"Why won't he agree to it? Mom and Dad... agreed, didn't they?"

Ivy had thought that everything would be resolved once their parents approved of the relationship.

"He thinks that he doesn't have much longer to live and doesn't want to drag me down with him," Layla said.

"Oh... I see! Wasn't the surgery a success?" Ivy asked in confusion. "If it was a success, why wouldn’t he have much longer to live?"

"The heart transplant was a success, but his body will reject the foreign organ. He will be on medication for the rest of his life to keep that from happening. No one can tell how long he will live. He might live a full life, and he might not."

Realization dawned on Ivy, and she instantly understood how difficult the situation was.

Ivy naturally wanted Layla to be with the man she loved, but there was always a concern about Eric's physical condition.

"Layla, you still want to be with him considering all that?" Ivy asked.

Layla nodded. "It's just like how you are happy working nigh