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“That is fine, or y’all can call me Josie. I can’t believe Lori would abandon her child. Drugs must really have her out of her mind.”
I cleared my throat, unsure what to say. I didn’t want to dump on her daughter, though my first instincts were to do so. Charity told me that I had no idea what it was like to be addicted and I had no right to judge, but I felt invested with Rory and I would be angry at anyone who could turn their back on her, no matter the intention. “I’m not sure because I didn’t meet her, but I think she must love Rory very much or she wouldn’t have brought her to a hospital.”
“Is she there with her?”
“I’m afraid not. Didn’t Mr. Atkins share the circumstances of how the little girl came into state custody?” I didn’t want to repeat anything Jonathon had said.
“He did. I can’t believe my daughter would just leave a child like that.”
“The important thing now is to find someone who is willing to donate marrow. It’s Rory’s best chance at remission and possibly a cure. I had the same type of leukemia when I was just a little older than Rory is now and a transplant from my father healed me. If possible, it would be helpful if you could ask everyone in your immediate family to take a test to see if you’re a tissue match. She’s on the national donor list, but a family member has a much better chance.”
“Yes, I will. We are poor and don’t have much, but I’d never turn my back on a little girl. I’ll see if I can contact my daughter, but I don’t even know if she has a phone once we stopped paying for it.”
My breath rushed out in relief and my heart stopped for a few seconds and tears flooded my eyes. “I’m so happy to hear that you’ll try. If you can also find out who Rory’s father is, that would help because the pool of people would increase. It’s just a blood test.”
“I see. My husband and I will come in right away. I’ll call my sister and niece, too. How is Rory doing?”
“I’m sorry to say she’s not doing very well, that is why this is so urgent. I can fill you in more when you get here.”
“Yes. We’ll be in right away.”
“Are you calling from a cell phone?”
“I sure am,” the woman answered. “I’ll call you when we get close. We live a good bit out of town, and I’ll try to bring Nancy and Bethy with us.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Wagner. I look forward to seeing you soon.”
After the call ended, I hurried back to the room.
I could see Dylan sit up a little straighter from where he was sitting next to Rory with an open book of fairy tales in his hands. He was as anxious as I had been.
“They’re coming.”
“Oh, thank God. Hear that kiddo?” I couldn’t see his mouth behind the mask, but I could hear the smile in his tone. “You’re gonna have more people coming for a visit.” He touched the end of her nose with the tip of an index finger. He was so gentle, and it was clear he cared a lot for her. The masks and yellow paper robes we had to wear were hot and uncomfortable, but neither one of us was complaining. We were just happy to be with Rory, and I was blessed to have someone as giving as Dylan.
“Who is it? Is mommy coming?” Rory asked hopefully. She’d stopped asking for her mother as often. My heart squeezed inside my chest; she obviously still thought about the woman.
“No, but someone very kind.”
Rory nodded and turned her attention back to the book. She yawned and seemed weak.
Though I was hopeful, I was afraid to take it for granted that one of them would be a match. My father was the only one in a huge family who matched me. Not his parents, his siblings, or my cousins. Not my own mother. “Let’s not celebrate until we get a positive result,” I told Dylan. Reluctantly I dropped a statistic. “Seventy percent don’t find a familial match.” I said it more to myself than to Dylan, but he heard me and met my gaze with a worried look on his face.
“Listen, you need a rest, young lady,” he said to Rory, rubbing her tummy. “I’ll read one more story. Which would you like to hear?”
“Seeping booty,” she answered. Her voice was weak.
“That works!” he said, flipping back to the index to locate the story in the thick book he’d bought her that morning in the hospital gift shop.
I walked to the bed and crawled up next to Rory. “Can I listen, too?”
She nodded and Dylan answered, “We love Remi cuddles, don’t we Rory? They’re the best!”
I gently pulled the little girl to my side and put an arm around her, and she hugged me around the waist. I bent to kiss her head through the mask and through the soft white cap that hid her bald head. My vision blurred on Dylan’s concerned eyes.
“I love Remi,” Rory said, leaning on my chest. She was so small and slight and holding her; the ravages of her illness were even more evident. “Do you love Remi, Deelan?”
I knew he was emotional, and he cleared his throat. “I do, and guess what? We both love Rory!”
