Part 36 (2/2)

And he would not have heard from Caleb again.

But instead, Nicholas had arrived. Nicholas had come and opened his sticky newborn eyes, and he had understood fragility and holiness.

Nicholas had shown him what to do. And kept him on his course. Producing this drug had not been the finest act of Shane's life; it had been the first of Nicholas's.

He stood and smiled at June, and they went downstairs. Beneath his feet the old house creaked with a future history. Things would happen in this hall, in these rooms, which would define the rest of his life.

As soon as he walked back into the living room he felt something different in the air and froze. The energy had changed completely. Wenceslas and Janelle were staring at him, mouths open. He fought an urge to turn and run. He shot his eyes down to the floor.

Lily was sitting up, her head bent over one of Nicholas's foam blocks, clasping it between her hands. There was no sound save the pa.s.sing of cars in the dusk.

There was no other sound in the room at all.

Somewhere over the Pacific a breeze s.h.i.+fted, waves hurried forth, and the smell of fresh water washed over the world.

AUTHOR'S NOTE.

Alpha-one ant.i.trypsin deficiency is a real genetic condition. The descriptions of its symptoms, treatment, and mechanisms in this novel are neither expert nor entirely accurate. I have needed to simplify the disease both for readers and out of my own very finite grasp of it. Any errors here are mine entirely.

The Alpha-1 a.s.sociation is a wonderful group of people dedicated to helping the newly diagnosed, advocating for patients, and fundraising for research. Please go to their website to learn more: panies make decisions.

I am indebted to these books: Building Biotechnology by Yali Friedman, From Alchemy to IPO by Cynthia Robbins-Roth, and Running Through the Wall by Neal Jamison. Anyone interested in the subjects in this novel should check these out.

Thanks to all of the early readers, any of whom could have stopped this book in its tracks by informing me they hated it: Joel Jacobson, who suggested the changes that made the story work. Matt and Susan Skelly. Leah Fietsam. Catherine Driscoll, Julie Stevenson, Robin McAfee, Briana Danielson, and the rest of the Lake Forest and Boston book clubs who sacrificed a good erotic vampire book to read an unpublished ma.n.u.script.

To Madeleine and Alan Ferris, for their constant support.

To my dad, Ron, who would have loved this. My sister Samantha for her love. To Bronia, Jack, Sylvia, and Harry.

To Greg Ferris, the bravest, boldest man on earth. You know something about ultramarathons and medicine.

To my mom, Wendy, an incredible role model, who in- stilled a love of reading and writing into me. Thank you for encouraging me from the day I was born.

And to Kerri, my beautiful and talented wife. Thank you for giving me all of those hours to go work on this. And for giving me the greatest answer of my life. Which was, of course, yes.

end.

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