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Prologue

No goats, no glory

-T-shirt from Tractor Supply

Landry

5 years old

The needle hurt The nice nurse said that it would, but she didn’t have to tell me that it would I already knew

“When you wake up, you’ll feel a little sore,” the nice nurse lied

I closed my eyes and tried not to cry

My mommy and daddy didn’t like it when I cried

7 years old

“Hi there, Landry Are you in any pain?” the nurse asked

I nodded as I thought that I didn’t know her name

What was the point?

“Okay, I’ll get you solance around the room My mommy and daddy weren’t there

They were likely two floors aith Lina

They were alith Lina

I shifted before I thought about it, and pain shot through asp fell free of my lips

I didn’t cry, though Crying never got me anywhere

12 years old

“But, Mom! I don’t want to do another one!” I cried out

I didn’t knohy I was arguing Hell, it never got me anywhere

But God, I was just so tired

I couldn’t be a kid I couldn’t have fun I couldn’t go anywhere Couldn’t do anything

I wanted cake! I wanted to go outside and play I wanted to go to a bookstore and chance getting sick! I wanted a life!

“You don’t get a choice in this, Landry Marine You get to do what you’re told because I’m the one who puts a roof over your head and food in your mouth,” my father practically snarled

I felt the anger burn in my throat, but what he said was true He did pay for those things

Though, I would gladly give up those two things if I was able to live the life I wanted to live

My life—from the moment I was conceived in a test tube and implanted into the body of a woman asn’t even my mother—had been for someone else’s benefit

It sure the heck wasn’t mine

I was created for the sole purpose of offering their daughter—the wonderful Lina—a chance at life

Me? Well, the only reason they wanted me healthy was because if I wasn’t healthy, I couldn’t donate bone marrow to Lina when it was needed

And it had been needed—many times