“Just by text. They’re being supportive, even if I’m sure some of them don’t think I ought to have to go through this to save him. They’d never say so now that it’s happening.”

“It’s the right thing to do. You’re not capable of letting someone die, even someone who’s hurt you the way he has, if there’s something you can do about it.”

“I wish I was more of an asshole,” he said with a sigh. “That would be easier.”

“I love you just the way you are.”

“I miss you like crazy, and I just left you a little while ago.”

“I miss you, too, and so does Simone. She was out of sorts tonight after you left—or maybe I was and she picked up on it.”

“A few days, and I’ll be back. I’ve got some work to get done while I’m up here, so I’ll be all yours when I get back.”

“All mine. I love the sound of that.”

“Me, too. Thanks for the best weekend.” They’d had dinner at Ray’s on Sunday and spent the last day of Simone’s winter break playing tourist in the city. In addition to visiting the top of the Empire State Building, they’d watched the ice skaters at Rockefeller Plaza and went to see the movie Sing, which Simone had loved.

“It was the best weekend ever.”

“Yes, it was.” It’d been nice to feel like a family for a few days, and he was counting the minutes until he could be with them again.

“Are you going to be able to sleep tonight?”

“I hope so. I need to catch up on my sleep while I can. My girlfriend has been messing with my sleep lately.”

“Right,” she said, laughing. “It’s all my fault.”

“You can’t keep your hands off me.”

“I admit it.”

“I seem to have the same problem where you’re concerned.”

“That’s one problem we don’t need to solve.”

Laughing at her witty reply, Grayson pulled into the driveway at the lake house and cut the engine. “I’m at the house. Talk to you in the morning?”

“Call me after the appointment.”

“You’ll be at work.”

“I’ll be waiting for your call.”

“I’ll call you as soon as I can.”

“Try to get some sleep.”

“You, too. I love you, Emma.”

“I love you, too.”

He ended the call with her and sat in the darkness, staring at the vastness of Lake Champlain, feeling more unsettled than he had in a long time at the prospect of having to do this huge thing for his father. His phone rang, and he saw his mother’s number on the caller ID. He hadn’t talked to her since finding out he was a match.

“Hi, Mom.”

“Grayson… Are you still in the city?”