Page 90 of Pieces into Place
She had watched Mason celebrate Silas’s first birthday a few days ago, and it had melted Vera’s heart. Mason had been so worried before getting pregnant that she wouldn’t be a good mom. Vera knew Mason was wrong, and that had been proven more to her every day. She was the best mom to Silas and, along with Chase, they were raising a beautiful baby boy.
Mason had come far from the four-year-old kid Vera had met thirty years ago. So had Vera and Isla. Vera couldn’t believe she’d been lucky enough to love Isla Mackenzie for thirty years. It had been the greatest honor of her life to love Isla, raise babies with her, and fall in love with her more every day.
Then there was Blake.
A year ago, Vera never would have imagined she’d be so close to her eldest daughter as she now was. Blake had opened up so much to not only Vera but Isla as well. Watching Isla and Blake reconnect had been as sweet as Vera reconnecting with Blake herself. Barely a day would go by that Blake wasn’t over at their house or Isla and Vera stopped by her house. Their newfound relationship was so sweet and precious to Vera.
Just like Amelia was. Amelia was four days shy of being one month old, and Vera could still remember all those emotions from her birth day. Even though Vera had been a doctor for most of her life, nothing could have prepared her for her daughter to be the one on the table. At that moment, Vera was selfishly relieved she wasn’t Blake’s doctor.There was no way she could have performed a surgery on her. Not one of that magnitude.
But it wasn’t just Vera who was feeling the weight of the surgery on her shoulders. Avery felt the same way as well. Vera could tell as they changed into scrubs. It was something they’d done a hundred times together before, but there was something different in the air between them. Putting her own fears aside, Vera chose to comfort Avery.
Vera watched Avery tie the string of her pants once, only to untie it and do it again. She was nervous. Not that Vera could blame her. She was nervous, too. But the difference was Vera wasn’t operating on Blake and Avery was. And Vera needed her not to be nervous.
“Avery,” Vera waited for Avery to look at her, “you’ve got this. You’re an amazing doctor. You have been since you started here. I didn’t know when I interviewed you seven years ago that you would be the one doing my daughter’s cesarean, but I’m glad it’s you. I trust you.”
“You… you do?”
“I wouldn’t be letting you operate on Blake if I didn’t. But you’ve never given me any reason to doubt you, so I’m not going to start now.”
“Thanks, Dr. Mackenzie.”
“Vera,” she smiled, wondering not for the first time why she felt like she knew Avery in another life.
She had felt that way about Avery since she’d first met her eight years ago. She’d been on the committee who interviewed potential residents the year Avery had applied. Avery was only twenty-five, which was the same age Vera had been when she’d applied for the residency program at Taylor Memorial Hospital. There had been a large number of applicants that year, but Avery had stuck out the most to Vera. And it was more than the fact she’d graduated top of her class at Yale Medical School. Or the way she reminded Vera so much of herself.
If anything, it was how something about her reminded her of Isla.
Vera couldn’t explain it. Maybe it was because Avery was from New York, like Isla was. Whatever it was, Vera had lobbied hard for Avery to be accepted into their residency program. And with Blake and Amelia happy and healthy down the street, Vera knew she’d made the right decision.
After the surgery, Vera stayed by Blake’s side the entire night. Isla started sleeping in bed with Blake but moved to sitting on the chair by her bed halfway through the night to give Blake more room. She’d held on to Blake’s hand all night as she slept with her head by Blake’s waist. Vera took the quiet hours of the early morning to cuddle with Amelia. She took off her scrub top, placing the infant on her chest as Alexis slept with her head on Vera’s lap. Taking a blanket from the back of the couch, Vera wrapped it around her and Amelia.
The memories of that day still lingered with Vera. Both the fear and excitement commingled in her brain about that experience. But all that mattered now was both Blake and Amelia were okay and doing amazing. Vera couldn’t wait to see them both, along with the rest of her family, later that day.
Of course, she’d had to get out of bed first.
And that was something that Veradefinitelydidn’t want to do.
She was happily cuddled up with Isla as the sun barely shone through the bedroom window. Isla had her back to Vera, and Vera had her leg over Isla’s knees. Her breasts were pressed into Isla’s back, proving they couldn’t get any closer if they tried. Well, aside from taking off their clothes. They tried not to make it a habit to sleep nude with the door unlocked because inevitably a kid would come in.
If any kid ventured into their bed that morning, it would be Everleigh. She had been doing so more recently, butVera didn’t question it. At fourteen, she knew Everleigh wouldn’t want to crawl into their bed forever. Granted, Mason still did, and she was thirty-five. Not that Vera would ever care. Her kids could get into bed with her as long as they wanted.
Kissing Isla’s shoulder, Vera ran her hands through her hair. Isla’s hair was soft with a slight curl, like Blake, Mason, and Ellie’s hair. Vera loved how Isla had been wearing it longer these days, as it reminded her of when they first met.
Hearing the bedroom door creak open, Vera didn’t bother to peek over Isla’s shoulder to see who it was. Instead, she made a space between her and Isla and waited for Everleigh to climb into bed with them.
But to Vera’s surprise, it was Blake that crawled into bed with them.
“Happy Mother’s Day, Mama.”
“Hey, honey. Happy Mother’s Day.” Vera happily wrapped her arms around Blake as Blake snuggled into her embrace. She had to fight the tears thinking about how she’d never got to do that with Blake as a baby. But somehow now, it was even sweeter. “I wasn’t expecting it to be you crawling into our bed.”
“Gotta keep you on your toes,” Blake quietly chuckled.
“Always,” Vera squeezed her a little tighter. “I’m glad you’re here, Blake.”
“Me, too. Amelia was up early today. She was super fussy in the crib, but fine as long as Alexis or I held her.”
“Uh-oh, you got yourself an Evie.”
