Winning Big

Chapter Fourteen

Dom

Opening the bathroom door, Dom nearly ran into Lake.

“Sorry,” Lake said, stepping back.

Dom shook his head. “It’s fine. What are you doing up so early?”

“I have to pee!” Lake did a little dance.

“Oh! Sorry.” He exited the bathroom as Lake rushed inside before closing the door behind him.

Dom shrugged before he shuffled back to his bedroom. There were only two weeks left until they closed on their new house. Dom had given notice at his apartment and Remi already had someone from the station to rent his house to.

Lake had been the easiest to move. They’d grabbed his stuff in the middle of the night and had him out of the apartment he shared with his brothers in two hours. It had taken all seven of them, but they’d done it.

Lake’s boxes were currently piled into the playroom that had become his own little hideaway. And he was hiding away. Dom was worried about him but hoped moving into the house soon would sooth him.

Dom couldn’t wait.

He was looking forward to being able to get inside the house and start making it a home.

When he’d left his parents’ house, a small part of Dom had thought that they’d just needed to cool down. That they weren’t really kicking him out of the family forever. They were his parents after all.

That hadn’t happened.

As far as Dom knew, even though he lived in the same city that he’d been raised in, his parents had never searched for him.

He didn’t go back to his old neighborhood. Dom couldn’t handle being rejected by more people from his past. He could take care of himself. He’d proven it to himself. Dom just didn’t want to anymore. Now he just wanted to surround himself with people he loved and who loved him.

Remi was already in the kitchen when Dom returned to the bedroom.

He grinned at his clothes being laid out on the neatly made bed.

Dom pulled on his briefs before grabbing the jeans. He had the jeans halfway up his legs when his phone rang from where it was charging on the nightstand.

It wasn’t even daybreak, and someone was calling him?

Everyone he cared about was in the same house as him.

Dom got his jeans up and buttoned before he went for his phone. He didn’t recognize the number on the screen. It was too early for telemarketers, wasn't it?

He picked up his phone and swiped on the screen. “Hello?”

“Dominic?”

“Yes?”

“Hello, Dominic. My name is Anita Beets, from the Las Vegas Methodist transplant hospital.”

Dom nearly lost his breath. “Okay. I mean hello.”

“Mr. Humphry. We have a match.”

Dom’s knees went weak. He collapsed onto the mattress. “A match?”

“A kidney match. We need to get you here. Now. How long will it take to get to the hospital?”

“I have a match?” Dom asked hoarsely. “Who?”

“This is a match to a deceased donor. We are on quite a short timetable here. Are you in town?”

“Yes.”

“Can you come now?”

“Yes.”

She made a soothing sound in the back of her throat. “Is there someone with you? Someone I can give instructions to?”

“Yes.”

“Will you get them for me?”

Dom rose. His knees shook, his hands shook, he didn’t even know how he was walking. He stopped to lean against the doorjamb to his bedroom.

“Remi!” The words barely came out in a whisper.

He was fucking this up!

The bathroom door opened. Lake stepped out before doing a double take. “Dom?”

“Remi,” Dom said desperately.

Lake looked down at the phone in his hand. “He’s in the kitchen. He’s okay.”

Tears fell from his eyes. “Remi. Need…Remi.”

Lake took off running.

Dom sank down, unable to stay on his feet. The doorjamb dug into his back.

Remi crouched in front of him. “Baby? Are you okay?” He gripped Dom’s shoulders tight.

He couldn’t talk though. Dom couldn’t even see from the tears in his eyes. Dom shoved the phone into Remi’s hand.

“Who is this?” Remi barked.

Dom was pulled into Lake’s arms. Lake had somehow ended up on the floor with him.

“It’s okay,” Lake chanted. “It’s okay.”

Dom clung to his friend. Was it? He needed a kidney. Had no hope without a new kidney. Why was he terrified?

“A match,” Remi said. “When? Where?”

“What’s going on?” Ezra’s scared voice came before he dropped down with him and Lake.

“Boys?” Dane was there too.

Dom started to sob harder. He was surrounded by love. Lake, Ezra, and even Brandon were on the ground with him. Dom wiped his eyes. Dane and Eric had their heads together, whispering.

Remi finally hung up the phone.

As a group they all looked up at him.

“Okay.” Remi blew out a deep breath. “We have an hour to get to the hospital and get Dom into surgery for a new kidney.”

Ezra screeched.

Brandon held him tighter.

Lake’s arms tightened.

“Which hospital?” Eric asked.

“Methodist transplant,” Remi provided.

“You get Dom dressed and to the hospital. Lake will go with you. Dane and Brandon will follow with bags for you both. Do we know how long surgery will be?” Eric questioned.

“She said several hours,” Remi said.

“Ezra will get everything worked out at the coffee shop and meet you there. I’ll take care of Annabelle and get her to day care. If you need anything before I get there, text me,” Eric continued.

Remi dropped down in front of him. “You with us, baby?”

“I’m scared,” he confessed.

“I know, baby. We got this though. Your family is with you.”

“I love you all,” Dom said.

“We love you too.” He was hugged, kissed, and before he knew it, Remi was pulling his jeans off and dressing him in sweatpants.

It was a total whirlwind to the hospital. Almost too much was happening for Dom to be able to think or breathe.

A nurse waited for him at the entrance. As soon as Remi said his name, Dom was ushered into a prep room. Given a gown to put on.

Dom’s hands were shaking again.

The curtain was pulled back, and Remi was there.

Dom dropped the gown he was struggling with onto the bed before launching himself at his Daddy.

Remi caught him before lifting him off the ground. “It’s okay. You’re my brave, strong boy. Just keep thinking about me. And our new house. Everything that we have together.”

“I love you.” Dom gripped Remi’s shirt in his hand.

“I love you too, baby.” Remi kissed him gently. “Let’s get you dressed.”

“Okay.” He could do this. Dom was going to do this. There was a man and family that needed him to get through surgery. “Okay.”

* * * * *

Remi

Waiting was the worst.

Dom had been in surgery for just under five hours.

Their family was all with them. Brandon sitting on Dane’s lap, resting his eyes. He would be important in the recovery and had already called into the hospital to take some time off. Ezra was holding Eric’s hand looking almost sick. He was pale with worry. Eric doing his best to keep him calm.

Remi had his arm wrapped around Lake’s shoulder.

It turned out that Lake was very good under pressure.

Lake went for coffee and snacks, making sure they were keeping their energy and spirits up.

The door opened and Remi nearly jumped to his feet.

Jesse Lambert walked in, holding several bags. “Hey.”

“Jesse!” Lake rose. “You made it.”

“Of course I did.” He passed the bags to Eric who also stood. “I brought sandwiches and chips. Has there been any word yet?”

“Not yet,” Remi answered.

“How long will this take?” Jesse gave each boy a side hug before coming toward Remi.

“Between four and six hours,” Brandon said. “Nothing to worry about unless it goes over ten.”

Ezra and Dane were setting out the food on a table in the corner. Each transplant recipient had a private room for their family members. It was quite a nice setup. Better than any hospital waiting room he’d ever been in before.

Jesse grasped his shoulder. “He’s going to be okay.”

“I know that mentally. We just didn’t have any time to prepare. The call came and we had to move so fast. There wasn’t any time to think.”

“I can’t even imagine,” Jesse said quietly.

“Thanks for coming,” Remi said. “I wasn’t sure you got my message.”

“I was trying to wrap a meeting,” Jesse said. “Everything’s cleared for the next few days and longer if need be. The coffee shop is covered, and the boys are good to be with Dom.”

“The world can’t stop for all of us,” Remi said. Even though he didn’t plan to leave Dom’s side.

“It doesn’t have to stop but it can slow down,” Jesse told him.

“Slow down?”

“Nothing must be decided right at this moment. There’s plenty of time to decide what needs to be taken care of right away and what can wait. Let yourself breathe.”

He’d needed to hear that. Those words. Remi nodded.

“Now get something to eat so you can take care of your boy when he gets out of surgery.”

“Bossy.” Remi winked at him.

Jesse smirked. “Just remember that.” He strolled across the room to pull Lake to the side.

Remi watched as Lake blushed but leaned into Jesse when the older man hugged him.

He was certain that their day would come. Lake would open up to Jesse and Jesse would see that there was more to life than making money. All Remi and the rest of them could do was support them until they reached that point.

The door opened and Remi turned.

Dr. Stephens walked in with a smile on his face.

Remi grabbed his chest. Placed his palm over his heart. The heart that his boy owned.

“Everything went perfectly,” Dr. Stephens announced.

Dane caught Remi’s arm as his knees went weak.

It was all going to be okay.

He had his boy.

A job that he loved where he could care for people who needed him.

Family.

Remi was winning big at this thing called life.

* * * * *

Dom

His head was fuzzy, his mouth dry, and Dom was struggling to open his eyes.

“Hey baby.”

Baby? He was baby . He was Remi’s baby. “Daddy?”

“That’s right.”

Dom’s face was cupped. He blinked his eyes open. Remi was leaning over him with a huge smile.

“Hi there, my precious boy.”

The look on Remi’s face was one that Dom would remember for the rest of his life. Dom knew what was going on around him. He’d had surgery. A kidney transplant. The miracle had happened. “It worked?”

Remi’s eyes filled. “It worked baby.”

Dom couldn’t stop the emotions from bursting forward. As he cried Remi sat on his mattress holding him gently.

Honestly, he had given up hope. Or hadn’t had much of it anyway. Dom knew the chances were slim. It had happened though. Dom closed his eyes and even though he didn’t pray and sent a thanks to the donor family.

The nurses had informed Dom that a young man around his age had died in a car accident and they parents had donated their son’s organs. That had to be a heart-breaking decision. For Dom, it was a lifer saving decision. Dom asked if he would be able to see the family but sadly the nurse had shaken her head.

The family could choose for the transplant recipients to reach out by there was a period of time that had to pass first. That was okay with Dom. In the time being he was going to get his life in order.

Dom had an entire new future to look forward to.

The tears soaking Remi’s shirt were those of relief.

He wouldn’t have to leave his friends behind. Dom could stay with Remi. Make plans. Real plans. Like buying the house behind Eric’s so he could stay close with his friends. Lake was going to move in with them even if Dom had to fight Lake’s entire family.

Future.

Yes, Dom could look forward once again.

Maybe Jimmy needed a friend too. Dom had been spending so much time with Remi that his bird might be lonely.

“I want to get Jimmy a friend,” he blurted out.

Remi chuckled as he tightened his arms. “Anything you want.”

Dom let out a watery laugh. “You might not want to tell me that. There is so much that I want.”

Pulling back Remi grinned down at him. “As long as I’m by your side I will make all your wishes come true.”

Dom swallowed hard. “I love you.”

Remi’s eyes widened. “I love you too. I was going to tell you once I got you home. I had a whole scene planned.”

“I don’t need a scene. I just need you.”

“I need you too baby.”

Dom buried his head back into Remi’s chest. Life was good. Almost perfect.