Chapter 138: All of Us

Karl’s birthday party had been an eye-opener for Dominic.

Apparently, he had a family.

He’d simply spent so much time being angry about the family he thought he’d lost that he’d refused to acknowledge the one standing right in front of him.

Andrei had never actually treated him badly.

That realization was somewhat irritating.

His older brother had been firm with him, certainly. He’d taken over Sebastian Group after Dominic was removed as CEO, and they’d disagreed more times than Dominic cared to count.

But Andrei had never gone out of his way to humiliate him.

He’d been fair.

Annoyingly reasonable.

Rather like an older brother, now that Dominic thought about it.

Then there were Carlos and Karl.

Dominic still had the gummy bears he’d won at the birthday party sitting on his kitchen counter. Karl had the old chess set, along with Dominic’s promise to return and teach him how to play.

Andrei had two sons depending on him. Their mother had died after giving birth to Karl, leaving Andrei to raise both boys without her.

Dominic didn’t have children.

The decision suddenly seemed much easier than it had inside that hospital room.

He packed several changes of clothes and whatever else he thought he’d need, then drove back to the hospital.

His father would accept his kidney.

Dominic just had to convince him.

The doctor didn’t seem particularly surprised to see him.

"The treatment plan hasn’t changed," he explained after reviewing Dominic’s file. "Your preliminary testing was favorable, but both you and your father still have to consent. There are also final evaluations that must be completed before we proceed."

"I’m consenting."

"I understand."

"My father is the problem."

The doctor smiled faintly.

"I wasn’t going to say that."

"I will."

The doctor closed the file.

"If your father agrees and the transplant team completes the remaining evaluations without finding a reason not to proceed, we can move forward."

That was enough for Dominic.

Now he merely had to defeat Conrad Sebastian’s pride.

Fortunately, he’d spent most of his life arguing with Victoria.

He had experience.

Dominic found Helena alone later that afternoon.

"I need your help."

Helena looked immediately concerned.

"With what?"

"Dad."

That seemed to explain everything.

Dominic sat across from her.

"I want to donate."

Helena became quiet.

"I thought you weren’t sure anymore."

"I wasn’t."

He thought about Karl grabbing his hand. Carlos calling him Uncle Dominic. Andrei thanking him simply for showing up.

Then he remembered how Andrei had volunteered his own kidney without hesitation.

"I went to Karl’s birthday party."

Helena smiled. "He told me."

"Of course he did."

"He was very excited about the chess set."

Dominic rubbed the back of his neck.

"I realized something while I was there. Andrei has two children who need him. They already lost their mother. If one of us is going to do this and I’m the stronger match anyway, I want it to be me."

Helena studied him.

"This isn’t something you owe your father."

"I know."

"And you don’t owe Andrei either."

"I know that too."

Dominic took a breath.

"I just want the next family gathering to have everyone there."

That silenced her.

"Dad. You. Andrei. Carlos and Karl." Dominic hesitated, then added, "Me."

Helena’s eyes softened.

"I’d like that too."

"Then help me convince him."

She reached across the table and squeezed his hand.

"I will."

Conrad Sebastian eventually discovered that refusing a kidney was considerably easier when only his sons were arguing with him.

Helena was another matter entirely.

Dominic never learned exactly what she said to him in private.

He only knew that by the following morning, his father had finally agreed to speak with the transplant team again.

The remaining evaluations were completed. Risks were explained repeatedly. Consent forms were signed.

Eventually, a date was set.

Andrei was notified.

So was Victoria.

By then, there wasn’t much left to argue about.

Dominic was willing.

Conrad had finally agreed.

The medical team considered the transplant appropriate.

For once, the Sebastian family collectively decided not to make something more difficult than it already was.

On the morning of the surgery, Helena remained with Conrad until the hospital staff came to take him away.

Victoria waited with Andrei, Carlos and Karl.

The boys were eventually taken elsewhere with their sitter once the surgeries began, leaving the adults to do what families had probably been doing in hospital waiting rooms since hospitals were invented.

Wait.

Victoria hated it.

She looked at the clock again.

Andrei noticed.

"It hasn’t moved any faster since the last time you checked."

"I know."

"You checked thirty seconds ago."

"I know that too."

Victoria lowered her eyes to the coffee she’d stopped drinking almost an hour earlier.

Somewhere beyond those doors, Dominic was undergoing surgery to remove one of his kidneys.

Conrad was undergoing another operation to receive it.

One surgery day had somehow given her twice as many reasons to be terrified.

"What if something goes wrong?" she asked quietly.

Andrei didn’t immediately reassure her.

That made Victoria look at him.

He sat forward, elbows on his knees, hands clasped tightly.

For the first time, she realized he was frightened too.

"I’m scared for him," Andrei admitted.

"Your father?"

Andrei glanced at her.

"Both of them."

Victoria looked away.

Of course.

Dominic wasn’t only her son anymore.

Somewhere along the way, despite everything that had happened between them, he’d become Andrei’s younger brother too.

"I almost wished the doctors had chosen you," Victoria admitted.

Andrei raised an eyebrow.

"That’s surprisingly cruel."

She gave him a tired look. "You know what I mean."

"I do."

"If it were you in there, I’d still be worried."

That seemed to surprise him.

Victoria sighed.

"Don’t look so pleased with yourself."

"I wasn’t."

"You were about to be."

The corner of Andrei’s mouth moved.

Then the humor disappeared.

"I wanted to be the donor too."

"I know."

"But Dominic was the stronger match, and the transplant team believed he was the better choice."

Victoria nodded.

Understanding that didn’t make waiting any easier.

After a moment, she said, "I didn’t know what to make of you when you first appeared."

"I noticed."

"You were Conrad’s older son. Suddenly you had his name, his shares, and his company."

"And your son’s job."

"Yes."

There was no point pretending otherwise.

For a long time, Victoria had viewed Andrei as evidence of Conrad’s life before her. Then he’d become Dominic’s rival, Helena’s son, and eventually the man sitting beside her as they waited to hear whether Dominic and Conrad were safe.

It was becoming difficult to think of him as an intruder.

"You’re not quite what I expected," she admitted.

"Is that a compliment?"

"Don’t become greedy."

"Understood."

This time, Victoria almost smiled.

Helena joined them sometime later.

For a moment, the two Mrs. Sebastians looked at each other.

Former and current.

Under any other circumstances, Victoria might have found something appropriately unpleasant to say.

Today, she didn’t have the energy.

Helena sat down several chairs away.

Then they waited together.

Hours later, the doors finally opened.

Everyone stood.

The doctor approached them, still wearing surgical attire.

"The procedures are complete."

Victoria’s hand immediately found Andrei’s arm.

"How are they?"

"Both are stable."

Helena covered her mouth.

Victoria closed her eyes.

For the first time all day, Andrei’s shoulders dropped.

"The donor procedure went well, and Dominic is recovering. Conrad’s transplanted kidney is functioning, but we’ll be monitoring him very closely."

"Can we see them?" Helena asked.

"Not yet. They need time in recovery, and both will be monitored closely before we allow visitors."

That was fine.

Victoria could wait now.

Stable.

That was enough.

Andrei hugged Helena first.

Then, somewhat unexpectedly, Victoria found herself pulled into the embrace too.

She tolerated it for approximately three seconds before complaining.

"All right. That’s enough."

Andrei released her.

Helena was laughing through her tears.

Victoria wiped beneath one eye.

"Don’t start."

Nobody listened.

For once, nobody particularly cared that the Sebastian family no longer fit neatly together.

Conrad had Helena.

Dominic had Victoria.

Andrei had his sons.

And somehow, after years of resentment, divorces, discoveries, and enough family drama to exhaust several therapists, they also had one another.

Carlos and Karl would get their grandfather back.

Karl would get his promised chess lesson.

And Dominic would eventually wake up to discover that donating a kidney did not exempt him from being Uncle Dominic.

The next family gathering wouldn’t look anything like the ones they’d once had.

Maybe that was all right.

At least this time, they could all be there.