Page 3 of Pieces into Place
Isla winced. “On that note, I’m going to go talk to Evie.”
After kissing Vera, Isla took the stairs two at a time to the upstairs bathroom. She found Evie kneeled down by the tub as she dried Willow off with a towel. Isla noted it was the same towel she’d used a few days ago and wondered how many towels she’d used after a dog. Shaking her head, Isla leaned into the doorframe. Everleigh hadn’t noticed heryet, which gave her a moment to peacefully watch their youngest daughter.
Although they loved all their kids equally, there was something different about Everleigh. Maybe it was the fact she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at only six months old. That had turned all their lives upside down as they navigated their new normal. They had a routine down now, but it had taken years to perfect. It could also be because Everleigh was homeschooled and spent most of her time with them. As the youngest, she had the advantage of having their undivided attention most of the time. And Evie loved that.
“Are you just going to stand there creeping?”
“No,” Isla laughed, walking into the bathroom as she sat on the closed toilet lid. “Can we talk for a minute?”
Everleigh nodded. Isla knew better than to wait on Everleigh to look at her. Like Mason, Everleigh had autism. She struggled with making eye contact when having serious conversations—or really, most conversations—so Isla continued as Everleigh switched to brushing Willow’s fur.
“Evie, I’m very sorry for how I acted this morning. I was upset and angry, but it wasn’t because of you.”
“It was because of Blake,” she stated flatly. “That’s what Mama said.”
Isla swallowed the lump in her throat. “That’s right. It was. And I’m sorry I’ve been letting that get to me so much lately. I know it hasn’t been fair to you or Mama or your siblings.”
“It’s not fair to you either, though, Mom.” Sitting on the floor, Everleigh looked up at her as she stopped brushing Willow. “You’re the best mom ever, and I wish Blake would finally see that.”
“Evie.” Isla touched her hand to her chest as she once again felt tears in her eyes. Hearing her baby girl say those words healed a part of Isla’s heart she didn’t know was broken. “I love you, baby.”
Standing, Everleigh went to her and hugged her. She buried her face in Isla’s chest as she wrapped her arms tightly around her. Isla hoped Everleigh never lost her love of cuddling or being close to her or Vera. They all three loved it so much, and Isla had forgotten how healing a tight hug from Evie could be.
“I love you too, Mom.”
Isla squeezed her eyes tightly shut, thanking the universe she got to be a mom to her fiveamazing kids.
Chapter 2
Blake
Blake Holland couldn’t escape the overwhelming feeling that she was letting everyone in her life down. From her wife to her kids to her parents to even herself, everyone seemed to rely on Blake for more than she could give them. Especially since most days she felt like an absolute failure. After trying for the better part of the last three years to produce her own movie, Blake had all but given up on that dream.
She tried to tell herself it was okay. That maybe the actress phase of her life was over and it was time to fully embrace her new favorite role asmama. Of course, the baby growing inside her might have some say over her emotions these days. Pregnancy had taken more from Blake than she had expected to give, leaving her feeling even more useless than before becoming pregnant. It didn’t help matters that her wife, Alexis, was an absolute superwoman when she was pregnant with their twins. Blake felt as if she could never compare to the mother that Alexis was. No matter how hard she tried.
And Blake had tried. She’d naively believed that being pregnant would feel like the most amazing and natural thing in the world to her. Blake had seen how much Alexis loved being pregnant and having their babies, and even hersister Mason hadn’t complainedtoo muchduring her pregnancy with her son. It was also something Blake wanted. So why she felt so disconnected from her pregnancy was confusing to Blake.
It wasn’t as if she didn’t want the baby. She desperately did. Blake and Alexis had done reciprocal IVF, so Blake was carrying Alexis’s egg. They had gone through three transfers before Blake became pregnant, which was two more than Alexis had gone through with the twins. She would be lying to herself if Blake hadn’t wondered if that was a sign sheshouldn’tget pregnant.
After all, she and Alexis had three amazing kids already. Harper was ten and the center of everyone’s attention. She loved puzzles and LEGO and performing at the local community theater with her Aunt Ellie. Reese and Archer were two and asking a million questions a day. Blake loved their curiosity and being able to see herself in them.
She also loved watching Alexis be their mommy. Alexis was made to be a mom. There was no doubt about that in Blake’s mind. Alexis was so intuitive with their kids, often knowing what they needed before they asked. Blake, on the other hand, always felt she was a step behind Alexis in the parenting department. She loved her kids fiercely, but she couldn’t help but notice all three of them would go to Alexis first if they were hurt or needed help. Although Blake tried not to let it get to her, it was also impossible to ignore.
To top it all off, Blake had been too scared to admit her feelings aloud to anyone. Even Alexis. Just like she was too scared to tell her that she hadn’t been going to therapy for the last few months. Blake had stopped going when they were trying to get pregnant, telling herself she was fine. She’d been wrong. She could admit that. At least to herself. No one else knew she spent her therapy time at the library working on a script for a movie she doubted would ever see the light of day.
Sighing, Blake squeezed her eyes shut as she massaged her temples. She’d been typing away at her computer for nearly an hour and barely had six hundred words. Maybe she wasn’t meant to be a writer. Or a producer. Or a director. Everything she’d tried to do other than acting had failed. It gnawed at Blake that she wasn’t working to support her family. They were basically living off her savings from previous jobs, but she knew sooner rather than later that money would run out. Especially with the multiple IVF rounds, four kids, and daily expenses. The weight of it all pressed heavily on Blake’s shoulders.
At thirty-six, the only job she’d ever had was as an actress. She’d been working in front of the camera since she was five and never once thought she might need more skills than hitting the mark and memorizing lines. At least not until she walked away from the career to move to Moonflower Cove. Back then, Blake’s only reason for moving to the Cove was to reconnect with her mom, Isla. A wave of guilt washed over her again at realizing how far the two of them still needed to go in their relationship.
And that was all Blake’s fault.
She’d moved to the Cove for her mom, yes, but she hadn’t planned on meeting Alexis Holland. Falling in love with Alexis and raising their family together had been the highlight of Blake’s life. Blake had no regrets about that, but she did regret how she’d kept her mom at arm’s length since arriving in town. Isla tried so hard to break down Blake’s wall, but Blake was scared. Being unconditionally loved by a parent wasn’t something Blake was used to.
Blake knew that wasn’t an excuse, though. She was an adult and more than capable of facing her past to reconcile things with her mother. Her siblings adored her mom and Vera and Blake desperately wanted that too. She just didn’t know how to get that ball rolling without breaking down her walls, and that scared the shit out of her. The walls were there to keep her safe. Only Alexis had the key to getin and Blake kept her there with her along with the kids so they could all be safe in their own bubble.
Or trapped.
Whichever it was, Blake knew eventually she’d have to have the hard talks with Isla. They were way past due and Isla had been relatively patient in waiting for them to happen. But since it seemed to all be in Blake’s court as towhen, the conversations kept getting pushed off. Moving in with Alexis, their wedding, adopting Harper, and having the twins had all taken precedence over healing the relationship with her own mother. The woman who loved her since the day she was born.
