Page 2 of Secret Baby for Dr. Grump

“So tight. Fuck. Keep riding. You’re so close, I know you are. Such a good girl…”

A rough thumb presses my clit and rubs. Pleasure electrifies and my vision blurs.

“Luke…”

“Come for me, Liv.”

Oh my God?—

“Mom, wake up.”

A ringing sound flits in the background. Then a voice is next, excited and just a bit impatient. I open my eyes, disoriented, then jolt awake with my heart pounding madly.

Did I just dream about a memory?

“Mom, you missed your alarm. You’re late!”

I shake it off and glance at Riley, whose excited expression matches her voice. Then I glance at the ringing clock on the bedside table, turn it off, and gather her in my arms.

“Sweetheart, I just missed it by a few minutes. There’s still plenty of time.”

Riley easily climbs into my lap, a soft, warm bundle who is six years old and the love of my life. The feel of her immediately anchors me, my heart steadying as I inhale her wonderful scent. Then I rain her with soft pecks until she’s giggling.

“Mooom.” She giggles again. “If you keep kissing me, you’re really going to be late.”

“If I don’t get my morning kisses, then I’m really going to be sad.”

That’s enough for Riley to turn and give me kisses until I’m grinning and wide awake. Reluctantly, I usher us out of bed because she’s right—while there’s plenty of time, we are going to be late if we stay in bed like this any longer. It doesn’t take long until we’re both freshly showered and the kitchen is buzzing with activity, with her chatter taking the spotlight as she eats her breakfast on the counter.

“Mom, are you still dropping me off at the bus stop?”

“Of course I am, honey. But Nancy will pick you up after and stay with you until I get home. Is that okay?”

She nods. Green eyes follow my movements, a shade so similar to mine. “Are you nervous about your first day?”

I nod, too, then stand on the other side of the counter while I drink my juice. “A bit. Kind of like your first day in school.”

“I wasn’t nervous at all. I made a friend right away.” She brightens. “Sasha’s my partner today.”

She’s distracted right away, telling me about the artwork their teacher made them do together and how they’re going to present it in class later. The conversation continues as I walk her to the bus stop, where we only wait ten minutes for her school bus.

“Be good in school, sweetie. And have fun.”

“You too, Mom!”

I kiss her cheek and wave her off. Then I hurry to the train station, where a crowd’s already piling in to get where they need to. That’s the New York City rush for you, but I find myself oddly challenged by it after years of working in a smaller city, where I had more time to juggle my job and take care of Riley.

Now I’m in the big leagues—recently hired to work in Upper Manhattan’s prestigious hospital, which has been a dream of mine for a while now. Getting hired means I had to uproot our life from the smaller city and go somewhere unfamiliar, but it doesn’t matter.

I got a place in Brooklyn with decent rent. I got Riley into a nice school where she’s getting along well with the other kids.

Now, it’s time to prove myself and make sure that all the big changes we made are worth it.

As I sit on the train and tune out the noises around me, I can’t help my thoughts from returning to the dream earlier. It was so surreal, from the way hands touched me to the way words peppered in between our kisses. But it also felt so real, like I was right there in that moment all over again.

Immediately, my body warms and tingles erupt, a reaction that I bite back. My heart races as I replay every single thing, then tuck them in one by one. Sure, the dream was a memory, pulled from seven years ago when I was younger and didn’t know better.

That one-night stand changed my life and impacted every decision since, including having Riley in my life—and yes, including not having time for anything other than working and taking care of her. I’m probably just a little sexually frustrated, which is completely normal, hence the dream. Maybe when the timing’s right and I’m no longer so busy, I can find time to date again and see where it leads.

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