Amelia mulls over her options, glancing between Dorothy and me, unsure if she’s okay with the idea.
“And they’ll be nice to her?” Amelia asks. I nod in response. “Will they watch Wheel of Fortune with her?”
I choke down the laughter that threatens to emerge at her very sweet, innocent question. “Of course. And when they can’t—we will.”
“Okay. As long as they’re nice and watch Wheel of Fortune with her, I’m okay with it. Can I go play now?”
“Of course,” I say, smiling as she skips off and begins to play again as if the last few minutes never even happened.
“Thank you, Ryder.” Dorothy reaches for my hand, covering it with her own. “You really don’t need to go to all this trouble.”
“I know I don’t. I want to. You raised Amelia when I should have been here. This is the least I can do to repay you.”
“I loved every minute I’ve had with Amelia. As grateful as I am that she has you, I wish there could be more.” Dorothy gets teary-eyed.
“I’ll make some calls tomorrow. We’ll find someone who can take good care of you.”
“It won’t be long,” Dorothy says. She seems at peace, something I never was. Putting my life on the line was one thing. The prospect of death? It terrified me, even when I had nothing to lose.
“I can take her with me tonight. Let you get some rest.”
“No, I’m okay.” Dorothy shakes her head. “Just tired. I want one last night with my girl.” She pats my leg. “Now, go play for a while before we have to go in.”
I get up from the bench and head over to Amelia. Lifting her, I swing her around. The sound of her laughter fills the air and what terrified me moments ago now feels right as rain.
CHAPTERELEVEN
Ryder
Today’s the day.
My first official day as a father.
I spent the night tossing and turning, nervousness overtaking me. Only now, as I stand at Dorothy’s apartment door, my nerves seem to dwindle away. I’m not sure if it’s the excited sound of Amelia’s rushing to the door or the smile on her face when she opens it, but rather than nerves, I fill with excitement that matches hers.
“Hi, Daddy.”
Daddy.
The word hits me like a ton of bricks. I lose my breath, my chest constricts, and without warning, I’ve died and gone to heaven. Nothing has ever sounded better. No words have ever made my heart swell the way that one single solitary one did.
Daddy.
Christ, that’s going to take some getting used to.
Overcome with an urge to hug her, I bend down and pull her against me, holding on tightly.
“Hi, Daughter.”
The advice and well-intentioned wishes of Mark and Charlie now make sense to me. The moment she’s in my arms, everything falls into place. It’s not going to be easy. In fact, there’s a good chance it’s going to be an utter disaster. Still, I never want to let go.
Dorothy appears behind Amelia, tired but smiling.
“You work fast,” she says, referring to the nurses I sent over for her to interview.
“Nothing but the best for Amelia’s grandma. Right, Amelia?”
“Right,” Amelia asserts.