The hospital room was silent, except for the soft beep of the machine and the drip droplets.
Alicia's eyes open slowly. Her vision was blurry at first, but the soft beeping of the machine and the slight pain she felt on her tummy reminded her she wasn't home. She blinked a few more times, trying to be in charge of her breath. Her body felt weak and heavy, but she was alive.
"Hey… you're awake," Amaya said, sitting up from the chair in the corner of the bed. Her voice came out as a whisper as she stood and moved closer. "Thank God. I thought you wouldn't wake up, you scared me."
Alicia smiled faintly, her lips dry and ashy. "I'm okay."
She carefully sat on the bed, brushing a strand of hair from Alicia's face. "You scared me."
Alicia's voice was still not audible. "Where's Maya?"
"She's with your sister. Becky brought her here earlier, but I told her to take Maya home to rest. It was too much for her."
Alicia nodded slowly. Her eyes went to the drip beside her. "Is Lucas… okay?"
Amaya hesitated. "He's recovering. The transplant was successful. They moved him to a separate room last night."
She closed her eyes for a moment, her chest rising slowly. "Good."
Amaya reached for her hand and held it gently. "You shouldn't have done it, Ali. But… you did. And I respect you for that."
******
8 days later, Alicia was discharged.
Lucas helped her gently into the house, one hand around her waist, the other holding her bag. She was still weak, but stronger than before.
To her surprise, the living room was filled with the scent of something sweet, the fragrance was that of a familiar one. On the couch sat a man in his late fifties, tall, bearded, with sharp features that resembled Lucas.
"Dad," Lucas said, dropping the bag and helping Alicia to sit.
Mr. David stood, his eyes resting on Alicia. "You're finally home."
Alicia smiled faintly. "Yes, Dad. How was your trip? Didn't know you were back."
Mr. David walked closer and held her hand with both of his. His voice was calm, deep. "I just got back from London this morning. Lucas told me everything. This son of mine hid such major surgery from me for such a long while."
Alicia tried to sit up straighter. "I just did what I thought was right."
"No," Mr. David said firmly, "what you did was beyond right. It was rare, I have no doubt now that you are meant for my son."
Lucas looked down, saying nothing, he had nothing to say, his father's presence always had a way of intimidating him..
"You gave him a second chance at life. You gave my son a second chance," Mr. David continued. "I'll never forget that, and I'm sure he wouldn't either."
Alicia blinked fast to fight back the tears.
At that moment, the front door opened.
Becky walked in, holding Maya by the hand. The little girl rushed in, screaming happily, "Mommy!"
Alicia opened her arms, and Maya jumped into them. "My baby," she whispered, holding her tight.
Lucas stepped back and gave them space. Becky stood by the door, watching the scene. Her jaw tightened slightly as her eyes moved toward her sister, sitting on the couch, looking fragile but surrounded by affection. She masked her anger with a smile.
Mr. David turned to Becky. "Thank you for looking after Maya."
Becky forced a smile. "Of course, Uncle."
Lucas walked over to Alicia and kissed her forehead. "You need to lie down. I'll take Maya upstairs."
"Okay."
Becky's eyes were red with envy, but she had gotten so used to masking her feelings and true identity.
She watched as Lucas carried Maya gently, whispering something that made the little girl giggle.
Mr. David sat beside Alicia and began telling her stories about Lucas as a child, smiling fondly and laughing softly. The living room felt warm again, like it hadn't in years.
Becky stood there, arms folded.
It should have been me, she thought. I've always been the one he wanted.
But now, Lucas wasn't even looking at her.
***********
The next morning, the house phone rang.
Mr. David had left earlier to attend a quick business meeting across town. Alicia was still in bed, and Lucas was preparing Maya for school.
The call came through the landline.
"Hello?" Lucas answered casually.
There was a long pause on the other end. Then a voice spoke like it had been rehearsing the words for days.
"Is this the David residence?"
"Yes, this is Lucas David. Who's this?"
"This is St. Luke Hospital. I'm afraid… there's been an accident."
"What?"
"Mr. Benjamin David. He was involved in a car crash. He was brought in this morning, and it is a critical one, if I must say. You need to come quickly."
He didn't hear anything else.
The phone dropped from his hand, and he rushed upstairs.