Now I'm posting chapter and feel free to comment :)
The next minutes Logan held the torn photo in his hands.
"Daddy I didn't mean to ruin the photo. Please don't be angry with me." Nathalie said in a low voice, which Logan didn't notice. He was just too shocked to realize the whole situation. Rory stood by the sink watching the scene wondering what was coming now.
"Logan honey.." Rory wanted to start talking about the situation as Logan turned around with a petrified face. "Will you excuse me please," Logan said and walked hastily out of the kitchen.
"Mom? Have I done something wrong?" she asked in an uncertain voice, rubbing a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Don't worry Nathalie darling. Could you please watch a movie with Jacob? I have to do a few things before we have your birthday lunch with gramps and grandma at the Dragonfly Inn." She asked her eldest daughter with a loving smile although she wasn't in a good mood.
"Yeah Mom, come on Grace. Let's go to the living room", she nodded, turning to her younger sister.
"Ok, we see you later mom," Grace said and left with her big sister without a response from her mother to expect, the dining room.
When her daughters had left the room, Rory took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment and had already decided that she would call one of Logan's best friends. Finn was his best mate, and when someone managed to get through to her husband, it was Finnegan Morgan.
She took her smartphone from her Birkin bag and called Finn. "Hey reporter girl, what's going on?" Finn greeted her friendly.
"Hi Finn I'm ok, but Logan needs your help, can you come over to our place, please? I think you're the only one who can help him right now", she said, and he immediately knew that Rory was upset.
Finn could understand Rory and Logan too well. This day was not easy for him either.
His precious goddaughter would have been 14 years old today, and it was still hard to accept that she would never return to her family again.
"Sure, I'll come over and what are your plans for tonight?" He asked while he looked at his 6-year-old daughter Zoey with a loving gaze.
"We are going to have a birthday lunch at my mom's inn. And in the afternoon I'll hope you, Rosemary and the kids are coming over to our place. Nathalie is looking forward to seeing you, Collin and Robert. Thank you, Finn!"
"You don't have to thank me, Rory. You know I'll always be there for you and Logan. I'm on my way to your place, and Rory keep your head up!", He finished the telephone conversation.
"You don't have to thank me, Rory. You know I'll always be there for you and Logan. I'm on my way to your place, and Rory keep your head up!", He finished the telephone conversation.
"Of course see you later Finn," she said and put her iPhone on the dining table.
Rory leaned against the kitchen table and felt her tears rising again. Why did this happen to her family?
She and Logan were so happy after the twins were born, although they were one month too early and Norah was taken to the NICU because her lungs and heart function were still too weak. For four weeks, she and her family have feared for the life of Norah.
On May 14th, 2010 Dr. Johnston said that Norah was healthy enough to leave the hospital. The joy was as immense as she and Logan, at last, began a new life in Hartford with their two daughters. 6 months later her world had collapsed. Rory closed her eyes and noticed that the first tears were running down her cheeks.
While Rory was trying to cope with her grief in her way, Logan was in his office. Like a tiger in a cage, he kept pacing back and forth, wondering how much pain and suffering a human being could endure. He felt tired of being forced to face this situation again and again.
With shaky hands, he grabbed his scotch glass and took a sip. Maybe a bit of work would distract him but the other question was if it would be a good idea to get to the New York office right now on Nathalie's birthday.
He had promised her a few days ago that he wouldn't work on the 14th of April and.. a loud knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. Logan looked at the door, and a slight smile scurried over his lips.
"Hey Logan, Rory said you were in here. Can I come in? "Finn asked. "Hey Finn, come in. That's a surprise. Scotch? "Logan asked, glancing at his friend.
"Sure," he nodded, walking into the office and closing the door behind him. "Let me guess Rory called you, didn't she?" Logan continued and gave him the second scotch glass into his hand.
"Yeah, she's pretty desperate, and you're not looking terrific either. Bad sleep?" Finn looked severe at his mate as he sat down with him on the couch.
"I didn't sleep at all. It's just so hard, and then this morning I had a big fight with Rory because she was acting odd about Norah. She talked about her like..like she's already dead. Can you imagine how I felt after that?", Logan told him and felt the tiredness slowly spreading through his body.
Finn sighed and tried to find consoling words.
"Logan I can't and won't imagine how much it hurts when you're losing a child. I don't know how I would react if something terrible happened to my kids. But we can't turn back the time Mate. As hard as it sounds, you have to leave the past behind you to look forward." Finn tried to console his friend and looked at him with a worried expression.
Logan didn't know what to say. In this case, he wanted to get up, grab his bags, and start a new life somewhere else. However, another place wouldn't help him to escape his problems. Running away wasn't a solution, and he couldn't leave his family in the lurch.
"Logan?" Finn said to him.
"Today I was close to losing my nerves." Logan began to speak with a deliberate voice and looked uncertain at his friend.
"What happened exactly?" Finn asked. Logan took a deep breath.
"My favorite photo of Norah, which I always carry with me slipped out of my pocket, and because fate can be an utter asshole, Nathalie picked it up from the ground. The next moment my heart stopped almost when she asked me why I got a picture of her in my I panicked and took a photograph of her hand.
But unfortunately, it was torn in the middle, and I was so angry with myself.I mean Nathalie couldn't know that she had a twin sister who looks exactly like her. I'm a desolate father Finn. Today is her birthday, and I'm, behaving like the biggest idiot." he continued, took the photo from the desk drawer and pushed it across the table.
Finn didn't have a suitable answer, took the photo and had to swallow loudly. Sometimes it seemed to him as if it had only happened yesterday when Logan had called him.
October 14, 2010
"Hey mate, how is it going? It's good to hear from you." Finn greeted him with a wide grin as he sat with Rosemary and their 8-month-old son Liam in the living room.
"Finn I don't know what to do. Norah is kidnapped. My precious daughter kidnapped. The police have been in our house for hours now, and they have gotten the FBI involved. God..please come as fast as you can, before I go nuts .. "Logan blurted out, and Finn was shocked.
His beautiful god-daughter Norah Emma Katherine Huntzberger was in the hands of a madman.
"Where are you, Logan?" Finn asked immediately, stood up from the couch and walked up and down the living room.
"We're at home Finn, and thanks for coming over," Logan answered him, and could hardly hold back his tears. The fear of never seeing his daughter again squeezing any remaining air from his lungs.
"Ok, I'll get there as fast as possible and Logan, please stay calm," He asked him and noticed how his wife looked at him "I'm trying the best I can do..." Logan whispered.
"I'm on my way. Don't worry alright?!" Finn finished the talk and sat down next to his wife on the couch.
"Finn, what happened?" She looked questioningly at her husband as she strokes her sleeping son gently through his dark hair.
"Logan and Rory need me now. Norah was..."His voice was shaking. Rose moved closer to Finn, reached for his hand and tried to read something in his blue eyes.
"What happened to Norah? Please, Finn, tell me!", she begged him one more time.
"She is kidnapped, Rosie. This beautiful, baby, my little goddaughter kidnapped. I have to go before Logan goes nuts", he informed her and Rosemary couldn't believe it. Who could do such a terrible thing to a small baby?
Logan looked at his absent friend and wanted to know what was going on in Finn's head. "Mate? Finn is everything alright?"
"Sorry, what did you say?." Finn apologized, looking at him with a crooked smile. "Not so important, but what's on your mind?"
"I thought about October 14th, 2010 and I often think of Norah and hope she is doing well, no matter where she is. I still miss her and Logan you need help. I won't allow you to collapse as you did a few years ago. A therapist would help both of you. Please try it, because I don't want to lose my best friend." Finn said and looked hesitantly at his friend.
Logan knew that Finn was right.
"I'm scared Finn; although I know, that fear shouldn't be my constant companion. Rory has also changed over the years, and the quarrels that we had over the last fourteen years haven't helped our marriage. But I don't want to lose her. It would destroy me if Rory took the next step and wanted a divorce. I love her so much and still manage to hurt her even though I don't want that." Logan said in a low voice,
"Mate you don't need to be afraid. I, Colin and Robert are there for you, and no matter what it is you can always come to us. We won't let you down. If you want, I can accompany you and Rory to your first therapy session, unless you want to talk about it with Rory before you make the next move. But as I said I would advise you to consult a therapist," Finn encouraged his friend and gave him a soft squeeze on his shoulder.
"Yeah you're right, and I'm thrilled to know you by my side. You're one of the best friends I've ever had in my life so far, and I thank you for that.", Logan agreed with a slight smile and knew that he needed the help of a therapist or psychologist to prevent the disintegration of his family.