Page 56 of Nolan (The Doherty Mafia)
“Welcome back to the family, my son, and the next time you have a problem, you come to me directly.”
I felt Amelia weaving her fingers with mine as we stood beside each other. She beamed up at me and I couldn’t stop myself from smiling either.
It felt like a new beginning with my family. It was a new beginning with her, and it was better than I expected.
Twenty-Nine
Nolan
Six months later
I woke up to find the bed empty beside me. Since that day six months ago when Amelia and I returned to my apartment hand-in-hand after meeting with the rest of my family—I had never woken up in the morning without her.
So it scared the shit out of me.
I jumped out of bed with a start, calling out her name, but there was no answer. Her side of the bed was empty so she must have been gone for a while.
The first thought that entered my head was a flashback of that morning I’d woken up to find her gone. The time she spied on us, then later, she’d orchestrated us meeting at the tattoo parlor. She went so far as to get a tattoo on her foot just to help Aldo.
“Amelia!” I thundered her name as I checked the kitchen, the bathrooms and living rooms and all the spare rooms. Of course, she had no reason to be anywhere other than in the bed beside me.
I’d trusted her blindly for the past six months. There was never any doubt in my mind that she’d always be true to me. She was my woman now. Our life was together.
But where could she have disappeared to right now? It was still early in the morning, too early for the classes she had started taking last month.
Just as I’d returned to the bedroom to put on some clothes and go looking for her, I found a note lying on the kitchen counter. It was in her handwriting.
Gone to the hospital
That was all it said. I cursed under my breath. Which hospital had she gone to and why? If there was something wrong, why hadn’t she woken me up?
I ran to the bedroom and hurriedly put on my clothes. My mind raced with thoughts of what might have happened to her. I had no idea she had felt sick.
Amelia Amelia Amelia…
And then my phone rang. It was her.
“Where…what the fuck is going on?” I growled, gunning for the door. I wanted to be with her, wherever she was.
“Nolan, baby, are you okay?”
“I found your note. You said you went to the hospital. Which hospital? What happened? Why didn’t you wake me up? What the fuck, Amelia?”
I was already at the front door by then.
“Well, I didn’t know how long it’d take and you’ve worked very hard lately so I wanted to let you sleep in. Anyway, it’s not like you could have actually helped.”
“Helped? What are you talking about? Why wouldn’t I want to help you?” I was so confused I wasn’t sure if my own words made sense anymore.
Amelia was silent for a moment, like she was busy connecting the dots, then she sighed. I pictured her smiling.
“Nolan, I want you to calm down, okay? Just breathe for me…I’m okay. Nothing happened to me. I came to the hospital because Killian called. Reese went into labor. Honey…you’re an uncle to a beautiful baby girl. They’ve called her Nora.”
Thirty
Amelia
They brought Nora back to their home two days later and the whole Doherty clan was there to greet the proud parents and the beautiful baby.
I couldn’t believe it when I held her for the first time— she was actually my niece. There was a part of her that belonged to me. We belonged to each other. When I looked into Nora’s eyes, I knew I was in love. It was the kind of love that you can only feel for someone you know has the same blood as yours, gushing through their veins.
I’d protect her with my life if I had to.
Now, I stood with Nora in my arms while everyone swarmed around us, admiring her chunky rosy cheeks and the calm expression on her face as she slept. Reese needed sleep and rest and Killian took her to their bedroom to settle her in. Reese had nothing to worry about, everyone was here and this was exactly where we’d stay for as long as she needed.
I’d spent most of my life without a family, but the family that had adopted me now was like no other. I’d never have to be alone again if I didn’t want to be.
Aidan and Leah stood near me. They had a baby in their arms too, which was their second child. Colin and Marley cooed at Nora. Brendan and Rosalie had their own kid but had that look of longing in their eyes as they admired Nora. I had a feeling they’d announce their own pregnancy pretty soon. Tristan and Elsie were with Isabelle and Nolan, talking about how crazy it was that the Doherty family had expanded so rapidly.
