"It's that clueless daughter of yours. I tried to win her over with candy, and she still wouldn't call me Mom."
"Come on, Patsy. Don't you think you should put a little more effort into those bows?"
My heart plummeted.
Ignoring the pain, I slammed my forehead against the ground faster, harder, apologizing to the dog in front of me.
"I'm sorry, Buddy. Please forgive me. Forgive Bess Sanchez."
"I was wrong... I'll give your mom and dad back to you."
Earl watched me, covered in blood, his expression unreadable.
He frowned. "That's enough. Get up."
Norma's face darkened instantly.
I didn't dare stand. Stubborn and resolute, I kept going.
I hadn't reached ninety-nine yet. I couldn't stop.
Any suffering I refused to endure would only be passed on to my daughter.
When he saw the wound on my forehead gushing fresh blood, Earl actually grew irritated.
"Patsy, are you pulling the victim act again?"
"Norma just feels sorry for the dog. Can't you at least maintain some dignity as a wife?"
Norma quickly laced her fingers through Earl's, blinking up at him with a playful pout.
"Remember, Patsy — all ninety-nine! Show my baby boy you're truly sincere."
She tugged Earl's arm. "Come on, it's time. We have a bucket list to finish."
Hesitation flickered across Earl's brow.
He looked at me, battered and bleeding, and didn't immediately agree.
That surprised me.
I knew about their bucket list.
Ever since they'd reconnected through the stolen dog, they'd been checking off old regrets together, day after day.
A kiss. Watching the ocean. Picking out a wedding dress.
One by one they'd completed them, and one by one, the last shreds of my hope had died.
Earl left anyway. The door slammed shut behind him.
Their love for each other had stopped hurting me a long time ago. The only thing I cared about was where my daughter was.
My phone buzzed. I looked at the screen, and the blood drained from my body.
It was from Bess's kids' smartwatch.
Mommy, it hurts so much.
Bess can't breathe... Mommy, don't you want me anymore?
The messages stopped there. Cold seeped through every inch of me, and tears spilled down my face before I could stop them.
In all the days since Bess had gone silent, I'd tried to reach her every single minute. This was the first time I'd gotten anything back.
I tapped into her chat window immediately, sending message after message, but nothing came through. No reply. No read receipt. Nothing.
I called Earl in a panic. The line was dead — phone powered off.
My hands shook so badly I could barely type.
Earl, where is Bess?! Something's happened to her!
She has a heart condition. You're her father. I'm begging you — tell me where she is.
I'll agree to the divorce. I'll step aside for you and Norma. Just please, let me have this. Let me and my daughter go.
Every message sank like a stone into silence.
I reached out to everyone I could think of.
The police said she hadn't been missing long enough to open a case. Earl's parents gave me nothing but vague, evasive answers.
I sat alone in the room for two hours, motionless.
The city was enormous. Where had they hidden her?
Then Norma posted on Instagram.
The photo showed her and Earl kissing on a snow-capped mountain.
The caption read: "Falling in love in the snow — they say vows crystallized below zero never break."
The comments were flooded with cheers from the Sanchez family and their mutual friends.
Norma replied to each one, giddy and coy.
"When Earl and I were together, we promised we'd climb a snowy peak someday. We broke up before we could, but now that regret is finally complete."
"He's married now. No matter how this ends, I'll never regret loving him."
While I was drowning in agony over my daughter, the whole world was swooning over their star-crossed love story.
But I didn't have the luxury of caring anymore. I typed a comment beneath the post as fast as my trembling fingers allowed.
"You don't have to miss each other anymore. I've already drafted the divorce papers. Congratulations to you both."
