Mara caught herself at this pointless train of thought. What did it matter? Regret rose like bile. She remembered herself in the hospital, believing she couldn’t give him the life he deserved. If she had known how much the necklace was worth—would she have made the same decision? Her eyes filled with unshed tears.
The rain outside strengthened, blurring the city lights into watercolor smudges. Mara shiver despite the quilt, though it had nothing to do with the cold. She could feel the necklace’s weight even now, a ghost against her skin. Could she reclaim it? Or, that greater gift she had parted along with it?