Wallflower Ink

Chapter 33

· Jace ·

It's Monday morning, and there's nothing more pressing for me to do than wait for Daryl's call and hang out with Merri, which are both fine with me. There's been a lot of excitement in my life recently, and I'm content to have just one day without any. At the moment I'm making plans for the afternoon, plans that involve Merri, a blanket, a basket full of food, and a leisurely picnic at the park.

I'd had the idea last night and Merri had been all for it. She had left an hour earlier with a list we had both prepared and will be back soon to help me put everything together. Today we'll check off another task on Joey's list--have a picnic--leaving only eleven. We're nearly halfway finished, and will be more than that once Daryl comes through with the information he'd promised.

I worry about that one, though. If Merri's acrophobia is as bad as her brother had led me to believe, will that spark her anxiety? And if it does, will she even be able to go through with it at all? There really is no substitution for what Joey had written--like all his other goals, he had been very specific in his wording.

I decide to deal with that issue if it becomes a problem and not worry about it until then. I need to focus on now with Merri, not on what might happen in the future. I know well enough by now that nothing I think will happen with her is ever a certainty.

A hard pounding on the front door jerks me from my thoughts and I turn my startled gaze toward it as it opens. In the doorway stands Katie, her face flushed, a half crumpled sheet of paper in her hand. As I stand to greet her, she quickly enters the house and nearly runs to me instead.

"What's wrong, Katie? Are you okay?" I reach out to grab her shoulders but she dodges my hands, then does a small twirl in front of me. When she comes to a stop, she shoves the paper in my face and I have to grab it to keep her from smothering me with it.

"I'm better than okay, Jace. Read that! I couldn't believe it, so I called them myself. I thought it was a scam, but it's really real! It's really going to happen!"

Her eyes shine bright as she rushes through her disjointed explanation, and though I have no idea what she's talking about, her excitement is infectious. I grin at her then hold up a hand to stop her from continuing.

"Hold on, Katie. Let me read it. I don't know what's going on, but I sure as hell would like to."

Her grin widens and she claps her hands together then does another little spin. I look down at the letter, my breath catching as I first read the letterhead. It's from the Organ Transplant Center in Chicago. I look up at Katie and she grins brightly at me as she flops down in the stool beside mine, out of breath.

"Read it, Jace!"

I clear my throat and do as she demands. "'Your medical situation was presented to our multidisciplinary heart transplant committee. The decision made by the committee is that you are a suitable candidate for a heart transplant ...'"

I read a few moments is silence, tears welling up in my eyes until I can barely see the words. When I come to the end, I clear my throat and read that aloud, too.

"'Please call us to set up an appointment with our panel of cardiologists and cardiac surgeons at your earliest convenience ...'"

My hand shakes as I lower the letter. I swipe at my eyes with the sleeve of my shirt then drop the paper on the bar and snatch my sister up in bear hug.