Chapter 23
Isla
2005
T o say that both Isla and Vera were anxiously nervous would have been the biggest understatement of the year. Isla could barely contain her nerves as they watched the timer on the counter tick agonizingly slow. She tapped her foot repeatedly on the tiled floor of their bathroom while Vera sat a few feet away on the edge of the bathtub. Her hands were tucked between her thighs, and Isla couldn’t tell if she was praying or cursing how slowly the time was passing.
It wasn’t the first time they had been in the same position they were now. They had tried to have a baby for the better part of the last two years. Vera had conceived once, but the pregnancy had unfortunately ended in a miscarriage. The experience had crushed both of them, and they had taken time off from trying to mourn the loss.
And get married.
Isla still couldn’t believe she was officially married to Vera Mackenzie. And that Vera had undergone another IVF treatment three weeks ago. Now they were both on edge over the results of the pending pregnancy test staring at them on the bathroom counter.
“What are you thinking?” Isla asked, seemingly startling Vera from her thoughts.
“That I don’t know if I’m more worried about a positive test or a negative one.”
Isla sat beside her on the edge of the tub. As she wrapped her arm around Vera’s waist, Vera rested her head on her shoulder. With her other hand, she took hold of Vera’s as their hands intertwined. They would get through whatever result came from the test together.
It had been eighteen years since Isla had been in a similar situation. Back then, she had no clue if she wanted the test to be positive or negative, not because she was scared of the results but because she was scared of how it could end her career before it started. She was only nineteen when she became pregnant with Blake. Isla had purchased two pregnancy tests before taking the subway to her sister’s house near Columbia.
“Nora?” Isla called out as she let herself into the brownstone. Her older sister was four years older than Isla and in her first semester of medical school. “Nora? Are you here?”
“Kitchen,” Nora called out, and Isla walked down the narrow hallway to the kitchen at the back of the house. She was renting it with four other med students, but it seemed only Nora was home. Isla found Nora at the kitchen table, hunched over a book.
“What are you doing there?”
“Studying.”
“Are you in your OB classes yet?”
Nora’s brow furrowed in confusion as she looked up at Isla. “What?”
“I think I’m pregnant.”
“Oh, shit.” Nora pushed back her seat from the table as Isla sat in the chair beside her. “Are you serious?”
“I am.” She laid the two unused pregnancy tests on the table between them. “I couldn’t take these alone. And I didn’t want Ben to know, not yet.”
Nora huffed a laugh. It was no secret her sister wasn’t Ben’s biggest fan. Hell, she’d said as much to Isla before. But Isla loved Ben, and that was all that mattered.
Or so Isla kept telling herself.
“So, what are you going to do?”
“I don’t know.”
“You have a show starting next month ,” Nora emphasized as if Isla didn’t know her Broadway debut was supposed to be soon. “What are you going to do?”
“I guess there’s only one way to find out.”
Taking the tests, Isla and Nora had stood side by side with their arms crossed over their chests as they waited. It had been Nora who looked at the tests first.
“They’re positive.”
“Oh.”
“What are you thinking?”
“I… I don’t know.”
Isla kept staring at the positive tests, trying to decipher how she felt about them. But Isla knew one thing for sure: she wanted her baby. Not once did it cross her mind to terminate the pregnancy, and Isla honestly loved being pregnant.
But it wasn’t until Blake was born that Isla fully understood every sacrifice she’d had to make over the last nine months. A career on Broadway, a life in the city, all her best-laid plans… none compared to holding her baby girl in her arms.
Even eighteen years later, Isla didn’t regret anything. She’d do it all over again if it meant she could be Blake and Mason’s mom all over again. And she’d go through a hundred IVF treatments with Vera if it meant they’d have a baby.
The timer on the counter dinged, startling them both. Vera looked at Isla with excitement and anxiety on her face. “You ready?”
“Let’s do it.”
Standing, Isla pulled Vera to her feet as they held each other’s hands tightly. They had turned the test upside down, and Isla slowly reached out to turn it over. And when she did, she nearly screamed for joy.
“It’s positive,” Vera squealed as she wrapped her arms around Isla’s neck. “It’s positive.”
“I’m so happy.”
“Me, too.” Vera let out a long sigh as she looked into Isla’s eyes. “This is our Christmas miracle. I can feel it.”
“You know what? I think you’re right.”
“I love it when you say that.” Leaning in, Vera kissed her lips. “We have to tell Mason.”
“I thought you wanted to wait until Christmas?”
“Do you think we can wait that long?”
“I can, but I know you,” Isla said with a smirk. “Christmas is next week. We can tell her then, like we had planned.”
“Fine,” Vera pouted.
Isla highly doubted the announcement would stay a secret until next week, but it wouldn’t come from her. Vera and Mason had developed such a sweet bond that she knew Vera wouldn’t keep the news from her too long. Mason had been with them through all their IVF treatments and the miscarriage, and she knew it had affected her as much as it had them. That much had been evident when she cried herself to sleep in their arms the night after the miscarriage.
Hopefully, things would be different this time around.
“We need to get ready. The festival starts at seven.”
“I’ll be ready before you.”
“Doubtful,” Isla teased as she playfully patted Vera on the behind as they walked out of the bathroom. She watched Vera take off her shirt and toss it onto the floor. Reaching out, she took Vera’s hand and pulled her back into her arms. She placed a hand on her bare stomach. “I am so happy right now.”
Vera covered Isla’s hand with her own. “Me, too. I love you so much.”
“I love you, too.”
A few hours later, the trio had made their way to Baxter Tree Farm for the annual Christmas festival. There was a tree lighting ceremony, arts and crafts from local vendors, as well as delicious food. Isla couldn’t wait for Maggie’s famous spiced apple cider, but she quickly hesitated as they arrived at the booth.
Vera looked at her, seemingly realizing the issue, too.
“You know I don’t think I want any cider right now.” Isla bypassed the line for the booth as Vera trailed behind her. But Mason stopped in her tracks, obviously confused.
“You two don’t want cider?” Mason laughed as she crossed her arms over her parka. “Geez, what’s wrong with you two?”
Isla and Vera exchanged glances. She knew that Mason would know the news within minutes now. Smiling, she silently gave Vera the go-ahead to tell her.
“I’m going to tell her.”
“Now?” Isla teased. “I thought we were waiting until Christmas?”
“She needs to know now.”
“Know what?” Mason was clearly aware that something was happening, but Isla wasn’t sure she’d fully figured it out yet.
“Mason, let’s go over here.” Looping her arm around Mason’s, Vera led her toward the rows of trees as they found a quiet place down one of the rows. It was apparent Mason knew something was up by the face she made. Her eyes were narrowed and she kept looking atVera.
“You both know you can’t leave me hanging like this,” Mason excitedly bounced back and forth from one foot to the other. “You know it doesn’t work for me.”
“Well,” Vera’s eyes sparkled as she smiled at Isla, then Mason, “does being a big sister work for you?”
Isla watched as Vera’s words slowly registered with Mason. She clapped her hands together excitedly before bear-hugging Vera.
“Mama, are you serious?”
“I am, baby.”
“You’re going to have a baby.”
“We are.” Vera held Mason as tightly as Mason held her. She smiled at Isla over Mason’s shoulder as Isla committed the image to her memory. “Are you happy?”
“I’m so happy. This is the best Christmas present ever.”
It was then they both realized Mason was crying. Vera tenderly pulled away just enough to see Mason’s face as she wiped her tears away with her thumbs. Isla placed a hand on her back as she moved closer to them.
“You’re going to be the best big sister, Mason. This baby will be so lucky to have you showing them the world.”
“I’m gonna be a big sister,” Mason repeated as she smiled at Isla. Leaving Vera’s arms, Mason moved into Isla’s embrace. “I wish Blake was here for this.”
Isla’s breath hitched in her throat. She had been thinking the same thing but hadn’t said it out loud yet. “Me too, Mace.”
They stayed locked in a hug until Mason pulled away. Isla made it a point to never pull out of a hug first, knowing Mason needed it. She gently cupped Mason's cheek in her hand as she smiled at her.
“But I’m so happy for the new baby.”
“Me too, honey.”
“Me three,” Vera chimed in as she hugged them both. “It’s going to be a wild ride, but there’s no one else I’d rather be on this ride with than you two.”
“Geez,” Mason laughed, “she’s already getting sentimental.”
Isla chuckled. “What are you talking about? She's always been like this.”
Vera playfully smacked Isla on the shoulder as they all laughed. They walked back toward the festival area near the barn as Isla eyed the cider booth once more. She put an arm around Vera’s waist and smiled.
“Baby, would you care if I got some cider?”
“Why would I care?”
“Because you can’t,” Isla said with a wince. But Vera waved her off.
“I’m carrying our child. That’s better than any cider ever.”
“Great,” Mason laughed again, “she’s more sentimental now.”
“Yeah, it’s gonna be a long nine months,” Isla teased, then kissed Vera. “But we’re going to enjoy every moment.”
“Hell, yes, we will.” Vera reached her hand out to Mason, pulling her closer to them again. “Together. As a family.”
“Like we know how to do anything else.” Mason’s comment made them laugh, but Isla knew how true it was. Their family was everything to them, and the baby was going to be perfectly at home in their family. “Can I go tell Walker?”
Isla was about to say no, that she should wait. But Vera beat her to the answer.
“Of course, Mace.”
“Thanks, Mama!”
After a quick kiss on Vera’s cheek, Mason ran off to find Walker. The two had grown up together, with Walker spending most weekends at their house. Isla loved that Mason and her friends were so close. She deserved that support system, and Isla hoped it would continue as they grew older.
As they strolled through the festival together, Isla took Vera's hand again.
“I’m so happy.”
“Just think,” Vera said in a dreamy voice, “this time next year, we’ll be here with our baby.”
Our baby.
The words were music to Isla’s ears. She pulled Vera in for yet another kiss and smiled.
“Mason’s right. You are more sentimental.”
“What can I say?” Vera smirked. “It’s what being in love with you, having the best daughter in the world, and being pregnant with your baby does to me.”