In the end, that *thing* had happened.
When the doctor regretfully announced that Mr. Shelby would most likely end up in a vegetative state, her mother had said something incredibly cruel to her: "For the rest of my life, I never want to see you again. Stella Lockwood, I regret ever giving birth to you..."
Their mother-daughter bond was severed then and there.
On that stormy night, she hadn't just lost her father and brother; she had lost her mother as well...
...
On the sofa.
Stella curled into a tighter ball, feeling chilled to the bone. The scent of mint made her heart ache more and more...
*
Sean Quinn returned to the study.
Reaper Yates looked up. "Is she leaving?"
"I didn't let her leave. She's out there now, asleep," Sean said, picking up the ointment again.
