operation,” Tono insisted. “Fate saved you the day of the crash, and has saved you again with a suitable donor. To give up now does not honor the man you’ve become.”
Faelan clapped his hands sarcastically. “Oh, those are very pretty words, Mr. Nosaka.”
Brie stood and walked over to the bed, deciding now was the time to lay all her cards on the table. “You should know that Mary left the commune, Faelan. She’s been going to therapy and working hard to break the chains of her past.”
His eyes softened as he asked, “Mary’s okay, then?”
“Yes and no.”
“Why? What’s wrong?”
Brie’s lips trembled. “She misses you, Faelan.”
He rolled his eyes. “Well, she’ll get over it.”
“No, she won’t. Mary confessed that she’s in love with you.”
He closed his eyes and laid his head back on the pillow.
“If something happened to you…” Brie’s voice broke and she needed a moment to regain her composure. “I don’t know if she could survive it. That’s why you can’t give up. You just can’t!”
He didn’t respond to her plea, so Brie sat back down next to Tono. They waited in silence, letting Faelan war with his soul.
The Wolf Surrenders
B rie lay down that night, surprised that she didn’t feel the need to cry. She had been certain when she’d watched Sir leave that morning that her pillow would be stained with tears tonight. Instead, her heart was full of joy.
Faelan had agreed to go through with the surgery.
Sir had given Brie specific instructions for her nightly ritual while in Denver. It started with journaling to him, but not in her fantasy journal. He had stressed that this time apart would be challenging for them both, and it was vital they stay connected.
“I don’t want to miss the varying emotions you’ll experience while I’m gone. The only way for me to know them is if you share them faithfully every night. I promise to do the same for you.” Sir had handed Brie a new journal and held up his as well. “This is our commitment to each other while we’re separated.”
Brie took the new journal from the nightstand and opened it to the first page. It comforted her to know that Sir was doing the same on the other side of the world.
Dear Sir,
Today was quite a roller coaster! I’m sure you were grinning on your trip to China, knowing how surprised I would be when I saw Tono. Such a flood of emotions, Sir—happiness at his return, anger that his mother was so unkind to him, fear about the surgery ahead, and sadness that he is still alone. Sadly, I found out it did not work out with Chikako—I was secretly hoping it would.
We tried to talk in the car on the way to the hospital, but it proved too challenging for me so I had to pull to the side of the road to ensure no ducklings were harmed in the driving of the vehicle.
When Tono shared his plans to remain in the States, I wanted to shout for joy! I don’t think he’s had a moment of peace since his father died. He tries to hide it, but I can tell the toll it’s taken, and my heart hurts for him, Sir.
As much as I wasn’t prepared for Tono, you should have seen Todd. Wow! He became irate (which I found amusing). In a matter of seconds he went from being the sick and weak individual we saw to an angry bull.
It took Tono’s wisdom and patience for Todd to finally agree to go through with the surgery. I’m so thrilled right now I can barely contain myself. He was ready to give up, and now he is getting ready for the fight of his life.
But all this makes me think of you, Sir. How you are facing the exact opposite situation with your mother. Know that my heart is with you, my love surrounds you, and my thoughts are yours.
Love, Brie
Brie closed her journal, laying it back on the nightstand. Sir had given her a second task for her nightly ritual. With a nervous smile, she opened the drawer of the nightstand and pulled out the Hitachi.
Sir had handed her the Magic Wand along with a small box of