Chapter 41
Ellie
E llie’s excitement for Mamma Mia! couldn’t be higher if she tried. She’d been dreaming of playing the role of Sophie for so long and now to be able to do it with her mom as Donna, Ellie was overwhelmed. As Isla helped Ellie get into her costume for the first number, she tried not to let her emotions get the best of her. And judging by the look on her mom’s face, Isla was doing the same.
“We gotta keep it together,” Ellie laughed as she wiped a tear from her cheek. The last thing she needed to do was ruin the makeup she’d carefully applied.
“We won’t. We’re Mackenzies.”
“We wear our emotions on our sleeves.”
“Exactly,” Isla laughed as she pulled Ellie into a hug. “This has been an absolute dream come true to share the stage with you this way.”
“Back at ya.”
“Are you ready?”
“Born ready.”
Isla chuckled. “I believe that.”
“I love you, Mom.”
“I love you, too, Ellie.”
As the light backstage flashed to signal five minutes to curtain call, Ellie and Isla made their way to their places. Ellie met up with Dylan and the others in the opening number as they excitedly waited for the show to begin. When the music started and Ellie made her way on stage, she could feel her excitement bubbling over.
And when the curtains rose, Ellie felt like she was exactly where she belonged. She hit each note and mark perfectly and soaked up every minute. Ellie savored being able to sing on stage with her mom. Isla was a natural, and Ellie was constantly in awe of her. When the curtain came down before the final bows, Ellie found Isla in the crowd.
“You were great, Ellie!”
“Not half as great as you.” Ellie let Isla twirl her around as the music started up for this final bow.
Carter Hayes, the theater’s manager and producer for the show, had set up the bows so Isla and Ellie could go out together. And when they did, the crowd erupted. Sure, it was normal for the leads to be the biggest applause. But Ellie knew the fact her family and friends took up the better part of three rows added to the amplified sound.
Ellie found her mama in the crowd as they did their traditional heart hands at each other. They’d been doing it for every play Ellie was in since day one. Vera beamed with pride as she cried happy tears while cheering on Isla and Ellie.
Moving her eyes away from Vera, Ellie smiled at the rest of her family before she found Sadie in the crowd. She was clapping and cheering and her whole face lit up when she realized Ellie was looking at her. Ellie waved at her before blowing her a kiss just as the final curtain came down.
Ellie and Isla celebrated the first show for a few minutes with their castmates before meeting Vera outside. Isla had reserved the bar’s outdoor patio for them to celebrate, and Vera had sent them all ahead. And for that Ellie was grateful. She truly loved her family. But after her shows there were two things Ellie wanted: her mama’s hug and a Diet Coke. Vera held up the two Diet Cokes bottles in her hand.
“Perfectly chilled for my favorite ladies.”
“Thanks, baby.” Isla took one of the bottles before giving Vera a hug and a kiss. Ellie let them have their moment while she took a long sip of her own drink.
“And you,” Vera held her arms out to Ellie and she eagerly went into them, “you were amazing .”
“I get it all from Mom.”
“Hey, I birthed you.”
“And have no theatrical skills,” Isla teased.
“I’ll act like I’m not hurt by that.”
Ellie laughed at her parents. They were the best, and she would believe that until the day she died. She wrapped her arms tighter around Vera as Vera did the same. As much as Ellie loved being on the stage, it tended to zap her of everything she had after the fact. Especially opening nights. She was thankful her parents understood that.
“I think you’re amazing, Mama.”
“The feeling’s mutual, Care Bear.” Vera kissed Ellie’s cheek. “Everyone’s at the bar, so we can join them when you’re ready.”
“I’m ready.”
Ellie nodded as she took Vera’s hand. They walked to the Jeep together as they got inside. She loved how her parents held hands as they drove. It was beyond sweet and Ellie was obsessed with it.
As Vera parked the Jeep in front of the bar, Ellie could see the rest of their family and friends outside on the patio. The patio at Straight to Ale was open air in the summer months with windows during the winter months. Her mom had spent a ton of money refurbishing the space and was able to utilize it all year long, and the final product was amazing. Ellie could barely remember the bar before the improvements were made.
There was an exit-only door from the patio to the sidewalk, but Isla let them in through the door anyway. Ellie was overwhelmed by the congratulations and hugs she received from everyone as she made her way through the patio to the one person she’d been dying to see all night.
Sadie was wearing dark wash jeans and a form-fitting plain green shirt. She smiled widely at Ellie as they two embraced. Ellie didn’t care that her entire family and Sadie’s parents were watching them. Hell, they’d been watching them since the high school play several months ago before they were even a couple. But Ellie didn’t care. Not anymore.
“You were amazing, Ellie. I’m so proud of you.”
“Thanks, babe.” Tucking Sadie’s hair behind her ear, Ellie kissed her. She felt Sadie’s arms wrap around her and let her pull her in closer. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
Thankfully, everyone else seems to be more focused on the menu than Ellie and Sadie. Or they at least acted as such. They sat at a round table with Mason, Chase, Alexis, and Blake, with Ellie between Mason and Sadie. Mason pulled Ellie into a tight hug and repeatedly kissed her cheek.
“I’m so proud of my baby sister.”
“Oh really? I couldn’t tell.”
“You rocked it, kid.”
“Thanks, Mace.” Ellie beamed with pride under Mason’s compliment. Alexis and Chase also chimed in with their praise before Blake did.
“Yeah, you were great, Ellie.” Blake winked at her across the table. “I seriously think you need to reconsider my offer.”
“What offer?” Sadie furrowed her brow as she looked at Ellie.
“Oh, it’s nothing.” She waved her off as she pretended to look at the menu she’d had memorized since she could read.
“Psss.” It was Mason. “ Nothing .”
“Yeah, way to say my offering you a job in my movie is nothing .”
Ellie knew both Mason and Blake were teasing, but she still wished they’d dropped the topic. She’d told Blake no originally because of school. Then because of Mamma Mia! But now, Ellie was out of excuses. Especially since Blake still hadn’t found the leads for her movie yet. Everyone said she was being too picky, but Ellie disagreed. Blake would know when she found the right ones.
“Babe, you totally should do it.” Under the table, Sadie put her hand on Ellie’s upper thigh. “That way I could see you on the big screen anytime I want.”
Despite her best effort not to, Ellie felt herself blushing at Sadie’s comment. Especially since it was in front of her sisters and their wives. She hadn’t gotten to spend much time with Blake or Mason over the summer, so she didn’t know how much they knew.
Or what they knew.
She assumed Mason didn’t know what happened the night of her birthday party because she hadn’t said anything. And that was definitely something Mason would have brought up. Ellie would tell her eventually; probably sooner rather than later anyway.
Definitely not right now, though.
As the night went on, Ellie enjoyed hanging out with her family and Sadie. She loved how easy and casual it was for the six of them to chat for hours over everything and nothing. It made Ellie realize that one day, she and Sadie could be hanging out with them as more than just girlfriends.
Insane.
“I’m going to run to the bathroom.”
Ellie politely excused herself as she made her way through the restaurant. Emily waved from behind the bar as Ellie headed down the hallway to the bathroom. She had expected to be left alone for her bathroom run, but Mason waiting outside in the hallway when she opened the door also didn’t surprise her.
“Gotta be honest with you, you’re not the one I wanted to be waiting on me.”
“You know Mom had forbidden us from having sex in the bar’s bathrooms.”
“Yeah, wonder who got that rule established?”
Mason smirked. She and Chase had been caught by Isla a few years ago and their mom had never let them forget it.
Leaning up against the wall, Mason crossed her arms over her chest and crossed her ankles. She looked insanely cool in her black tank top, and dark jeans. Ellie was impressed by her arms, and wondered when she had time to go to the gym.
“When did you start working out?”
“Since we decided to procreate.”
“How’s that going?”
“It’s going. Which brings me to two questions.”
“Shoot.” Ellie leaned against the opposite wall as Mason, standing the same way.
“You know we don’t have secrets in this family.”
She narrowed her eyes at Mason.
“When are you going to tell me about you and Sadie?”
Ellie instantly felt a pang of regret that Mason obviously had found out from someone else that she and Sadie had had sex. She scrambled to formulate a response, but Mason’s smirk caught her off guard.
“Who told you?”
“Who do you think?”
“Mama,” Ellie laughed as Mason nodded.
“I’ve tried to tell you that I’m her favorite.”
“Whatever.” Ellie hesitated for a moment, trying to read Mason. “Was she mad?
“At you? Never. She just wanted me to check on you and make sure you were okay.”
“Glad to see you cared so much to wait a week.” Ellie winked at her to let her know she was teasing. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you myself.”
“It’s okay; I knew you’d tell me when you were ready. You’ve been busy and we haven’t seen each other as much this summer.”
“I know,” Ellie groaned. “This summer has just gone by so fast with the play and Sadie. I’m sorry for not making time for you.”
“Ellie, it’s okay.” Mason put her hands on Ellie’s shoulders and locked eyes with her. “I promise. I was just teasing. Although I do miss my sister and we need to hang out soon, okay?”
“I’m all for that.”
“And that brings me to my request.”
Ellie arched an eyebrow at Mason as she lowered her arms from Ellie’s shoulder.
“Chase and I are going to be having another IUI procedure soon. I know you’re loving shadowing Mama around, and I wanted to see if you’d be interested in helping Mama or Austin or whoever else will be doing my ultrasounds whenever I do get pregnant?”
“Mason,” Ellie gasped as she wrapped her arms around her sister’s neck. “Are you serious?”
“I am. Chase and Mama and I have talked about it and we’re all okay with it. I’d love to have you there for this journey, especially to be that involved if you want to be. It would mean a lot to Chase and me.”
“I’m there.”
“Really?”
“Try to keep me away.” Ellie kissed Mason’s cheek. “Thank you.”
“Don’t go thanking me just yet. I may traumatize you by the time I pop a kid out.”
“As if you haven’t already in the eighteen years you’ve known me.”
Mason laughed. “Fair point.”
Heading back out to the patio, Mason and Ellie rejoined Chase, Alexis, and Blake. But Sadie was missing from the table. Ellie looked around for her as her gaze caught Sadie’s walking toward her.
“Didn’t she go to the bathroom with you?” Alexis teased.
“She’s not allowed,” Mason, Chase, and Ellie responded in unison to Alexis’s comment.
“There you are,” Ellie kissed Sadie as she sat back down beside Ellie.
“Sorry, I was checking in with Mom about the party. It’s going to be Monday. Does that work for you?”
Sadie’s parents were having her a going-off-to-college party, although Ellie selfishly didn’t know what there was to celebrate. Sadie was leaving Wednesday, but to top it off, Brayden also had to be on campus by Friday. The Mackenzies already had plans to drive him to school that Wednesday to drop him off. Ellie’s heart wasn’t ready for those goodbyes yet.
“I wouldn’t miss it for anything.”