It was there, right there, in that small millisecond before he blinked that I found his weak spot.

I shook my head in disgust. "For God's sake she's your daughter. How could you not love her?"

"I DO love her. She is the only person I give a damn about in this world. Can you honestly not see that?" He lurched forward. "You are the one I don't care about. Everyone else and their ill-formed opinions about my daughter are the ones I don't care about."

"What about her opinion? That doesn't qualify either?"

"Her opinion puts her at the mercy of her feelings, and her feelings are the gateway to recklessness because she doesn't know when to stop. Everly only has pleasure guiding her choices. Of course love feels great to Everly-how could it not!-she's never endured the downside."

"That's where you're wrong, Sir, that's where you are so damn wrong. Everly is scared, she has desires-of course she does!-but she also understands how fragile her life is and how easily giving into those feelings could end badly. The thing is, Dr. Brighton, she doesn't only fear for herself . . . she fears for me, too. So while you think love is the reason she might leap off the edge, understand that love is also the reason why she hasn't."

The room was filled with friends and family of my graduating class, but Everly Anne was the only person I saw as I moved through the crowd.

"So handsome." Everly ran her hands over my suit before I hoisted her up in my arms. She laughed against my face, and then we were lost in tender kisses. Her fingers guided through my hair firmly, lovingly, before she pressed her cheek to mine, and clung hard.

"We made it, Topolina." I said. "I graduated."

"You sure did," she whispered back. "Dr. Trovatto. Still my favorite."

I pressed my face into her hair, bundled up on her shoulder. "Your dad said I could keep you." She stiffened in my arms. I stroked her hair and held tighter. "But there's a catch."

She sighed, "Always." Everly pulled back to admire my face. "We have to stay in New York . . . right?"

I didn't want to answer that question. "He said you're free to go wherever you wish after you turn twenty-one."

Her face puckered. "You and I both know that's not going to happen."

"You have no idea when you're going to die any more than I know when I'm going to die, Everly Anne. I could get stabbed walking to work tomorrow, or get pushed off the train platform and be squished like an ant. They gave my mother less than a year and she lived for almost five. They told you age three was your limit and you're twenty. So why couldn't twenty-one be just as wrong of a guess?"

She pulled free of my embrace. "Because no one has ever lived that long with CIPA. Do you understand those odds, Callum?"

"And how many of them had the resources and knowledge you have?" I argued. "There's only a little over two-hundred cases recorded, Everly. That's worldwide, not just our country." I framed her shoulders. "It's only a God complex telling you what your expiration date is, because none of us ever really know . . . and I was under the impression you weren't fond of God complex barring doctors."

Everly watched me for a moment before she said, "So where are you taking me after I turn twenty-one?"

I pushed her hair off her shoulders. "Anywhere that allows enough time for a proper kiss."

She shook her head. "Geography won't be able to fix that." Her hands slid over my graduation suit. "Now you belong to everyone, Doctor."

My fingers lifted her chin. "Tell those lies to my heartbeat."

She tipped on her toes and pressed her lips fervently against mine. We were caught up like that until Timothy found us. I peeled myself away from her to face him.

"We need to get going," he said to her. For a split second, I swore I saw regret in his features.

Everly looked at me with the same expression, except her regret didn't run and hide.

I aimed my intention toward Timothy, but kept my eyes on Everly. "My family is going to dinner after we leave here. You're invited to join us." I had to make myself look at him because I wasn't afraid and he needed to understand. "Both of you are welcome to join us."

I wasn't going to wait for answer because I already knew what he would say. So I just imprinted my thumb on her chin and smiled. "701."

Breathe Little Breaths The last night I lived in New York, Timothy allowed me to walk right up to his front door, and see Everly Anne, one last time.

We drove to my house in silence.

We walked inside in silence.

Every step burned. Every breath was a fight to lock in words and fear.

I pulled the cord to the attic and she climbed. I closed it behind us and we sat on the floor, staring at one another, not speaking the one word that would divide and conquer.

"Why are we here?" she asked.

"I wanted to stand still for a while, Everly Anne. This is the place I can do that for you. This is me standing still."