Too Late to Believe Me
When I'm eight, my younger sister, Rachel Gaffney, unplugs the battery powering my artificial heart so she can charge her phone.
By the time Mom and Dad find me, my skin has turned blue, and I'm barely breathing. The doctors save my life, but I'm left with serious health problems that never go away.
After that, Rachel might as well be invisible to Mom and Dad. They stop smiling at her and barely speak to her. All their time and attention go to me instead.
Dad takes a job overseas just to pay for the monthly maintenance on my artificial heart, while Mom quits her job to stay by my side around the clock. She even fasts one day a week, praying that I'll be given more time.
I may never be he