by Mary Manners
“We have much to discuss, and very limited time. Tate’s condition is quickly declining, and we’ll need at least a month to get him ready for the transplant.”
“I understand.” Jake’s heart skipped one beat, two. “Do you need tell Delaney I’m the donor? I don’t want to add to her worry, and I know she’ll be concerned about me.”
“I’ll leave that up to you. It’s standard procedure not to divulge the name of the donor, but I don’t know how you’ll keep it from her, seeing as you two are friends.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“Well, you’d better think fast.”
“I don’t want the press to know, at least not until later on” Jake emphasized the words. “They’d have a field day with this, and Delaney doesn’t need the added stress. Can you at least promise me that?”
“I’ll do my best, Jake. That’s all I can promise.” Papers rustled through the phone line, and Jake imagined the doctor was already beginning to fill a file on him. “I’d like you to come this morning, Jake—now, if possible. It’s imperative to run a test to confirm and have all my ducks in a row before I speak with Delaney.”
Ducks in a row…The phrase reminded him of Delaney and a hope surged through his system.
“Give me half-an-hour.” Jake rose from the table. Coffee would have to wait. “I’ll double-time it.”
“Come directly to my office.”
“I’ll be there.” Jake disconnected and fist-pumped the air before quickly backtracking to the bathroom.
Delaney rested in a chair at Tate’s bedside. He’d done little more than sleep all of yesterday. She’d barely gotten him to eat. A glance at her watch told her they had only a few hours until Tate’s appointment with Dr. Garrison. Given Tate’s lethargic condition, his blood count was probably way off. He’d spend more than a few days in the hospital once again, she was sure of it. So, her son had a couple more precious hours in his own bed until he was once more given up to nurses and needles and a stark, sterile hospital room.
The thought brought tears to Delaney’s eyes, and suddenly she wished Jake was at her side. He’d called her several times yesterday evening, and had offered to come by with dinner, but she’d declined. She needed this time to immerse herself in the Word, and to put on the armor she knew she’d need to get through the next phase of this battle. She’d prayed through the night that a donor would be found. Surely the registry would locate one soon. If only she—or her mom—was a match. But, for reasons she couldn’t fathom, it just wasn’t meant to be.
Help me, Lord. Help Tate. Please send him a donor soon.
Tate stirred in the bed, and Delaney went to him, placing a hand on his forehead to comfort him. She thought of the way Jake had held him Saturday while they were at the pond, and the memory brought a measure of comfort to her wounded heart. He’d been so tender, so very caring in both his gentle touch and heartfelt words.
“Together, we’ll find a way, Delaney,” he’d murmured as she broke down and sobbed. “We’ll get through this somehow. Trust me.”
Delaney dried her tears. She did trust Jake. How had she ever believed the awful stories the press reported about him? She chastised herself for getting sucked into the toxic gossip before she even gave him a chance to share his true heart.
Delaney placed a kiss on Tate’s forehead before slipping away to take a quick shower. A glance at the clock told her Jake was most likely still sleeping soundly. He’d offered to meet her at the hospital later, and she was thankful for that. Today promised to bring a new season, and she’d find a way to tackle it, no matter what.
Chapter 10
“I’M SORRY, DELANEY.” JAKE REACHED for her hand as he spoke.
“What’s going on?” Her fingers trembled, and she struggled to make sense of why Jake was here…in Dr. Garrison’s office, staring at her with such an odd expression on his face. She wondered why they’d closed the door and spoke in hushed voices. Her heart was racing, her palms damp with nervous tension. Then, as she slumped into a chair, Jake’s blue eyes captured hers, and the tenderness radiating through them nearly stole her breath. She choked back the lump in her throat.
“I’m so sorry,” Jake repeated, his tone steeped in gentleness. “I promised you no more surprises, but this one is out of my hands.”
“I don’t understand.” Her eyes filled with tears, and she reached for a tissue from the dispenser on the desk, sniffling. “How bad is it? Just tell me, please.”
“It’s not bad, Delaney. It’s good…really, really good.” Jake came around and knelt at her feet. He placed one hand on her knee and brushed a tear from her cheek with his other. “Dr. Garrison has located a donor for Tate.”
“Oh, Jake.” Relief, coupled with disbelief, flooded her. She covered her trembling lips as tears spilled over. She could hardly speak. “Where? Who…how?”
“Delaney, listen to me.” Dr. Garrison’s voice drifted across the room, sounding as if he stood miles away. Delaney’s head began to swim, and she felt as if she were being drawn into a tunnel. They’d found a donor. Her prayers had been answered. “Jake is Tate’s match.”
Time paused for the slightest moment, a gasp just before the deep inhale. Had she heard right?
Jake is Tate’s match.
“Delaney, honey, stay with us,” Jake coaxed, placing a hand on each of her shoulders. “Please, breathe.”
“It can’t be.” Delaney’s skin tingled, and a rush of shivers racked her as the room began to sway. She wrapped her arms around herself, rocking forward in the chair. “Are you sure?”
“I’m sure,” Dr. Garrison said. “We ran a second battery of tests this morning to confirm.”
Though merely a few feet away, the doctor’s face refused to come into focus. A freight train rushed through Delaney’s ears, making it difficult to discern his next words. “They’re almost a perfect match, Delaney—as perfect as two unrelated people can be. Jake’s an answer to our prayers—in more ways than one.”
“Oh, God…” When Delaney slipped from the chair, Jake caught her. He gathered her in and she pressed her cheek to the warmth of his T-shirt as her shock gave way to sobs. “I don’t believe it. I can’t…Thank You, God.” Tears swam in her eyes, turning the room to a pool of water. “Oh, thank You.”
“We’ll have to begin preparing Tate right away. It’s going to be hard, Delaney. We need at least thirty days to bring him to day zero—transplant day.” Dr. Garrison stood and eased around the desk, closer to her. “There’s a lot to do, and it won’t be easy on Jake, either.”
“I hadn’t considered…” Delaney lifted her head to gaze into Jake’s tender, blue eyes. “Oh, Jake, are you sure about this?”
“I’ve never been surer of anything in my life.” He smoothed a strand of hair from her forehead. “It’s the greatest gift I’ve ever been given—the ability to do this for Tate.”
“But it’s not a gift…at least not for you.”
“Oh, but it is, sweetheart.” He stroked her tear-stained cheek with gentle fingers. “More than you know.”
Jake found a quiet place down the hall to dial a quick call to Stan. He made short work of bringing his friend up to speed.
“It’s a miracle, Stan.”
“I get that, but do you fully understand the ramifications of this decision, Jake?”
“I do. I’ve been through all the details with Dr. Garrison, and he’s told me what to expect. I’m fully aware of all the possible complications, and I’m in agreement with pressing forward.”
“And you think you can still be ready for training camp?”
“I’ll be there.”
“What if there are lingering effects?”
“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it—if we come to it.”
“And you don’t want the press to know?”
“You heard me the first time. This needs to be kept on the down low.”
“I’ve got it covered.”
“I’m counting on you, S
tan.”
Papers rustled through the phone line. “Oh, by the way, I got word just an hour ago that all charges against you have been dropped. The girl came forward—the one you were trying to protect that night outside the restaurant—and she gave a full statement to the police. Believe it or not, now you’re a hero.”
“I couldn’t let that guy get away with harassing her the way he was. The poor girl was just trying to make a living.”
“Why didn’t you tell me that in the first place?” Stan groaned in a manner that had become familiar over the years. “It would have made things a lot easier.”
“As I recall, I tried. You weren’t in much of a listening mood.”
“Well, I stand corrected. The oaf who was harassing her has been banned from the restaurant, and the girl issued a statement to the Tennessee Today newspaper and all the local stations.”
“Good. So, you need to keep the press off my tail for a while. They’ll all want a piece of the action. Just issue a statement for me if it’s necessary, Stan. I don’t want to talk to any reporters—not now.”
“I’ve already taken care of it. Check out the five o’clock news, and you’ll hear the statement.”
“No need. I trust you to handle things.” He paced the hall, anxious to get back to Delaney. “Thanks for everything, Stan, but I’ve got to go.”
“The kid waiting for you?”
“Yeah, and his mom, too.”
“I’m glad, Jake.” Stan sighed. “You know, my friend, if I’d tried to write a book about this, no one would ever believe it. But I have to say, this transformation in you is the most amazing miracle of all.”
“And I have you to thank for it, Stan. If you hadn’t insisted on me contacting the Moments for Miracles foundation—”
“It wasn’t my doing, Jake. It was simply all a part of His plan.”
Chapter 11
THINGS MOVED FASTER THAN A star wide-receiver hustling the ball over an unguarded gridiron. To Jake, the days that followed seemed like a blur. Tate spent his time in intensive treatment, just as Dr. Garrison explained. But even the briefing could not prepare them for what was to come.
Delaney remained vigilant, hesitant to leave Tate’s side for more than a few minutes at a time. Jake stayed with her. Delaney’s inner strength was an inspiration to him. Rarely did she let down her guard, and the few times she did give in to grief didn’t last long at all. Truth be told, Jake teared up more than she did. But he was careful not to let Delaney see. He knew his worry and grief would become hers, as well.
One evening Delaney’s mom dropped by after work. She took one look at Delaney and said, “Take my daughter out for a decent meal and some fresh air, Jake, and don’t come back until her belly is full and her hands have quit trembling.”
“I’m not going anywhere, Mom,” Delaney protested.
“Yes, you are.” Her mother’s gaze was steely. “That’s an order. I’ll stay with Tate. You can trust me, Delaney. I raised you, didn’t I?”
Speechless, Delaney only nodded. Jake took her by the hand and led her down the hall to the elevators. She turned back once, and he thought he was going to lose her. But he squeezed her hand and wrapped his arm protectively around her shoulders as they headed to the parking garage.
“Do you mind if we just walk?” she asked as darkness engulfed them. “I’d like a bit of fresh air.”
“Only if it leads to a restaurant, and you promise to eat. You won’t do Tate any good if you get sick and can’t be with him at all.”
His tactic seemed to work. Delaney nodded stiffly. “You’re right.”
They wound their way toward the landing. The air was cool but no longer chilled. Spring had blossomed and tulips bloomed along the waterfront. Gaslights lined the shore along the shop fronts, and stars shimmered and danced overhead.
“The air smells so fresh.” Delaney drew a deep breath. “I had forgotten the sweet smell of flowers, the clean scent of a gentle breeze.”
“You’ve been away from it for a long time.”
“It feels like a lifetime, Jake.”
“I know.”
“What if the treatments are just too much for Tate? What if his little body can’t take the strain?”
“It’s going to be okay, Delaney. Tate’s a fighter—just like his mom.”
“But I don’t feel strong anymore, Jake.” She leaned against the rail at the edge of the landing and gazed across the water. “I’m so tired.”
“I know, honey.” He drew her close. “Lean on me. I’ll help you carry the burden.”
“You already are. Do you feel anything—any different from the drugs you’ve been given?”
“Not really. Maybe just a bit sluggish. But that could be from everything else, too.”
“Do you think they’re working?”
“All the tests say they are.”
“I’m surprised you have any blood left.”
“This is nothing.” Jake laughed. “I’ve lost more blood on the football field.”
“Are you worried about the harvest?”
“No more worried than having a linebacker take me down.” He shrugged. “Don’t let it worry you, honey. I’ll heal just fine. Tate will, too. I feel it.”
“You told me once, when you first met Tate, that you lost someone you loved.” She was quiet for a moment, and then turned to face him. “Who was it, Jake?”
His breath caught. The love in her eyes was so pure, the question so full of concern, that something in his heart dislodged.
“My brother, Josh, died when I was fourteen. He was born with something…I don’t really know what. Though my mom took him to dozens of doctors, most of them specialists, none were ever able to define it. But whatever it was messed with his immune system, and he got sick all the time. When he was twelve, he contracted pneumonia.”
Delaney skimmed his stubbled cheek with smooth fingers. “I’m so sorry, Jake.”
“There was nothing I could do—nothing my mom could do, either. When Josh died, it almost killed her, too. I was mad for a long time.”
“But you came through it.”
“Yeah. Mom didn’t give up on me. She met a great guy, Harry. He took me under his wing and taught me football. Nothing channels aggression better than practicing tackles and running suicides. Eventually, Harry and Mom married. They’re really happy together.”
“I’m glad for that.” Delaney smiled through tears. “And you, Jake? Are you happy?”
“You make me happy, Delaney—you and Tate.” He drew her close. “I don’t ever want to let you go.”
Delaney woke to the sound of the IV beeping. She sat up and glanced at Jake, sleeping soundly in a corner chair, before she went to Tate. A quick feel of his forehead told her he’d made it through another stretch without an infection. If all went well, the transplant would be over by noon tomorrow. She marveled at the miracle God had given to her, and not just concerning Tate.
Her heart felt full of love—something she’d never dreamed of feeling after the way it had been shattered following her divorce and then Tate’s diagnosis. Jake had stepped into her life and filled all that was missing. She’d be forever grateful.
“Mama…” Tate’s voice whispered across the darkness. The sheets rustled as he shifted in the bed. “I’m thirsty.”
Delaney checked her watch for the time—no liquids after midnight—and then filled a cup with water. She offered him the straw. “Here you go, honey.”
“Is Jake still here?”
“Yes. He’s sleeping over there.” She pointed, and Tate craned his head for a look.
“He’s awful big for that chair, Mama.” Tate blinked hard once, twice, and then yawned hugely.
“I know, honey, but he didn’t want to leave.”
“’Cause of tomorrow?”
“Partly.” She offered him another sip of water. “And because he likes spending time with you.” He loves me, doesn’t he, Mama?”
“Yes, honey, he does.”
“Hmmm?”
Tate lowered his voice to a whisper. He pressed a tiny palm to Delaney’s cheek. “I think Jake loves you, too.”
The words brought a smile to Delaney’s lips. From the mouths of babes…
She set the cup on the side table. “Go back to sleep now, Tate.”
“Okay, Mama.” He sipped once more and then let his head drop back against the pillow, and just as quickly as he woke, he was asleep again.
Delaney stepped over to Jake and smiled at the way his bulk was curled into a chair two sizes too small. She covered him with a blanket and kissed her index finger before pressing it to his cheek. Her heart fluttered with the thought that one day soon they might share a real kiss.
Chapter 12
JAKE WOKE FROM THE PROCEDURE to the sound of sobs. He sat up, and a sharp stab of pain coursed through his hips, racing up his back. His skull cried out, and for a moment all the world went black.
Slowly, the room came into focus. Delaney stood over him, her tears splashing onto the sheet. He reached for her hand and struggled to find his voice.
“Delaney, honey…” The sound was gravel in his throat, but he fought through to add, “What’s wrong?”
She merely shook her head.
“Did something happen?”
“Yes,” she nodded through the tears. “Something wonderful.”
“Tate?”
“He’s fine, Jake.” She smiled through her tears. “Dr. Garrison said the transfer was perfect. Tate’s recovering just as planned. He’s sleeping now.” She stroked his hair. “How are you feeling?”
“Like I was just tackled by the full line.” He grunted, trying to shift pressure from the sore areas. “But, Doc said it would smart for a few days.”
“I’m sorry.” Delaney smoothed his hair. “I’ll call the nurse to bring you something for the pain.”
“No, wait.” Jake squeezed her hand. “Just help me up. I want to go see Tate.”
