Travis stood at the airport desk and ran his fingers through his hair. The stress was going to kill him. He’d tried calling Mia for hours, and she wasn’t answering. Since it was going straight to voicemail, he could only assume that she was ignoring his calls. What Sam had done was inexcusable, and he could only hope Mia trusted him.
“Please, there’s got to be something,” he said again.
“I’m so sorry, sir, but the next flight is booked solid. Your ticket for tomorrow morning is going to be your best bet,” the ticket agent said.
“What about stand-by?”
“You can wait here and see if anything opens up on the next flight in a couple of hours, but it’s usually pretty booked.”
“Okay, thanks. I’ll be waiting right over here. Please let me know.”
He walked back to his seat and sat down, determined to get home as soon as possible. Getting back tomorrow wouldn’t be terrible, but it was killing him to think that Mia called him and Sam answered. And he was in the shower, of all things. What must she be thinking?
Still, she hadn’t said anything when they spoke after that. Why? Had it just not bothered her? Maybe she didn’t think anything of it. But why wasn’t she answering her phone?
Then it dawned on him that something could be wrong. What if she was hurt? He pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed Kate’s number. It rang several times and went to voicemail. He hung up and called Cooper.
“Hello?”
“Thank God someone around there is answering the dang phone!”
“Who is this?”
Travis could hear birds in the background. “It’s Travis. And why do I hear birds?”
“I’m up in a tree. What’s up?”
“Why are you up in a… You know what, never mind. Do you know where Mia is?”
“She walked up the driveway a little while ago, and she took off with Kate.”
“So she’s okay?”
“Yeah. Why wouldn’t she be?”
“She hasn’t been answering my calls. I thought something might be wrong.”
“Oh. Well, she seems fine. Although…”
“Although what?”
“I did notice that she and Kate were talking about something, and they both looked worried or upset. Not sure what that was about.”
“Oh no.”
“What’s going on?”
“Nothing. Listen, if you see her, please ask her to call me, okay?”
“Will do.”
Travis ended the call and leaned his head back, staring up at the ceiling. He’d waited most of his life to be with Mia again, and he wasn’t going to let a silly misunderstanding get in the way of their happily ever after.
Kate pulled into the driveway at a rapid clip. “Slow down before you kill the two of us!” Mia said, holding onto the dashboard. Kate had always been a speedy driver, a fact that worried her when it came to teaching Evie to drive. Now, she’d have to teach her on curvy mountain roads which would certainly be an adventure.
“Sorry. I’m just so stressed out. I can’t believe that Dad is going into heart failure and doesn’t want to do anything about it.”
She stopped the car and sat there for a moment, her hands gripping the steering wheel. She took a deep breath and blew it out.
“We need to find Dad and have a talk with him as soon as possible.”
“I agree, but we should think about how we’re going to approach this. I don’t want to stress him out any further,” Kate said.
“You’re right. We have to be careful.”
They got out of the car and walked into the house. Evie was fixing herself a snack, which would probably ruin her dinner later, and Brandon was sitting at the breakfast bar watching her.
“How’d the treehouse building go?” Mia asked, trying to sound nonchalant.
“Cooper is still up there. I needed a snack.”
“I hope you offered to make him one too,” Kate said, pointing her finger.
“I did but he had something with him. Me and Dad were going to go down and do a little fishing before dinner.”
“Is that okay with you, Kate?” Brandon asked.
The room suddenly fell silent for a moment. “That’s fine. Thank you for asking.”
Inside, Mia seethed. She hadn’t told her sister about the phone call she overheard with Brandon, and now it was very apparent that he was just trying to play nice. What was his end goal?
Right now, she couldn’t think about it. She was so worried about her own father that everything else had to take a back seat, including worrying about Travis. That was such a minor thought at the moment. Her petty relationship worries could be thought about later.
“Have you seen your grandpa around?” Mia asked.
“Not lately. Maybe he’s in his room?”
“Okay, I’ll check there.” Mia trotted up the stairs and looked for her father but didn’t see him anywhere. She peered out the window and noticed he was sitting down on the dock. Talking to him right now wasn’t going to work if Evie and Brandon were going to be down there fishing.
Mia came back down the stairs and pulled Kate aside. “He’s not up there. He’s on the dock.”
“I guess we’re going to have to wait a little while before we talk to him. Maybe we can lure him back to the house with cut up hotdogs?” Kate joked.
Having to wait longer to talk to their dad was going to be anxiety producing, but one way or the another they were going to talk to him before the day was at an end.
Evie sat on the edge of the dock, her fishing line in the water. They weren’t biting today, but she was enjoying the time she was getting to spend with her father.
Surprisingly, he hadn’t mentioned yet when he planned to leave. He’d been there almost a week now, and she assumed he needed to go back home at some point. He seemed to be settling in quite well, and it made her wonder if maybe he wasn’t happy back in Mexico. Maybe he would move there to be closer to her.
Over the last couple of days, she had allowed herself to hope. To dream. To see herself in a future that included her father.
She thought about how wonderful birthdays might be, especially if she got to know her sister and brother. She thought she would make a good older sibling, always protecting and guiding them. She wanted to show them how not to get in trouble like she had when she was back in Rhode Island.
She thought about Thanksgiving and Christmas. If her parents could continue to get along, maybe they could all be one big, happy family, sitting around the table, telling jokes and stories. Sure, it was probably like one of those cheesy holiday movies you see on TV, but maybe it could be real life.
“We sure aren’t having any luck, are we?” Brandon said.
“Nope. Sometimes, that’s how it happens. I guess that’s why grandpa stopped fishing for the day. Maybe he scared them all away,” she said, laughing.
Brandon pulled his line in and set his fishing pole beside him. He seemed a little nervous all of the sudden, but she didn’t know why. They’d been having a nice conversation about his life back in Mexico and how he had tried all kinds of new foods over the years that he wanted Evie to get a chance to try. He regaled her with stories of Carmelita, a local woman who made the best enchiladas he’d ever had.
She brought up the idea of going there on vacation at some point, and he seemed to be receptive to it, although he didn’t commit.
“I really enjoy going out in the canoe and kayak sometimes. I don’t usually fish that way, but it’s really relaxing when you…”
“Evie, we need to talk.”
“Okay…” She reeled in her line and put her pole behind her. “What’s going on?”
He reached over and held her hand. “You know that I love you, right?”
“Of course. And I love you too.”
“I need to ask you something, and it’s a big deal. In fact, it’s a life or death deal.”
“What are you talking about, Dad?”
“I don’t know quite how to say this. So I’m just going to say it and get it out because I’ve been keeping this in for a long time.”
“You’re scaring me.”
He looked at her in a way she had never seen, his face almost sad, his eyes looking directly into hers. “Honey, I’m dying.”
Evie felt like she couldn’t breathe. She pulled her hand away and put it up to her chest. Her heart rate quickened, and she could feel her face starting to flush. She had never passed out in her life, but she assumed this is what people felt like right before they hit the ground.
“You’re dying? That can’t be right. I don’t understand!”
“Take a breath. Just calm down,” he said, trying to get her to focus.
“But you just reconnected with me. You can’t be dying…”
“I was diagnosed a year ago with a rare blood disorder. If I don’t do the treatment, I won’t make it another year, maybe two.”
She felt the tears stinging her eyes and then overflowing down her face. “Then do the treatment! You have to do the treatment!”
“Honey, it’s not that simple. It’s a special kind of treatment.”
“What do you mean? If there’s a treatment, you have to do it. You can’t just leave me, or my brother and sister!”
“Trust me, I don’t want to leave any of you. But so far, there have been no matches.”
“Matches? What do you mean?”
“You see, sweetie, I need a bone marrow transplant. And that’s one of the reasons that I’m here. My wife, and your brother and sister, they’re not matches. I’m here because I’m hoping that you’d be willing to get tested over at the hospital and see if you’re a match for me.”
Suddenly, she was overflowing with emotion. Had her father only come back because he wanted her bone marrow? Had he really ever had any interest in having a relationship with her, or was this all about saving his own life?
At the same time, she wanted to save him. She wanted to do anything she could to keep him alive. The conflicting emotions felt like a tornado inside of her gut.
“Did you talk to Mom about this?”
“No. Maybe I should have, but I wanted to talk to you first. I didn’t want anyone making the decision for you.”
“What does this procedure entail?”
“It’s a very simple procedure, from what I understand. You might be in the hospital for most of the day, maybe overnight. But if you’re a match, you’ll save my life.”
Evie stood up. Brandon looked up at her, confused.
“I need some time to think. I… I can’t do this right now…” She turned and ran toward the house, leaving her father sitting on the dock, calling out to her.
Right now, she needed to be alone and think about what her father had just told her. It was a lot to take in, and the pressure was just too much.
“There you are,” Kate said as she and Mia walked into the backyard. They’d spent the last hour talking about how to approach their father. Now, as Kate stood in front of him in the gazebo, she felt ill-equipped.
“I didn’t know you were looking for me. Am I in trouble?” he asked with a smile.
“Maybe,” Mia muttered under her breath.
They sat down across from him at the picnic table. “What are you doing out here?”
“Reminiscing.”
“Reminiscing about what?” Mia asked. It was odd that he was just sitting there staring off into the distance.
“To be honest? I’m thinking about your momma.”
“About Momma? What do you mean?”
“Well, when I come to the B&B, I can feel her presence. It gives me peace.”
“I know what you mean. Momma is all over this place. I can feel her everywhere,” Mia said, the grief she tried to keep tamped down coming to the surface yet again.
“I remember when we’d hike these trails as teenagers. She was so young and outgoing, and I felt completely inadequate in the shadow of her. I wondered how anyone like her could be interested in a tall, gangly guy like me.”
“Dad, we know.” Kate blurted it out so quickly that even Mia was surprised.
“Know what?”
“Sylvia called,” Mia said softly.
They watched him process the information for a moment. His jaw tightened. His face hardened. “She had no right to do that.”
“She’s your wife, and she’s worried about you. We’re all worried about you,” Kate said, reaching for his hand.
“This is my decision, and she’s been pressuring me.”
“Dad, she wants what’s best for you. This is a serious situation.”
“Do you think I don’t know that? Look, I know you girls want to talk about this, but I really don’t.” Jack stood up and started to walk toward the house.
“You have to get the ablation,” Kate said loudly.
Jack turned around. “I don’t have to do anything. And I’m not going to. Look, God has a plan for all of us, and this is just His plan for me.”
“That’s a crock and you know it!” Mia said. Kate was surprised that her little sister had spoken up so strongly.
“Excuse me?”
“You’re scared, Dad. We get it. But, maybe God is giving you the gift of options. Did you ever think about that?”
“I don’t like either option,” he said, turning to walk again.
“Do you know who would’ve loved options? My momma! And she’d be so mad at you right now!”
Jack turned again. “Mad at me? Why?”
“Because you’re our last living parent, and we just got you in our lives. You’re supposed to take care of us until God calls you home, and you’re giving up! She’d smack you right across your cheek and bless you out if she was here.”
Kate loved this side of Mia. She’d never seen it before, but it was certainly effective. Jack paused for a long moment and then walked back to the picnic table, sitting down.
“I love you girls. You know that. But this procedure isn’t a sure thing. They might not be able to find the spot causing the arrhythmia, and then what? More procedures?”
“I watched Momma fight until there were no other options. That’s what you do to stay with the ones you love,” Mia said, a tear rolling down her cheek. Jack reached over and grabbed each of their hands.
“We’ll be here for you, Dad. No matter what. Just please don’t give up,” Kate said.
“I’ll tell you what. I’ll get a second opinion at a hospital in Atlanta. If that doctor agrees, I’ll get the ablation. Okay?”
Kate was so relieved. “Thank you!”
The girls rushed over and hugged Jack tightly. There was hope again, and for that, Kate was beyond grateful.
Cooper sat on the tailgate of his truck, needing a break after so many hours of working on the treehouse platform. He wanted to get it done to see Evie’s face when it was finished. But he also had other work to do around town on various projects, so he knew he couldn’t take up too much time building it. It wasn’t that complicated of a structure, so he thought he would have it finished within the next day or so.
When he saw Evie walking up the driveway, he was surprised. She was supposed to be spending time with her father. He was concerned when he saw the look on her face. She looked like she’d been crying.
“Hey. What’s the matter? You look really upset.”
Evie walked over and sat down next to him on the tailgate. “My dad told me that he’s dying.”
“What?”
“We were fishing, and he told me that he has some kind of rare blood disease and he needs me to donate my bone marrow.”
Cooper felt anger well up within him. Who told a kid something like that? Kate hadn’t mentioned it, which probably meant the Brandon hadn’t talked to her first.
“Evie, have you talked to your mom about this?”
“No. And I’m not going to right now.”
“You have to. This is way too big for someone your age to handle.”
“Cooper, you have to promise me you won’t tell her. I just want to be able to think about it on my own for a while. Maybe I’ll tell her tomorrow.”
“I’ll give you until lunchtime tomorrow. At that point, you have to promise me that you’ll talk to your mom.”
“Okay, fine.”
He looked at her, and it pained him to see the sadness on her face. “I’m sure your dad will be fine.”
“Honestly, I’m not even thinking about that right now. I’m wondering… Well, I’m honestly wondering if he only came here because he needs me for something. Would he have ever reached out if he didn’t need my bone marrow?”
It was a good question. A valid one. And Cooper didn’t want to say what he really thought. The odds were that Brandon never would’ve reached out to his daughter if he didn’t need something from her. Right now, he wanted to go push him in the lake.
“He’s your dad, and I know he loves you. I’ve seen it in his face, like when y’all were throwing the football.”
“I don’t know. I get the feeling that he’s only here because there’s something in it for him. I had really hoped he came here just because he wanted to see me, just because he loved me. But I don’t think that’s true.”
“So what do you think you want to do?”
“I don’t know. He’s my dad, and even if he’s doing this for all the wrong reasons, I don’t think I could live with myself if I didn’t donate and he died.”
“You don’t even know if you’re a match yet. Don’t put that kind of pressure on yourself, Evie.”
“Do you mind if I just sit out here with you for a while?”
Cooper put his arm around her. “Sure. You can sit with me for as long as you need.”
She laid her head on his shoulder, and he could hear her crying softly. And they sat that way until the sun started to go down, Cooper supporting this girl that he already thought of as his own daughter.