Chapter 43
Isla
2022
W ith three kids still at home and two older ones with their own lives, there were very few times in life recently that Isla had a quiet moment alone. It often happened at work when the bar was quiet and she could hole up in her office for hours with just her favorite Broadway playlist and catch up on everything. Which was where she’d spent the first few hours of her day.
After dropping the kids off at school, she’d headed for the bar and hadn’t left her office since. Since the bar was only open for lunch and dinner, the entire place had been quiet until the openers arrived. Isla mingled with the lunchtime crowd, most of whom were regulars, before ordering a burger and fries for herself. She peacefully enjoyed it in her office as she listened to the Wicked soundtrack for the millionth time in her life.
It was the soundtrack she played when she needed to de-stress. And she had a lot of stress to let go of recently.
Blake and Alexis were trying to have a baby, and while Isla wasn’t directly involved, she felt the weight of each failed pregnancy test along with them. She knew it could take time, but she desperately wished for them to have a baby soon. They deserved it.
Although Isla and Blake had yet to have an in-depth conversation about, well, anything, Isla did feel that Blake was more open to her being in her life. She’d even invited Isla along for a long weekend while she was at an audition, and the two had a great time together. Isla had high hopes that their relationship was on the mend, and maybe one day, they’d be closer than she’d imagined they’d be.
As for Mason, she had finally realized she was in love with Chase and the two had moved in together. Isla was so happy for them but not as happy as Vera. Vera kept happily singing I told you so every time she saw them. But Mason loved it; Isla could tell by her smile. Seeing Mason so happy made Isla’s heart swell.
And Chase was such an easy addition to the family. It helped they’d all known her for years, but she transitioned from Mason’s best friend to Mason’s girlfriend so effortlessly that Isla knew they were meant to be.
Ellie and Brayden had started their junior year of high school and Isla had no idea how that was possible. Brayden was on the school’s hockey team while Ellie starred in every school play. They both thrived inside and outside of the classroom, which was a blessing for Isla and Vera.
Then there was their sweet Everleigh. She’d started fifth grade after a rough summer. Her beloved service dog, Nala, was unexpectedly diagnosed with cancer and died only a few weeks later. It had crushed Everleigh and the entire family. But it also made Isla and Vera worry even more about their youngest child.
Although Everleigh wore an insulin pump and a device that constantly monitored her blood sugar, they also liked having Nala as a backup in case something went wrong. Mason and Mallory Garner were already working on training a new dog for Everleigh, but it would still be a few months before the dog would be ready. Nala’s death had caught them all off guard.
Sighing, Isla looked at the app that told her Everleigh’s blood sugar. It had been running on the low side all morning but hadn’t dipped to a level they were concerned about. Yet. Isla was always worried about her kids, but more so with Everleigh than any of them. Especially since she no longer had Nala and they were relying solely on equipment not to be faulty.
A gentle knock at the door startled Isla from her thoughts as Alexis stepped into her office holding up a small cosmetic bag. Isla didn’t have to ask to know what it was.
“Hey, sorry. Emily’s not here and I hate giving myself the shots. Since you’re a pro, do you mind helping me?”
Isla smiled sweetly at her daughter-in-law.
“Not at all, Lex.” Standing from her chair, Isla motioned to the door. “Close the door.”
Like Isla and Vera had, Alexis and Blake were doing reciprocal IVF which meant they were both having hormone treatments to prepare them for their procedures. They would be using Blake’s eggs for Alexis to carry, and Isla couldn’t help but think back on how she and Vera had done the same thing. She wouldn't trade that experience for anything in the world and knew Alexis and Blake would feel the same way.
Getting the shot ready, Isla waited as Alexis pulled down her pants to allow Isla access to her behind. Isla had too much practice with giving other people shots to not be a doctor. She’d helped Vera with her treatments for IVF and was constantly giving Everleigh shots or finger pricks. The constant practice did little to calm her nerves as she carefully gave Alexis the shot.
“Sorry,” Isla apologized. “Vera’s better at this than me.”
“Don’t tell her, but Emily’s better than Vera.”
“Do you not want me to tell Emily or Vera that?” Isla joked as Alexis laughed.
“Both.” Alexis rubbed her behind and pulled up her pants. “We’re almost ready for the next procedure.”
Isla could read the unspoken words Alexis wasn’t saying. She’d had three failed IVF treatments before, and she needed this one to work. Which, of course, Isla understood. After everything Vera went through to get pregnant with Ellie and Brayden, Isla felt almost embarrassed that she’d gotten pregnant with Everleigh on the first try.
On the desk, Isla’s phone alerted with a sound she hated. Everleigh’s blood sugar had dipped below 70. Isla knew it without looking.
“Shit.” Isla snatched her phone off the desk before grabbing her keys. “I gotta go. It’s been dropping all morning.”
“Go. I got this. Emily will be in later.”
“Thanks, Lex.” Quickly kissing Alexis on the cheek, Isla bolted out to the Jeep. She called Vera and put the car in reverse.
“Are you going over there?” Vera answered, obviously panicked. “I have a mom about to crown but I am trying to find Stacey.”
“I’m on my way.”
“Tell her I’ll be there ASAP.”
“I will.”
There was a moment of silence on the line before Vera said, “It’s been dropping all morning. I think it’s the pump.”
“It could be.” Isla knew the pump was on its last hours before they needed to change it anyway. “I’ll text you when I get there and check on her.”
“Tell her I love her.”
“I will, Mama. I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
Isla sped to the elementary school and parked in the first handicapped spot she could find. Grabbing the bag of snacks they kept in the car, Isla bolted inside to the school nurse’s office. Everleigh was already there, a terrified look on her face. As soon as she saw Isla she went to her and let her hold her.
“It’s okay, baby. Mommy’s here.” Isla carefully sat down in the recliner she’d become all too familiar with since Everleigh had started kindergarten. Everleigh snuggled up against her in her arms, and Isla fished out the test strips from the bag the nurse had given her.
“I was going to call you, but Everleigh said you were on the way.” The nurses at the school knew by now that Isla, Vera, and Mason all had the app on their phones so they could check Everleigh’s blood sugar. Everleigh also had their locations shared on her phone so she could see where they were and if they were on their way. “I’ll leave you two alone. I’ll be outside if you need me.”
Thankfully, the school had a small exam room attached to the nurse’s office. The Mackenzies had stockpiled it over the years with snacks, drinks, test strips, and any other supplies Everleigh might need at school. But even as prepared as they were, Isla still got flustered when it was only her and Everleigh.
She gave Everleigh an applesauce packet as she checked her blood sugar. Isla wanted to cry when she saw it was now below sixty. Gently rocking Everleigh in the recliner, Isla prayed for her blood sugar to go up soon.
“Mommy?”
“Yes, Evie?” Isla kissed her head.
“I’m sorry.”
“Oh, baby,” Isla held her tighter, “you didn’t do anything wrong.”
It was barely a few minutes later that Mason came into the room. It wasn’t a surprise to Isla anymore; Mason would always drop everything for Everleigh. Kneeling down in front of Isla, Mason methodically tucked Everleigh’s dark blonde hair behind her ears.
“How you doing, sis?”
“I’ve been better,” Everleigh said with a smirk. She’d started saying that when she was little, and none of them knew where she’d picked it up from. But the fact it always made her family laugh meant Everleigh kept doing it. “Did you bring it?”
“Of course.” Mason pulled out Everleigh’s favorite apple juice from her bag, opened it, and handed it to her.
They stayed like that for fifteen minutes before checking Everleigh’s blood sugar again.
“Sixty-eight,” Mason said as she looked at the test.
“Almost there, baby.” Isla cuddled Everleigh closer as Mason handed her a granola bar. She was halfway through it when Vera came in.
“Mama,” Everleigh said, holding her arms up to Vera, who immediately picked her up. Everleigh wrapped her arms around Vera’s neck and her legs around her waist as she held onto her mama.
It took nearly an hour for Everleigh’s blood sugar to reach a level they were comfortable with. The low blood sugar had zapped Everleigh of her energy, so they took her home instead of sending her back to class. Mason joined them at home and lay on the couch, snuggled up with Everleigh as they both took a nap. Isla watched from the archway to the kitchen, worrying about their little girl. Vera came up behind her, putting her arms around Isla’s waist and resting her head on her shoulder.
“How did we miss this?”
“I’ve been asking myself that all day,” Isla sighed. “She never lets it get that low. She knows better.”
“She does, but she’s still just a kid.”
“I know.”
“And I’ve been thinking.” Vera shrugged. “Maybe we should homeschool her.”
Everleigh had asked to be homeschooled before the school year started, but Isla and Vera didn’t take the request seriously. They both worked, so homeschooling her wasn’t really an option.
“I thought we talked about it.”
“We did, but that’s before she had her two lowest lows in the last four months.” Vera shook her head, sighing. I keep telling myself she knows better and she wouldn’t let it get low on purpose, but…”
It was Isla’s turn to sigh. “I know. I thought the same thing.”
Since she was born, Everleigh had been the center of their world. And that had only been amplified with her diabetes diagnosis. But the last few months had been pulling Isla and Vera into a hundred different directions. Their savored one-on-one time with Everleigh was much less than it usually was. The same for Mason and Everleigh.
“I don’t know,” Isla finally said. “But we need to talk to her.”
“I know. But Isla, I’ve been thinking.”
“That’s dangerous,” Isla teased with a smirk.
“Shut up,” Vera rolled her eyes and laughed. “I’m serious. I am going to cut back at work so I can homeschool Everleigh this year.”
“What?”
“I’ve been thinking about it since Everleigh first mentioned it, but I think we can make it work. We have enough saved up that my taking time off won’t matter that much. And I can go part-time at work and just keep my current pregnant patients and not add new ones. Expect Alexis and Blake. They’d be my exception.”
“Are you sure we can handle that financially?”
Although both Isla and Vera had well-paying jobs, they also had two kids going off to college soon and one that needed constant medical attention. Money wasn’t super tight, but they also didn’t live above their means.
“Do we honestly care about that?” Vera wasn’t angry, but there was a sternness in her voice that told Isla she’d already made up her mind. “I’ll sell everything we own for our kids.”
“Yeah, you’re right.” Isla nodded. “I’m sorry for questioning you. So, you’ve really thought about this before today then, hmm?”
“I love my job, but I love Everleigh more. If this might help her, I want to do it.” Vera sheepishly smiled at Isla. “I’m sorry for making this decision before talking it over with you. I know that’s not how we do things.”
“Baby, you know I’ll support you and our Evie however I can. Always.” Isla smirked. “Besides, it's hot when you step into protector mode. I love it.”
Isla knew there was no need to debate it. Vera had already made up her mind, it seemed, and Isla supported that. They’d do anything for their kids. It was how Isla knew that Vera was breaking all the generational curses put upon her by her mother and her grandmother.
Later that night, Isla and Vera sat on their bed with Everleigh nestled between them. She was still tired, and it broke Isla’s heart to see her that way. But she also knew they had to talk with her.
“Evie, honey,” Vera smiled softly at their daughter, “what happened today?”
“I dunno,” Everleigh mumbled as she shrugged. “Mason said my pump failed.”
And it had. The catheter had stopped up, which caused the low blood sugar. But that had happened before, and Everleigh knew what to do.
“It did, but honey, you know what to do when that happens. Why didn’t you call us or Mason?”
“Baby,” Isla put her hand on Everleigh’s thigh, “you know you can always tell us anything, right?”
“Yes, we’re always here for you, honey.”
“I know.” Everleigh cuddled the stuffed dog closer to her body. “Do I have to go back to school?”
Vera looked at Isla, who nodded.
“Mom and I talked about it, and you don’t have to go back to school this year. Mama’s going to take some time off work to be with you as we transition to homeschooling, okay?”
“Really?” Everleigh looked the happiest she had been all day.
“Really. But,” Isla smiled despite the stern tone, “you have to keep your grades up and still work hard, okay? This isn’t a get-out-of-jail-free card. You still have to go to school.”
“I will. I love learning, just not the other kids.”
Ever since she was little, Everleigh had dealt with bullying from certain classmates. Isla had wanted to give those classmates’ parents a piece of her mind for years, but Vera told her it would only make things worse. Everleigh was such a sweet kid and didn’t deserve to be mocked for her disease.
“I know, baby.” Vera pulled her close, kissing her head. “And Mason will have you a new dog soon, okay?”
“But it won’t be Nala.”
Everleigh cuddled her plush dog closer as she snuggled up against Isla. There was no debating on if Everleigh was sleeping in their bed. She was already asleep by the time Isla laid down beside her. Isla ran her hands through her hair as she studied their sleeping daughter. Across from her, Vera was playing with Isla’s hair as she watched her. Isla smiled when their eyes met.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Because I love you so much.” Leaning in, they kissed over Everleigh. “I can’t believe this is our last baby.”
“I know. She’s growing up too quickly. But she’ll always be our baby.”
Vera’s eyes grew dreamy. “Do you remember when she was born?”
“How could I forget?” Isla chuckled. “I birthed her right over there.”
Despite having two other kids, Everleigh’s birth had been the hardest for Isla. But Isla knew it all had been worth it when she held their baby girl in her arms.
“Knowing what you know now, would you change anything?”
“I’d probably go for an epidural,” Isla laughed, making Vera roll her eyes as she smiled. “Honestly? I wouldn’t change anything because everything we went through in life brought us to this moment. And this moment is pretty damn great.”
“I wholeheartedly agree.”