I could tell by the look on her face Mattie hadn’t found them. I leaned back, nauseated by the scent of disinfectant and felt hot tears of frustration building behind my eyes.

“There are still a few more to try,” she said, sitting down on the side of my bed. “A few won’t give out names… but it’s not that big of a city. There’re only so many places they could be.” She pushed a bowl of crackers closer. “They said you’ll feel better if you get something in your stomach,” she said in a motherly tone. “You know damned well Will’s looking just as hard as we are.” She smiled, looking tiny in her borrowed shirt, and straightened my blanket.

“Sorry to intrude,” a voice came along with a tap on the doorframe. A round, middle-aged nurse in scrubs poked her head in with a friendly smile. “Doctor wanted me to tell you everything’s just taking a little longer than usual,” she said apologetically. “Understaffed today and the lab’s backed up. Just push the call button if you need anything.”

“Bring her some soup,” Mattie called out as the nurse disappeared. “Are you okay if I go back downstairs and make some more calls?” I nodded. She grabbed up her phone. “I’ll be back in twenty minutes… You eat that soup when they bring it,” she added strictly, “or I’ll spoon it into you myself.”

I managed a smile until the door swung shut behind her. Then I pushed the tray away and forced myself to sit up. I pulled the phone on my bedside table a little closer and punched in the number for information. I wiped the tears away with the back of my hand and set my teeth determinedly. I had no fucking intention of sitting and waiting… I would find them any way I had to…

I heard the door open. “Just put the soup over there,” I said, without turning. I was busy copying down the list of hospital phone numbers being rattled off over the line. “Thank you… I’ll have it later…”

“You might want it now,” he said, love and relief flooding his words.

All I knew after that was that I was in his arms. My Will had found me and I was back in his arms, in the only place I had ever belonged. He kissed me with a fierceness, a passion that left me unable to tell where he left off and I began. He broke away only long enough to tell me the only thing left in the world I needed to know. “Violet’s okay, she’s stable,” he gasped and he kissed me again. “She’s with my closest friend… a doctor…” He kissed my mouth, my eyes… my forehead.

I broke away. “Did she open her eyes, Will? Is she awake?”

“Not yet, sweetheart,” he answered, his breath warm on my skin. “But she will be. She’s stable and…”

“Just take me to her,” I cut him off. “I’m just waiting for them to put a cast on my ankle, Will. They can do that at any hospital. Just take me to where she is, I have to be there when she wakes up.”

He nodded, smiling, looking at me like I was his whole world. “I’ve already got them started on the paperwork,” he said. ‘There’s an ambulance waiting for us downstairs. They wouldn’t tell me over the phone what had happened to you, why you were admitted or why they were running tests.” He ran his hands over my body like he was afraid he might break me.

“They said it was routine stuff. But there are delays at the lab and the doctor took pity on us. She just gave me the room for some privacy.” I shivered as his hand ran down my back, touching bare skin where the gown parted. “We’ve been calling every hospital in the city,” I said, my voice cracking with emotion. “I don’t know which frightened me most… Not knowing… or what I might find out…”

He kissed me again, pouring his strength into me with his breath, pouring his love into me with the steady beating of his heart next to mine.

“We’re together now… and I’m taking you to your daughter,” he said, his deep voice calm, certain, reassuring. “That’s the only thing that matters now…”

“Okay, then,” the nurse said, handing me a dozen different forms for my signature. “You’re all set to go. Dr. Kendricks will be in, in a few minutes. She’s getting your lab results right now. That way, you won’t have to wait for the records to be transferred.” She pulled a face. “Or have to have the tests repeated.”

“Thanks, Harry,” Will said. He was standing by the window, phone in hand. “”We’ll be there in less than twenty minutes.” He clicked off the phone and tucked it into the back pocket of his jeans.

“You could just go in the hospital gown,” he said, coming up behind me to help me struggle into the scrubs the nurse had provided. “You’ll only have to take these off again once we get there.” He wrapped his arms around me and lifted me off my one good foot and sat me on the edge of the bed. “You’re going to a patient there, too…”

“I know,” I said, biting back the pain from moving so much. “I’m just not going into Violet’s room with my ass hanging out.” I smiled at the look on his face. “And besides, it might be a long time before they can tear me away from her to set this damned thing. I need to see her wake up for myself…”

“Harry says there’s no change,” he said, helping me to slip the top down over my breasts. The fabric pulled tight, my nipples felt tender… “But even that’s still good news.”

“I love you, Will.” I pulled him down to sit next to me. “You saved her life by taking her when you did and getting her to the hospital so quickly.” I felt familiar tears heating up inside. “No father could have done more. For her sake, or for mine.” The tears started to spill… “Forgive me for all the time I wasted… not being willing to trust that you were different from men like Jimmy, and my dad…

Violet never would have made it without you, and neither would I.”

“Angelina…? Sorry for the wait.” Dr. Kendricks came into the room, sweeping in with a practiced air of confidence. “Labs are finally back.” She looked from my face up the tall, dark length of Will. “Hello, Mr…?”

“William Bond,” he said, putting out a hand.

“This is what you need to take with you,” she said, shaking his hand and handing the paperwork to me. “Make sure the doctor takes a look at all the labs before they send you to radiology. Other than that, you’re set to go.” She took another second to put her hand gently on my arm. “When you have the chance… call me and let me know how your daughter is getting along? I’d be grateful to hear…”

“Of course,” I replied, putting my hand on hers. “Thank you for caring. And for everything you’ve done for us.” She nodded and gave my hand a little squeeze. Then she turned back to Will.

“It sounds like you’re the man to have around in an emergency,” she said graciously. “Are you Violet’s father?”

There was only an instant of silence before he took in a breath to answer…

“Yes,” I said, from the deepest part of my heart.

“Yes, he is.”