Page 87 of Pieces into Place
With Melanie gone, the room was back down to the five of them. Blake was back in bed nursing Amelia as Alexis and Vera stood on either side of the bed watching her. The sight was so beautiful and one that Isla never thought she’d get to witness. So much had happened over the last three decades that Isla felt as if she could finally breathe again.
“Lex, do you want to go fill up our water bottles with me?”
Isla knew it was Vera’s subtle way of giving Blake and Isla some time alone, which Isla was grateful for. As the two of them headed out of the room with four reusable water bottles, Isla kicked off her shoes and got into the bed with Blake. She put her arm around Blake’s neck as Blake snuggled into her.
“Thank you for today, honey. It means so much to me and Mama.”
“It means so much to me and Lex, too. We’ve been so excited. I’ve almost told you a hundred times.”
“I’m glad you waited because today was perfect.”
“It was, wasn’t it?” Blake sighed contently as she looked down at Amelia. “She’s perfect, isn’t she?”
“The most perfect little Mackenzie baby.”
“I thought that was me?” Blake cocked her head up at Isla, making her laugh.
“Oh, you’resoa Mackenzie.” Isla put her arms around Blake and kissed her cheek. “I’m so happy.”
“Me, too, Mom. I love you.”
“I love you, too, Blake Mackenzie.”
“Mmm, I love the sound of that.”
“Me, too, baby.” Isla kissed her once more, never wanting to forget that moment. “Me, too.”
Chapter 30
Alexis
Three weeks had passed since Amelia had been born and Alexis finally felt she and Blake had settled into a groove. It had taken some adjusting to get the hang of wrangling two toddlers who didn’t fully understand why they couldn’t climb all over mommy and had to be gentle with the new baby. Amelia had been saved from many toddler attempts to not-so-gently touch or hug her. But Alexis knew she’d be right there playing with Archer and Reese soon enough.
It seemed like only yesterday that Harper was Amelia’s age. Alexis remembered how scared she was with a newborn and how she’d relied heavily on not only Sophia, but Isla and Vera as well. They had truly been second parents to her, which made Blake’s wall she had between them for years hard on Alexis. She felt she was constantly toeing the line of Blake’s side versus Isla and Vera’s side. Even if more times than not, she leaned toward the latter.
Alexis loved Blake more than anyone in the world, but her stubbornness had the tendency to drive Alexis up a wall. Thankfully, since reconciling with Isla and Vera and the rest of the Mackenzies, Blake had been more relaxed than Alexis had ever seen her. Blake had a peace about her that shone in her eyes and her smile, and Alexis hoped it never dimmed. Her beautiful wife didn’t deserve the decisions that were made for her by her dad. Blake’s past still broke Alexis’s heart to think about. It was why she wasdetermined to stay in a state of grace with Blake, always and forever.
“Did everything go okay at Amelia’s appointment today?” Vera asked as she cut up strawberries for the kids at the kitchen island while Alexis pulled a casserole out of the oven.
“Everything was great. She’s back up to her birth weight and even added a few ounces.”
“Right on track. I’d expect nothing less from a Mackenzie,” Vera joked. “And Blake is still doing well with breastfeeding? I know it was hard there for a bit.”
“Yeah, she’s doing better now, though. Mason’s been giving us some of her oversupply, which has helped a ton. It has made Blake feel less guilty.”
“She shouldn’t feel guilty.”
“I know. But you know Blake.”
“She doesn’t listen, just like her mother.” Vera laughed as she popped a strawberry into her mouth. “There’s no denying she’s a Mackenzie.”
“Not a bit,” Alexis joined in on the laughter. It felt good to laugh after the ups and downs of the last few weeks.
Blake had been struggling to produce enough milk for Amelia, which had in turn made her stressed and slightly depressed after she came home from the hospital. It didn’t matter that Alexis, Vera, Isla, and even Dr. Jacobs had told her it was completely normal. Especially after a c-section.
Alexis’s mind went back to the moment she found out Blake was going to have a c-section. In all the possibility of delivery, that one had never crossed her mind. Blake’s pregnancy had been easy, and she’d had no complications until the day of the surgery. When Dr. Jacobs told them she was recommending a c-section, Alexis immediately went into panic mode about losing Blake or the baby or both. She’d tried to hold it together in front of Blake, not wanting to scare her more than she already was.
But once she was in the small room off the OR as she waited for Blake to be prepped for surgery, Alexis had lost it. She’d sat on the uncomfortable bench seat in an itchy gown, buried her face in her hands, and cried. Alexis wasn’t alone, though. Melanie was instantly by her side, putting her arms around her as she kept Alexis from falling to pieces.
