The ceiling is my friend—or enemy—I don’t know which, for approximately thirty-nine minutes. I push the covers back and walk down the hall to Andi’s room. I don’t bother with knocking. Maybe I should. When I push the door open, I hear her soft sobs and it only takes me a few seconds to climb in behind her and pull her against my chest.

“This isn’t a time for us to be alone. I need you and I’m pretty fucking sure you need me too. Which brings me to another point. I still love you. Haven’t stopped loving you since … well since. I think you know what I’m saying here, Andi.” I breathe in deeply because my lungs are screaming right now. “You don’t have to say anything. There are other pressing things at the moment. But I wanted you to know.”

She rolls over and pushes her face into my neck. I feel the dampness of her tears as she holds on tight. Then her words, the words I never thought I’d hear again, heat my neck as she breathes them. “I love you too. Always have, always will.” Her body trembles with sobs and she lets her sadness flow. I’m not gonna lie. My face isn’t exactly dry either.

“Whatever happens, good or bad, we’re going to get through this. We have a tough little girl. She’s not going to take this, Andi. She’s sassy and will fight whatever’s at war in that tiny body of hers.”

Andi’s head bobs against mine. She’s holding on to me tighter than ever, but for once I feel secure. This is what we need—the two of us working as a team.

“Hey.”

She raises her head.

“We’re Team Wilde. And Wildes don’t give up. You got that?”

A watery smile spreads across her face. “I got it, tiger.”

“Now put your lips here.” I point to mine so she can see.

“Are you hitting on me?”

“I might be.”

“And here I thought you were helping out a damsel in distress.”

“I’m the damsel and I’m in distress. That’s why I need your lips.”

She rolls on top of me and presses her salty tasting lips on mine. “Thatta girl. Now put your head on my chest and close your eyes.” I massage her silky hair and she hums. Before long, the sun’s streaking through the shutters and I’m shocked we both slept like logs.

Andi lifts her head and smiles. “This is nice.”

“Yes, it is. Thanks for saving this damsel.”

She giggles. Until she hears Violet cry out, and she’s out of bed in a flash with me on her heels.

“Mama, Dada.”

Violet is feverish, not super hot, but she doesn’t look so good. The bad news is she threw up in her bed. And it’s disgusting. I can handle a lot of shit, but puke isn’t one of them.

I cover my mouth and gag. Andi looks at me and rolls her eyes. Then she says, “You weren’t kidding about the damsel thing.” She pulls Violet out of bed and takes her into the bathroom to get cleaned up.

“Bath?” Violet asks.

“Yes, honey. We have to get you cleaned up.” She looks at me and says, “You’re on sheet duty.”

“Great,” I say with false cheeriness. Poor Violet. She can’t help throwing up. I hold my breath and tear off the offending sheets, then run them over to the washer. Thankfully, it’s on the second floor. By the time I’m done, so is Andi. Naked Violet is wrapped in a towel and Andi is hunting for some clean pajamas. I open a drawer and grab some for her.

“Thanks.” She dresses Violet while I head to the linen closet to find clean sheets. I quickly make up the bed and Andi watches with a smirk.

“What?”

“You don’t do this very often, do you?”

“When I have to.” She’s right. The maids do it. The bed looks ridiculous, but it’ll do. “I’ll take her while you shower. Take your time.”

She gives me one of those yeah, right looks. Violet and I head down to watch some TV. Andi joins us a few minutes later with wet hair.

“I’m not going to practice today.”

“Yes, you are.” Andi stands with her hand on her hip.

“Dada sick too?”

Andi frowns. “No, he’s lazy.” Then she motions to the kitchen with her head. When I get there, she blasts me with, “We have to be as normal as we can. You staying here isn’t going to get us answers any sooner. Go. You know I’ll call if something happens.”

“Okay! I’ll go.” I grab some things to make breakfast and sit at the island to eat.

“Mama, hungy.”

“Shit. I’m afraid to feed her. I really don’t want her to keep throwing up.”

I don’t know what to say to that. “When my stomach is upset, I don’t want to eat. Maybe this is a good sign.”

Andi frowns. “It could be the antibiotics too.”

“Yeah. Those things have upset my stomach before.”

She ends up making Violet a half of a waffle. “Cross your fingers on this.”

On the way up to my room, I call Max to remind him about the security I want out here. I also need someone available for Andi in case she needs to go to the doctor. He says someone is coming at nine.

“Can you be here for that?” I ask him.

“Yes, I will. How is your Violet today?”

I bring him up-to-date. He still wants to get her into a specialist. But I explain we don’t exactly know what for yet. “I need to hit the road or I’ll be late. I’ll let Andi know someone will be here at nine. And please make sure the security keeps Lucia away from here.”

Practice is hell. My mind isn’t on the field and I miss way too many passes and opportunities to score. I turn over the ball, don’t steal it, and basically it’s a disaster.

Coach pulls me over and wants to know if I’m ill. At his question, I practically break down. So I explain what’s going on with Violet. He walks me off the field and sits me down in his office.

“You can do a couple of things. You know we need you out here. Until you find out what’s going on, you can keep playing and take your frustrations out on the field. Or you can give up.”

“What? Why would I give up?”

He shrugs. “Your attitude is that she’s already lost the battle, and you don’t even know what she has.”

Fuck! Is that what I’m doing?

“Chase, take your game face and use it to fight this thing. Your daughter and her mother need that part of you now. You are one of the strongest opponents I’ve ever had the opportunity to work with. You are undefeatable. Use that tactic to your advantage. Teach it to your daughter. It could save her life. But whatever you do, don’t lie down in defeat.”

Why haven’t I thought of that? The fear of the unknown is what kills athletes. They let it fuck with their heads. I can’t let it fuck with mine when it comes to dealing with this … whatever it is. And Andi and Violet have to learn this too. We can all face this thing together, with two feet planted firmly on the ground. And we can fight it with everything we’ve got.

Standing, I look Coach in the eye and thank him. This was the greatest thing he could’ve done for me. We return to the field, my mind focused, and I have the best practice I can remember.

That afternoon after I get home, the doctor’s office calls with the results of the blood tests.

“Your daughter’s iron levels are very low. She has severe anemia. It could be nothing but your average garden variety easily treated with supplements. But with everything else she’s been experiencing, I want to be cautious and send her to a doctor who specializes in the study of blood-related diseases.”

Andi has her phone set on speaker so I can hear too. “A hematologist?” she asks.

“Yes, a hematologist. I have taken the liberty of making that appointment for you. It’s for next week, if that is okay.”

That’s not okay by me. So I say, “Can’t we get in any sooner?”

“Not with Dr. Esposito. He, in my opinion, will be the best for your daughter.”

“Okay, then next week it is.”

Andi jots down the time and place, and I put it in my calendar as well.

“Please make sure to allot at least three hours for your visit there, because they will want to do more tests.”

“Yes, doctor, thank you.”

“And best of luck to you.”

When she hangs up, she has a pained look on her face.

“What?”

“It doesn’t sound good, Chase.”

“We’ll deal with it. But at least we’ll have something to fight.”

“At least we’ll have something to fight,” she murmurs. “But we may not have anything to fight it with.”