Free The O'Conners: A Made for Love Novella by R.C. Martin Page A

doing some great work here and it won ’ t be overlooked. ”
    “Thank you, sir. Thank you very much. ”
    “Tell that wife of yours I said hello. See you tomorrow. ”
    He parts with a wave and I watch him go as I wait for an elevator to arrive. I can ’ t help but smile. Knowing that whether I go or stay I ’ ve got the support of Jared Ingerson, it ’ s a sign — a sign that everything really is going to be okay.
    When I walk into the apartment thirty minutes later, Avery ’ s name is on my lips before I even close the door behind me. “ Shorty, where are you? ”
    “I ’ m in here, ” she says with a laugh. “ Our apartment really isn ’ t that big, my love. ”
    She peeks her head out of the bedroom and my heart skips a beat. She ’ s curled her hair, the long locks left loose to hang down her chest and back. Her smile lights up her whole face and for a second, I just have to take in the fact that I made a baby with her. Moments like this one hit me like a freight train every time.
    “Hottie? Are you going to get changed? We have to leave in a minute. ”
    I stride towards her purposefully and she straightens, filling the doorway with all of her five-foot, two-inch glory. She ’ s wearing a red sundress and my mind fills with images of her skirt rumpled up around her waist as she straddles me. I can feel myself growing hard and I take a deep breath, pushing such thoughts aside as I cup my hands around her face and press a kiss against her lips. She leans into me, resting her hands against my chest. When I pull away, she offers me the sweetest smile.
    “What was that for? ”
    “I had a good day. Well — I had a good end of my day. ”
    “Oh, yeah? Are you going to tell me about it? ”
    “Mmhmm, ” I hum, stealing another kiss. “ Let me change really quick. We ’ ll talk about it on our drive to the doctor. ”

    He holds my hand for the duration of our trip, absentmindedly fidgeting with my fingers as he drives. While we ride, we talk about what Mr. Ingerson said before Grayson left the office and all that his words imply. The question of where we wanted to go after graduation has felt up in the air since the moment we enrolled in our respective schools. We figured life would help us make that decision when the time came. I guess, in a way, it has. I just never imagined it feeling this way — this grown up. Our choice to stay in Chicago feels like a mature one, made for the sake of our child.
    I ’ m in awe of the way this feels. Making big decisions not simply based around what we want, but what we think is best for our family. Furthermore, I ’ m surprised with how at peace I am with our decision. We ’ re so far away from my parents, from my sister and Beckham. I never would have thought we ’ d be raising a child away from them. The truth of the matter is, Grayson and I have a life here. We have jobs, dreams, and friends here. While that may have been easy to overlook before, the prospect of discovering more as we sought out adventure, just the two of us … it ’ s nearly impossible for me to imagine walking away from the foundation we ’ ve managed to build in the short time we ’ ve been here.
    Now — now our next great adventure is growing in my womb.
    I breathe in deeply and exhale slowly as we come to a stop in the parking lot of the doctor ’ s office. The butterflies I felt upon waking return with a vengeance. I can ’ t help but squeeze Sonny ’ s fingers, needing to feel something else; something warm; something safe. He leans over and kisses my cheek before opening his car door to step out of the Mustang.
    “Come on, sweetheart. We ’ re right on time. ”
    Entering the waiting room is surreal. There are three expecting mothers waiting to be seen. It ’ s strange, realizing that I belong here …
    One of the women sits alone, a magazine holding her attention. She looks like she could give birth any second now. I try not to stare, all the while wondering how she