Page 15 of Sebastian.

“You know, Seb came here only to tell me face-to-face that he won't be attending the wedding.” I tilt my champagne glass back, taking a long drink. “Knowing that, how can you say that things will be alright?”

My brother watches me empty my champagne glass and takes it from my hand, replacing it with the full one he had clearly intended for himself. I take it nonetheless and sip as he answers my question.

“I’ve seen the two of you make it through so many situations that would have destroyed any other marriage, and yet you’ve survived. So, I think this is just an exceptionally large bump in the road. He can’t be a stubborn prick forever, after all.”

I huff a reluctant laugh. “We will see. He might prove us all wrong and be that way until the end of time.”

A smile pulls at the corner of Alex’s mouth, but then his voice is more serious when he tells me, “For the sake of you and your children, I hope that’s not the case, Julia.”

I feel vulnerable when I breathe, “Yeah, me too.”

Alex pulls me into a hug when I finish his glass of champagne, and while he doesn’t hold me tightly, he also doesn’t complain about the wet spot my tears leave on his suit jacket when I pull away. That's what older brothers are for, after all—to be a shoulder to cry on.

* * *

I’ve made my way over to a throng of guests, engaging in the most surface level conversation as possible to pass the time, simply waiting to see my son and his new wife before I’m free to lock myself in my room. The idea of shutting myself away makes me feel like a teenager again, but I’m past the point of caring. All the high emotions have me exhausted.

My sisters are hovering around here somewhere, but I don’t want to rehash any of today's events with my husband. Letting my thoughts drift, I look through the crowd and spot Gabi talking to Elise and Dan. It’s an odd combination, and I know there are only two things they could possibly be discussing—the case against Karl, or the charges that have been dropped against Roxanne.

Those cases and charges rank second on my list of things I'm tired of discussing this evening, but there’s no avoiding it once Gabi catches sight of me. I may as well get it out of the way now. After excusing herself, she walks in my direction, her knowing eyes filled with concern.

“Why isn't Sebastian here?” she asks gently, as if aware of the storm of emotions swirling inside me. The question catches me off guard, since I was so sure we were going to have more legal talk. I look around quickly, hoping that no one else heard her, and motion my friend to leave the tent and go over to a more secluded part of the gardens.

We reach a small fountain, the tinkling of the water hopefully providing enough white noise to keep anyone from hearing our conversation. I sit on its concrete rim, and sigh. “He doesn't approve of the union, so he didn't want to attend.” The reality of the situation still feels surreal, and I find it hard to accept that the man I married could be so adamant in his disapproval of our son.

Gabi's empathy is evident as she replies, “That’s what I assumed. I’ve seen the lengths that Seb went to just to try and tarnish Roxanne’s reputation, so it’s no wonder he doesn’t want to admit defeat. Stupid, stubborn man.” Her words strike a chord within me, as they reveal the depth of Sebastian's determination to undermine this marriage. The thought of him going to such lengths to oppose Andries and Roxanne's union pains me deeply, and I regret being a part of it, even if my only role was to hide Sebastian's involvement from Andries.

My old friend lowers herself next to me as she speaks, sweeping her skirt out of the way as she does so. “Look, Julia,” Gabi continues, her tone becoming more serious and formal. “We’ve got quite a few people ready to testify against Karl if your son and daughter decide they want to get rid of him for good. This is a golden chance, I don’t know if we will ever have one like it again.”

The offer takes me by surprise, and my mind whirls with conflicting thoughts. Part of me yearns for closure, to sever the ties that bind our family to Karl's dark influence. But another part of me fears that pursuing this path will only deepen the chasm between Sebastian and us. We can never undo the truth of Karl’s parentage, all we can do is hope it stays concealed from him.

“That's what you were talking about with Elise?” I inquire, hoping to gain some insight into my daughter's involvement in this.

“Yes, she's aware of the entire situation since Sebastian was using her to spy on her brother,” Gabi reveals, and a sense of protectiveness surges within me. I never wanted my children to be pawns in our battles, and the fact that Sebastian used Elise to gather information only adds to my dismay.

“Oh, gosh, Gabi,” I sigh, my heart heavy with the weight of my choices. “Sebastian would rather drop this whole thing and leave it in the past. I don’t know what to do. I want Karl gone, more than you can ever know, but….” Even as I utter those words, doubt gnaws at me. What I want is clear—Karl out of our lives for good. On the other hand, I want my husband back, and I want him to be the man I’ve believed him to be through our whole marriage: A loving, loyal, husband and father. If I go behind his back and eliminate Karl, it might lead to a divorce since that would mean Sebastian broke his father's deathbed promise.

Gabi's eyes widen with surprise. “Did you just say in the past? It's literally making headlines as we speak. Karl is a very public figure now. If you want, we can make sure he's dealt with,” she suggests, her voice laced with conviction. Sometimes it still takes me off guard that my lighthearted friend is such a seasoned prosecutor. Though my currently turbulent emotions don't exactly align with my profession, it is what it is.

I find myself torn between the allure of putting an end to the case and the knowledge that Sebastian's loyalty to Karl runs deep. Leaning back on the fountain edge, I let out a heavy sigh. “I don’t think you get it, Gabi. Sebastian is very protective of Karl…I’m almost positive he’d never want him put into prison. Let's just drop the case once and for all,” I respond, trying to push away the turmoil bubbling within me.

Gabi's reassuring touch on my hand offers some comfort amidst the chaos. “I will leave it open for a few weeks, to give it time for the media frenzy to calm down.” Her voice is gentle and understanding, just as familiar as it’s always been. She’s such a good friend to me. “Then you tell me if you still want to drop it.”

“That would be great. Thank you, Gabi.” I exhale in relief. At least this is one problem I don’t need to worry about right this second.

“You’re welcome. But can I ask you a question?” I nod, and Gabi continues, “Are you and Seb…well, are the two of you okay?”

Shifting our focus to the state of my relationship with Sebastian, the heaviness in my heart becomes almost suffocating. “No, we aren't okay,” I admit, my voice tinged with sadness. There isn’t anyone else in the world I would open up to right now, but Gabi has done so much for me lately that there is no way I can keep all of this from her. She deserves my honesty. “I moved out of the family house and came back here because of our recent arguments. It's obvious his loyalty now lies with Karl rather than with me….”

My friend’s concern is palpable, and I appreciate her willingness to listen. She leans into me, shoulder to shoulder, just like we would on the benches back at college all those years ago. “Why is he so protective of Karl though?” she asks, curious. “Isn't he just an employee or something?”

I hesitate for a moment, my mind racing with conflicting thoughts. “Unfortunately, no. They are much closer than that. They are like...well, like brothers, you know?” The weight of my words hangs in the air, the unspoken truth of their bond piercing my heart. Gabi has no idea that they aren’t just like brothers, that Karl and Sebastian are actually half brothers, and I have no intention of telling her, either. I just want to be as close to truthful with her as I can, and this is the best I can do.

It pains me to admit that their bond seems unbreakable, leaving me feeling like an outsider in my own marriage. How can it be this way when Karl himself doesn’t even know that he and Sebastian share a father? The realization is difficult to swallow, but I can't deny the reality staring me in the face.

“Julia…” Gabi begins as she looks me in the eye. “I know the two of you have been married for ages, and you’ve got all these kids, but…”

As Gabi continues speaking, my gaze and my mind starts to drift. I’m still holding on to the thread of our conversation until I see two figures strolling through the garden, close enough together that it makes my hair stand on end. It’s Hannah, fifteen year old Hannah, walking with Johan. He has his hands stuffed in his pockets, his suit jacket gone and the top button of his shirt undone. Hannah has her head tilted back, laughing at something Johan says, before she goes back to giving him her full, rapt attention, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear absentmindedly. Oh, no. She’s flirting with him, and from my experience as a mother and a once-teenage girl, I can tell, without a doubt, that she’s totally smitten.

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