Page 11 of State of Grace

“Hey, kid,” Vera smiled sweetly at her as she breezed into the kitchen.

“Hey.” Blake offered her a quick smile. “I’m sorry, did I wake you?”

“No, you didn’t. I always get up this early on Saturdays.”

“Oh. Ok.” The thought of Vera making breakfast for her family made a pang of sadness course through Blake’s body. Her father wasn’t one to ever make breakfast, and the various maids they’d had over the years weren’t motherly at all. It was another reminder of things she’d missed in her childhood. “Good.”

“I’m going to make some breakfast if you’d want something more than a PopTart.”

“Oh, no, I wouldn’t want to bother you.”

“Please.” Vera waved a dismissive hand at her as she took the eggs out of the fridge. “I’m cooking for five anyway. One more won’t add any extra work.”

“Do you always do this?”

“Every Saturday. It’s my treat for the family. They always sleep in, and I make breakfast. It’s not much; usually eggs and toast and sometimes bacon.” Vera paused as a playful look flashed across her face. “Do you eat bacon? Isla has some turkey bacon that’s surprisingly good if you do.”

“I love bacon.”

“Good.”

Satisfied with the answer, Vera nodded and rummaged in the fridge for the bacon. She set it beside the eggs before pressing a button on the coffee pot as it brewed. Vera was at home in the kitchen, making Blake’s heart happy and sad at the same time. She wished she’d been able to grow up in the house with Isla and Vera and their kids. Everything would have been so different. Blake had never known what she was missing out on until seeing it in action.

“So,” Vera held out the word longer than necessary, “have you and Isla been able to talk any? I know you’ve only been here for a couple of days, but...”

“Yeah, no.” Blake shook her head and avoided Vera’s gaze. “We haven’t. Not really.”

“Well, maybe tonight.” There was a slight catch in Vera’s voice as if she was contemplating the right words to say. “She’s off, and I can take the kids out for dinner if you two want to talk here, or you two can go out, and I’ll make dinner for the kids here. Whatever you’re more comfortable with.”

“I don’t know what to say.” It was the truth; Blake had never experienced such understanding and respect from someone who legitimately didn’t want anything in return from her. Blake was keenly aware all her life that some people would only be friendly to her because of what they hoped to get from her in return. It’d made Blake more closed off than she’d realized.

“To your mom or me?”

“Both.” Blake avoided Vera’s gaze as she picked at the PopTart on the napkin. “I can’t believe my dad did this. It’s so fucked up.”

“I know, honey.” She could hear Vera swallow the lump in her throat as she leaned on the counter across from her. “It wasn’t fair to you or your mom or Mason. But I want you to know one thing, ok?” Vera waited until Blake’s eyes met hers before continuing. “Your mom has loved you every single day since the day she knew she was pregnant with you. I can promise you that.”

Overcome with emotion, the only thing Blake could do was nod. Vera reached out across the counter and squeezed her arm. There were no words needed for Vera’s motherly comforting to wash over Blake. She breathed in deeply and gritted her teeth before looking up at Vera.

“I wish I had known even a little bit about her growing up.” She shrugged. “I mean, I have some memories of her before Dad took me, but they’re distant memories now. Dad never told me anything. If I’d ask questions, he’d always change the subject. I barely even saw pictures of her.”

“Well,” there was a twinkle in Vera’s eyes, “as you know now, all you had to do was look in the mirror to see her.” Blake nodded as she smiled shyly. It was the first thing Blake had noticed when she saw Isla. “And if you want pictures, your mom has a ton of them in photo albums.”

“Really?”

“Oh, yes. My wonderful wife has always insisted on taking tons of pictures, and once cell phone pictures became a thing, I thought we’d have to add a room onto the house because she insists on printing off every single photo she takes.”

“Does she have any of me?”

“Of course, she does.” Vera bit her lip as she nodded. “She has them from when she was pregnant to you up until…” She didn’t have to finish her sentence. They both knew what she was going to say. “Isla regretted not taking more pictures of you, which is why I am sure she insists on taking so many pictures of the other kids.”

“Makes sense.”

Nodding, Blake pushed her tongue into the cheek as she thought about how Isla was affected by everything too. She’d been so caught up in her world that she’d failed to realize that Isla had her daughter taken from her in a court of law by a man she once trusted. No wonder Isla had been avoiding her; the pain of seeing Blake all grown up must have killed her. Blake wondered if she’d made the right decision to show up at the bar completely unannounced.

“I am happy you are here, Blake.”

“Me too.” She was thankful Vera had pulled her from her mental spiral. “Thank you for welcoming me into your home.”

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