Page 23 of Pieces into Place
“They won’t,” she firmly asserted. “They love you. They want you in their life. You just have tolet them.”
Blake firmly nodded. “I will. I promise. I’m going to work on this.”
“I believe you.”
“Good.”
“And as for the baby,” Alexis put her hand back on Blake’s stomach, “I’ll help you there as much as I can. But I think you should mention it to Dr. Jacobs next time we go, okay? I know this can be normal for some people, but I don’t have the resources to help you through it. I feel Dr. Jacobs could help, since I don’t foresee you mentioning this to Vera.”
“She’d just judge me.”
“No, she wouldn’t.” Alexis shook her head repeatedly. “And she doesn’t hate you, before you say that again. But,honey, I have to ask. Whydidn’tyou want Vera to be your doctor? Truthfully?”
Blake knew the answer. But vocalizing it? She didn’t know if she could do that.
But if she and Alexis were going to repair their relationship, she had to start somewhere.
“It felt too vulnerable, and I didn’t think I could let her in like that. Not until we have a better relationship.”
Alexis nodded, taking in what Blake had said. “I understand that, and I respect that. Thank you for telling me.”
“Sorry I didn’t tell you before.”
“Well, now I can help you work on it. And for your sake and Vera’s, I hope you let her in sooner rather than later. Same with Isla.”
“And Mason.”
“And me,” Alexis smiled sweetly.
“Always, Lex. Always. I’m done with lying to you. I promise.”
“Good. Because I don’t think I could handle us being mad at each other any longer. It was killing me.”
“Same.”
“But we’re on the same page now. We’re going to work on all this together, okay? I got you. We’re going to repair everything that’s broken. Together.”
“Together,” Blake repeated.
Chapter 9
Isla
Isla put on a smile as she said goodbye to her friends and family and thanked them for coming to her party. As the house cleared out, Isla made her way upstairs to be by herself. She wasn’t in the mood to talk to Vera or anyone else. Especially not when she was keenly aware of someone that had left before saying goodbye.
Mason.
Not that Isla could blame her. Isla couldn’t remember the last time she’d yelled at Mason. She and Vera were famously the moms who didn’t yell at their kids. They had chosen instead to treat them with respect and talk out every issue with them instead of talking down to them.
As she sat on her bed looking at the door, Isla mentally kicked herself for letting her anger control her. She knew her feelings were valid, but that didn’t give her an excuse to yell at Mason when she hadn’t done anything wrong. If anything, Mason had felt the brunt of Blake’s absence right along with Isla over the years. It wasn’t fair to Isla to treat her like that. Mason didn’t deserve that.
I need to call her.
But before Isla looked for her phone, Vera walked into the bedroom. She looked tired; more tired than Isla had remembered seeing her in years. Knowing that she caused that pain was enough to make Islasick to her stomach. Fighting the tears from falling again, Isla slumped her shoulders as she sighed.
“I feel awful.”
“Well, frankly, you should.”
