Between You and Me

Nick inhaled deeply, trying to figure out what she’d made by what he smelled. A slow smile spread on his face. “Ahhh. You made carne frita con cebolla for me, didn’t you?”

“You got it.” Maria smiled and it lit up her pretty face. “Anyway, it’d been a while since I made it, so why not?”

He was six feet tall, and she was a petite five-foot-two, so he bent to kiss her cheek. “You’re too good to me.”

“Don’t you forget it.” She was clearly pleased that she’d pleased him. “So c’mon in. Your dad’s out in the yard and your sisters are in their rooms. I’ll get them out.”

“Actually . . .” Nick rubbed the back of his neck. “You know what? Maybe it’d be good to just talk to you and Dad first. Part of the news is great, but part is . . . a little . . . well, they might not fully understand. So maybe you’ll help me figure out a way to tell them that won’t . . . upset them. I dunno.”

Maria stilled at that, scrutinizing her son for a few seconds before saying, “I’ll get your father.”

Five minutes later, Maria and Lew sat together on the couch as Nick pulled over the armchair to sit directly opposite them. He took a deep breath, then ran his hands through his thick hair and over his scruffy jaw before starting.

“The best news first,” he said, unable to keep from smiling. “I got the promotion. I’m going to be an investigator.”

Lew let out a loud whoop and jumped to his feet. Maria’s eyes shone with tears of pride. Nick laughed as his father pulled him up for a tight hug. Lew clapped him on the back, grasped him by the shoulders, then pulled back to look into Nick’s eyes as he said, “Goddamn, I’m so proud of you, son. I mean, I wanted this for you, but I know you wanted this for you. You worked hard, showed your mettle. You’ve been a damn good officer, but you’re just too smart not to . . . Well, this is the right thing for you.” He clapped his son’s arms again, beaming with pride. “Good for you, Nick. Well done. Congratulations!”

“Thanks, Dad.” Nick’s throat felt thick, and he swallowed down the lump that had risen there. He’d known his dad would be proud, but this felt incredible.

“Mijo . . .” Maria stood and lifted her hands to cradle his face. “I’m so, so proud.”

“Thanks, Ma.” Nick knew she was happy, but also a little scared for him. That she knew being an investigator still meant dangerous work. That being the wife of a cop, and now the mother of a cop, meant she didn’t sleep well every night. But he knew she was proud of him, and would continue to be. When her arms wrapped around his waist and squeezed tight, he hugged her back until she was the one to let go.

“When do you start?” Lew asked.

Nick took another deep breath as he released his mother. “Well . . . that’s the other thing. Sit down. There’s more. But it’s totally different, not about work.”

All three of them sat, and as soon as they did, Nick launched into it. “A few years ago, I wanna say three years ago? They had a bone-marrow donor drive at the station. Because Jim Connelly’s nephew needed a donor.”

Lew nodded. “Sure, I’ve heard of those. I’ve done one. It’s easy as pie, just a swab in your cheek.”

“Right,” Nick said. “So I did it, and truthfully, I never thought about it again. But I guess they keep your name on the national and international bone marrow registry after that, because, well . . . I got a call two weeks ago. It seems I’m a match for a kid who needs a bone marrow transplant. He’s got non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Twelve years old.”

Maria’s eyes flew wide as Lew’s brows furrowed.

“Really,” Lew said.

“That’s amazing,” Maria murmured.

“Yeah. So . . .” Nick blew out a breath. “How do I nutshell this . . . First the registry contacted me to tell me the news. I agreed to being tested further, went in, gave blood and all that. Earlier this week, they called to tell me that yes, I’m a strong, viable match. I agreed to go through with it right then.” He saw the worry creeping into his mother’s face as he talked. “Ma, I went in, talked for a while with a rep from the registry. I learned a lot. It’s barely going to hurt, it’s outpatient surgery. So please stop looking so worried, okay?”