Chapter 2

I took a deep breath, forced down the sting behind my eyes, and called Colette again. She picked up quickly this time. In the background, Emmett was shrieking with excitement.

"Colette! Look how high I'm going!"

I squeezed the phone until my nails bit into my palm. "Colette, I was out of line earlier. Emmett's not feeling well, so take him to the hospital first. I can handle the heart thing on my own."

She hesitated, clearly caught off guard. "Reid, you..."

"Go. Don't keep Stefan waiting. He's got enough on his plate, raising a kid alone."

I hung up before she could answer.

Felix looked up at me. "Dad, are we not going to the hospital?"

I crouched down and wiped the tear tracks from his face. "We are. We just need to wait for the right moment."

I knew Colette better than anyone. Pushing her only made her push back harder.

In my last life, I was too stubborn, and all it did was drive her further away. This time, I would play it her way and let her hand me the knife herself.

Sure enough, ten minutes later, she called back.

Her voice was slightly hoarse. "Reid, I've already called the hospital. I pulled strings with the organ team too. Head over now and ask for Dr. Warren directly."

I hesitated, just long enough to sell it. "Colette, is that too much trouble for you?"

She cut me off impatiently. "Trouble? Felix is my son. Get over there. I'll catch up as soon as Emmett's checkup is done."

Inside, I sneered, but my voice was nothing but full of gratitude. "Okay. I'm taking Felix now."

The moment I hung up, I scooped Felix into my arms and rushed out the door.

…

Dr. Warren stared at me when I walked in. "Mr. Cavell? What are you doing here?"

I was still catching my breath. "Colette said the heart was arranged for. She told me to bring Felix in to start the paperwork."

The color drained from Dr. Warren's face. "But Mr. Pryce already brought Emmett in. He said the heart Ms. Harmon arranged was for Emmett."

The words hit me like a freight train. My arms tightened around Felix, and I could not stop them from shaking. "Dr. Warren, please check again. My wife specifically said..."

Colette's voice cut through the corridor, sharp with anger. "Reid, what the hell are you doing?"

She came striding toward us. Stefan trailed behind her with Emmett by the hand, and the boy stuck his tongue out at me as they passed.

My eyes burned. "Colette, you said the heart was for Felix."

She frowned. "When did I say that? I said I'd help you make the call. The hospital evaluated both cases, and Emmett's condition is more urgent."

My voice cracked. "What's urgent about his condition? He looks perfectly healthy!"

Stefan's eyes went red on cue. "I know you don't like us, but Emmett is only six. How can you say something like that about a child?"

Colette looked at me with open disapproval. "Look at yourself right now. You can't even empathize with a little boy? The next matching heart should come through within two weeks. Felix's vitals aren't stable enough for surgery right now anyway. A few days of rest will actually give him better odds."

Dr. Warren nodded along beside her.

I looked down at Felix in my arms. His face was white as a sheet, but he wrapped his small arms around my neck and held on. "It's okay, Dad. We can wait."

Wait. That single word drove through me like a blade.

In my last life, what I had waited for was his death certificate.

I heard my own voice, hollow and far away. "Okay. We'll wait."

Colette seemed to relax, and her tone softened. "That's more like it. Take Felix home for now. I'll stay with Stefan and Emmett for a full workup."

Stefan spoke up, quiet and deliberate. "Am I making things difficult for you, Colette? Your husband doesn't seem too happy."

Colette glanced at me. "He's fine. He's always the understanding one."

She walked Stefan and Emmett into the examination room and closed the door behind them.

I stood in the corridor, holding my son. Sunlight poured through the window and pooled around us, but all I felt was cold.