Ramifications: Day 6

Word Count: 36,039

Summary of Events:

Dom was finally reintroduced to his mother, who immediately decided that he was going to be staying for a week so that they could have a gala celebration of his return, to his dismay. Lachlan was summoned to Oliver's office only to find out that he'd inadvertently given the package to the wrong person because things hadn't been explained to him thoroughly, and that he was expected to recover the lost product. Dom got reintroduced to his siblings and all of his aunts and uncles, although the introduction was a highly awkward one and he was grateful when they went to their tables while he waited for the moment of his reintroduction to Melbourne society . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

"Sighing, he stared at the fire until a light knock sounded at the door. He got up and opened the door, closing it behind him silently. The room was even darker now, but all the tables were full of guests whose attention was directed to Father and Mama standing under the glare of some particularly bright lights.

"Velcome everyone," Mama said into the microphone Dom could see was trembling from his distance. "Ve have invited you all here tonight to celebrate one of the most vonderful things that has ever happened. Our youngest son, Dominik, has returned."

A large part of the guests startled, quite taken aback by the revelation. Dom didn't blame them; who expected to hear news ten years after a disappearance that the disappeared person had returned, much less was alive?

Patterson waved Dom forward and he walked toward his parents, skirting around the table at which Zane, Tamara, and Victor were seated, and stepped into the brightness and heat of the lights shining on his parents.

Mama gave Dom a kiss on the cheek and the entire gathered assembly rose to their feet and applauded. Dom felt rather uncomfortable.

Once the applause died down Mama began to speak again: "He is currently the director of a homeless shelter in Brisbane, and ve have a very special gift for him ve vill present now."

Father took the microphone. "As the Executive Directors of the Herczeg-O'Shea Charitable Foundation, we would like to donate one million dollars to the Shelter of Brisbane."

Dom startled and stared at them. Had he really heard right?

Father produced a white, corrugated plastic cheque from somewhere by the wall which was printed up with his parents' charitable foundation logo and had the same thing Father had said aloud written on it in whiteboard marker: one million dollars.

It also called the Shelter the Shelter of Brisbane, which was wrong, but Dom couldn't help but reel: a million dollars. What was the Shelter going to do with a million dollars?

Camera flashes popped and only when Mama elbowed Dom behind the cheque did he finally look up toward the mass he could hardly see for the lights blazing at him from overhead.

"Smile Dominik, for heaven's sake," Father hissed.

Dom looked back down at the cheque again, still completely thunderstruck. Was this why God had put everything together like this? So that he'd get this million dollars now? If so, then what did God want him to do with the money? Surely they wouldn't have a million-dollar need show up at the Shelter tomorrow.

Mama elbowed him again and Dom looked up. The photographers wanted him to smile for a better picture.

Dom tried to smile, but — as much as he was happy — he would've much preferred being able to leave the room and call Bethany at once. He had to tell her about this as soon as he possibly could."

Pronunciations:

Herczeg: hersehg