Claire and I locked eyes at the same time, and my heart broke even further—as if that were possible.
“Ma’am, are you her biological mother? If so, you might be a match for her,” he asked Claire.
She shook her head. “I had cancer earlier this year, so I only have one kidney.”
He frowned. “Does she have siblings that could be screened for donation?” he asked.
“She’s an only child.” Claire’s voice was on the edge of panic.
I saw the moment the doctor gave up on Hannah. His face was stoic. “I’ll put her on the transplant list. But to be honest and fully prepare you, I do not think she will make it that long.”
No. No. No.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
Claire broke into sobs, clinging to me, and the doctor turned to leave.
“Wait!” I called out to him. “CouldIbe a match?”
His gaze flicked to the clock as if he were pressed for time. “Highly unlikely. We have to test for blood type…”
“I’m O positive,” I blurted out. Universal donor.
“Andifthat’s a match, then we do tissue typing, crossmatch testing for rejection odds, serology testing, and kidney function tests to make sure you don’t have an underlying disease.”
“Great, let’s do it.” I held out my arm.
Claire perked up at that, wiping her eyes, peering between me and the doctor with hope.
“The odds of a non-family member matching are one in a hundred thousand,” the doctor said.
I knew he was trying to temper our excitement, but there was a sudden knowing within me. I didn’t know how, but I justknewI was a going to be a match. Maybe this was why God had put me in Hannah’s life all along. So that I could save her life. I was sure of that right now as an incredible peace dropped into my spirit about it.
“I’m going to be that one in a hundred thousand,” I declared.
“Praise God!” Claire echoed, believing in my words.
The doctor sighed as if he were annoyed by my statement. “I’ll have my tech run the labs, but you might want to prepare…”
“Why don’t you let us know when we can see Hannah,” I told him, interrupting his negativity.
He sighed, nodded, and then left.
My phone rang then. It was Chloe, so I picked up. “Hey. I can’t talk much right now, but she’s alive. She needs a kidney transplant, though.”
“Oh, Jack.” She couldn’t help the sob that escaped her. “I just wanted to call and say Cedric hasn’t gotten back to me. I think he’s gone for the holiday.”
I didn’t care about Cedric or going back to prison for a probation violation. I only cared about Hannah.
“I gotta go. I’m getting tested to be a match for donation,” I told her.
“What?” Chloe asked in disbelief.
I didn’t need any more negativity. “I’m going to be a match, Chloe. I know it. So I might be rushed into emergency surgery and we may not talk for a few days. Just know that you’ve been more than an assistant. I love you like a sister, and if anything happens to me, you get my half of the company.”
“Jack!” she screamed. “Don’t scare me.”
“Goodbye, Chloe.” I hung up and went with the tech to be tested, but my fate and Hannah’s were in the hands of God.
