Chapter 7

Liam called late at night. The sound of ocean waves was in the background. "I'm at the beach," his voice slurred slightly, hinting he'd been drinking. "You said once my mom got better, we'd come here to watch the sunrise." I held the phone and walked to the window. Moonlight spilled onto the balcony like a thin layer of frost. When he'd said that seven years ago, we were lying on the floor of our rented apartment, looking at a world map on the wall. He'd circled this very sea with a red marker and said, "We'll come every year after this, until we're too old to walk." "The kidney match back then... it was his own," I said abruptly. Silence stretched on the other end for so long I thought the connection was lost. Then came his choked voice, "You know?" "Did Maya tell you?" "No." He laughed, the sound full of bitterness. "I found out myself. The attending physician back then was bribed by Maya’s family. He said if the surgery happened, you and I wouldn't be separated, and Maya woul