“Jonathan,” I said. “What is going on?”
Jonathan looked up and saw me in the doorway.
He stood up slowly. “Grace, I can explain.”
“Then explain.” My voice came out sharper than I meant it to. “The doctor just told me Grace wanted one of her organs to go to someone specific, and you hid it from me. Does this have to do with these people?”
He didn’t answer right away, and that silence was answer enough.
“Grace, I can explain.”
“Who is it?” I pressed. “If you love me, you won’t lie to me anymore.”
Jonathan swallowed.
“I didn’t lie about Mary’s condition. Or her treatment.”
“Then what did you hide?”
Jonathan looked toward the couple, then back at me.
“If you love me, you won’t lie to me anymore.”
“She wanted to explain that herself,” he said.
Then he reached inside his jacket.
He pulled out a folded piece of paper.
My name was written across the front.
Mom.
“She wanted to explain that herself,”
I recognized Mary’s handwriting immediately.
My anger disappeared for one second, replaced by something worse.
“When did she write that?”
“Last week.”
“You’ve had it since then?”
“When did she write that?”
“She made me promise not to give it to you until… after.”
I took the letter from him.
“I need to read this alone.”
“Grace—”
I walked out before anyone could stop me.
“She made me promise not to give it to you until… after.”
The hospital chapel was empty.
I sat in the back row and unfolded the letter.
Mom,
If you’re reading this, it means something I hoped for actually happened.
I stopped.
I sat in the back row and unfolded the letter.
What had she been hoping for?
I kept going.
During treatment, I made friends with a girl called Sophie. We played cards when we were both too tired to do anything else. She cheats, but we can laugh about it.
Sophie.
The secret suddenly had a name.
What had she been hoping for?
