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

Very reverently, he put the first teddy bear on his bed next to his old one, and then he turned back to Jackson, took the stuffed character from his hand and examined him, a smile playing about on his lips. He traced a finger over the circumference of the minion’s single eyepiece. He seemed fascinated by this little one-eyed monster in overalls.


He continued to examine the one-eyed character, seemed lost in thought, almost unaware of our presence. We watched him in silence. Eventually he put the stuffed fella on the bed next to his two teddies, then spent a long while looking at them, lining them up so that they all lay perfectly straight.


Do you want to show us your playroom?I asked.


Heather had suggested we take Tony to the playroom to see how he interacted with other kids who were playing there.


Chapter 37