Page 106 of Roaring Fork Rockstar

“The preliminary results should be available tomorrow.”

When the call ended, Keltie sat motionless, staring at her phone. “I thought she was doing so well,” she whispered.

I moved my chair beside hers, wrapping my arm around her shoulders. “She still is. This is just the next step.”

Keltie nodded mechanically, but her fear was palpable. We’d both allowed ourselves to hope that the initial protocols would be enough. Now, we faced a new, more challenging phase.

The second callfrom Dr. Robbins came the following afternoon. Keltie and I were at the Goat; she was going over the books while I sat at a nearby table with Luna as she drew pictures.

“Hello, Dr. Robbins,” Keltie answered, her voice tight with anticipation. I stood, telling Luna I’d be right back. On our way into the office, I caught Miguel’s eye and he walked over and sat with her.

“Keltie, I have the bone marrow compatibility results,” the doctor said once the door was closed and Keltie let her know she was on speaker. “Neither you nor your father is a full match.”

Keltie’s face fell, and I put my arm around her.

“However,” Dr. Robbins continued, “Remi Gilbert is.”

The irony wasn’t lost on either of us. The man who had abandoned Luna before she was born was now her best hope for recovery.

“He never called me,” Keltie said after thanking the doctor and hanging up. “After seeing Luna that day, realizing she washis daughter,he never called.” By the time she finished the sentence, she was in tears.

I fought to keep my anger in check. “We need to reach out to him.”

Keltie scrolled through her contacts until she found Remi’s number. She hit the speaker button, and we both held our breath as it rang.

“I was wondering when you’d call.” Remi’s voice came through, unnervingly calm.

She shook her head. “Misunderstanding, I guess. I was waiting for you to call me.”

“Right,” he muttered as if Keltie was lying. It made me want to reach through the phone and punch the guy in the face a second time.

“We received the test results,” Keltie said, her voice firm. “You’re a full match for Luna’s bone marrow transplant.”

“Ah, so that’s why you finally called.”

I rested my hand on Keltie’s arm when her body visibly tensed. “You’re her only full match, Remi.”

“What exactly does that mean?”

“It means you could save her life.” Keltie’s knuckles whitened as she clenched her fists. “The doctors need to harvest your bone marrow for the transplant. Without it…”

She couldn’t finish the sentence. She didn’t need to.

The silence stretched for several seconds.

“Will you do it?” Keltie finally asked, desperation creeping into her voice. “Please, Remi. She’s just a little girl.”

He exhaled heavily. “Yes.”

His straight answer caught us both off guard. I’d expected resistance, negotiation, or flat-out refusal. Keltie’s eyes met mine, cautious hope flickering in their depths.

“Thank you,” she said, her voice softer. “I’ll have Dr. Robbins contact you with the details.”

“There’s something we should discuss first,” Remi said, his tone shifting.

“What?”

“I want to be acknowledged as Luna’s father.”

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