Chapter 137: Uncle Dominic

Dominic received an invitation to a birthday party.

A children’s birthday party.

He stared at the invitation for several seconds before checking the sender again.

Andrei Sebastian.

Is this a joke?

Apparently not.

Karl Sebastian was turning seven, and his father had decided that Uncle Dominic belonged on the guest list.

The invitation requested an RSVP.

Dominic spent several minutes considering whether attending his half-brother’s son’s birthday party would be awkward enough to qualify as another therapy topic.

Then again, Conrad and Helena were still at the hospital. His father remained under treatment while they sorted through his options, and Helena was obviously staying with her new husband.

That left Andrei handling his children largely on his own.

His older son, Karlos, was already old enough to understand why his grandparents couldn’t be there. Karl probably understood too, although seven seemed far too young to have your birthday rearranged around your grandfather’s failing kidneys.

Dominic looked at the invitation again.

Why not?

He sent his response.

Attending.

Then came the considerably more complicated problem.

What did one buy for a seven-year-old nephew he’d barely met?

Fortunately, Karl had a wish list.

Unfortunately, it only confused Dominic further.

Educational books.

A bicycle, even second-hand.

Preloved toys in good condition.

Dominic frowned.

Was Andrei teaching his son to shop at thrift stores before he’d even reached the third grade?

Or was this secretly preparation for a garage sale?

Then Dominic reconsidered.

Maybe Andrei was simply teaching his sons that things they would quickly outgrow didn’t always need to be new. If something still worked and another child could enjoy it, why waste it?

That was annoyingly sensible.

Dominic eventually found an old chess set he hadn’t touched in years. The wooden board was still in excellent condition, and every piece was still in its box.

He wrapped it.

Then, because Dominic Sebastian apparently didn’t trust himself to attend a seven-year-old’s birthday party without a backup plan, he bought Karl a new illustrated science book too.

If Andrei had been joking about the preloved gifts, Dominic refused to be the only idiot who fell for it.

The following weekend, Dominic dressed simply.

A light shirt, comfortable trousers and shoes appropriate for spending several hours around children who might or might not understand the concept of personal space.

He changed his watch before leaving.

His hand had automatically reached for the one Alexander had given him years ago.

Dominic stopped.

Then he selected another.

He was getting better at that.

Andrei’s home was somewhere Dominic had never visited before.

When he arrived, several cars were already parked outside. Children’s voices carried from the backyard, along with music and the unmistakable sound of someone yelling that somebody else had cheated.

So much for a quiet family gathering.

Dominic picked up his gifts.

Before walking toward the house, he counted.

Inhale.

Exhale.

By the time he reached the entrance, his shoulders had relaxed.

Andrei opened the door.

For a second, the brothers simply looked at each other.

Then Andrei smiled.

"Come in. I’m glad you came."

Dominic wasn’t entirely sure what he’d expected, but that wasn’t bad.

A small boy appeared beside Andrei and immediately wrapped himself around his father’s leg.

Andrei looked down.

"Karl, this is Uncle Dominic."

Uncle Dominic.

That was new.

Dominic crouched so they were closer to eye level.

"Happy birthday, Karl."

Karl stared at him, curious.

Dominic lifted the presents.

"Where do you want these?"

Karl pointed toward a table already covered with colorful packages.

"Over there."

Then he grabbed Dominic’s trouser leg.

"I’m seven."

"So I’ve heard."

Karl held up seven fingers anyway, apparently deciding documentary evidence was necessary.

Dominic couldn’t help smiling.

"Very impressive."

The boy immediately took his hand.

"Come eat."

Apparently, introductions were over.

As Karl dragged him toward the backyard, Dominic noticed an older boy approaching.

Andrei called after them.

"Karlos, come say hello to your uncle."

Karlos was more reserved than his younger brother, but he greeted Dominic politely.

"Hi, Uncle Dominic."

There it was again.

Twice in less than five minutes.

Dominic looked toward Andrei.

His half-brother merely smiled, then returned to his guests.

Andrei’s wife had died after giving birth to Karl, leaving him to raise both boys without her. Now Helena and Conrad, who would’ve been the grandparents at the party, were at the hospital too.

Yet Andrei had still made sure Karl had his birthday.

And apparently, he’d decided Dominic could help fill one of the empty spaces around the table.

Dominic reached for a glass of juice.

For once, the alcoholic drinks sitting farther down didn’t interest him.

The party was simple.

There was food, cake, balloons, and enough children running across the yard to make Dominic wonder how Andrei remained sane.

Then the emcee announced a game involving adults.

Dominic immediately became suspicious.

"No."

Karl grabbed his hand.

"Yes."

"I don’t even know what the game is."

"You have to win."

That was unreasonable pressure from a seven-year-old.

The game turned out to be painfully simple. Each adult had to balance a small plastic ball on a spoon and walk around a short obstacle course without dropping it.

Dominic looked at the other participants.

"This is humiliating."

Karlos, standing nearby, grinned.

"Dad lost last year."

Andrei pointed at him. "Nobody asked you."

Dominic accepted the spoon.

Fine.

If he was going to do this, he was going to win.

Apparently, years of corporate competition and expensive education had finally prepared Dominic Sebastian for his greatest challenge.

Walking carefully while carrying a plastic ball on a spoon.

Andrei dropped his halfway through.

Dominic didn’t.

When he crossed the finish line first, Karl screamed as though his uncle had just won an Olympic medal.

"I told you!"

Dominic was handed his prize.

A tiny packet of gummy bears.

He stared at it.

"This is what I won?"

Karl nodded enthusiastically.

Dominic looked at Andrei.

His half-brother was laughing.

"You seem disappointed."

"I worked very hard for this."

"Treasure it."

Dominic put the gummy bears into his pocket.

"I intend to."

Later, Karl opened his presents.

The science book received immediate approval.

Then came the old chess set.

Karl opened the wooden box and stared at the pieces.

"Was this yours?"

"Yes."

"You played with it?"

"A long time ago."

Karl picked up a knight.

"Can you teach me?"

Dominic hesitated.

Then he smiled.

"Sure."

"Today?"

"Maybe after your party."

Karl seemed satisfied with that.

Across the room, Dominic caught Andrei watching them.

"Thank you for coming," Andrei said quietly when Karl ran off again.

Dominic shrugged. "He invited me."

"I invited you."

"Karl seems to have taken over."

"He does that."

Andrei looked toward his sons.

"I wanted you to meet them properly."

Dominic followed his gaze.

Karlos was helping his younger brother arrange his presents while several other children crowded around them.

For years, Dominic had thought of Andrei mainly as the brother who appeared from nowhere and took the position that had once belonged to him.

He hadn’t spent much time thinking about Andrei as a father.

Or Karlos and Karl as his nephews.

"I’m glad you invited me," Dominic admitted.

Andrei smiled.

"So am I."

Dominic drove home with a packet of gummy bears sitting on the passenger seat.

It hadn’t been his birthday.

The party hadn’t been lavish, and nobody important had been there to photograph it for society pages.

Conrad and Helena had been absent because they were still at the hospital. Karl’s mother could never be there.

Yet the empty places hadn’t made the party feel empty.

Karlos had called him Uncle Dominic.

Karl had held his hand, ordered him to win a children’s game, and made him promise to teach him chess.

Dominic had spent so much time mourning the family he’d lost that he hadn’t noticed another part of it slowly making room for him.

At the next red light, he picked up his phone.

He messaged Andrei, then put it down again.

Thank you for inviting me. I had fun.

The reply arrived before the light changed.

Karl wants to know when you’re coming back to teach him chess.

Dominic smiled.

Tell him his uncle needs time to prepare. I have a reputation to protect.

This time, Andrei replied immediately.

He’s seven.

Dominic looked at the message.

Then he looked at the gummy bears beside him.

Exactly. That was why losing would be completely unacceptable.

Dominic put down his phone before the green light appeared.