Page 110 of Roaring Fork Rockstar

Dr. Robbins hesitated, then motioned to me to follow. “My office. Now.”

I clutched the papers in my fist, aware of Holt physically blocking Remi from following us. Once the door closed behind us, I slammed the documents onto her desk.

“He wants to take my daughter,” I said, my voice breaking. “In exchange for his bone marrow, he wants my daughter. He’s never even had a conversation with her!”

Dr. Robbins picked up the papers, scanning them quickly. Her expression hardened as she read.

“Sit down, Keltie,” she said gently.

I sank into the chair, my legs no longer able to support me. “Can you do it? Can you use my cells instead?”

She sighed, setting the papers down. “While a full match is preferred, a half matchwillwork. Particularly given the circumstances.”

Hope flickered, fragile but present. “Thank God.”

“Bone marrow transplants from half-identical family members have been performed more frequently due to the challenges in finding a fully matched donor,” she explained. “Treatment advances help the body accept the new cells, regardless. In this case, I believe it’s in Luna’s best interest to proceed with you as the donor.” She leaned forward, her expression more personal than professional.

Tears spilled down my cheeks. “Will it hurt her more? Be harder on her?”

“The risks are slightly higher,” she admitted. “But Luna is strong, and frankly, her connection to you—her trust, her comfort with you—those factors matter in recovery.”

I wiped away tears. “When can we do it?”

“I’ll need to run more tests, but we can begin harvesting your cells tomorrow. The procedure itself isn’t pleasant—you’ll be sore for several days—but it’s nothing compared to what Luna’s going through.”

“I don’t care about the pain,” I said. “I’d give her my heart if she needed it.”

Dr. Robbins smiled. “I know you would. That’s why I believe this will work.”

When we returned to the hallway, Remi was engaged in a tense standoff with Holt and my father, who’d created a physical barrier between Remi and Luna’s room.

“You’re no longer needed,” I said, my voice steady for the first time in days.

Remi’s face darkened. “You can’t do this. I’m her father.”

“No,” I replied. “You’re a sperm donor who abandoned us both. A father is someone who shows up, who loves unconditionally, who puts his child’s needs above his own.” I glanced at Holt, drawing strength from his presence. “Luna already has that person in her life.”

“This isn’t over,” Remi warned, gathering the papers I threw at his feet. “My lawyer will be in touch.”

“Get out,” I seethed.

Rather than watch him leave, I turned to Holt and my dad, whose faces reflected the same mixture of concern and relief I felt.

“Dr. Robbins says I can do it,” I told them. “My cells. My donation.”

My father’s arms felt strong around my shoulders as he embraced me.“Mi hija valiente,”he murmured. “My brave daughter.”

When he let go, Holt pulled me against him, his breath warm against my hair. “I love you so much.”

How did he know those were the exact words I needed to hear?

The bone marrowharvest was as painful as Dr. Robbins had warned. I lay face down on the operating table while they extracted marrow from my pelvic bone with a long needle. The local anesthetic dulled the worst of it, but nothing could completely eliminate the strange pressure and discomfort of having part of my body literally sucked out through my bones.

It meant nothing compared to watching Luna’s struggle. The conditioning had left her so vulnerable that even the slightest infection could be deadly. She was isolated in a sterile room, the visitors limited and required to wear masks, gloves, and gowns.

The actual transplant was anticlimactic—a bag of cells, not much different in appearance from a blood transfusion, dripping slowly into her veins. I held her hand throughout, telling the same stories Holt did, of magical forests and cloud kingdoms where unicorns danced among the stars.

“Your super cells are going inside me?” Luna asked drowsily, her eyes heavy from the medication.

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