“Last I heard.”
“Do you know them?”
“No.”
“Do they know you?”
“Maybe eventually.”
Lily looked toward her own abdomen beneath blanket.
“Do I know mine?”
“Your donor?”
She nodded.
Rebecca had discussed this carefully.
Different programs and donor pairs could communicate later if both sides consented.
“Not yet.”
Lily looked disappointed.
Raymond leaned forward.
“Maybe that’s okay for now.”
“Why?”
“You don't have to turn every gift into relationship immediately.”
She considered.
“What do I do?”
“Take care of it.”
Simple.
Months later, both sides consented to letters.
Lily’s donor was a thirty-three-year-old teacher named Natalie Kim whose husband needed a kidney.
Natalie’s kidney matched Lily.
Raymond matched another person.
The chain had linked strangers.
Lily wrote:
Dear Natalie,
Then stopped.
“What do I say?”
Rebecca sat beside.
“The truth.”
Lily wrote:
I don’t know how to thank somebody for an organ without sounding weird.
Rebecca laughed.
“Keep that.”
Lily glared.
Then continued.
I named it Dot. I don't know why. The doctors say this is not scientifically useful.
Rebecca laughed harder.
The letter became Lily.
Not gratitude performance.
Not debt.
A child trying to understand she carried part of a stranger inside her.
Natalie replied.
Dear Lily,
I am relieved you named it something normal. My husband wanted to name his kidney Thor.
Lily loved her immediately.
They met one year later.
Not at hospital press event.
Private park.
Natalie brought her husband.
Raymond and Marlene came too.
Four families connected by something none could see.
Mark asked whether he should attend.
Rebecca said:
“Ask Lily.”
Lily said yes.
So he did.
The meeting was awkward.
Of course.
What do you say?
Hello, part of you lives in me?
Thank you seems too small.
Anything bigger becomes impossible.
Natalie solved it.
She brought cookies.
Lily ate three.
Then they talked about dogs.
Normality rescued them.
Raymond sat on bench watching.
Rebecca joined.
“You okay?”
“Yep.”
“You look strange.”
“That’s my face.”
“No.”
He smiled.
“Eli would've loved this.”
Rebecca looked toward children.
“Maybe.”
Raymond became quiet.
“I should’ve called after funeral.”
“Yes.”
“I thought giving family space was respectful.”
“Maybe it was.”