The next couple weeks went by in a blur. Now that Kiel and Zeke had found each other, there were some important matters to discuss. One of them being bone marrow. Kiel offered immediately to do the transplant, but as Zeke had told her in the hospital, it wasn't that simple. The chances of Kiel, as his father, being a match for Zeke's bone marrow were very slim, it turned out. When they went in to take the test, the doctor said it was about a one percent chance. The odds were definitely not in their favor. But the odds had never been in their favor, and yet they'd still managed to overcome them every single time. So Emersyn was hopeful. She prayed every night for a week, and when they all went back to see the doctor for the results, they were shocked to see he was pale as a ghost.

"In all the years I've been practicing medicine," the fifty-something-year-old man said as his eyes scanned the folder in his hands disbelievingly. "I have never seen anything quite like this." He closed the folder and set it down on the counter as he took a seat on the stool in front of Kiel, Zeke, and Emersyn. Emersyn's sweaty hands were in Zeke's shaking ones as the doctor grinned at the little family before him. "Kiel Daniels, you are, in fact... a match for Zeke Thatcher's bone marrow."

Zeke laughed with relief as Kiel let out a breath of air. Emersyn wasn't all that surprised. Even though the chances hadn't been good, she somehow knew things would work out. They still had a long way to go before Zeke was in the clear. They had to actually perform the transplant. Give him another round of chemotherapy (something Zeke was not looking forward to), and then hope and pray his cancer went into remission. It was a long road, and it was definitely not going to be easy. But Emersyn planned on sticking with him through all of it. She never wanted to leave him again.

Another matter to discuss was Mona. Zeke was furious with her for lying to him his whole life and for not telling his father he had a son. Despite the fact he'd once had a great relationship with his mother, he was so angry and hurt that Emersyn wasn't sure he would ever forgive her for all her lies. But Kiel was adamant that he at least hear her out. He also insisted that Zeke tell her about his illness, because he said she deserved to know the truth about her son. So one day, at the beginning of September, Zeke used his old phone to call his mother and tell her everything.

It hadn't been a pleasant discussion. He was very angry at her for her lies, and she was deeply hurt that he hadn't come to her when he was first diagnosed. It was a conversation that lasted hours, until finally they both agreed it would be best to continue it in person. And seeing as he was supposed to go under for a bone marrow transplant in a couple weeks, Mona agreed to come to the island to see him. And this time she planned on staying with him all through his surgery and chemo. He didn't seem too pleased about this, but at least she wanted to try and work things out.

When Zeke told Kiel about Mona coming to visit, Kiel almost fainted. His fingers gripped the doorframe so hard that his knuckles turned white. And for the days leading up to Mona's arrival, he went around the house and fixed and cleaned anything and everything that needed fixing and cleaning. And when he wasn't working on the house, he was pacing around, anxiously awaiting the arrival of the woman who'd left him over twenty years ago, taking his heart with her. The day she was supposed to arrive, he went out to the barber shop and got a haircut and a shave. He claimed it was because he wanted to look presentable, but Emersyn knew her uncle was still in love with this woman, no matter what he said.

Zeke considered picking her up from the airport, but at the end of the day he decided he just couldn't do it. He was almost as nervous to see his mother as Kiel was and couldn't stand the idea of picking her up from the airport and having the talk they needed to have in a moving vehicle. So Makayla, who was still trying to make amends with Kiel and Emersyn, offered to go and get Mona when she landed and bring her back to the island.

"I mean, I was the one who brought her into our lives in the first place," she said as she shrugged her shoulders. "So it only makes sense that I should be the one to pick her up. It's the least I could do." She asked if Emersyn wanted to come with her, but she declined, saying it would probably be best that she stay behind to look after the guys. They'd been nervous wrecks for days, and someone needed to chill them out. So Makayla went to pick up Mona, leaving the three of them in the house alone together.

"I just don't understand it," Zeke said to Emersyn as Kiel left the room to pace the back patio on his own. "I don't get why someone would lie to their kid about their dad being dead. What excuse could she possibly have?" he asked, clearly frustrated.

Emersyn shook her head as she rubbed his fingers with her own. "I don't know, Zeke. Why does anyone lie about anything? Because they're embarrassed or ashamed. Some people even lie to protect the people they love. And maybe that's what she was doing with you. Protecting you."

He scoffed and shook his head, turning to look at her. His lips were curved down in a deep frown, and his eyes were filled with suppressed anger. "Protect me from what, Em? It's not like Kiel is some asshole who beat on her or threatened her. He's the nicest guy I've ever met. And he dropped everything in his life to look after you when your dad died. He took me in when I needed a place to stay and gave me a job when I really needed one. And he didn't even know me. He's a God-fearing Baptist with a heart of gold. What reason could she possibly have to keep him from me? To keep me from him?"

She wished she knew the answers. But the only person who knew those answers was Mona. And they were going to be getting them soon enough. At around three in the afternoon, her mom's car pulled into Kiel's driveway. Her mom stepped out of the driver's seat and was halfway up the walk when a woman with thick, curly dark hair who stood about five foot two sucked in a breath and exited the vehicle. Emersyn was stunned. This was Mona Thatcher, the woman who had somehow impacted all of their lives without even really trying. She followed Makayla up the walkway, her shoulders hunched with anxiety.

Zeke stood up when his mom approached. And when Mona looked at him, her hand flew to her mouth and tears filled her eyes. "Ezekiel," she whispered, as a tear slid down her cheek. "Oh my gosh. You look...."

He winced at the sound of his full name and nodded his head. "Yeah, I know. I look like a million bucks, huh?" he said sarcastically. Emersyn didn't understand what either of them were talking about. To her, Zeke looked great. But then again, she'd only ever seen him while he was sick with cancer. She'd never seen what he looked like before the illness took over his life. His mom wrapped her arms around him, and despite how angry he was at her, he hugged her back. "I love you, mom. It's good to see you."

"I love you too, sweetheart," she whispered, as she tightened her arms around him and closed her eyes. "So much." And Emersyn knew it was true. She could see it in the woman's face that she genuinely loved her son. But then why did she lie to him for so long about something so important? They were all so busy staring at Mona that no one heard the screen door open behind them. No one but Mona, who opened her eyes and looked up at the front door. Kiel was standing in the doorway, and upon seeing him, Mona pulled herself away from her son. Zeke stepped aside, giving his mom and dad their moment.

The two of them stared at each other, and Emersyn would swear they were having a conversation with only their eyes. And then out of nowhere, Kiel rushed down the stairs, took Mona's face in his hands, and pulled her to him, smashing his lips against hers. She seemed surprised at first, but then she melted under his touch. Her hands moved up to his arms, holding him in place as his mouth claimed hers. Emersyn's jaw dropped in shock, as did Zeke's. It was clear he had never seen his mother with any man, and he wasn't sure what to make of it. But once the surprise wore off, Emersyn couldn't help but smile. She hoped this was the start of something good for all of them.

Mona pulled away, sucking in a breath of air as Kiel pressed his forehead against hers. "I have been dying to do that for over twenty years," he said with a playful smile on his lips, and Emersyn would swear that he looked like he was in his early twenties again. His eyes were glittering, and he looked like he was a younger man in love. "God, Mona... what took you so long?"

She took in a shaky breath, and the tears filled her eyes again. "I'm so sorry. I was just so scared of ruining your life. You said if I got pregnant, you could go to prison for sleeping with a minor. I was terrified of that happening to you because I'd lied. So I did the only thing I could do. But I've thought about reaching out to you every single day. I just... too much time had passed, and I didn't know how to tell you. Or Zeke. I'm so sorry." She broke down in tears, and Kiel pulled her to him, holding her in his strong arms and stroking her thick curly hair.

"It's okay," he whispered soothingly. "I understand everything. I do. And as for our boy," he said, and she knew he was referring to Zeke. "I'm going to save him. I swear."

Mona nodded her head against his chest. And Emersyn knew, in an instant, that she had been right. Mona had lied to protect someone she loved. Only it hadn't been Zeke she'd lied for. It had been Kiel. She loved Kiel so much, and she was so afraid of him getting into trouble for having sex with a minor. All because she'd lied about her age. So lying to everyone was the only way she could think to make things right. To keep everyone she loved safe and out of trouble. And she could tell by how the weight lifted off her shoulders as Kiel whispered words of forgiveness and comfort into her ear, that the guilt had been eating her alive for a long time. Far too long.

Makayla intertwined her arm with hers, pulling Emersyn's attention away from this special moment. "Come on," she said, tugging softly on her daughter's arm. "Let's go get some ice cream or something. Leave them alone to figure all this out." Emersyn kind of wanted to stay and watch this little family reunion, but she knew her mom was right. And she still had some work to do on the relationship she had with her own mother. There were so many years they had to make up for, and they were losing time every day. So Emersyn nodded her head and walked back to the car with her mom. She didn't know if they would get ice cream or not. Maybe they'd just talk. But it didn't matter what they did, as long as they did it together.

Chapter Forty

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