A Forever Family

  “I’m praying for her, man.”

  “Thanks. She really appreciated you stopping by to see her. How did that blind date go the other night that Adam set you up with?”

  He looked at me and rolled his eyes. “She was nice and all, but there was no chemistry. She was actually quite boring. I don’t know, man. I think I’m just giving up.”

  “Have you tried a dating site?” I asked.

  “Now you sound like Delilah. She’s been trying to get me to join one.”

  “Do it. It won’t hurt. Or try that speed dating thing.”

  “Nah. I’m just going to stop looking. It’s not worth it anymore. The problem is that all these women know who I am and a majority of them see dollar signs. I’ve played the field for far too long. I don’t want to play anymore. I want the real thing.”

  “Hey, why don’t you take Sophie to the park? Chicks love men and their daughters.”

  “She’s not my daughter.”

  “I know that, but they won’t know that at first.” I chuckled. “Use her as woman bait.”

  “You need to remember who you’re talking about. My niece isn’t your average five-year-old. She’d be on to me and then tell Oliver and Delilah.”

  We got off the treadmill and grabbed some weights. I hated seeing my friend in such a dating funk.

  “You’ll meet her someday. Just like I met Amelia; by accident and by chance.” After lifting a few more weights, we called it a night.

  On my way home, I stopped by the hospital to see Julia. Walking into her room, I found myself surprised that she was alone.

  “Hey, sis.” I gave her a kiss.

  “Hey, little brother.”

  “Where is everyone?”

  “Mom and Dad just left with Brayden and Jake went to get some coffee. Hailey stopped by earlier.”

  “That was nice of her. Was she okay?”

  “She seemed to be.”

  I sat down in the chair next to her bed. “Since it’s just you and me, tell me how you’re really doing?”

  Her lips formed a small smile, but the sadness in her eyes was still there. “I’m scared.”

  I took hold of her hand. “Listen, if you need a kidney, I’m giving you one of mine.”

  “Thanks, Collin, but no. I would never ask you to do that.”

  “You don’t have to ask because I’m doing it anyway regardless of what you say. I’m your brother, so I have to be a perfect match, right?”

  “I’m not sure. I would think so.”

  “Then it’s settled. It’s not fair that I have two kidneys and you have one. That way, if I give you one of mine, then we’ll both be known as the Black siblings who only have one kidney.”

  She laughed. “You’re a dork.”

  “I know.” I winked. “I have to get home to my wife.” I leaned over and kissed her goodbye. “One more night here, sis. Tomorrow, you’ll be home where you belong with your husband and baby.”

  “Bye, little brother. I love you ten times over.”

  “Bye, sis. I love you more twenty times over.” I winked.

  ****

  The next morning, I sat down to a great breakfast that Amelia made before heading to the office.

  “You know. I’m getting used to this whole breakfast thing in the morning. It’s kind of nice. Maybe you should just stay home and not work.”

  She glared at me. “Why? So I could cook your breakfast every morning?”

  “Yeah. Something like that,” I said with a wide grin.

  She threw a piece of bacon at me before sipping her coffee. “If you want a homemade breakfast every morning, then maybe you should hire a maid.”

  I shrugged. “I could, but it wouldn’t be as good. You give your breakfasts a sexy little touch.”

  She rolled her eyes and I chuckled. “I have no response to that, Mr. Black.”

  I looked at my watch and got up from my chair. “I have to go, babe. I’m interviewing drivers this morning.” I bent over and gave her lips a soft kiss. “Damn, you taste good.”

  “I taste like bacon.”

  “And I love bacon.” I winked as I headed to the door.

  I arrived at the office and Ethan followed me in with a cup of coffee.

  “Thanks, Ethan. What time is my first interview?”

  He glanced at his watch. “In about fifteen minutes.”

  “Great. Is my dad in yet?”

  “Yes, and he’s not in a very chipper mood.”

  I frowned. “Hmm. Okay.” I got up from my desk and headed to his office. I lightly knocked on the door, and when I opened it, he was standing with his hands in his pockets, staring out the window.

  “Dad?”

  “Yes, Collin.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  He turned around and I could see the sadness displayed across his face. “Today is the day we get the news about Julia.”

  I slowly walked over to the front of his desk. “I know. But we have it figured out.”

  “What do you have figured out?”

  “If Julia needs a kidney, I’m giving her one of mine.”

  “It just doesn’t work like that, son.”

  “I know, but I’m her brother and we’re made up of the same genetics, so I have to be a match.”

  “I’m proud of you, son, and I wouldn’t expect anything less from you. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens. I’m going to be heading to the hospital soon.”

  “I should go too, Dad.”

  “I need you here, Collin. But I will call you when we find out anything.”

  “Thanks. I have to go. I’m interviewing drivers.”

  The corners of his mouth slightly curved up. “Good luck with that.”

  I interviewed six people and none of them measured up to my expectations. Hell, what were my expectations anyway? I was looking for another Denny and when the applicants weren’t measuring up, it was way too easy to dismiss them. Was I even being fair? Hell if I knew.

  I started to worry about Julia and I was surprised that I hadn’t heard anything yet. Just as I was about to call Amelia, my phone rang.

  “Hey, Dad. Did you hear anything?”

  There was complete silence for a few moments.

  “Dad?”

  “It’s not good news, son. Your sister needs you right now.”

  “I’m on my way.” My heart sank and nervousness settled inside of me.

  Chapter 23

  Julia

  Hearing the words, “I’m sorry, Julia, but your kidney is failing,” was the hardest thing I ever had to hear. I lay on the couch, clutching my son and never wanting to let him go. Even though I knew deep down that this was going to happen, I wasn’t prepared. Could anyone ever be prepared? The doctor told me that I would need to start dialysis right away until they found a donor if I wanted to go ahead with the transplant. Once Collin and Amelia arrived, we had what my dad called a family meeting.

  “Since Julia’s blood type is O, she can only receive a kidney from another blood type O person. Collin, you aren’t type O and neither am I.”

  “But I am.” My mom began to cry. “Unfortunately, because of my two bouts of cancer and the aggressiveness of the last treatment I had, I’m not a candidate.”

  My dad placed his arm around her and pulled her into him. “I called Cassidy and she’s the same blood type as me.”

  “Jake what about you?” Collin asked.

  “I’m type AB.” He slowly shook his head.

  “Amelia?”

  “I’m type A.”

  “How can nobody in this fucking family be type O except for Mom?” Collin yelled. “This is bullshit, Dad.”

  The stress that my family was under wasn’t helping me and I was ready to explode. Brayden began to fuss, so Mason took him from me. “I don’t want a transplant. So I want everyone to stop worrying about me. I’ve made my decision before I even knew what the final outcome was. I have an appointment with the nephrologist in a couple of days. I’ve done my resear
ch and people who are on dialysis live healthy, normal lives. Now if you’ll all excuse me, I’m going to my room. I’m sorry.”

  I carefully got up from the couch and walked down the hall to my bedroom. I just couldn’t take the sadness from everyone anymore. I needed to be alone with my husband and my son.

  ****

  Ellery

  “Julia, wait,” Connor said as he tried to follow her.

  I grabbed hold of his arm. “Let her go, Connor. I know what she’s going through and she needs to be alone for a while. We’ve been doing nothing but hovering over her since the accident.”

  I gave Jake and Brayden each a kiss goodbye and went upstairs to the penthouse. Connor, Collin, and Amelia followed. I walked over to the bar and poured myself and Amelia a glass of wine. Feelings that I never wanted to feel again began to haunt me.

  “Ellery, how can you just walk out on her like that? She needs us.”

  “She needs her husband and her son right now, Connor. Julia is a woman; she’s not a child and we can’t tell her what’s best for her. She needs to figure out what’s best for her on her own.”

  “Like you did?” Connor spat.

  “Julia’s circumstances are different.”

  “Bullshit, Ellery!”

  “Mom. Dad. Please don’t,” Collin spoke.

  “There’s only one cure for this and that’s a transplant. Do you think I want to sit and watch my daughter go through dialysis for the rest of her life?”

  “A transplant isn’t a guaranteed cure, Connor!” I yelled back. “The chance of rejection is greater than it taking.”

  “I’m not discussing this anymore. I’m going upstairs.”

  I set my glass down on the bar as Connor left the room. Collin walked over to me and pulled me into an embrace.

  “I’m sorry, Mom.”

  “It’s okay. Your father is angry and he’ll come around. Why don’t the two of you go home and get some rest?”

  “Are you going to be okay?”

  “I’ll be fine, Collin.” I placed my hand on his cheek.

  As soon as they left, I went upstairs and found Connor sitting on the edge of the bed. Seeing him sitting there like that brought back memories of all those years ago. The pained look on his face, the sadness in his eyes, and the hopelessness that resided in him was unbearable to see again. I sat down and placed my arm around him.

  “I’m sorry, Elle.” He began to cry.

  “Don’t apologize, baby. I know how bad this hurts, but we’ll get through it. Julia will get through it. It’s her decision, Connor. Not ours.”

  “I know, but she’s my baby girl, my princess, and I can’t just stand by and do nothing.” He turned his head and looked at me, bringing his hand up to my face. “I love you and I love our family and I’ll do anything to keep all of you safe.”

  My lips curved into a small smile. “I know, but sometimes there are situations you can’t control. We’re going to stand by Julia’s decision. We’ll be there for her every step of the way and we’ll support her.”

  He leaned over and brushed his lips against mine. He needed me physically just as much as I needed him.

  ****

  Collin

  Climbing into bed, I pulled Amelia into me and kissed the top of her head. I was hurting for my family, especially Julia.

  “I think everyone needs to support Julia’s decision,” Amelia spoke as she ran her hand along my arm.

  “I’ll be honest with you. I don’t know what to think. If Julia can have a better life with a transplant, why the fuck wouldn’t she opt for that?”

  “It’s a hard decision and there’s so many factors involved. Don’t forget, I took care of patients every day. I know what they go through both physically and emotionally. In Julia’s eyes, dialysis is the best option right now.”

  “My dad won’t stop, you know.”

  “He’ll have to. It’s not his decision. Maybe one day, Julia will change her mind.”

  “Maybe.” I sighed. “Good night, baby. I love you.” I gave her a gentle squeeze.

  “Good night, babe. I love you too.”

  The next morning, I stopped at Starbucks before heading to the office. I didn’t get much sleep because my mind was too busy thinking about Julia. I pulled out my phone and called the office.

  “Hey, Ethan. It’s Collin. I’m running late this morning and I’m in a monstrous line at Starbucks. Can I grab you a coffee?”

  “That’s so nice of you. If you wouldn’t mind, I’ll take a grande skinny caramel macchiato with two pumps nut syrup and a dash of cinnamon.”

  “Do me a favor and text that to me.” I chuckled. I shook my head as I ended the call.

  “You sure do look exactly like your father.” I heard a woman’s voice speak from behind.

  I turned my head and it was her, the woman I helped on the street. Staring at her for a few moments, the words my father said replayed in my mind.

  “I know who you are, Ashlyn, and I would appreciate it if you didn’t speak to me, ever. Just go on and pretend you don’t even know who I am.”

  “I’m sure your father has told you all about me, but I can assure you that I’m not that same person I was all those years ago. I have no intention of bothering you or your family.”

  “Then why are you speaking to me? Just go about your business and pretend you don’t know me.”

  “I really don’t know you, but I can tell you’re a very nice man. I never properly thanked you for helping me that day on the street. So thank you. I appreciate it. It’s rare these days that people would stop and help a stranger.”

  “You’re welcome. Now if you’ll excuse me, it’s my turn to order.”

  Grabbing my two cups of coffee, I headed down the street to Black Enterprises. I was faced with the dilemma of whether or not I should tell my dad that I ran into Ashlyn. I decided against it. He didn’t need that added stress. He was already dealing with enough and I didn’t want to make things worse. But it would only be a matter of time when he ran into her himself and I didn’t want to be around when that happened.

  Chapter 24

  Connor

  A couple of weeks had passed and Julia started her dialysis. She had asked that we didn’t come right away the first day since she was going to be there a few hours and she only wanted Jake there. Ellery and I had taken Brayden for a while until we went to the hospital to relieve Jake. When we walked in, a sick feeling overtook me. The blue reclining chairs lined up against the wall. The machines. The I.V. poles that were placed in each section reminded me all too much of when Ellery was getting chemo. If this was this hard for me, I could only imagine what Ellery thought. I swallowed hard as I saw my princess sitting there, reclined back in the chair hooked up to a machine. Tears began to fill my eyes and I needed to get a hold of myself. I couldn’t fall apart on her.

  “Hey, princess.” I smiled as I kissed her head and handed her Brayden.

  “Hi, Daddy. Hi, Mom.” Ellery bent down and gave her a kiss, grabbing hold of her hand and holding it tight.

  “How are you doing, baby?” I asked with concern.

  “I’m doing fine, Dad. Stop worrying about me.”

  “That’s the problem, princess. I’ll never stop worrying about you.”

  She gave me a small smile and sat Brayden on her lap.

  Jake, I’m going to get some coffee. Why don’t you come with me?” I spoke.

  He followed me out of the room and I stopped in the middle of the hall and looked at him. “I know how you’re feeling right now and it’s okay.”

  “It’s so hard watching her go through this, Connor. I don’t know how strong I am.”

  I placed my hand on his shoulder. “You’re a lot stronger than you think. One of the hardest things I ever had to do was watch Ellery go through the most horrific treatments of her life. The pain, the screams, the crying, the doubt. It was so much to handle and, at times, I didn’t think I was going to make it through. But then, I would look at her an
d just think about how much I loved her and my strength pulled us through. Julia needs you to be her strength.”

  “I know and I promise I will be.”

  “If you ever just want to talk and let everything out, you know where to find me.”

  “Thanks.” He smiled.

  Julia had another hour and a half left and I desperately wanted to be alone with my daughter. Brayden was crying on and off and he looked so tired.

  “Jake, take him home and put him down for a nap,” Julia spoke.

  “I don’t want to leave you, baby.”

  I looked at Ellery. “Since Julia only has about an hour and a half left, why don’t you go with Jake and help with Brayden. I’ll bring Julia home when she’s finished.”

  She knew exactly why I wanted her to leave and she was more than happy to oblige.

  “Come on, Jake. Let’s get this little guy settled and get things ready around the apartment for when Connor brings Julia home.”

  Jake leaned over, gave Julia a kiss goodbye, and then left with Ellery. I took hold of my daughter’s hand.

  “How are you doing?”

  “I’m doing fine, Daddy. Please don’t worry about me.”

  “Did I ever tell you about the time that I went to your mother’s first chemo treatment?”

  “No.” She grinned. “But somehow, I think it’s a hell of a story.”

  “Your mom and I weren’t seeing each other anymore and I had sent Denny to follow her to see where she went, what she did, but most importantly, that she was okay.”

  “So you had Denny stalk Mom?”

  “Yes. I did, and I’m not ashamed to admit it.”

  Julia laughed as she interlaced our fingers. “Go on. I’m dying to hear the rest of it.”

  “I found out that she decided to do the chemo treatments and I showed up at the hospital, this same hospital, in fact, and she was not happy to see me. She was such a smart ass. I can remember it like it was yesterday. Her attitude sucked and she gave me so much grief. She tried to kick me out numerous times, but I wasn’t going anywhere and she wasn’t telling me otherwise. When her first treatment was over, I took her home and made her pack because I didn’t want her staying in that box of an apartment by herself. She told me that she wasn’t my charity case and to know that she felt that way really hurt me. But ultimately, she packed a bag and stayed briefly at the penthouse. One day, I was in my office and I heard her whimpering upstairs. When I went up to check on her, I found her lying in the hallway, curled up in a ball and crying. She was in so much pain that she wouldn’t let me touch her. I felt so helpless. Finally, she told me to pick her up and get it over with. When I did, she screamed and cried. That is one day I’ll never forget. A few days later, I said some things I shouldn’t have out of anger and she left and went to California without as so much as a word.”