Chapter 3

The elevator dinged, and we arrived at the 62nd floor.

Ophelia walked ahead of me and pushed open the door to Daniel's office.

Daniel stood up.

He walked over, slipped an arm around Ophelia's waist, and leaned down to press a gentle kiss to her forehead. "Em, what took you so long?"

Em. Only Danny ever called me that.

I stood at the doorway, holding Daniel's coffee. "Mr. Rivers, here is your coffee."

Without glancing at me, Daniel said, "Put it on the desk."

I walked in and set the coffee cup on the desk. As I passed by, Ophelia was nestled in Daniel's arms, acting all sweet on him.

"Dan, I'm so tired today. Will you have dinner with me? Please?" she said.

Daniel gently stroked her hair. "Alright, what do you feel like eating?"

"Foie gras. Let's go to that place we went to last time."

Daniel looked up at me. "Emma, book a table at Le Jardin for tonight at seven. A window seat for two."

"Yes, Mr. Rivers," I replied.

I stepped out and quietly closed the door behind me.

Back at my desk, I turned on my computer and looked up the reservation number for Le Jardin.

The secretary next to me, Leah, leaned over and whispered, "Did you see that? That woman is Ophelia, Mr. Rivers' girlfriend."

"Yeah," I replied.

"She's only been around for three months, and Mr. Rivers treats her like royalty. Word is, she's a replacement for his ex. Seriously, look at her face."

I pushed my glasses up. "That's got nothing to do with me."

As Leah was about to say more, I picked up the phone and started dialing. "Hi, I'd like to reserve a window table for two at 7 p.m. under the name Daniel Rivers."

Once I hung up, I shot Daniel a quick text to confirm the reservation.

He replied instantly with a single word. [Okay.]

Then another message popped up. [And order a bouquet, white roses, and baby's breath. Have it placed on the table of Le Jardin.]

I opened the flower shop's website.

White roses and baby's breath were Danny's signature bouquet for me, every time.

He'd send me a bouquet every single week, never missing a beat.

I placed the order and selected the fastest delivery option.

By eight that night, Daniel and Ophelia were still at the restaurant.

After finishing my shift, I grabbed a cab and headed straight to the hospital.

In the hospital room, Leo had finished dialysis, his face so pale that it looked like all the color had drained away.

The nurse said, "Leo threw up twice today. He couldn't eat anything, just managed a bit of soup."

I took off my coat and hung it over the chair, then sat down by the bed and ladled out a bowl of soup from the thermos. "Leo, Mommy's here. How about a little soup?"

Leo opened his eyes and reached out, wanting a hug.

I picked him up, settled him in my lap, and fed him soup, spoon by spoon.

After three sips, he shook his head. "Mommy, my hand hurts."

He held out the back of his hand for me to see. They were full of needle marks, bruised and blotchy.

The butterfly needle left the most obvious mark, and the area around the puncture was swollen and red.

I leaned down and gently rubbed his hand. "Don't worry, dear. It'll feel better tomorrow."

"You're lying. You said the same thing yesterday, too." Even at three, he already knew I was lying.

I buried my face in his hair, not wanting him to see the look on my face.

My phone buzzed.

It was a text from the doctor. [Ms. Ortega, the countdown for the bone marrow transplant is at 113 days. Have you managed to find a donor yet?]

I texted back. [I'm trying to figure it out.]

What else could I do?

The only hope left was to get Daniel's bone marrow, but I wasn't in a position to ask.

He didn't know our child was still alive.

He didn't know I was right there, working for him.

He didn't know he had a son lying in a hospital, waiting to die.

I gently soothed Leo to sleep, and then sat by his bedside for a while.

At 11:30, I left the hospital room and stood by the window at the end of the hallway, setting a timeline for myself.

Step one: Make sure Daniel couldn't live without me.

Step two: Find the right moment to let him know about Leo.

Step three: Get his consent for the bone marrow donation.

Four months.

I only had four months.