Cathy reluctantly agreed. “But I’m going to be there during the donation, for you and for Chloe.”
Pam pushed back her lank hair and managed to smile. “I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
They were told that the hematopoietic stem cell transplantation went well. The initial prognosis was tentatively quite good. After a day of rest, Pam insisted that she was well enough to get out of bed. There was very little time left to visit before Pam had to fly home, and they opted to spend as much of it as possible with Chloe.
When Cathy saw her sister off at the airport, she exchanged a hard hug with her. They clung together for a long moment. Pam stepped back. Even though tears swam in her eyes, Pam’s expression was fierce as she looked into Cathy’s face. “You’ll let me know? How Chloe does with the donation?”
Cathy nodded. “Of course I will! As soon as I know anything definite.” They did not need to say anything more. Both knew that it would be weeks, even months, before it would be known for a certainty what effects the donation would have on Chloe. Those months would be filled with immunological injections, because the natural immunities would have been destroyed in Chloe’s body, and careful monitoring.
Pam tightened her fingers on Cathy’s arm. “Cathy, if you ever need us for anything, you call us. I don’t want you to think that you’re imposing on us, okay? Just call, and John and I will come, all right?”
“Okay.” Cathy nodded.
Pam scowled. She gave a little shake to Cathy’s arm. “You will call, right?”
Cathy laughed at her ferocious expression. Affection for her sister warmed her. She nodded. “Yes, I promise! I will call you. Just take care of yourself.”
Pam still looked pale from the ordeal. She would need more rest once she got home, but she assured Cathy that she would be fine. “In fact, John will probably baby me. I’ll enjoy that,” she said, flashing a smile.
“Good, you deserve it.” Cathy waved good-bye as her sister walked toward the security gate. She turned away. Her thoughts were already focusing on her daughter, on catching up at work, and on Michael. For the first time in a long time, her heart felt lighter and there was a spring in her step.
Murphy’s Law was in full effect, she thought in frustration. Everything that could go wrong had. First, a phone call from her brother-in-law to let her know that her sister had arrived safely home made her late getting away from the apartment. The traffic was bad due to a pile-up on the freeway, and the constant idling, the stopping and starting, had put too much stress on her car. It finally stalled. She had to call for a tow truck to get her to the nearest garage.
She was still at the garage when Winter’s cell rang. She wasn’t surprised. Cathy answered it without preamble. “Michael.”
“Where are you?” There was impatience in his clipped query. They had not gotten together since her sister’s visit due to schedule conflicts. Now, at the first opportunity that their schedules would allow, she was late.
“I’m sorry. I was going to call when I knew something. I’m at a garage. My car broke down on the freeway.” She hesitated. “I don’t know how long I will be.”
“Does this happen often with your car?”
Michael’s curt tone was peremptory. Cathy wasn’t expecting that, and it annoyed her. The series of delays was certainly not her fault. She tightened her fingers on the phone. She tried not to let her irritation come through her voice. “I have an older model. It’s been acting up. It sometimes needs maintenance, all right?”
“So why didn’t you get it in for servicing before this?”
“I didn’t have the money,” she snapped.