Page 85 of Pieces into Place
“Brayden!” Vera jumped up to hug their baby boy. “I’m so glad you came.”
“I couldn’t miss meeting my new niece fresh out of the oven.” Brayden handed the balloons and flowers to Melanie as he walked over to Blake. Isla watched as he kissed her cheek and put his arm around her shoulder. “You did good, sis.”
“Thanks, Brayden.” Blake kissed his cheek. “Do you want to hold her?”
Brayden nodded, and Blake carefully handed Amelia to him. Isla’s heart melted at the interaction as Brayden sat on the armrest of the recliner and Blake put her arm around his waist. They looked more alike than Isla had really noticed before, and she thanked the universe for bringing Blake back into their lives.
“What’s her name?”
“Amelia.”
“Hi, Amelia,” Brayden cooed. “I’m yourfavoriteuncle.”
“You’re heronlyuncle, goof,” Mason teased as Brayden stuck his tongue out at her.
“So, what’s her middle name?”
As Brayden asked the question, Isla realized Blake hadn’t told her that information yet. She’d promised she would tell Isla later, but she didn’t know whenlaterwas. Isla watched as Alexis and Blake looked at each other with sneaky grins, and it was then Isla knew they were up to something. And that Brayden was definitely in on it. His goofy grin gave him away.
Same with Melanie. The four of them weredefinitelyup to something. Isla had been too distracted watching Brayden and Blake that she hadn’t noticed Melanie had moved the bassinet closer to Blake. Brayden set Amelia inside as he and Melanie stood around the bassinet looking at Amelia with their backs to everyone else.
“What’s going on?” Isla narrowed her eyes at Blake as they both slowly smiled. “What are you up to?”
Blake nodded her head toward the bassinet as Brayden and Melanie stepped away. Isla could see a handpainted sign in the bassinet and she cocked her head at Blake. Alexis helped Blake stand as they stood by the bassinet.
“Why don’t you and Mama check out her name?”
Looking at Vera, it was clear she was just as clueless as to what was happening as Isla was. Hand in hand, they walked over to the bassinet. Isla’s eyes read over the sign.
And her heart nearly exploded with joy.
Because the sign not only revealed Amelia’s middle name, but her last name as well.
Amelia Elizabeth Mackenzie.
Mackenzie.
Isla couldn’t pull her eyes away from the last name as tears filled her eyes. She braced herself on the bassinet as she cried tears of pure joy and happiness. All the years of heartache and hurt seemed to be washed away with each tear that fell.
“Is this real?” Vera asked through tears as she immediately went to hug Blake. “This better not be a joke.”
“It’s not, Mama.” Over Vera’s shoulder, Blake looked at Isla. “We changed our last name. It was final a few days ago, so I guess Amelia just got really excited about that and had to come a few weeks early.”
Isla could barely see through the tears in her eyes as Blake walked over to her. She couldn’t get Blake into a hug fast enough as she held onto her as they both cried. Remembering Blake’s incision, Isla tried not to hold too tightly onto her. But it was damn near impossible.
“You changed your name?”
“We did.” Blake nodded as Isla wiped the tears from her face. “I realized I’d never been a Mackenzie, and when I brought that up to Alexis, she suggested we change our name. So we did.”
“What about Reese?”
“We changed her middle name from Mackenzie to Marie.”
“You didn’t,” Isla sobbed again, realizing they gave Reese her middle name. “Blake.”
“We wanted to honor you and Mama with our girls’ names.”
It was then that Isla registered Amelia’s middle name. She’d been so focused on the last name that she hadn’t noticed the significance of the middle name.
