yet she seemed to have lost all sensation, her ey

od tall. His usually immaculate tie was half un

t, her head slightly tilted a

chestra, someone Cathleen had encountered three y

ina had compete

n the event, Cathleen had

ith jealousy as they look

critical eye, sizing her up a

voice was gentle, affectionatel

eart tighten

f, eyes that once looked at her with su

," he said flatly, revealing no em

Cathleen's heart

home drunk, leaning against the doorframe, alcoho

tepping forward to kiss the corner of

sighed softly, burying his hea

e daughter of a dece

ached, rendering

ppear so pathetic in fron

d to say with diffic

orry to trouble you. Jerald,

tarily on Cathleen's slightly reddened eyes before turning back

's breat

ok at the red mark on

st fooling

, Cathleen felt as if all the air

g Cathleen a glance, and

the top of the stairs. Only then did she slowly crouch down, tea

ed the soft, breath

hteenth birthday when Jerald had pre

, "you will become the

nother woman who

she had to leave. By then, everything here, including Jeral

did her heart

ent sounds from upstairs continued t

he sofa, wrapped in a thick

in her lungs, and everyth

how she endure

rced her ears like needles,

truggled t

wall, painstakingly m

sounds grew clearer, and he

ood at Jerald's

gap through which the intimate a

m, as his hand clasped the back o

h, mustering all her stren

r came from inside,