Emma leaned her head on his shoulder, wishing there was something she could say or do to provide comfort.

“He sounds exactly the same. The doctors told me he’s going through an intensive round of chemo ahead of the transplant next week.” He gazed down at her. “I’m really glad you’re here. If he’d called me when I was alone, that might’ve taken me back to a time and place I never want to visit again.”

“You did the right thing today, and now you should put it all behind you and look forward, not back.”

“I like the view in front of me,” he said, smiling at her. “I like it very much.”

Chapter 29

True love stories never have endings.

—Richard Bach

After a relaxing two days tending to his every need—except the sexual ones, which she’d refused to tend to until after he saw the doctor on Tuesday—Emma flew home to New York on Sunday night, more in love with him than she’d been before, if that was possible.

They’d done nothing but lie around, cook the food he’d bought before the surgery, watch movies, sleep, make out a little and talk. Like they had from the beginning, they talked about big things, little things and everything in between. He promised to catch the first flight he could get out of Burlington on Tuesday after his appointment.

Emma arrived to snow falling at LaGuardia and indulged in a rare splurge on a cab ride home, pulling up to her building just after seven o’clock. She ran up the stairs, eager to see Simone after two days apart. They’d FaceTimed on Saturday, and Grayson had answered her many questions about the operation he’d had and how his donation could save his father’s life. Simone had found the entire thing fascinating, and he’d been endlessly patient in explaining it all to her.

The smell of garlic met Emma in the hallway, making her mouth water for whatever her dad and daughter had made for dinner. She used her key in the door and stepped into her cozy apartment.

“Mom! You’re back!”

“Get over here and hug me.”

Simone came running across the small room and into her mother’s outstretched arms. “How’s the elbow?” The orthopedic doctor had taken a look at it earlier in the week and determined it was healing well.

“Hardly hurts anymore.” Simone bent her arm a few times to demonstrate and then tugged on Emma’s hand to drag her toward the kitchen. “Come see what Pop and I made for dinner.”

“Whatever it is smells amazing.”

“It’s homemade pasta with our own meatballs and sauce. We made it all from scratch. And bread from the new bread maker.”

“Wow, I’m impressed, and I’m starving.” She gave her dad a kiss on the cheek. “Hi there.”

“Welcome home, sweetheart.”