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Todos os capítulos de Too Late to Be Her Father: Capítulo 1 - Capítulo 8

8 Capítulos

Chapter 1 No Longer Waiting

Piper was curled up in my arms, her little hands clutching the collar of my shirt.Sawyer stood in the hallway, talking on the phone. I could hear every word through the door."We got the initial screening results. Several markers matched, and the doctor says we can move on to the next step."It was Juliet on the other end. "Sawyer, you have to save Tatum. He's only eight years old."I carried Piper toward the door.As I passed Sawyer, he reached out to stop me. "Don't leave yet. The doctor says they need to do one more test to confirm the match.""When did you take her in for the blood test?"His eyes flickered. "Last Wednesday, during her school checkup."Last Wednesday.That day, Piper had come home saying her arm hurt. I had assumed it was from having blood drawn during her checkup.She had pulled off the Band-Aid and shown me the bruise around the needle mark. I rubbed her arm for a long time."Mommy, the other kids only got poked once, but it took so long for me."I h

Chapter 2 She Didn't Know She Could Say No

After we got home, Piper fell asleep on the couch. I noticed three needle marks on her arm. The oldest one had already scabbed over.Sawyer's messages kept popping up on my phone."Please calm down. Let's sit down and talk.""The doctor said bone marrow donation has very little impact on the donor, and the recovery period is short.""I would never risk Piper's life."I did not respond.…Half an hour later, he came through the door carrying a strawberry cake, Piper's favorite. "I picked it up when I went to get her. She said she wanted some last time."Piper had asked for strawberry cake on her birthday—two months ago.He never remembered a thing she told him. Now, suddenly, he remembered everything.He set the cake on the coffee table and crouched in front of the couch to look at Piper. He reached out to touch her cheek.Even in her sleep, Piper flinched away.His hand stopped in midair."I didn't mean to keep this from you. When Juliet came to me, Tatum had already been

Chapter 3 The Color of Daddy

One day, while cleaning under Piper's bed, I found a stuffed bear with one ear missing.Sawyer had brought it home from a business trip when Piper was two. She had slept holding it every night for three years.Then, Tatum wanted the bear too, so Sawyer simply took it out of her arms and gave it to him.Piper cried all night.The next day, Tatum said the bear was old and ugly, then tore off its ear and threw it in the trash.Piper went back for it and hid it under her bed.When I washed the bear and gave it back to her, she said something I would never forget. "Mommy, I'm not going to tell anyone what I like anymore. If I do, they'll just take it away."She was only five years old. It hurt to hear her say that, and the pain stayed with me for a long time.Now, Juliet was sitting in the living room, crying, with Sawyer beside her, trying to comfort her.It was no different from any other day over the past seven years. Except this time, what she wanted to take was not a toy. It

Chapter 4 The Three Needle Marks

The nurse gave me a cautious look. "I'd recommend discussing this directly with the attending physician."I got copies of all three test reports, along with the appointment slip for the stem cell collection.…When I got home, Sawyer was sitting in the living room.His eyes immediately narrowed when he saw the folder in my hand. "You went to the hospital?"I slapped the appointment slip onto the table. "Your daughter's stem cell collection is scheduled for next Tuesday. When were you planning to tell me?"He picked up the slip and glanced at it before setting it back down. "I was going to tell you today.""Tell me what? That you've already arranged my daughter's procedure and all that's left is to notify me so I can sign a consent form?""This isn't surgery," he corrected me. "It's a peripheral blood stem cell collection. They'll give her shots to mobilize the stem cells for a few days, then collect them through a vein in her arm. It's basically like donating blood.""Basicall

Chapter 5 Not Her Burden

That afternoon, I took Piper to another hospital for a full checkup.The head of pediatrics frowned as she reviewed the bloodwork records."She's had blood drawn for bone marrow matching three times in one month. That's too frequent. She's already on the light side for her age. This many blood draws aren't appropriate."She examined Piper's arms. "Two of the puncture sites have extensive bruising. Who performed the blood draws?"I could not answer. I hadn't been there for any of the three."From now on, if anyone requests further tests or sample collection for your daughter, you must be there in person to sign the consent forms."After completing the examination report, she handed it to me.She had added one final recommendation at the bottom. "The patient shows signs of mild anemia. Further donor-related procedures are not recommended in the near future."I took a photo of the report and sent it to Sawyer.My lawyer came over the next day. She spread all the documents across

Chapter 6 No More Chances

Three days after my lawyer sent the letter, Juliet knocked on my door. "Sienna, I'm not here to beg you." She stood in the doorway without stepping inside. "I know you hate me. I know I've taken too much from you over the years. But Tatum is innocent. He didn't choose to get sick."At that, I countered, "I'm sorry your son is sick, but you don't get to use my daughter's body to save him."She bit her lip. "What if things were the other way around? If Piper were sick and Tatum was a match, wouldn't you beg me for his help?"I looked at her. "I'd ask Tatum if he was willing first. Then, I'd ask you for permission. I wouldn't secretly take him in to have his blood drawn three times."Her face went pale. "Sawyer made that decision himself. I couldn't stop him.""You couldn't stop him?" I leaned against the doorframe."For seven years, he's attended Tatum's parent-teacher conferences, celebrated his birthdays, and bought him presents. Every single time, it was because you asked him

Chapter 7 The Things Left Unsaid

Sawyer signed the papers. Afterward, he sat on the floor for a long time. He did not move until his phone rang. Juliet was calling.He answered, his voice colder than I had ever heard it. "Flynn agreed. Make the arrangements for the stem cell collection."She started crying on the other end. "Sawyer, are you still mad at me? I had no other choice—""Don't contact me again." He hung up.When he stood, his legs had gone numb, and he stumbled. He glanced at Piper's bedroom door. His lips moved, but in the end, he said nothing.Twenty minutes later, when I went to pick up the keys, I found a plastic bag outside the door. Inside were Piper's favorite strawberry-filled cookies.…The divorce was finalized a week later. The house was mine, and Piper would live with me. Sawyer walked away with nothing.I had not asked him to do that. He had revised the property division section himself, leaving all our marital assets to me. All he wanted was the chance to see Piper whenever she was r

Chapter 8 The Empty Space

In the spring, Piper's school held a family day."Mommy, can it just be you?" Piper asked."Of course."She hesitated. "But what if Daddy wants to come, too?""Would you like him to?"She fidgeted with her fingers for a while. "I don't know.""Then, don't worry about it yet. What do you want to eat?""Roasted sweet potatoes."I took her to the vendor on the corner. He knew her by now and always picked out the sweetest ones for her.As Piper held her sweet potato, she suddenly spoke. "Mommy, do you think Daddy is really sad?""What do you mean?""Last time he brought me peach juice, I saw that his eyes were red. He never used to act like that."I did not speak up for Sawyer. I did not make excuses for him, either.Piper remembered what he had done. She saw what he was doing now too.Whether Piper chose to forgive her father was up to her. I could not make that decision for her.…On the morning of family day, Piper got up early. She wore a yellow sweatshirt I had bought

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