Chapter One Hundred Seventy-Six: The Doctor
Samuel saved a life.
It happened on a rainy Tuesday in March. He was working in the emergency room, as he had done every day for the past five years. A young woman was brought in, barely breathing, her heart barely beating.
Samuel worked for hours. He didn't stop. He didn't rest. He just kept going.
And in the end, the young woman lived.
---
Lina heard the story from Lily.
"Mama," Lily said, her voice full of pride. "Samuel saved someone. A young woman. She was dying, and he saved her."
Lina's eyes filled with tears.
"That's wonderful," she said. "I'm so proud of him."
---
The family celebrated.
The penthouse was filled with people—Victoria and Victor and Katherine, David and his half-siblings, Lily and Jake and Grace, Leo and Maya and Stella and Daniel and Eleanor, Clara and Michael and Melody, Emily and Hope, friends and neighbors and the particular chaos of a family that had something to celebrate.
Samuel stood in the middle of the living room, his smile bright.
"I didn't do it alone," he said. "I had a team. Nurses. Technicians. Other doctors."
"But you led them," Grace said.
Samuel shrugged. "I did my job."
Lina hugged him.
"You did more than your job," she said. "You saved a life."
---
The young woman came to visit.
Her name was Sarah. She was twenty-five years old, with kind eyes and a shy smile.
"Thank you," she said to Samuel. "You gave me a second chance."
Samuel's eyes filled with tears.
"You're welcome," he said.
Sarah hugged him.
Lina watched and cried.
---
That night, Lina sat on the couch with Ethan.
The penthouse was quiet. The family was gone. The memories remained.
"How do you feel?" Ethan asked.
"Full," Lina said. "Not from the food. From... everything. From watching him. From seeing him shine."
Ethan put his arm around her. "He gets it from you."
"Get what?"
"The compassion. The dedication. The ability to help people."
Lina leaned into him. "He gets it from you too."
"Maybe. Or maybe he gets it from himself. Maybe he's just who he's supposed to be."
Lina thought about that.
She thought about Grace, the astronaut. Stella, the scientist. Clara, the dancer. Samuel, the doctor. Eleanor, the dreamer. Aurora, the stargazer. Melody, the musician. All of them perfect, just as they were.
"I can't wait to see who they become," Lina said.
Ethan kissed her forehead.
"Neither can I," he said.
---
End of Chapter One Hundred Seventy-Six