Page 105 of Roaring Fork Rockstar

“Unfortunately, yes.” Six-pack tapped his fingers on the desk. “Courts generally favor giving biological parents a chance to establish relationships with their children, regardless of past behavior.”

“That’s absurd,” I muttered.

“That’s family law,” Six-pack countered. “However, his abandonment works in your favor, Ms. Marquez. As does your established role as Luna’s sole provider and caretaker.”

“And Luna’s illness?” Keltie asked. “How does that factor in?”

“It complicates things. On one hand, courts are reluctant to disrupt a child’s life during serious medical issues. On the other, if he’s providing medical assistance through bone marrow donation or financial support, that strengthens his case.”

Keltie’s shoulders slumped. “So we’re damned either way.”

“Not necessarily. We can establish clear boundaries through a legal agreement if he wants to be involved. But first, let’s see what he actually wants.” Six-pack handed Keltie his business card. “Call me when he contacts you. I’ll be ready.”

We walked him out.

After saying goodbye to my siblings, we drove to Keltie’s house in silence.

When we pulled into her driveway, I cut the engine but made no move to get out. “I hate that you’re going through this.”

Keltie turned to me, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “He’s asonuvabitch.”

I took her hand. “You got that right.”

“I appreciate you so much, Holt. I don’t know how I would’ve faced any of this without your support. I hope you know how much it means to me.” She bit her lower lip. “And that…”

“What, Keltie?”

“I love you for it, but it isn’t why I love you, if that makes sense.”

“It makes perfect sense,” I responded honestly. I felt it too. Our love wasn’t about what we did for each other. It worked the opposite way. I loved her, so doing things for her and Luna felt right.

We got out of the truck, and as soon as we were inside, Luna’s excited chatter cut through our serious mood. She raced toward us, waving a drawing. “Look what I made at the park!”

The picture showed a girl with wild curls holding hands with a tall stick figure wearing what looked like a cowboy hat. A smaller figure stood on the other side, holding the girl’s hand.

“That’s me,” Luna explained, pointing to the figure in the middle. “And that’s you, Mommy. And that’s Mr. Holt. We’re at the ranch with the horses.”

Keltie knelt down, pulling Luna close. “It’s beautiful, sweetheart.”

I swallowed hard, fighting the emotion rising in my throat. In the face of Luna’s innocent joy, our worries seemed less consuming. We’d protect this child, no matter what it took.

The next twodays passed in tense anticipation, waiting for a call from Remi that never came. Keltie tried to focus on work while I split my time between the Goat and the recording studio, laying down tracks for my EP. But uncertainty hung over us, making even ordinary tasks tough to handle.

On the third day, Keltie’s phone rang while we were having lunch at her kitchen table. Luna’s doctor’s name flashed on the screen.

“Dr. Robbins?” Keltie said, putting the phone on speaker. “Is everything okay?”

“Hi, Keltie.” The doctor’s voice came through. “I’m calling with an update on Luna’s test results.”

Keltie reached for my hand, squeezing it tightly. “Go ahead.”

“Luna’s response to treatment isn’t as strong as we’d hoped. Her latest blood work shows higher numbers than we’d like to see at this stage.”

The air got thicker, and Keltie’s face went pale, but her voice remained steady. “What does that mean for her overall plan?”

“I’ve pushed the lab to process the bone marrow compatibility tests faster. At this point, I believe a transplant is Luna’s best option for achieving remission.”

“How soon would that be?” I asked.

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