Page 55 of Doc
As Doc guided me through the crowd, accepting congratulations and good-natured ribbing from his brothers, I felt the weight of my parents’ deaths lift slightly from my shoulders.Not gone -- never completely gone -- but balanced now by something new, something unexpected.
For the first time since that terrible night when police officers had appeared at my door with news that had shattered my world, I felt like I belonged somewhere.To someone.The justice I’d sought had been delivered, my parents’ killers exposed and facing consequences for their crimes.But in pursuing that justice, I’d found something I hadn’t been looking for -- a new family, a new purpose, a man who would stand beside me through whatever came next.
I reached up to touch the patch on my cut, feeling the stitching beneath my fingertips, tangible proof of my place in this world my uncle had tried to keep me from.He’d been trying to protect me.He’d probably never imagined I would find my way here on my own.But as Doc’s arm tightened around my waist, as Venom raised another toast to “Bats’ niece finally coming home,” I knew with bone-deep certainty that this was where I was meant to be.
The road that had led me here had been paved with grief and danger and desperate courage.But it had brought me home.To these men.To Doc.To myself.
Epilogue
Doc
One Month Later
The weight of the ring box in my cut pocket felt like it might drag me straight through the earth’s crust.I adjusted the seat of my bike, checking the time for the fifth time in as many minutes.Everything had to be perfect.The club had transformed the area beyond the eastern edge of the compound according to my detailed instructions.Solar lights strung through the surrounding trees, a soft blanket spread across the mossy ground, champagne cooling in a container hidden behind the old oak.
“You sure you don’t want to tell me where we’re going?”Nova asked, leaning against her new Jeep as she watched me fidget with my phone.The setting sun caught in her hair, turning the brown strands almost golden.She’d grown more confident since moving into my house, since accepting her place in the club.The haunted look that had shadowed her eyes during the preliminary trials had gradually faded, replaced by something I treasured more than my next breath -- contentment.
“Patience,” I replied, pocketing my phone after confirming that everything was ready.Tank’s simple text --All set, Doc-- had settled at least one of the knots in my stomach.The rest would have to wait until I had her answer.“It’s just a short walk from here.Or we can take the bike.”
She raised an eyebrow but took my offered hand.“You’re acting strange, Winston.Should I be worried?”
I smiled, hoping it didn’t look as nervous as it felt.“Not worried.Just trust me.”
The path to the clearing was barely visible, deliberately kept that way to maintain its seclusion.I led Nova carefully through the underbrush, hyper-aware of her small hand in mine, of the delicate pulse I could feel at her wrist.
We rounded the final bend in the path, and the clearing came into view just as the sun dipped below the tree line.The timing was perfect -- early evening settling in, the solar lights beginning to glow as darkness gathered under the trees.The blanket waited in the center, surrounded by scattered wildflowers I’d collected that morning.Black-eyed Susans, like her mother had loved.
Nova stopped at the edge of the clearing, her hand tightening around mine.“Winston, what is all this?”
I watched her take it in -- the lights, the flowers, the careful preparation.Her eyes widened as she stepped forward, releasing my hand to bend down and touch one of the black-eyed Susans.
“They’re like Mom’s.Did you do all this?”
I nodded, shoving my hands in my pockets to keep from fidgeting.The ring box pressed against my knuckles, a solid reminder of why we were here.“Had some help from the brothers, but yeah.Wanted it to be special.”
“Special for what?”Her gaze searched my face, curious but still not understanding.That innocent confusion steadied me somehow.For all her strength, Nova still had moments of pure openness that made my chest ache.
“For us.”I took her hand again and led her to the blanket.“Come sit with me.”
She settled beside me, legs folded underneath her.I took a deep breath, seeking the calm focus that had carried me through firefights and emergency surgeries.
I smiled.“You’ve changed me.Changed everything.”
Her smile faded into something more serious, more intent.“Winston…”
“Let me get this out,” I said quickly.“I’ve been rehearsing all day, and if I don’t say it now, I might lose my nerve.”
She nodded, fingers tightening around mine, waiting.
“Before you came into my life, I was just… existing.Patching up brothers, doing my job.Then you showed up, this tiny woman with fire in her eyes and justice in her heart, demanding help for a cause no one else would touch.And somewhere between bandaging your wounds and watching you face down monsters, I realized what had been missing.”
Her eyes glistened in the fading light, but she remained silent, giving me space to continue.
“You made me live again, Nova.Not just exist, not just function, but truly live.Feel things I’d closed off after too many battlefields and lost patients.”I released one of her hands to reach into my pocket, fingers closing around the small velvet box.“I’ve patched up men in combat zones with steadier hands than I have right now.”
A small smile touched her lips.“You’re doing fine,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.
“The thing is,” I continued, heart hammering against my ribs, “I don’t want to imagine a future without you in it.The club is my family, but you’re… you’re my heart.My home.”I shifted position, moving from sitting to kneeling on one knee before her, the box now out of my pocket and held between us.“I know this life isn’t easy, what you’ve sacrificed to be here, but if you’ll have me, I want to build something permanent with you.”
