Page 100 of Selfless

“Yes, they called me about an hour ago and told me it was mine if I wanted it.”

I smile, but it’s forced. Can she notice? I reach up and press a few loose blond strands behind her ear. “Congratulations, baby.”

“I told them no.”

“What?”

Her smile widens as she wraps her arms around my neck. “I told them no,” she repeats. “I thought long and hard about it today, and dreams change.”

I can’t hide the smile on my face. “What is your dream now?”

“To be yours. To be here for you when you get home with dinner on the table and to be a mother to your children.”

I arch a brow. “Children? We’re having more?”

“As many as you want.”

I reach down and grab her ass, lifting her off the ground. “We should get to working on that.”

She throws her head back, laughing. “There’s already one baby in there. We have to wait to make the next one.”

“Practice makes perfect,” I say, carrying her off to our bedroom.

**

I’m standing in the bathroom when I look out the open door and see her sitting on our bed on her laptop. I spit out my toothpaste. “What are you looking at?”

“Art,” she says simply.

Placing my toothbrush in the holder, I walk out and fall onto the bed beside her. “What kind of art?”

“Talia’s is having an auction this weekend. They are selling all the art left in the gallery.”

“I bet their artists were pissed about them closing,” I say.

She shrugs. “Not sure. I haven’t spoken to any of them. But I can’t say they would be happy.” She scrolls down to the bottom of the page and clicks on a picture of what looks like to be a spider web but each piece of string is a different color. “This is my favorite.”

As she begins to tell me about the differences in the colors, I realize I’ve never spoken to her about art. We were living together and expecting a baby, yet I never asked her about her true passion.

I sit back with my head against the headboard as she snuggles up next to me, showing me one picture at a time, and I just smile at her. I ask questions here and there, and her face lights up as she takes me through all the pictures. I realize I can’t let her give up on her dreams. She was right when she said that dreams change, but that doesn’t mean you have to give up on one for another.

She’s selfless—giving up something she dreams of to make me happy. And I can’t allow that.

**

“Yes,” I tell the woman on the phone while I sit at my desk.

“Mr. O’Kane?” She confirms my name.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Okay. I have your information and will let you know when they’re ready.”

“Thank you,” I say, hanging up just as the door opens to my office and my father steps in. “Good morning,” I say with a big smile.

He looks at me as if I’ve lost my mind. I like to think I’m beyond that now. “What can I do for you this morning?” I ask.

He snorts and runs a hand through his hair. He tosses an envelope onto my desk, and I pick it up. “What’s this?”

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