Page 38 of His Heart

“Yeah, Mom, I’m good,” I said. “I’ve been running for the last two years. I’m fine.”

“All right, I know,” she said. “You should come see us this weekend. Do you have plans? You could come to dinner. Bring Charlie if you want.”

“Actually, that’s why I called,” I said. “I’m going out of town for a few days.”

“You’re… you’re what?”

“I’m going to Phoenix to meet the donor’s family.”

She went silent.

“Mom?”

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I don’t know what to say.”

“They invited me to come,” I said.

“Oh. Well… that’s very nice of them,” she said. “But Phoenix?”

“Well, yeah, it’s where they live.”

“Why couldn’t they have come here?” she asked.

I stopped on the side of the road, not far from the house Charlie and I shared. I knew my mom would be weird about this. “I offered. It’s not a big deal. It’s Phoenix, not Mars.”

“But what if something happens?” she asked. “What if you need medical attention?”

“Mom, I haven’t needed medical attention since… I don’t even know when, that’s how long it’s been. You don’t have to worry so much.”

“I’m your mom. Worry comes with the territory,” she said.

“Charlie’s going too,” I said. “Does that help?”

“A little,” she said. “At least you won’t be alone.”

“Okay, Mom, I have to go,” I said. “We’re leaving tomorrow. I’ll text you from the road.”

“All right, honey,” she said. “But don’t forget to let us know how you’re doing. I don’t like you being so far away.”

“I know, Mom,” I said. “Love you.”

“Love you too.”

I let out a sigh when I hung up the phone. That had actually gone better than I’d thought it would. It was hard to blame my mom for being concerned about me. But I wished she’d relax. I wasn’t sure how to assure her that I was really doing fine. It was like she was afraid to believe me.

Charlie was gone when I got home. His text said he was out getting snacks for the road trip. Dude cracked me up. I was glad he was going with me. As casual as I made everything sound, I was nervous to meet the Harpers. They’d been nice when I’d spoken to them—said they were excited for us to meet. But there was a thick veil of sadness that covered everything. Sure, I’d lived. I’d been given a second chance. But they’d lost their son—a young man in his prime. He’d been in college, recently engaged to his girlfriend.

As grateful as I was for the gift I’d been given, it was bittersweet. I hated that someone else had to die for me to live. My only consolation was that Liam Harper would have died whether or not he’d donated his organs. It wasn’t like he’d died because of me. But the joy I knew my parents felt at having their son back was mirrored by the grief of the Harpers losing theirs.

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