I had no idea what was going on between us. Our dinner had served to give me more questions than answers. I was more confused than I had ever felt in my entire life.
Tyler
My cell phone vibrated against my desk as I typed out some things on my computer. Ever since my dinner date with Ana a few days ago, I couldn’t get her off my mind. I’d seen Brody a couple times since then. My father and I took him to get the largest slushy he’d ever had, and then the two of us went to see a movie. Every time I pulled up to pick him up or drop him off, Ana would be there, smiling and waving, her dress of the day fluttering around her body and her hair wafting in the summer breeze.
She took my breath away every time, and I felt my anger toward her slowly fading away.
I picked up my rattling phone and muted it. I needed to concentrate, needed to think. I wanted to get some paperwork out of the way to free up my Friday afternoon. I wanted to see if I could convince Ana to let me take Brody overnight. Nothing special. Just a night at my place with snacks and movies.
I really felt like my relationship with Brody had blossomed to a point where he would feel comfortable doing something like that, especially since he had mentioned to Ana right in front of me that he wanted us to spend more time together. But I knew it would be a big step for her, for Brody, and for me.
So, I wanted to make sure I did it right.
My phone buzzed against the desk again, and I sighed. Apparently, whoever it was had something important to talk about. I finished up my last paragraph before I saved the document. Then I picked up my phone and answered the call.
“Tyler Browning.”
“Tyler, it’s me.”
“Dad?”
“Tyler, you have to listen. I have incredible news.”
“Dad, what’s going on?”
“I just talked to your mother’s doctor, and guess what?”
“No. They found a donor?” I asked.
“Yes! We have a donor! A near-perfect match, Tyler. They’re getting all the paperwork together now, but the anonymous donor has agreed to do the transplant as early as the end of this week!”
“Wait, this week? As in a few days?”
“Yes! Can you believe it?”
“You said an anonymous donor. Can we not know who’s doing this for us? For our family?”
“No. It’s confidential for a reason. But if everything goes according to plan, we’ll be in the operating room saving your mother’s life come Thursday morning.”
I couldn’t believe it. I was shocked, utterly floored. Tears of happiness sprang to my eyes as I rose from my seat. I paced my office, running my hand through my hair. I wanted to celebrate. I wanted to shout my happiness from the rooftops. I wanted to tell someone, call someone, hug someone.
Kiss someone.
“Give Mom every single kiss for me, okay?” I asked.
“I will, Son. I will. We are ordering in a nice lunch for ourselves to celebrate. Do you want to come by later?”
“I’m going to give you guys today to celebrate. There’s someone I want to tell first.”
“Go get her, Son. Let her know how much you care about her.”
“I will, Dad. I will.”
I hung up the phone and immediately called Ana. She was the only person I wanted to talk with, wanted to tell this good news to. She picked up the phone and I practically yelled it at her. I could no longer contain my excitement. She cheered with me and cried over the phone with me. She told me how happy she was and how she wished she could hug me.
Then she did the one thing I was hoping she would.
“Come have dinner with us. I’ll cook and we’ll celebrate your mother’s life.”
Four hours later, I was knocking on her door.
“Daddy!”
“Hey there, big guy.”
“Are you staying for dinner?” he asked as he hugged me.
I picked him up in my arms and stepped into Ana’s townhome for the first time.
“I am. Is that okay?” I asked.
“Of course it’s okay! You can tuck me in. Will you tuck me in?”
“I would love nothing more,” I said.
“I hear a very happy Tyler,” Ana said.
She came out of the kitchen with the brightest smile on her face. I opened my arm for her and she came in to hug me, wrapping her arms around both of us. For the first time ever, I was hugging the family I had created eight years ago. And while it brought me such great joy, it also instilled a piece of sadness as well.
I had been too selfish as a teenager, so selfish that I’d missed all the signs. Her nausea. Her headaches. Her constant fatigue. It should’ve been easy for me to pinpoint. Hell, at one point she even mentioned being shocked she hadn’t started her period yet.