My hand paused mid-air before I steadied myself. Calmly, I extended the medical report toward him.
"I need to tell you something." My voice held nothing. "Our son is sick. It's serious. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia."
I watched the color drain from his face.
"If we don't find a matching bone marrow donor immediately... he won't make it."
Justin stood frozen. His hands trembled as he took the thin sheets of paper, eyes scanning the diagnosis with growing horror.
"I'll make the calls," he stammered, voice thick. "I'll use every connection I have. We will find a match. Soon."
A breath I didn't know I was holding escaped my lips. I nodded. "Good. I'm going to put Carter to bed."
He moved to follow me, his instinct clearly to comfort his son, but Brooklyn was faster. Her hand darted out, pinching Tommy's arm where it was hidden from Justin's view.
"Ow!" Tommy shrieked, tears instantly welling. "I can't sleep! I need Uncle Justin to tell me a story! I can't sleep without him!"
Brooklyn launched into her performance immediately—a sigh, a mask of weary martyrdom. "Tommy, stop it. We're just guests here. We can't keep bothering your Uncle Justin with every little thing."
Justin halted, torn between the bedroom where his dying son lay and the crying nephew in the living room. Seeing his hesitation, I offered a faint, hollow smile.
"Go ahead. Don't keep the child waiting."
Unexpectedly, his expression darkened.
"Enough," Justin barked. "Tommy's in elementary school now. He needs to learn independence."
The smug smile on Brooklyn's face faltered. Her eyes narrowed, shooting a venomous glare my way before she dissolved into practiced tears. She scooped up her son, turning toward her room with dramatic flair.
"You're right. Who told Tommy he has no father? Who told him to cling to someone else's family, making everyone hate him?" She sobbed loudly. "I'll pack our bags right now. We'll leave tonight..."
Annoyance flashed through Justin's eyes, quickly replaced by panic. "Nonsense! It's the middle of the night. Where would you go?"
He took a step toward her, then stopped, glancing back at me with guilt written all over his features.
I maintained my smile. It didn't reach my eyes. "Go. She's your brother's widow. It's only right you look after them."
Relief washed over him. "Okay. I'll just get him settled. Wait for me—I'll come read to Carter once Tommy's asleep."
He never came.