All Chapters of After I Died, He Truly Panicked: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

Regina’s POVMia’s fingers were finally warm against mine. For the first hour after surgery, they’d been cold and pale, making my heart clench every time I touched them.Now her circulation was returning to normal, and her monitors showed stable kidney function.I hadn’t left her bedside since they’d wheeled her back from surgery four hours ago. The recovery room chair was uncomfortable plastic that made my back ache, but I couldn’t bring myself to move even long enough to stretch.“Mommy, my mouth is dry,” Mia whispered, her voice hoarse from the breathing tube.“Here, sunshine.” I held the cup of ice chips to her lips, letting her suck on a few small pieces. “Better?”“Much better. Thank you.”Alexander was sleeping in the next room, recovering from his own surgery. Mother and Lindsay had gone to the cafeteria an hour ago, promising to bring back real food instead of the stale hospital sandwiches we’d been surviving on.The recovery wing was quiet machines and the occasional footste

Regina’s POVThe bathroom floor was cold against my knees. I’d been crouched behind the locked door for twenty minutes, listening to my daughter charm her biological father with her innocent conversation.Maxwell’s voice drifted through the thin door, gentle and warm as he spoke with Mia. Nothing like the cold anger I remembered from five years ago. Nothing like the man who’d ordered doctors to cut my baby from my body.The irony twisted something deep in my chest. Maxwell’s charitable donations had literally saved Mia’s life.The dialysis machines keeping her stable before surgery, the surgical equipment used for her transplant, even the recovery room monitors—all of it funded by the man who’d tried to destroy her before she was born.And now his presence threatened to destroy everything I’d built to protect her.Through the crack under the door, I could see Ivan’s small feet as he moved closer to Mia’s bed. The two children had connected instantly at the playground, and now Ivan was

Maxwell’s POVThe car ride back home was quiet except for Ivan’s constant stream of questions about Mia. He sat in his booster seat behind me, small hands pressed against the window as he watched the city pass by.“Is Mia going to be completely better now, Daddy?”“The doctors think so, buddy. Her uncle gave her a healthy kidney, and her body seems to be accepting it well.”“That was really nice of her uncle.”“Yes, it was. Very brave of him.”Ivan was quiet for a moment, then: “Why did she look so tired? Even when she was smiling?”“Surgery is hard on the body, especially for children. It takes time to recover completely.”“But she’ll be able to play on swings again?”The question made me think of Mia’s mom’s explanation at the playground about Mia’s stomach bug. Now I understood why the little girl had needed help with activities that should have been easy for a five-year-old.“I think she’ll be able to do lots of things she couldn’t do before,” I said.Morgana, who’d been unusually

Regina’s POVThe closet was stifling. I pressed my face against the door, listening to Ivan’s excited chatter about the new books he’d brought for Mia. Their friendship made my chest ache with longing and terror.Fifteen minutes. That’s how long Maxwell and Ivan stayed this time. Fifteen minutes of me crammed into a space meant for linens and medical supplies while my daughter entertained her half-brother and biological father.When their voices finally faded down the corridor, I stumbled out of the closet on unsteady legs.“That was close,” Lindsay whispered.Too close. I was nearly exposed.“Mom, look!” Mia said to me, arranging the new books Ivan had brought. “Ivan brought me three new books and a puzzle box. He said next time he might bring colored pencils.”Next time. The assumption that there would be a next time made my stomach clench.“That’s very thoughtful of him,” I said, settling into the chair beside her bed. “You’re lucky to have such a good friend.”“He’s the best frien

Morgana’s POVI found Maxwell in his study, surrounded by empty boxes and scattered photographs. Dust covered his dark shirt, and his hair was disheveled from running his hands through it. The expression on his face made my stomach clench.He’d been in the attic.“Where is everything?” he demanded, holding up a nearly empty photo album. His voice was deadly quiet. “Where are Regina’s things?”I set my purse down carefully, buying time to think. This confrontation had been inevitable since I’d cleaned out those boxes three days ago.“I was protecting you,” I said calmly. “You’ve been torturing yourself ever since you learned what happened to Regina at that facility. I couldn’t watch you destroy yourself over someone who’s still betraying you.”“You had no right.” Maxwell stood up slowly, the photo album slipping from his hands to crash against the floor. “Those were my memories. My choice.”“Your choice was killing you.” I stepped closer, keeping my voice steady and reasonable. “Maxwel