Chapter 214

From the time I hung up my phone, I began planning the words I would use to tell William I wasn’t going to the prom with him.

Hurting William was the last thing I wanted to do. But he had to understand that I asked Victor to go to the prom first. William and I could still have a dance or two at the prom, but Victor had to be my escort.

I left my office, said goodnight to the receptionist, and traveled down to the parking garage while rehearsing in my mind what I decided to say to him.

I was satisfied that the words I chose were gentle and respectful enough to make him see that I cared about him and make him realize I had to be fair to Victor, too.

William’s car was parked near the lower-level elevator doors. I opened the door and slid inside the Mustang before he could get out of the vehicle.

William was studying a stack of papers and was startled by my sudden appearance in his car.

“Daisy, I didn’t see you get off the elevator.” He wrestled the papers into a big envelope and tucked it under his seat before starting the car engine.

“What did you want to talk about?” I asked. I decided to let him talk first before I told him what I had to say.

“Let’s wait until we get to the park, and I’ll explain everything,” William replied. “Don’t worry. It’s good news.”

I was intrigued. Some good news would be excellent. Maybe it would set a pleasant tone to our conversation and make it easier for me to say what I must to William.

Settling back in the seat, I listened to the music playing on the radio and tried to enjoy the ride to the park. I was growing nervous about telling William I changed my mind. Still, I was determined to go through with it.

By the time William pulled into a parking space near the park, I had convinced myself he would have to understand.

Yet, I was still nervous when William grabbed the big envelope under his seat and gave me a big smile as we got out of the car.

What was in the envelope? It was a creamy white with gold and black filigree letters, creating the return address.

William took my hand and led me to the same picnic table where we ate tacos on our last date. We sat next to each other on top of the table, and he took the papers from the envelope.

“Several months ago, I wrote to research labs who have been studying your father’s disease to see if there were any recent breakthroughs in treatments,” William said. “Most of them told me they had nothing new at this time.”

“That’s nice of you,” I said. It was typical of William to want to help. “But wouldn’t his doctor know if there was anything new that would help?”

“You would think so, but my uncle is a doctor. He is often frustrated because there are guidelines for approved treatments in every hospital. It takes years for new medications to be approved for use.”

“That’s absurd. Hospitals should always stay up to date on new treatments,” I said. “I know some people are frightened by anything new, but advances are made all the time that help save people’s lives.”

I made a mental note to have a rule at the new hospital that they must keep up with new treatments, medications, and vaccines. Patients deserve the best options available for their care.

“That’s right,” William agreed. “Science learns more every day about the causes and cures for diseases. That’s why my uncle advises his patients to reach out to the independent research labs whenever he has a patient that he can’t help with traditional medicine.”

I looked at the papers in William’s hands. “Is that from a lab that you wrote?” My hands were shaking with anticipation. William must have gotten the answer Alex needed.

“It sure is, and they have great news.” William stood in front of me and handed me a letter from a place called Roker Labs. As my mind absorbed the words in the letter, my hand flew to cover my open mouth. This was incredible!

“Does this mean what I think it does?” I asked.

“Yes, Roker Labs have a new treatment that has been proven to be ninety-seven percent effective in stopping the advancement of your father’s disease.”

He grinned wider. “And over seventy percent of their patients' red to white blood cell ratios returned to normal after just a few days, and the ratios remained normal after their treatment was over.”

“That’s fantastic news!” I exclaimed and fell into his arms. “This means Alex might have a chance to live out his life! Thank you, William, for doing this.

I couldn't believe it! This meant there was a chance that Alex didn’t have to die yet. It was an answer to one of my prayers.

William held me tightly. “You are welcome, Daisy. I’m glad to help. I know how much Alex means to you, and it didn’t seem fair to me for you to lose him after having him back in your life briefly.”

I returned his embrace. “What made you think of asking research labs about cures for Alex? I feel bad for not thinking of something like this. I just assumed there was nothing that could be done.”

“Don’t feel bad,” William said. “Most people wouldn’t think of looking to the labs for help. If it weren't for my uncle talking to my parents about his success at finding help for one of his young patients through a lab, I never would have thought of it either.”

“I started writing to labs after Alex got out of the hospital,” William added. “I didn’t realize how sick he was until then. My uncle gave me a list of the best labs that study diseases of the blood.”

“Give me your uncle's address. I want to thank him too,” I said as I flipped through the pages, looking for more information. But I was so excited that it was hard to concentrate on what I was reading.

“I don’t see what I’m looking for. How can Alex get started on this new treatment?” I asked.

“We should take the information packet the lab sent me to your home and show it to Alex,” William replied. “He must be the one to decide if he wants the treatment. Side effects are possible. If he does want to start treatment, he needs to fill out the forms and send them back to the lab.”

I hopped off the table. “Let’s go. I can’t wait to tell Alex about this.”

“What do you think Alex will say?” William asked. “I don’t want him to think I overstepped my boundaries. He doesn’t know me that well.”

“He’s going to be as overjoyed and grateful as I am.” I flashed him a smile. “It’s a miracle. I’m overwhelmed by how much you care about the people around you.”

My heart was racing with excitement as William and I hurried back to his car.

Maybe Alex didn’t have to die yet!

Alex is a good and decent man who worked hard all his life. Over the years, he endured loss and loneliness, and he deserved to live a long life now that we were reunited.

Ever since we were brought back together, I knew Alex was dying. So I never allowed myself to imagine the future with him in it.

Instead, we lived in the present, enjoying each moment together. How wonderful it would be to have him around to spoil his grandchildren someday!

William was a true friend to help make this happen. Alex and I owed him a great debt for finding this miracle.

“Oh, wow,” I mumbled and replayed that last thought in my mind. It was likely I would soon owe William for saving my father’s life.

I was ecstatic to know it was possible that I didn’t have to lose Alex so soon after we were reunited. Yet, how could I choose Victor over William now?

Maybe it is another sign. I needed to think things over again before saying anything about the prom. For now, I wanted to tell Alex that there was hope.