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“Hi, Dad,” he said.
For the next few hours, he stayed at Jacob’s side, making silly faces, telling stories about the zoo, and promising that once he got better, they’d ride the biggest carousel in Central Park together.
Doctors confirmed it the next day—Ethan was a perfect match.
The transplant was scheduled for the end of the week.
Grace didn’t say much. She stayed in the shadows, observing. Her face was cautious, her heart guarded.
But she let him in, little by little.
Ethan didn’t leave the hospital during recovery. He brought books, colored with Jacob, and learned the names of all the nurses. He began shedding his past the way Jacob’s body shed illness.

The transplant was successful.
Jacob’s body responded well, and in a few weeks, his appetite returned, along with his giggles.
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