Kyle’s unwavering stance struck deep within me. I saw the warmth in Lucy’s eyes, and their love was clear in how they looked at one another.
Kyle stepped in front of us, telling us to stay back. No sooner had he spoken, Gloria hurled a plate at him.
Lucy frowned. She was about to step forward, but Kyle waved her back. A small stream of blood ran down his forehead.
I hurried to grab a first–aid kit, but then I heard him say, “Melanie, I’m sorry this is how your first visit has gone. Wayne didn’t tell you everything, and that’s on me for not setting him straight. Honestly, the Coopers‘ life has always been a mess.”
Kyle straightened the overturned table and rearranged the chairs. It was only then I understood why he was so resolute in standing by Lucy, even if it meant confronting Gloria and Michael.
As the oldest child in the Cooper family, he worked hard from a young age to ensure Wayne and Emily could go to college, giving every penny he’d earned to the family.
Yet, when a car accident left him in desperate need of a kidney transplant and funds, Gloria and Michael had done nothing to help. The doctor said Wayne and Emily were both matches, but neither was willing to donate.
Kyle was close to dying. It was Lucy who stepped in, paying for the transplant and donating her own kidney. “Lucy had a miscarriage,” Kyle choked out. “That was our first and our last child.”
I saw Lucy lower her head, tears slipping down her face. I could feel the sting in my eyes too.
Kyle sank into a chair, glancing at Gloria, who was still throwing a fit on the floor. “Mom, you and Dad brought me into this world and raised me. When death came for me, you decided not to save me, and I don’t blame you for that.
“It was Lucy who gave me a second chance at life. But you hurt her and made us lose our only child. That’s something I can never forgive. Lucy and I have done enough for this family. We owe no one anything.”
He got up and reached out to Lucy. Without a word, she pulled two gifts from her bag.
