As I walk to visit Mark, I can’t help the fear that crawls up my spine. The next few weeks are going to be brutal. Only I’ll have to contain the terror that grips me because no way in hell will I ever let Andi see how frightened I am.

The elevator dings and the doors whoosh open. I’m accompanied by a half dozen or more people. But I’ve never felt more alone than I have today. Day 0. Transplant day. I should be excited, right? I do my best to thrum it up, as I would before an important game. Except nothing happens. There is no excitement, only dread. Why do I feel like this? Is this a premonition? Is God going to steal my baby girl from me after this short period of time? Would He be that cruel?

The elevator stops at another floor and I glance up to see which one. Unfortunately, it’s not Mark’s. I have two more to go until we get to the first floor where the outpatient center is. What would we have done without Mark and his matching Violet’s marrow? How bizarre. Maybe that is a sign from God that everything will work out. Maybe God is testing me. I’m not sure what to think anymore, other than I’d do anything to see that Violet makes it out of here alive.

I finally get to the recovery area and ask the receptionist where I might find him. She directs me to the correct area and I see Mark’s parents and then Mark. He’s wearing a lopsided grin and looks half-looped.

“Dude,” he yells. “I did it!”

His parents try to shush him, but he’s too drunk on whatever they gave him for pain and it does no good.

“You sure did, and I owe you big.” I bend over him and we man-hug.

“Nah, you don’t owe me a thing. You’d have done the same for me if the situation were reversed.”

“You know it. But still. This is something we will never be able to pay you back for.”

He slashes his hand through the air. “Yeah, you will. When I see her walking out of this hospital will be payment enough. Oh, and maybe some World Cup tickets.”

“Greedy bastard, aren’t you?”

“You know it.”

“When are you getting out of here?”

“I don’t know. Mom? Dad?”

“I think they’ll let you leave pretty soon now,” his mother says. “They were making sure he wouldn’t get sick from the anesthesia.”

“They gave me some pretty good shit,” Mark says, winking.

“Mark, language, please,” his mom admonishes him.

Laughing, I say, “I can tell. You’re going to feel like you got kicked by a mule, so take it easy, man.”

“I know, I know.”

“The doctor was just in here giving him that lecture,” his dad says.

“Good.” I pat his shoulder again and say, “Thanks again. You don’t know how much this means to—I …”

“Hey, you have to stop. I did it for Violet. Got it?”

“Okay, yeah. Sure.” I turn away so he doesn’t see me wipe the drop of water out of the corner of my eye. Using my thumb, I aim it at the ceiling. “So, I’m gonna head back on up there. I left your sister with my cousin and no telling what they’re up to.”

“That’s true. And can you send my girl back down? I want her to tuck me in when I go back to the hotel.”

“Oh, boy. I will not tell her that. You can.” I hug his parents before I head out the door.

On the way back upstairs, I can’t help but feel the love of family and friends. We are so fortunate to have such a close-knit support group to surround us in our time of need. As I near Violet’s room, I pass the waiting room and see Mom and Dad as they watch the TV in there. I stop and let them know about Mark.

“He’s great. And I’m a lucky man.”

“Fletcher and Cass are too. He’s a great friend,” Mom adds.

“Yeah. Hey, why don’t you two head back to the hotel and get some rest? I’ll call if anything happens.”

“Are you sure?” Dad asks.

“Yeah. She received the marrow and will be asleep, I’m sure. It’s all about the wait and see now.”

They gather up their things and make me promise to call if anything happens.

“Even if she so much as scratches her nose, Chase. I mean it,” Mom says.

“I will. I swear.”

When they’re gone, I walk the rest of the way to Violet’s new home for the next several weeks. I observe Andi and Riley talking and then Violet as she sleeps. The two women are chatting away, and for the first time in weeks, I notice Andi’s eyes light up. I’m happy Riley is able to take her mind off this terrible thing, even if it’s only for a few lousy minutes. Then I remember that I’m supposed to send Riley down to Mark.

“Psst. I hate to break up the little party but, Riley, your presence is requested by a certain someone downstairs,” I say from the doorway.

“Oh,” Riley answers. “I guess I’d better go down and see what his Royal Highness wants.”

“Hey, do treat him like a prince. After what he did for us, he deserves it,” Andi says.

“Rest assured, he will be spoiled by me,” Riley answers. Then she hugs Andi and walks toward me. When she gets out of the room, she takes off her mask, gloves, and gown and hugs me.

“We’ll see you soon. Call me if you need anything. Coffee, a sandwich, vodka. Whatever.”

“Thanks, cuz.”

Now it’s my turn to put the gear back on after I scrub my hands. Andi sits and waits.

“She’s been sound asleep. The marrow is in and the nurse just came in and checked. All is well.”

“Good. I thanked Mark. He was looped. It was damn funny.”

“Oh, God. I can only imagine.”

I put my arm around her. “I don’t know what we would’ve done without him.”

“Neither do I.”

In silence, we both sit and watch our daughter as she peacefully sleeps. Eventually, we both drift off until sometime later when a nurse comes in to check on Violet.

“Mr. Wilde, you and Ms. James may want to open up the recliner into the bed. The sheets are in the closet there.”

“Yeah, we know. We didn’t intend to sleep this long.” I check the clock to see it’s after eight. Andi wakes up with all the chatting.

“Hey.”

“Hey. Are you hungry?”

“Yeah, are you?”

“Starving. Why don’t I run down and get us a bite to eat?”

“I think the cafeteria is closed.”

“Damn. Let me call my mom. She’ll get us something.”

“Or mine.”

I quickly text my mom and they are actually out eating and say they’ll bring us something on their way back. I let Andi know.

“That was great timing on our part.”

Violet wakes up then and starts to cry. Andi is on it like lightning.

“Hey, sweets. I’m right here.”

“Thirsty.”

Andi hands her the cup filled with ice water and she eagerly takes it. She’s been asleep for quite a while now.

“Hey, superstar. Are you hungry?”

Her eyes don’t look so hot to me. They’re shaded in purple and I hate it.

Her head bobs up and down. “Waffles.” Only it doesn’t sound exactly like that.

Andi laughs. “Waffles? It’s dinnertime.”

Violet does her best at smiling. “Waffles,” she repeats.

“I’ll see if I can work some waffle-ific magic.” I run down the hall to the nurses’ station and ask one of the nurses, “Hey, what are the chances of getting my little girl a waffle to eat?”

“You are in luck. We cater to kids up here. Didn’t you know that? They eat at all hours and we aim to please. There’s one thing we do best here and it’s giving them what they want to eat when they want it.”

“You’re serious?” I ask.

“You bet. She hasn’t eaten in a few hours and she needs to eat. If she wants waffles, I think we can work up a waffle for her. It won’t be homemade, now.”

I laugh. “She likes the frozen kind. Butter and syrup, please.”

“Coming right up.”

“Oh, and …”

“What is it?”

“Do you have any orange juice boxes?”

“Follow me.” I do as she tells me and she shows me the secret stash. There is a refrigerator/freezer combo with all sorts of food in there. She pulls out an orange juice box and hands it to me, then checks for the frozen waffles. “We’re out of waffles in this one, but I’m sure one of the freezers has some. They’re a popular item up here. Help yourself to whatever you see in there.” She points to the appliance. “I’ll be back.”

I grab a couple of different juice boxes and take them back to the room. “Andi.” She glances up and sees me in the doorway. “Here.” I hand them off to her and tell her I’ll be back.

When I get back to the little room with the kitchen, the nurse has returned with pay dirt. A box of frozen waffles is in her hand.

“I owe you big.”

“Nah, just replace the box. It’s kind of how it works. We handle all the drinks. The food is where you use it, you give it back.”

“Oh, I’ll buy this place a year’s supply of them if you want.”

She only stares at me, then says, “Toaster is in there, and don’t forget the butter and syrup. Plates, plastic forks, and knives are in there. Wash them before she uses them.”

“Got it.” I go to work creating her waffle, and when I return to her room, I am rewarded with a half-smile. It’s the best thing I’ve seen all day. She only eats half the damn waffle, but who cares? That she ate something is all that counts, and I was able to make her happy by giving her something she asked for. The little things in life …

That’s how day 0 goes. Day +1 is much the same. Andi and I draw pictures for her and she is a bit perkier, nibbling at her food and drinking. Watching her do that makes us happy. Who would’ve known a year ago that me sitting in a hospital and watching a little kid eat like a bird would make me happier than winning the World Cup?

Day +2 and Day +3 are equally good. Andi and I are getting comfortable with things. We even go back to the hotel, leaving Violet with the grandmothers so we can take long, leisurely showers.

But Day +7 is when the shit hits the fan and she starts running a low-grade fever and gets a rash. Both of our spirits crash because we had been so positive she was out of the woods, which had clearly been stupid on our parts. This is only the very beginning and she has weeks, even months to go before that happens.