Cast into Doubt (35 page)

Shelby kissed the photo and held it to her aching heart, tears rising again to her eyes. She wondered if the pain would ever fade. She closed her eyes and, in her heart, she spoke to the girl in the picture. I’m sorry, my darling. For all the ways I failed you. I’ll miss you forever, she thought. I’ll never get used to living without you. But at least I fought for you. As hard as I could. At least I did that. She gazed at the photo and kissed it again. Then, she set it back down on the table in its permanent place beside her pillow.