Erica Yang

When the college health clinic discovers Bonnie Deluca was born with a hole in the wall of her heart, she finds herself suddenly facing surgery -- and the family she's been estranged from since leaving home. They don't accept her girlfriend, don't respect her needs, and aren't the people she wants making her medical decisions if anything goes wrong. A friendly nurse points out that a new option has become available in their state: thanks to marriage equality, Bonnie can make Tina her next of kin.<br><br>Tina Harper never thought she'd be getting married at nineteen. In spite of her fear, she wants to be there for Bonnie as best she can. Tina agrees to marry Bonnie so she can protect her.<br><br>As she faces off with Bonnie's family, Tina can only hope Bonnie will come out of surgery wholehearted and ready to live with the decision they've made.

Wholehearted

Tina shrugged. “Whichever one of you can answer…I’m just wondering, what were they trying to accomplish? Bonnie’s parents? They had to have known they wouldn’t really stop us.”


“I’m not sure how logical they are,” Bonnie said.


Willa shook her head shortly. “I bet they’re trying to set up for some sort of challenge. Like a legal challenge or a public opinion challenge.” She glanced at Bonnie, then went on in a matter-of-fact tone. “If something does happen tomorrow during the surgery, they’ll have laid some groundwork to say you’re not really the next of kin.”


Bonnie jerked up straighter. “But she is! The whole point of this was so they couldn’t do that.”


Chapter 17