Page 52 of Pieces into Place
“Then years pass and you show up out of the blue and I was so excited. I wanted to get to know my big sister so much, but you were only focused on Alexis.”
“Mace…”
“Wait,” Mason held up her hand. “Let me finish before I talk myself out of it again. I think a lot of my frustrations about our relationship came out as anger because I didn’t know how to process everything. I’d had big dreams about hanging out with my sister and getting to know you, and that didn’t happen. At least not the way I had planned. But a lot has changed in the last five years. You married Alexis and had a family, and I married Chase and had Silas. I learned to accept that our relationship might never be the way I had envisioned it. But after everything I’ve watched you work through in the last month, I’ve been waiting for my time to get my sister back. And honestly,” Mason smiled sweetly at her, “I feel like that happened today.”
“Mason.” Blake pulled her sister into a hug. With her pregnant belly in the way, Mason was wedged between it and the couch as she rested her head on Blake’s shoulder. “You never lost me. I’m sorry I made you feel like you did. But I’ve always been your sister and nothing will everchange that. I’m always going to be here for you and things are going to get better for us.” She kissed Mason’s head. “I’m not going anywhere ever again.”
“Promise?” Holding up her pinky finger, Blake wrapped hers around Mason.
“I promise as long as you don’t make me watch your birth video.”
“Deal,” Mason giggled. “Is it okay if I touch your belly?”
“You ask as you’re already laying on me.” Laughing, Blake readjusted her position slightly so Mason wasn’t wedged between her and the couch. Mason snuggled up with Blake as she put her hand on Blake’s stomach. “Mom told me her birth story with me the other day.”
“Oh, that had to be tough.”
“You’ve heard it?”
“Yeah. It killed me. I kept asking her why no one was supporting her or telling her what was happening or encouraging her. She wasnineteen.”
“That’s Ellie’s age now.”
“I can’t imagine Ellie having a baby,” they both said in unison before laughing.
“But seriously, I can’t.” Blake took Mason’s hand and moved it a little lower on her belly. “She’s right there.”
“Oh!” Her eyes lit up as she felt the baby move. “Hi, baby. It’s your favorite aunt, Mason. Man, I miss this part of pregnancy. Not the pushing him out part, but this part. Feeling him inside me and knowing I was keeping him safe.”
“It’s an amazing feeling.”
“And it reminds me that Mom basically had both of us by herself. Like, yeah, Nora was there and the midwife, but they didn’t sound very helpful to me. And Eden was only eight and eleven when each of us were born. She wouldn’t have been helpful.”
“I can’t imagine Harper watching me give birth.”
“Ditto. But Mom basically helped raise Eden until we came along, so I get it.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“I just can’t imagine. I had Mom, Mama, Chase, Ellie,andAunt Mel in the room with me, and I was still about to crack under all the pain and pressure. I honestly don’t know how she did it. Twice.”
“She’s superwoman.”
Mason sighed as she moved her thumb up and down on Blake’s stomach. “She really is.”
“We have the best mom.”
“And Mama.”
“And Mama,” Blake repeated. “I hope I’m half as good of a mom to my kids as they have been to all of us.”
“You’re gonna do great, Blake. You’re already an amazing mama to Harper, Archer, and Reese. Little no name baby girl here is so lucky to have you and Alexis as parents. And me as an aunt, obviously,” she added with a laugh.
“Obviously.”
“And if you want me there during labor for emotional support and laughs, I’m totally there.”
“Really?”
