The donor center is down a short hall. A handful of people stand in a loose line, clipboards out. We take our place at the end. I can feel the distance she’s holding carefully.
I want to say something about last night. I want to pull her in and let her breathe against me until the tightness leaves her shoulders. I want a hundred things I can’t have.
So I reach for something small.
“Non-work question,” I say. “First concert you ever went to.”
Her mouth splits into a grin. “Hannah Montana. I was eight. My aunt took me. I wore platform sneakers and almost broke my ankle on the stairs.”
I huff a quiet laugh. “Worth the risk, I presume. Mine was Springsteen. Antonio made us go. Said it was education.”
“Did you like it?”
“I loved it. We had come from Italy only a couple of years before, and my English was still pretty broken. Watching him up there, it just felt like America, you know?”
The line shuffles forward. A nurse takes out forms and directs us to another line. We lean against the wall.
“Another one,” I say, keeping my voice low. “Favorite thing to cook when you don’t want to think.”
“Grilled cheese,” she says without looking up. “American cheese and too much butter in the pan.” She glances at me. “You?”
“Cacio e pepe. One pan, three ingredients.”
“Fancy,” she says, almost smiling.
Pens scratch. We step up. The intake tech checks IDs, prints labels, points us to two seats side by side. We sit.
She looks at me for a second, something soft moving through her face, then away again. I want to say something.
Before I can, a tech waves her over. Another waves me over. We stand and walk to opposite sides of the room.
Chapter Thirty Seven
Olivia
Anna pulls the curtain and smiles like she’s done this a thousand times. “I’m Anna. I’ll get you set up.” She picks up my clipboard, scans the form, clicks her pen. “Okay, Olivia… any history of anemia?”
“Not that I know of.”
“Fainted with blood draws before?”
“No.”
“Good. Have you eaten today?”
I nod. “Toast and an apple a couple of hours ago.”
“Perfect.” She checks a box. “Any alcohol in the last twenty-four hours?”
“No.”
“Any issues with blood sugar? Dizziness, shakes?”
“Just nerves.” I try asmall smile. “Family stuff.”
“Understood.” She keeps her tone neutral and kind. “Medications?”
“Daily multivitamin. Occasional ibuprofen.”
