Just then, the thought of Sarah, the little girl suffering from leukaemia, popped into my mind. Still in his embrace, I looked up to his cold face before calling out his name. “Garrett…” he looked down at me, his eyes filled with questions. “Am I permitted to bring strangers home?” My question fell on deaf ears. “I have a little friend. Her name is Sarah. I would love her to come visit me and stay for 3 days,” I added, hoping to sway him with the innocence of a child.

Garrett’s ...