Free For Our Son: A BWWM Parenting Romance For Adults by Nia Anderson

bathroom cut into the darkness of the rest of
the room, Grace quickly shut her eyes and pretended to be asleep. She didn’t
want Ryan to feel uncomfortable at the prospect of her having heard him
relieving himself. She also didn’t want him to feel exposed as he walked across
the room in only his underwear.
     
    "Should I request a wake up call?" Ryan asked. He knew Grace
wasn’t asleep.
     
    "I already did,” she whispered.
     
    "Why are you whispering?" Ryan whispered back.
     
    Grace laughed. "I don’t know."
     
    Ryan fluffed his pillow and then settled down for a much needed rest.
     
    It all seemed
innocent enough. By no action of their own, they had been forced to share a
hotel room, and a bed, but they were making due. They respected one another’s
privacy and slept as far on their sides of the bed as possible, but as the night
progressed and their subconscious minds took over, Ryan and Grace drifted
closer and closer together. By the time the sun replaced the moon a few hours
later, they were completely entangled in each other's arms.
     
    Chapter fourteen
     
    By the time Ryan awoke the next morning, Grace was already showered and
dressed. She was bustling around the hotel room with a brush in one hand and a
shoe in the other. Ryan eyed the clock. It was after eight.
     
    "Grace! How come you didn’t wake me up?" He jumped out of bed.
     
    "I did. Three times. You wouldn’t get up,” Grace said as she
focused on what she was doing.
     
    "Was there a wake up call?" Ryan asked.
     
    "Of course not." Grace was going to make it a point to put
another complaint in to the front desk.
     
    "This hotel sucks!" Ryan hollered as he disappeared into the
bathroom. The shower spray began immediately.
     
    When Ryan emerged, dripping wet with a towel around his waist,  Grace
quickly diverted her eyes as he walked across the room and grabbed his clothes.
     
    "How much time do we have?" he asked as he entered the
bathroom once again.
     
    "About ten minutes." Grace tried to remain calm. She hated
being late, but she especially hated being late for this. Matthew’s doctors
were not going to wait and Grace wanted to see the little boy before he was
wheeled into the operating room.
     
    "I’ll be ready. Don’t worry,” Ryan promised.
     
    And true to his word, he was. With his hair still wet and unkempt, Ryan
stuck his feet into his shoes and headed for the door.
     
    "You have some toothpaste there," Grace pointed to the corner
of Ryan’s mouth.
     
    "Thanks." Ryan wiped it away before he and Grace hurried
through the door.
     
    Luckily the trip to the hospital was a short one. Ryan trailed behind Grace
as she hurried up to Steve and Monica Woodcraft, the couple that had adopted Matthew
eight years prior.
     
    "Are we too late?" Grace asked frantically.
     
    "No, they’re running a little behind schedule. Matthew’s just
taking a little rest. His room is over here." Monica led the way. As they
walked, Monica handed Grace and Ryan orange ribbons. The ribbons symbolized
leukemia and their support in fighting the disease. Ryan and Grace both pinned
the ribbons onto their shirts.
     
    Quietly, Ryan joined Grace at Matthew’s bedside. He looked down at the young
boy whose skin resembled a lighter shade of Grace’s. Prior to chemotherapy, his
hair had been curly, also like Grace’s. But then Matthew stirred and opened his
eyes…those he got from his father.
     
    A small gasp was heard from Grace when she realized Matthew’s eyes were
on her. He looked at her and Ryan as if they were strangers.
     
    "Mom?" he called.
     
    At first Grace thought he was talking to her, but his eyes began to
search the room until they landed on Monica.
     
    "Mommy’s here, baby." Monica stepped up and took his hand.
     
    "I want to go home." Matthew said groggily. There was a
sedative attached to his IV drip to prepare him for the anesthesia he would
receive in surgery.
     
    "We will. Soon, son." Steve stood on the other side of