I twist away from Melody and the detective so I can speak to my mom in private. “I found her. She’s a little rattled, but she’s okay.” My mom sucks back in her relieved breath when I ask, “Is Joey getting Mr. Gregg’s heart?”
“Yes,” she answers through a sob. “Liam and Wren filled in a directed donation request when Joey was diagnosed. It ensured their donations were transplanted to specific recipients before anyone else. They had both Melody and you on the request as well.” I hear the shuffling of her feet before she adds, “I know this is hard to understand right now, BJ, but this was what Liam wanted. In the event of his death, he wanted to help Joey.”
“I understand that, but will Melody? This will hurt her, Mom.”
Her snivels pick up as she replies, “I know, but we’ll get her through this.”
Her reply reminds me of the reason for my call. “The detective can’t sign Melody over to me since I’m not eighteen. He needs a parental signature until he can find her a proper guardian.” I lick my dry lips before forcing out the remainder of my request. “And he needs it within the hour.”
I anticipate for her to tell me Joey is still in surgery, so she can’t come, so you can imagine my shock when she murmurs, “Okay.”
“Okay? You’ll come?”
“Yes, I’ll come. It’s the least I can do for Melody.” I overhear her tell my father she’ll be back as soon as possible before the tapping of shoes on tiles sound down the line. She’s racing away from my father as quickly as I did hours ago, ignoring his repeated demands for her to tell him where she’s going.
“Mom?”
She doesn’t answer me until the buzz of nighttime insects overtakes my father’s burly roar. “Yes, BJ?”
“Please drive carefully.”
APPROXIMATELY THIRTY MINUTES LATER, I’m guiding a still shuddering Melody through the kitchen of my family ranch. Mom flicks on the lights for each inch of floorboard we travel, only stopping when she reaches the Jack and Jill bathroom between Joey’s and my room.
When she places down two fresh towels and twists on the faucet, I nudge my head to the door. “Go.”
Her eyes drop down to Melody before they pop back up to me. “No.”
She’s torn, which is understandable. She has one child in the middle of a very complicated surgery, and another, although not related to her by blood, mourning the loss of the person responsible for saving her child.
It’s a terrible position for anyone to be in, so I try and ease her guilt. “It’s okay. I can take care of her.”
When my mom shakes her head again, Melody convinces her otherwise. “Go be with Joey, Mrs. McGee. He needs you more than me right now.” When her watering eyes lift to me, they silently tell me she has everything she needs right here. They also reveal she knows whose heart Joey is being gifted.
“Are you sure, Melody?” my mom asks before cupping her tearstained cheek in her hand.
A small handful of tears fall from Melody’s eyes when she nods. “I am sure.”
Even with her assurance crystal clear, it still takes my mom another thirty seconds to leave the bathroom.
Melody’s wish for us to be alone is exposed when the rumble of my mom’s engine fades into the background. “I told him I hated him. Those were the last words I spoke to him. My dad died thinking I hated him.”
“No, Melody.” I crouch in front of the toilet she’s sitting on to lift her downcast head so she can both see and feel my words. “He knew you loved him.”
“That isn’t what I told him.” The heartbreak on her face increases with every syllable she signs.
“It doesn’t matter what you told him. He knew. He always knew.” Confident I can bring her around, I ask, “How long have I loved you?”
She glares at me like now isn’t the time to discuss our relationship. It isn’t, but since it’s the only way I can convince her that her father knew she loved him, I’ll take it.
“How long, Mellowy?”
More tears flow down her cheeks as she replies, “For a long time.” A smile breaks through the cloud of sadness overwhelming her. “Way before you could pronounce your Ds.”
I want to wrap her up in a protective hug before whispering in her ear that everything will be okay, but I can’t, so instead, I continue communicating the only way we can . “That is right. It has been that long… but when did I tell you I loved you?”
The absolute pain in her eyes softens when she signs, “Not that long ago.”
I clear away the tears sitting high on her cheeks before replying, “Because I didn’t need to tell you. You already knew. Just like your dad always knew. He knew, Melody. I swear to you, he knew.”
