Chapter 4: Summer’s POV

I was running to my car when my phone rang. The ID popped up as ‘First Baptist Lady of Mercy Hospital.’ Somehow, I forced my shaking fingers to be still and answered. 

“Hello.”

“Is this the parent or guardian of Cyan Whitmore?”

Oh God. No no no. “I—I’m his mom.”

“This is the intake department of FBL Mercy. I’m calling to confirm parental consent for a bone marrow test this afternoon.”

My brain fought to keep up. “What? No! Absolutely not. I’m coming to get him. Please, don’t do anything.”

 I hung up before the woman could answer. My body was in overdrive as I yanked the door of Jen’s car open and buckled in. Cold sweat beaded on my forehead, but I pushed down the sick feeling and threw the Porsche into gear.

At the hospital, I parked in the emergency lane, not waiting to see if someone came to tow me. I ran to the elevator, somehow finding the diagnostic lab by instinct alone.

Adrian and Cyan met me in the hall, emerging from a small room. My baby staggered at his father’s side, gripping a juice box and sporting a bandage on the inside of his elbow.

I went to him, grabbing him up and glaring at Adrian.

“Mama, took lot bud.”

My whole body went rigid. I couldn’t breathe. I thought my heart would stop. Somehow, I said in a measured tone, “What have you done to Cyan?” 

Adrian blinked. He wasn’t used to this calm rage from me. Even yesterday, I wasn’t like this. No. This was a holdover from my school days. The voice I reserved for bullies and teachers who mistreated other students. 

“Lily’s condition is serious. She needs a bone marrow transplant, and the hospital doesn’t have a suitable volunteer. Cyan happens to have the same blood type, so I thought I’d let him try the bone marrow matching test…”

I couldn’t believe that Adrian would harm our son for the sake of his first love. Yesterday, I thought he had disappointed me for the last time.

This new hurt. Knowing that not only would he protect Lily over Cy but would go out of his way to hurt him if it benefited her.

My hand moved on the thought. I lashed out, slapping him with all my strength. His head whipped back, face red where I had hit. Good.

But I wasn’t done. “Are you insane? Our son is so young, his health has always been fragile, and you want him to donate bone marrow?! Do you have any idea how painful that is?”

“If it could save Lily’s life, he should want to do it.” Adrian snapped back.

“He’s four. He doesn’t even know what dying means. How can you put this on him?”

“You’re such a hateful person, Summer. Mom was right abou—”

Cyan sobbed, wiggling in my arms and slumping to the floor. He didn’t even have the energy to scream. I went down beside him and made shushing sounds. “It’s okay, Baby. Mommy’s here.”

“Da–daddy mmm—mmm…” He couldn’t get the rest out. 

“I hear you. Mama and Daddy were fighting and you got scared.”

Sabrina stepped out of the room behind Adrian, gliding over and pressing a hand to his chest, as if she wasn’t the cause of all this. “I don’t want to make things difficult for you. Since Summer doesn’t want Cyan to donate bone marrow, let’s let it go. Perhaps Lily is destined to leave me…”

Adrian wrapped his arms around her and turned to glare at me. No, this man had never loved me. His deep-set blue eyes held only rage and contempt.

He pulled away from Sabrina, and spoke to me. “I’m his father. It’s my right to make medical decisions for him.”

I shook my head. “Not like this, it’s not.”

“How can you be so heartless? What if that were your baby in there?” He pointed to the room where I assumed Lily was resting. 

“Cyan is my baby. He’s your child too, but I guess you stopped caring about that when you signed the divorce papers.” I gathered Cy into my arms and stood. “He’s my responsibility, and I won’t let you hurt him ever again.”

“The divorce isn’t in effect yet. I still get a say.” Adrian set his brow in that way that usually meant he was setting an ultimatum. “And I say that if we can help Lily we should. If you can’t find it in yourself to accept that, it won’t take long for me to find a lawyer and get custody.”

The floor seemed to pitch beneath me. Custody? Of my child? 

My words spilled out in a torrent, like frozen rain. “No. That’s not going to happen. From the moment Cyan was born until now, I have been the one taking care of him. You’ve been busy with your career, never attending to his needs. Go ahead and sue if you want, but I will never let Cyan fall into your hands.” 

I held onto my son as I turned and left. 

…

“So, Adrian thinks he can get custody?” Jennifer thunked the jumbo bottle of chardonnay onto her kitchen counter.

Twisting the corkscrew into the top, she continued, “Well, not on my watch. I don’t care how rich he is. I’m way nastier than any trumped up corporate attorney.”

I hugged myself and took the glass she poured me. Cy went to sleep an hour ago, and I told myself I wouldn’t get drunk on this much wine. “I can’t understand him. He didn’t even think about seeing Cyan until this thing with the bone marrow.”

Jennifer paused, as though worried about what she was about to say. Her hesitation was out of character enough to worry me.

At last, she spoke. “Why does Lily have the same blood type as Cyan? Even if they’re both O negative, they would still have to test for HLA markers. It’s not like blood type is the only factor, and the chances of Cy just happening to be a match is… Adrian is so sure about it. He jumped to asking Cyan, picked him up from school without even talking to you, and the way he dotes on Lily…” Jen looked at me, perhaps measuring how I’d react.

“It only makes sense if they’re related. Why else would Adrian even check? You handle all of Cy’s medical appointments, did he even know his son’s blood type before now?”

I shook my head.

The cruel hand of suspicion caressed my exhausted mind. If Lily were Adrian’s child, it would explain his favoritism toward her. But it also indicated that he had been unfaithful to me with Sabrina during our marriage.

Insult upon insult. I glanced up at the recessed lights scattered across the ceiling, trying to blink away the water in my eyes. Don’t cry, I told myself. He doesn’t deserve it.

Jennifer put an arm around me. “Don’t dwell on it. We don’t know anything for sure.”

My phone’s ringtone went off right as she finished. It was Adrian’s ID, but when I answered, Sabrina’s voice came through. 

“I don’t need Cyan’s bone marrow anymore. Just like you said, his health is too fragile. He can’t possibly donate to my daughter. Adrian was right. He’s useless, just like you!”