"Are you sure?" was all I could muster to say.

"Oh, I'm fucking sure," she said with venom. "That's all I'm going to say. I'm absolutely fucking sure."

"I believe you," I reassured her.

"I took some time to feel sorry for myself," she said. "I wanted to do so many stupid things, looking back on it, and Kelly was there to keep me from doing anything too drastic. I wanted to just rush right back to you, but I didn't know how."

"And that's why Kelly called me," I said rhetorically.

"I'm so sorry, John," she said and burst into tears. She had been holding them back and simply...