Page 11 of Silver Fox

Tiffany.

“That’s why.”

My ex hurried across the lawn in her high heels, holding Laila in her arms.

“I gotta go.”

“Of course you do.” She waved me off.

“It is just that we have something.” I ran backwards, waving.Doctor’s appointmentwould have sounded a dash more intelligent, but who was I kidding? I turned into a complete mess, forgetting all responsibility in her presence.

I caught up to Tiffany. Where the fuck was Kensi?

“You left Kensi in the car? Alone? What the fuck, Tiff.”

“Watch your mouth. I’m not the one who’s chatting with a woman in the park. Don’t you have a doctor’s appointment? We’re going to be late, Fox.”

I secured Laila in the car seat, took the wheel, and pulled into the traffic.

“We won’t be late. I’m never late.”

And if Laura was single, maybe I wasn’t late for her, either.

* * *

Tiffany scrolled through her phone in the waiting room, Kensi played Tetris on my phone, and Laila slept in her stroller. I paced up and down the hall. By the time Dr. Hippo called us into his office, I’d turned into a complete mess.

“Kensi is suffering from acute liver failure. Her liver function is deteriorating, and I’ve already placed her on a transplant list.”

Tiffany sat openmouthed, gasping air like a guppy. She wasn’t the perfect partner, but she was a pretty good mother. She’d do better when Kensi felt better and they could return to their manicure days at Grace’s spa.

“Daddy, am I going to die?” Her large brown eyes held onto mine. God, how I wanted to take her pain away.

I picked her up in my arms. “No, you’re not, baby. She’s not, Dr. Hippo, right?”

He removed a lollipop from his shirt pocket and gave it to Kensi. “Young kids are very resilient. They’re our best patients, so we’re going to do everything possible to make you feel better soon.”

I didn’t think lollipops worked, but Kensi’s smile said otherwise.

“Here, you can give the other one to your sister when she wakes up.” He stuffed an extra one in her pocket.

“Is this our only option?” Tiffany asked.

“I’m afraid it is. Children don’t wait as long as adults, but in Kensi’s case, the sooner we find a matching donor, the better.”

“Can you take mine?” I asked.

“And mine.” Tiffany squeezed my hand. “We’ll both donate.”

“I’m glad you brought it up, because that’s definitely an option. We will have you both tested for compatibility, but I must warn you, not all parents are automatic donors, and given Kensi’s adopted, the chances are lower. This is a great start, though.”

“Thank you, Dr. Hippo.”

I had my bloodwork done first, took Laila into my arms, and left Tiffany with Kensi and the nurse. My ex suffered from Vaso-vagal and took longer with bloodwork. Kensi volunteered to stay by her mother’s side to keep her spirits up while I paced down the long hospital hall with Laila sleeping in my arms. I stopped in my tracks on the second pass by the pediatric unit where Laura sat curled on a seat, Ozzy sleeping in a stroller next to her. The area was undergoing renovations and was nearly empty. I walked up and touched her shoulder.

“Laura?”

She startled. “James?”

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