Her lips press together in an attempt to prevent a smile. I suspect Elaine’s been working on a need-to-know basis with Brendan for a long time. ‘Well, he’s thrown his toys enough about that, hasn’t he? Let’s not add any sick kids into the mix. I told you what a total twat he was when my son was ill.’ Her face grows more serious. ‘Listen to me, love. You do what you need to do. Brendan’s a big boy, and I’ll hold the fort when you’re away. But for now, you get yourself over to that hospital and go be with that little girl of yours, where you belong. I’ll tell Brendan you weren’t feeling well.’

‘Okay,’ I say with a watery smile. She’s such a lovely lady. ‘Thank you so much.’

‘It’s not a bother. I hope you don’t mind my asking, but I assume this job is funding the US trip?’

She raises a meaningful eyebrow, and I nod, feeling a flush of mortification sweep over my cheeks. Oh my God, Elaine knows. This is horrifying.

She pats my hand. ‘I’m well aware of the sacrifices you’re making for your daughter. She’s a very lucky girl to have a mother like you. Now, get over there and raise hell until those doctors give her everything she needs, you hear me?’

CHAPTER 37

Marlowe

The sound of my alarm is exactly as violating as a power drill to the head. I don’t actually possess the energy to sit up, so I turn my exhausted body over with great difficulty and slide out of my bed on my stomach before crawling over to where the alarm is ringing shrilly across the room. I plugged my phone in over here on purpose last night—I knew that if it was within reach from the bed I’d most likely turn it off in my sleep.

The only motivation I have to shut the damn thing up is the acute desire not to wake Tabs, who is hopefully sleeping the sleep of the exhausted next door. She was too broken to sleep in her warrior princess tent last night—or at one o’clock this morning, rather—when we got home from the hospital, instead opting to curl up in her bed. They put us through the wringer last night, with a million tests and the inevitable hours of waiting before and after each one.

I stroked her hair until she fell asleep, but I sat on the edge of her bed for hours afterwards, gazing at her in the dim light of her nightlight and willing her heart to give us just another week.

Just one more week until we can get on that plane. Until my little girl’s heart will finally be in the hands of the people who can make her suffering go away.