The Price Of Unspoken Love

Daniel

ow alley, leaning against the cold brick as my body betrayed me. I coughed, a wr

e he had a scent, he would never let it go. He would dig and investigate until he found the tru

nzie' s safety. Survival, or ensuring my daughter ha

was no

nson at a cheap diner. I slid my

voice flat. "It's my treatment mone

sparse strands beneath. I wiped the lipstick from my mouth, the last vestige of the healthy woman I was pret

for long. But it can save my daughter from you. Take it,

Should've known you were damaged goods. Like mother, like daug

atched her walk away wit

before the simple headstone that marked my parents' grave, the marble cool be

"I don't have much time left. I'm not scare

t, said the stress and my own compromised health made it risky. But I couldn't. Kenzie was a tiny, flickering light in a

ed by the wind. "But he's married now. He has a new family

ially withdrawn her petition. A wave of relief washed over me, so potent it l

t. Kenzie was in a fight at the playgr

t my ribs. I found a chaotic scene outside the emergency room. Bryan's parents wer

d. Before I could react, her hand struck

"You and that monstrous child of yours! How dare

was theirs. Bryan had a son who was almost Kenzie's age. It meant he must have gotten with Addison almost imm

y strong. "You will not touch me," I said through clenched

of my

m and flung me away from his mother. I stumbled backward

oming on my cheek, and for a second, a flicker

just leave us alone. Leave Bryan alone. Haven't you done enough? Your family is gone because of

feet. "She doesn't know the meaning of the word. Your parents got what they deser

t of my father, a kind, gentle man who had always treated Bryan like a son. He'd been

led to my feet. "My parents are dead. I'm dying. My daughter is

cks in his own righteous anger. He took a hesitant step

ors swung open. "Parents of Kenz

t them. "I'm

she was exposed to peanuts. It sent her into anaphylac

cal blow. Peanuts. Kenzie was

ew. It was a genetic quirk, a rare and severe allergy he had