ELEVEN
Sternberg Center for Cancer Cures
Kansas City, Kansas
Thomas returned to his lab with Soledad in tow, sipping a smoothie from a drive-through and with her hair still wet from her after-school swim practice. He cherished the time he had with her, even if much of it was simply taking her to and from school and all her activities. He treasured every minute of it, doing everything he could to catch up on all the time he’d lost during her childhood. And he felt guilty he had to work so much, which meant Sol often had to do her homework in his lab or office while he finished medical charting or finalizing his CUTR gene therapy plans for kids with cancer. But they made sure to always eat dinner together—even when it was often takeout in the lounge. They’d fallen into a rhythm, and Thoma
