Years have gone by since the death of Noah his special needs son, and Wiley Cantrell realizes it’s time to move on. He and his husband Jackson try to adopt little Tony Gorzola, a deaf boy with HIV who is emotionally traumatized.<br><br>Difficulties quickly set in. Tony is a sweet boy but very damaged by abuse and neglect. And Tony’s mother, in prison, is unwilling to relinquish her parental rights. No sooner do they get the go ahead to foster Tony when another child they had considered becomes available -- the daughter Jackson always wanted.<br><br>With two children on their hands, life is complicated -- wonderfully so. But just as things begin to settle down, Tony, his immune system compromised, falls ill with pneumonia ... and Wiley and Jackson find their little family faced with crisis once again.

Go Tell It on the Mountains

I’m sorry, T-o-n-y. You don’t like people touching you?


Hate! Hate! Hate! No! You…no! No! No! No! You…don’t do! No! Hate! Hate! Hate!


Okay. I’m sorry, T-o-n-y. I won’t do it again. I didn’t know.


He bit at his lip. He was breathing heavily, obviously scared.


He turned to the window, put his hands on the sill. His fingers were shaking.


I crouched down so I wouldn’t seem so big, so intimidating. I waited for a very long minute before Tony finally turned to look at me.


I’m sorry,I said again, making an exaggerated “I’m sorry” face to show him exactly what I meant and that I really was very, very sorry. Tony stared back at me in silence. I waited for him to say something, to do something, to try to communicate, but all he did was stare.


Chapter 3