Page 1 (1/2)

"Catherine, wait," I called, tucking lanced down to Hannah, as cooing in her infant car seat and enjoying the ride as I carefully jogged out of the cardiologist’s office

"Buckle up, Travis!" Catherine snapped, her voice high and agitated

"Why can’t I ride with Dad?" he whined, sla sideways, I shuffled between the parked cars, reaching theear Quickly, I patted the hood of her car before she had the chance to back out

She ju Hannah in the air, I clipped at the windshield, "Forgetting someone?"

Her eyes flashed wide, and herthe car back into park, she swung her door open and cliht you had her"

"I did have her But I have to go back to work"

She sto back to the car, snatching her car door open, and loading her inside

"Dad! Can I ride hoh the open door

I bent low so I could see hiet back to work"

His face fell and a pang of guilt hit et hoames?" I offered as a substitution

His face lit "Okay!"

Our conversation was cut off when Catherine suddenly slammed the door She reached for the handle on the driver’s side, but I caught her arled her head back to look at me, attitude etched on her face "Yeah, Porter It’s safe to assuroaned "Christ, Catherine He doesn’t agree with your plan I’ we should listen to hilare turned murderous "And he’s my son!"

No one wanted to hear that their child needed a heart transplant, but we’d known that day was co Travis was four when I’d entered the picture and he’d already been diagnosed Catherine had told ht et better But one trip through Dr Google and I had known she rong Dilated Cardio that could be cured

Treated? Yes Managed? Yes Fixed? Only with a transplant

But, for four years, she’d convinced herself otherwise She’d spent countless hours scouring the internet, looking for infored on success stories and failures of children with a si, she’d presented the cardiologist a proposed treates that she believed would cure our son It had not gone over hen I hadn’t backed her up

"You have no idea how ht along with hian to quiver, and she nervously glanced over her shoulder to where Travis was sitting in the back seat

"Hey," I breathed, wrapping her in a hug "It’s going to be okay"

"Is it?" she croaked

"Yeah It is," I lied

"I don’t think so" Her shoulders shook as she broke down in my arms

It was rare for Catherine to show that side of her e well since Hannah was born While irl was healthy as a horse and slept like a dreaht to check on her I’d spent a small fortune on at least a dozen different ered an alar could quell Catherine’s fears

I hadn’t thought ot, the worse Catherine got too Any tiht, Catherine was always awake, staring into the baby’s bassinet, her hand resting on her chest as if she aiting for it to stopthat she liked to watch her sleep, but I kneas h, any time I tried to talk to her about it, she’d brush e the subject

"What if he dies before they find a donor?" she whispered into my neck

My arm tensed around her "Catherine, honey He doesn’t even need the transplant yet We still have options"