to the l

Big, modern, all glass and sha

al clothes, snipping at a rose bush. Jessica, in a flowing white d

rfect, like somethi

for Jessica wa

he sa

ted into a ma

u. You look like something the cat dragged in. Are we

's sneaker and the shred of his shirt. My clothes

n't even raise a child properly, and now you resort to thes

umph in her eyes, then snuggled closer

oah. If I'd been more careful, he wouldn't have bumped in

d by her. Sending him to the camp was sa

sharp. "Go home. Clean yoursel

, the bag hea

a broken thing, b

und scraping my throat. "You're right. Yo

at I was speaking. "A

years, pretending to be mute to get my sympat

y will be Jessica's child. Don't even think about it. If

at you makes me sick. Throw that tr

what was left o

small face, lookin

ra good, will Dadd

addy take me to the amus

My hand holding the bag trembl

reams. "This isn't trash. This is your son. This

second, then let

It was interfering with your drama? Cursing yo

from my hand, glance

see if a dog recognizes it. Is it human, or just

ld sha

ul German Shepherd bounded a

-wrapped bundle from the plas

, tearing at the fabric, pulling

, animal sound, a

led by dogs! How can you feed him t

front of Jessica, shiel

all out for this performance. But you should use your brain. Noah is at the training camp, lear

grabbed me, biting, scratching, desperate

snatched the mangled

tolen, growled, baring its

noyed. "Get that

turned, putting a protective arm ar

backs, at Jessica's hand prot

d over me. The words f

directly

oice gaining a chilling clarity.

cally, the words sha

d your precious beauty, the face you use to fool men? Fire will eat it