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

“Don’t tell me you’re still worrying about whether I approve of you.”


“Do the words cold, heartless bastardring any bells with you, Dad? Jesus Christ!”


“Let’s not start fighting again,” Mrs. Ledbetter said. “We have company. Anyway, I agree with Jackie. Tony’s perfect. He’s small, so he won’t eat them out of house and home. He’s blind, so he won’t be running away—if he tries, he won’t get far. Probably run into the nearest stop sign and knock himself out. And he doesn’t talk, so they won’t even know he’s around. What more could you ask of a child? You’ll hardly know he’s there at all.”


“It was very kind of y’all to allow us to have this weekend visit at your house,” I said, trying to change the subject and smooth things over.


Chapter 9