“He’s making noise, via his student’s father. It’s a dead-end. The board has no sway over any medical decision, but Charles and Jacqueline do have legal permission to make medical decisions about Tanner’s treatment if Amanda is incapable of doing so. I think Charles is trying to see how much that permission allows him at this point.”
“Allows him?” I echoed. My gut was a knotted mess.
Parker pulled a face. “It allows him nothing. All Amanda needs to do is revoke that right. Now that you’re here, it makes sense she does that and gives it to you anyway.”
“Jesus, Dad,” Amanda muttered beside me.
I looked over at her. Her cheeks glistened, wet with tears. But she was sitting straight. Her jaw was set. Strong. She was so strong. Stronger than me.
“And,” Parker went on, “he’s trying to scare you. Both of you.”
I raised my eyebrows.
Parker grunted. “You’re both young. You, big guy, aren’t from around these parts. You don’t know our laws. Charles knows that. If you’d been a match, he wouldn’t have been able to play this card, but unfortunately you weren’t.”
“What time is it?”
I blinked at Amanda’s sudden question. So did Parker. He checked his watch before I did. “Close on six-fifteen.”
Amanda let out a sigh and turned to me. “It’s a Saturday. Dad’s not going to be awake for another hour or so.” She smiled. A real smile. One full of warmth. “But Tanner will be. He’s probably already awake, waiting for me. Waiting for us.”
Us.
Smile growing softer, warmer, she rose to her feet again. “C’mon, Bren, let’s go spend the morning with our son. We’ll deal with Dad later, okay?”
I frowned, but didn’t move.
She grinned. Actually grinned. “Who do you want to spend the morning with right now, Bren? My dad? Bruising your knuckles on his jaw? Or your son? Maybe getting whacked in the head with Optimus Prime a few times and refining your diaper-changing skills?”
Parker chuckled. It was a strained sound, but running beneath it was the playful humor of the man I’d very first met. “I’ve heard those skills need some work.”
Amanda held out her hand. “Come see Tanner with me, Bren. You can help me change his, what do you call them? Nappy?”
“Nappy.” I rose to my feet, took her hand and smiled. “And I can change him myself.”
We were at the door to Parker’s office when Amanda turned back to face him. “Thank you, doctor.”
He nodded. “I will do everything I can to save your son, Amanda. Everything. Even if it means telling a loving daughter her father is being a bit of an ass.”
A dry bark of a laugh burst from me before I could stop it.
Amanda fixed me with a melodramatic glare, her lips twitching. “C’mon, Bren. Nappy time.”
We left Parker’s office, hand in hand, and headed for Tanner’s room. The hospital was waking up, its young patients beginning to interact with nurses, some laughing at whatever was taking place in their rooms. I heard the sounds of Pokémons battling, the Wiggles singing and Finn and Jake going on another crusade in Adventure Time as we walked the corridors heading for the Oncology ward.
“I’m sorry,” Amanda murmured just before we arrived, stopping me with a gentle squeeze of my hand.
I turned to her. “For what?”
“For Dad. For him not liking you.”
I chuckled, cupping the side of her face. “Do you think I remotely care what your father thinks of me?”
She shrugged. “It must make you feel like crap though?”
“I’ve got to admit, I’m not used to people not seeing how awesome and incredible I am.”
She laughed, rolling her eyes. “Of course, that must be brutal.”
“I’ll get over it. And so will he. But until he does, he’s going to have to learn to live with me. Because I’m not going anywhere. Got it?”
Amanda nodded. “Got it. Hope you don’t mind me going a bit psycho on his ass when we see him next though?”
I grinned. “Only if I can take photos. Maybe Chase can Instagram it?”
She rolled her eyes again, leaning into me a little. “I don’t think she’ll have a problem with—”
My phone buzzed and vibrated into life in my pocket.
Grabbing Amanda’s hand before she could turn away to give me some privacy – there was nothing I didn’t want her to know anyway – I pulled my phone free and looked at the screen.
Raphael Jones. At the sight of his name, the fact he was here in San Diego flooded back to me, the bleak reason behind it.
I pressed Accept with my thumb, and raised the phone to my ear. “Jones. How you going this morning? How’s Maci?”
“You got the results back yet?” he asked. Raphael Jones never used two words when one would do, and he never wasted time when he wanted something. It was a character trait that drove a lot of people mental, but I’d always respected him for it. Even when we’d been in the middle of a non-event love-triangle for Maci’s attention.
Looking at Amanda, I released a slow sigh. “Yeah, we do.”
“Fuck. I’m sorry, mate.”
I brushed Amanda’s lip with my thumb and let out a wry grunt. “The fact that I’m not at your hotel, kicking your door in and dragging you back here to the hospital, wasn’t a giveaway you weren’t a match?”
Raphael responded with his own grunt. “Yeah. Wish to hell I was.”
“It’s all good, dude.” It wasn’t. Not at all. But there was no point ranting at the cruelty of fate. “We’re not giving up yet. Mum and Dad are being tested in Australia. There’s a strong chance one of them will be a match.”
“Your optimism never ceases to amaze me, Osmond.”
I laughed, holding Amanda’s gaze. “Of course it doesn’t. And neither does my stunning good looks and God-like strength.”
Raph chuckled. “Yeah, I’m complete amazed by those.”
A moment of silence passed between us – the silence of two guys sharing a shit situation. The silence of support and understanding.
And then Raph let out a short sigh. “When Maci wakes, we’ll grab some breakfast and come to the hospital, if you want. She’d love to meet Tanner, if we’re allowed?”
“Sure,” I answered. Inside my chest, my heart clenched at the thought of introducing my son to my friends. How many days, weeks would I have left to do that? If we didn’t find a match soon, would I even get the chance to introduce him to my family? My brother? Would he ever meet Uncle Ben? Or Heather? Heather would go nuts over him. I could see her now, damn near hyperventilating over how cheeky and gorgeous he was. Heather would play Transformers with him without hesitation. Knowing her, she’d do all the voices of all the characters and Tanner would fall completely in love with her before the game was . . .
A soft thumb stroking my cheek made me blink. My vision was blurring, fuzzy. My cheeks were wet. What the? I was crying? When the hell had I started crying? Amanda was smiling up at me, grief and love in her face.
In my ear, Raph called my name. “Hey, Osmond? Talk to me, dude. You okay?”