Chapter 53

“Sol, honey, wake up.”

“Oh hey, Mom, I must have fallen asleep,” she croaks, feeling groggy all over.

Her mom sets the food down in the kitchen and then comes and sits next to Sol on the couch and wraps her arms around her. “You know, I never thought things would happen like this. I thought we were doing the best thing for you. And I guess maybe we were a little selfish too. Okay, I know we were. And now that Janice’s kidney disease has progressed, this is a huge thing to be going through all at once. I’m sorry, Sunshine.”

Sol doesn’t reply. She just sits there in her mother’s arms and lets herself be comforted.

After a few minutes, Patty says, “Have you talked to Shyla? Is Janice doing okay?”

“Yeah, she’s doing okay, but Shyla is really discouraged. She was so relieved to have finally found a donor and thought that was going to at least give her mom like ten good years. But now it’s like starting all over. I told her I would try to come back up again and visit soon. Good thing it’s an easy trip and there are lots of flights every day from Baltimore to Boston. You know, I feel bad for her too being an only child and going through all this alone. She is close with her cousins, but I mean, you can’t imagine how excited she was to find out she had a sister. So I do want to be able to be there for her.”

Patty keeps holding her and strokes her long hair gently. “I know you do, Sol. And I’m so glad that you all are getting along so well! We’ve put you in a tough situation, but you are handling it with such grace and maturity. I’m really proud of you. And I’m glad you’re still talking to me! I know how angry you were when you first found out. I know we have a ways to go to rebuilding trust and figuring out how our lives are going to be from here.”

“Yeah, I was really mad at you. And I can’t help wondering how things could have been different. I mean, what if Janice had died before I had a chance to meet her?”

Patty’s hand stops moving. “You’re right, so we really owe it all to Jackie for the truth coming out. I know she wasn’t very welcoming with you, and I can only imagine what she thinks of me. Well, come on and sit at the table, and we’ll eat while we talk.”

Patty starts pulling food out of the bag she brought. “Mickey made that South American chicken and rice we all love. Let me make you a plate.”

Jericho follows them over and lays down at Sol’s feet in cleanup position just in case anything happens to fall on the floor.

“Thanks, Mom.”

They eat, and Sol tells her about joining a new dating app. Even though her mom listens and supports her and has herself always had several black friends, Sol feels like there’s only so much she can understand about this specific situation. In reality, there aren’t many people who could really understand living your life as white and then finding out in your thirties that you have a different mom and she’s black. Not to mention trying to date in the midst of it. So she guesses she should just be thankful that they do have a good relationship and she can talk to her about it a little. She tells her about what happened with Franklin, and her mom was livid. She knows that her mom wants the best for her in terms of a husband and life in general, so that is good, but sometimes it can feel like pressure. Or like it’s her fault that she’s still single. She hasn’t gotten any matches yet, so she’s not sure if it’s just this new app or the ethnicity thing. Or maybe it is her fault. But she decides she has too much on her mind to worry about it right now.

Patty starts packing up to leave. “So, would you be willing to donate to Janice?” Sol says. “I know you didn’t expect to match, and it’s a lot to ask, but she really needs to find someone. You won’t believe how upset Shyla was when I talked to her. I told her I would try to help her as much as I could. I guess I thought I would match and be able to donate. The center didn’t seem to think a paired exchange was very likely, but I told them to put me on the list. I have to do something.”

Her mom stops packing the food and looks at her. “Sol, it is a lot to ask. I want to think about it a little and talk to Mickey. I mean, you know how I feel about doctors, so I don’t know. And plus all that time off work and Mickey has to take care of me that whole time. It’s a big decision. I’ll let you know.”

“Okay,” Sol says, not wanting to force the issue. “Thanks for coming over.” When her mom closes the door, Sol collapses back on the couch and closes her eyes.