Page 109 of Roaring Fork Rockstar

Holt’s hand squeezed mine, anchoring me to the present. “One step at a time,” he murmured the phrase that had become our mantra.

The apartments Beau had arranged were even better than our previous accommodations—spacious two-bedroom units with full kitchens and living areas. My father, Sam, and Beau took one, while Holt, Luna, and I settled into the other.

“This place is fancy,” Luna declared, exploring every corner despite her fatigue from the journey. “Look, Mommy! The bathtub has jets!”

I smiled at her excitement, treasuring these moments of normalcy.

Later,after Luna had fallen asleep in the bedroom she’d claimed as her own, I collapsed beside Holt onto the sofa, my head dropping to his shoulder.

“Seven to ten days of conditioning,” I whispered, the medical term for what amounted to systematically destroying my daughter’s immune system. “Then the transplant.”

Holt’s arm tightened around me. “We’ll get through it.She’llget through it.”

The proceduresnecessary to prepare my daughter for the transplant were worse than I’d imagined. Each day, Luna grew weaker as the chemotherapy and radiation ravaged her small body. Her nausea became so severe she could barely keep down water. Yet somehow, she still found moments to smile—usually when Holt was telling her stories.

On the fifth day, I was sitting beside Luna’s hospital bed, watching her sleep fitfully, when a nurse appeared in the doorway.

“Ms. Marquez? There’s someone asking for you at the nurses’ station.”

Ice formed in my veins. I knew before I even left the room. My father had gone to pick up fresh clothes from the apartment, and Sam was getting coffee with Beau in the cafeteria. Holt had stepped out to make a call to his siblings.

Remi stood at the desk, impeccably dressed in a tailored suit that seemed grotesquely out of place among the medical scrubs and worried parents. A slim portfolio was tucked under his arm, and the smirk on his face made my stomach lurch.

“Keltie,” he said, as if we were meeting for drinks rather than discussing our daughter’s life. “You look tired.”

“What do you want, Remi?” I demanded, keeping my voice low for Luna’s sake.

He pulled documents from the portfolio, sliding them across the counter toward me. “Just making things official before I proceed with the transplant. My lawyer drew these up. They’re quite straightforward.”

I stared at the papers, not touching them. “What are they?”

“The agreement we discussed.” His tone was casual, as if we were negotiating a business deal. “I provide the bone marrow, and in exchange, I get full acknowledgment as Luna’s father—on her birth certificate, legal documents, everything.”

I grabbed the papers, scanning the first page, and my blood turned from ice to boiling as I read further. “This isn’t what we discussed. This says you want primary custody once she’s recovered.”

Remi shrugged, straightening his jacket. “I’ve been thinking about it. She needs a stable environment—financially secure, with the best schools, best opportunities. I can provide that.”

“You’ve never even spoken to her!” I hissed, rage building in my chest. “You don’t know her favorite color or the stories she loves. You denied she was even yours!”

“People change,” he replied smoothly. “Besides, it’s not like you have much choice. I’m her only full match. Without me, her chances drop significantly.”

Something inside me snapped. The calm I’d been desperately maintaining for Luna’s sake shattered like glass.

“Nurse,” I called, my voice shaking. “I need to speak with Dr. Robbins immediately. It’s an emergency.”

She must have heard the desperation in my voice because she picked up the phone without question. In under a minute, Dr. Robbins appeared, her face etched with concern.

“Keltie? What’s happening?”

I turned to her, aware of Remi shifting behind me. “Luna’s father has decided against doing the transplant.”

I felt rather than saw Remi step forward. “That’s not what I?—”

“Shut the fuck up, or I swear to God I’ll kill you.” Holt’s voice came from behind us, low and deadly. I hadn’t even realized he was back.

Dr. Robbins looked between us. “Perhaps we should discuss this privately.”

“I’m a half match,” I said, the words tumbling out before I could stop them. “Use me instead.”

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