"Me too."

"I didn't protect you. I should've known . . . I could have stopped him..."

"I should have said something. Then maybe you wouldn't be in here,"

Jane replied.

“I deserve to be here." Abigail was crying so much it hurt.

“If not for killing that son of a bitch, I should be here for letting him do that to you." She broke away from her daughter, feeling years and years of shame that had gone into a numb remission boiling out of her pores.

“I"

"You didn't do this Mom! Jack was the one who did it. Not you, not me, not Dad . . . I wanted to blame someone so badly too. I figured something out last night. I went and visited Dad. I was so desperate that I wanted to blame him. But it wasn't him. If he was alive but he's not. Mom, you're all the family I've got."

"And you're all I have left of William. But how can I be your mother in here? How can you even stand to look at me?"

Jane walked over and hugged her mom.

"The same way I'm learning to look at myself. Mom . . . I've done some pretty . . . disgusting things to try and get by and feel . . . normal. I'm not proud of my life. But I've met someone who makes me feel special and makes me feel like I'm worth something. Someone I think I'm in Love with and who I think loves me."

Down the hall, the head nurse was wiping her eyes with a tissue, then offered the box to Red, who was watching the monitor. Red refused, mumbling something about her allergies, but she whipped her eyes with one hand when no one was looking.

"I live in Springfield California now. I'm kinda between jobs, but I've got friends now and a place to live . . . sort of. It's not great but . . . but I'm starting over. I want you in my life Mom.

I think Dad would have wanted it that way."

“I think he would've been proud of you right now," Abigail responded.

She wiped her nose on her sleeve.

“God, what am I going to do? I'm in here for . . . for God knows how long. What I did was wrong.

Even if it felt right."

"I know. I've already talked to almost everyone I can. Sheriff Horton wants me give some kind of statement about . . . about what happened.

He doesn't know if it will help, but it couldn't hurt."

Abigail sat down, staring discontentedly off into space. Jane sat down next to her.

“Are you. . . staying in the area?" Abigail asked.

Jane sighed. She felt guilty, but, "No. I. . . I have a place in Springfield. But I'll write and I will come back to visit. I promise.

And if . . . when you get out, I want you to come out to California."