Her words humbled him. They were both guilty of misjudging one another due to past painful experiences. It was time for them to move forward.
Rachel didn’t know why she was working so hard to spit it out. She’d been thinking about this for a while now, and given that she was feeling especially bad today, she needed to have this conversation sooner rather than later.
So far they hadn’t found a donor. Not even a hope of one. Though Janie had been reminding her to keep the faith and trust in the Lord, Rachel knew that the Lord didn’t always answer with a yes. Just look at Janie’s mother, who was a good Christian woman, dying of cancer, and prayers hadn’t saved her.
What if God said no to Rachel’s healing?
All the more reason why she had to have this conversation with Ty.
Rachel had been praying about it, and every time she did so, Ty’s name came to the front of her mind. As a lawyer, he was uniquely equipped to help her, to make sure Katie would be safe in the event of Rachel’s death.
He might not have been willing to get tested to be a kidney donor, but he could still help Rachel. How could she hold his decision to not be tested against him, when the surgery would cost him so much? Her insurance would pay for of the transplant, but there were other costs to Ty, like taking time off from a job he loved so much. That, and she’d seen how he turned green at the mention of surgery.
Her doctor had told her that not everyone who loved her would be willing to be a donor, and that she needed to love them anyway. Not everyone was meant to be a donor. She’d learned in church that everyone had their own special gifts, and you needed to honor people for theirs.
Ty wouldn’t give her a kidney. But maybe he could use one of his other gifts to help her.
“I need a favor,” Rachel said.
The earnest look he gave her made her feel bad. “Anything,” he said.
That was just it. This wasn’t like borrowing a cup of sugar or watching Katie for an hour. But he’d been saying she needed to stop feeling guilty for relying on everyone.
“I need some legal advice.”
He looked puzzled. “On what?”
Rachel took a deep breath. “I know everyone is praying for my recovery, but what if we don’t get the answer we want? I want your help in making sure Katie is protected in the event of my passing.”
She hated the way he flinched at her words. No one wanted to accept that Rachel might die, least of all Rachel. But it was a possibility they needed to face.
“You’re not going to die,” he said.
Tears filled her eyes. She thought she’d made peace with this idea, but hearing Ty’s denial hurt in an unexpected way. She didn’t want to die, especially now that she’d found so many reasons to live.
“None of us knows how long we have,” she said. “Even if I didn’t have the kidney problems, I could get hit by a bus tomorrow. I have nothing in place to protect Katie. Which is why I want your help.”
That got his attention. “As much as I hate to admit it, you’re right. So many people die without making their wishes known. We aren’t promised tomorrow. I have a worksheet you can fill out regarding your assets and their distribution. I’m assuming you want them in a trust for Katie?”
Having him in professional mode made it easier. It didn’t feel as personal, or as real, preparing for her death.
“I do,” she said. “But there’s one more important thing I need your help with. What happens to Katie when I’m gone.”
The air between them stilled. It had become personal to him again. As much as she’d appreciated seeing professional Ty, knowing how he responded to Katie made her more comfortable with her request.
Since coming to the ranch, she’d appreciated Ty’s interactions with Katie. He genuinely cared about her, and it was clear Katie was crazy about him.
“Do you remember when Katie asked you to be her dad?”
Ty stared at her blankly.
Maybe it hadn’t signified anything to him the way it had to her. But knowing that Katie would choose him made him a serious consideration in her mind. Especially since coming to the ranch, Rachel had observed Ty with Katie and other children, and he seemed to have a genuinely loving heart toward them. More than that, Katie was always seeking Ty out, and when Rachel wasn’t feeling well, Ty would help with Katie.
“You told Katie that you couldn’t be her dad because it required us to be in love and married. But what about if I was gone? Would you be willing to be her dad if I weren’t around?”
She couldn’t read the emotions crossing his face. But then he finally looked at her and said, “You want me to take care of Katie if you die?”
Rachel nodded, still not sure if he was pleased or upset by her words.
“Wow.” He closed his eyes briefly, like he was trying to process her words, or maybe he was praying.
But then he looked at her and asked, “Are you sure?”
Was he giving her space to take back her request? Once again tears filled her eyes, making her wish she hadn’t said anything. But then he squeezed her hands gently.
“I’m honored. I know what a difficult decision this must have been for you. You know I would do anything for Katie. I just remember how upset you were when I promised Katie I’d be there for her no matter what.”
She’d almost forgotten about that. “I was too hasty,” she said. “I’m so used to people not being there for us that I thought you were making a promise you couldn’t keep. But I know now that you meant that promise, and you
