Regret is the Punishment novel · Chapter 24 of 24
Chapter 24: Seven Minutes
Darla turned seven on a Saturday, in the yard of a white house on Elm Street.
The swing chain hung from the porch beam on two new hooks.
Jerome had put it up himself that morning and tested it with his full weight.
Nobody had mentioned the rust on the links.
The yard was full.
Half of Engine 4 stood around the grill in their civilian jackets, arguing about who had burned the burgers.
The lieutenant's wife had brought two lasagnas.
Children ran through the grass in a shrieking pack.
My sister chased them with a juice jug, the cat riding on her shoulder.
Darla sat at the head of the picnic table in a paper crown.
She had asked for the cake in the shape of a fire truck.
It was lumpy and bright red, and Jerome had baked it himself, with the lieutenant's wife standing guard.
Wanda stood at the back of the yard, near the fence, in her good gray coat.
She wore no brooch.
She held a wrapped box in both hands, and she had been holding it for twenty minutes without letting anyone near it.
The rest of this chapter is part of the paid portion of the series. Chapters 1–12 of Regret is the Punishment are free to read — start from the beginning, then unlock the rest with coins in the app.
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