“Michael?” Sean asked once the line connected. “The results came in. Did you see them?” Sean waited anxiously for a response.

“Yeah, I saw it,” Michael finally responded after a pause that felt eternally long. Sean’s heart leapt. Everything was falling into place. A trusted doctor was on retainer, the surgical suite was ready to go at a moment’s notice, and now he had found a donor. Katie was going to get a new heart.

“Are you still in?” Sean asked. Michael could still upend the whole plan. If he chose not to donate his heart, they would have to start all over. If they had to start over, Katie… she might not make it.

Michael was the third person who had been down this path with him. Each time the prospective donor chose not to follow through. Sean understood why- they would literally be giving up their lives for a young girl they had never met. Even knowing it would secure their family’s financial future, this was a high price to pay.

“Yeah... yeah.” Michael replied, “I’m in.”

--

Michael hung up the phone after discussing the details with Sean and wiped a tear from his eye. He tapped the screen of his phone and saw the face of his own daughter, Sonia, smiling up at him. Her mother didn’t want him around anymore, but he was still determined to be the best father possible.

Sonia had grown considerably in the years since the picture on his phone had been taken. From the sporadic updates he got, he knew she was dreaming about going to college and had the brains to get her there. Micheal wasn’t sure where she got her smarts from- he had dropped out of high school and her mother wasn’t setting any records either. One thing he did know, though, was that college was expensive. Sonia might be able to get some scholarships, but he didn’t want her to be saddled with any loans. She deserved every chance to get ahead.

The money Sean was offering would help her get there and more. It was more than Micheal could even hope to earn in ten lifetimes. Sonia would be well funded not only for college, but graduate school, a house, her kids college costs, and anything else she could ever want with some more left over. She would be set for life. He already wasn’t going to get to see her again thanks to the influence of her mother, so this was the best way he could still impact her life. Something her mother would never be able to live up to either.

Even knowing it would be worth it, Michael felt hesitant. He was being asked to give up the rest of his life. What if Sonia wanted to reconcile after she escaped the clutches of her mom? What if one of the weekly lotto tickets he bought paid out big? What if he got a chance to meet his grandchildren? What if… there was no end to the ‘what if’ track. There would always be potential in choosing to live. He had been raised to believe that a father’s duty is to provide for his children though, and there was no way he could provide any better than this. Not to mention, he also got to save the life of Sean’s little girl.

Alone in his tiny apartment, Michael watched as the sun set over the city skyline on his last full day on this earth.

--

Sean checked his watch. There was still twenty-four minutes left until the time he and Michael agreed to meet, but the anxiety was killing him. He paced back and forth in front of his shiny black SUV, kicking errant litter and pebbles to help burn off the excess tension. The sound of an engine grew and then faded, filling Sean with excitement, then disappointment. He checked his watch again. Twenty-one minutes.

Inside the metal warehouse, the doctor and nurse were prepping Katie for surgery. She had been scared yet brave before Sean stepped out of the building to wait for Michael. He was proud of her- this was a lot for a ten-year-old to handle. Soon, all of this would be behind them and they could get on with the rest of their lives. They were just waiting on Michael. Finally, a brown, older model car lumbered into the alleyway and pulled up next to Sean. Michael didn’t get out of his car.

‘Please don’t change your mind,’ Sean thought as he leaned down and tapped on the passenger side window. Michael rolled it down without looking over.

“Hey,” Sean said through the open window. “You ready?” After a long moment, Michael nodded and handed over a pair of sealed envelopes. One had “Sonia” written on it in neat letters; the other read “Katie”.

“Take care of those for me, will you?” asked Michael. Sean nodded. He hadn’t told Katie about where the heart was coming from, but he supposed, in time, she would want to know. He would make sure Sonia received hers.

“You didn’t…” Sean started.

“There’s nothing to incriminate you,” Michael interjected. “I just want to say goodbye. Please don’t open them.” Sean agreed and placed the two letters in the center console of his SUV. The doctor stuck his head out of the building and indicated they were ready to begin the operation. Sean looked to Michael, and Michael climbed out of the car.

“Thank you,” Sean said as they walked into the building together.

--

Sean watched the light fade from the high windows as he sat next to Katie’s bed. Two trusted men had come and removed Michael’s body and car after his part was finished. The doctor had also left after declaring the operation a success while the nurse remained to care for Katie. Everything had progressed flawlessly. He took Katie’s warm hand in his own as she continued to sleep.

“Best money I’ve ever spent.”