Page 5 of State of Grace

Alexis had watched Blake’s hit sci-fi show The Things We Left Behind since the first episode and had fangirled over the show ever since. Every week she, Emily, Sophia, and their friend Maddie watched the show together; Alexis had even named Harper after a character on the show. She’d developed quite the following online for her Across the Great Expanse fanfic that shipped Blake’s character with Harper, the blonde whom Avery had more chemistry with than the obligatory man they’d hooked her up with in order to keep the peace with the network.

But Blake Calloway wasn’t just the star of Alexis’s favorite TV show.

No, she was also Isla’s daughter.

It wasn’t a fact that Isla hid; there were pictures of Blake at various award shows and screenshots from the show on the bar's walls and her house. But it also wasn’t something Isla openly talked about with just anyone. When Blake was barely five, her father took her from Isla. His deep pockets made it easy for him to gain full custody of Blake during a sham of a court case. Her father took her to LA, and the rest was history.

The hostess stared in awe as Blake strolled toward the bar, toward Isla. She was wearing tight jeans and a black leather jacket with a Beatles-themed graphic tee underneath. Her Doc Martens finished off the look along with a grey baseball cap that did little to disguise who she was underneath. Her ice-blue eyes locked with Alexis’s for a moment as a smile tugged at her lips. At her side was a large suitcase with a backpack haphazardly wrapped around the handle.

“Blake,” Isla’s voice was so quiet that Alexis wasn’t sure she’d even heard it. She slowly walked around the bar as Blake stopped in her tracks. Alexis watched as mother and daughter stood five feet away from each other for the first time in over twenty-five years. Beside her, Emily rapidly hit her hip with her hand in an undeniable show of excitement. She grabbed Emily’s hand and squeezed it as she turned to face her while her eyes stayed locked on Blake.

“We should go.”

“I’m not going until we meet Blake Calloway!” Emily’s excitement was palpable, and, like Harper did when she was excited, Emily bounced up and down. “You can’t tell me that you don’t want to meet her.”

“I do, but now’s not the time.” Alexis’s eyes moved from Blake to Isla then back to Blake. Neither of them had moved; neither daring to take a step closer as if they were both worried the person standing in front of them was simply a mirage of their imagination. “They need some time alone right now.” She nodded toward the kitchen. “Come on.”

“Isla, we’re leaving.” Both Isla and Blake turned toward them, and it was then Alexis could see the tears in Isla’s eyes. She nodded at them as Alexis pulled Emily back through the kitchen doors. As the door shut behind them, Emily playfully smacked Alexis on the arm. “Blake fuckin’ Calloway is in the bar!”

“I saw.”

“How are you not freaking out right now?” Emily excitedly grabbed their bags from Isla’s office. She handed Alexis her purse as she walked out the backdoor. “I mean, you named your daughter after a character on her show.”

“I know.”

“And you write one of the most popular fanfics of the show.”

“Emily.” Sighing heavily, Alexis stopped walking as Emily did the same. “I know all of this, but first and foremost, that is Isla’s daughter, whom she hasn’t seen in like twenty-something years. That has come before everything else.”

“Ugh. Fine.” Emily jutted her chin toward Alexis’s car. “Can I get a ride?”

“Only if you promise not to ask Isla if you can meet Blake.”

“Fun sucker.” Rolling her eyes, Emily got into the passenger side as Alexis looked back at the door to the bar. She offered up a quick prayer to whatever god was on call that what was happening on the other side of the door would benefit both Isla and Blake. Alexis made a mental note to text Isla later.

After all, it was the least she could do.

Chapter 3

No amount of time could have prepared Blake for what it would feel like to stand so close to her mother for the first time in over two decades. Her heart was torn between running to her and crying on her shoulder like she did when she fell off her bicycle, or running the other way and throwing up. From the mere two minutes she’d been in her presence, she knew from the look in Isla’s eyes that she loved her. All the love Blake had missed because of her father felt like an enormous hole in her heart.

“I…I can’t believe you’re here. In my bar.” Isla’s voice seemed to catch in her throat as she covered her mouth with her hand. She could see a few tears escape her brown eyes. Her mother looked more like her than Blake remembered. Or, well, Blake looked more like her mother. They had the same intense jawline, crooked smile, and long, wavy dark brown hair. Their eyes were two different colors, but even they looked the same.

“I hope it’s ok that I’m here. I’m sorry.” Nervously scratching the back of her neck, Blake dropped her eyes from Isla’s loving gaze and looked at the floor. “Should I have called? I should have called.”

“No, Blake,” Isla took a step toward her with an outstretched hand but stopped short of touching Blake. Her hand retreated quickly toward her body, then she clasped it over her heart. “I’m so happy you are here. I’m just surprised, that’s all.”

“I’m surprised I’m here too.” With a sarcastic laugh, Blake sat at the bar as Isla did the same. Blake noted she left one seat between them. They each put an elbow on the bar and rested their heads in their hands. The similarity in their movements didn’t go unnoticed by either, but neither changed their positions. “I was cleaning out the condo – I’m sure you know my dad passed away.”

“I did, and I’m so sorry.” Placing a hesitant hand on Blake’s knee, Isla’s eyes became sympathetic. Blake couldn’t fathom why her mother would feel any sadness about her ex-husband’s death when he had taken her daughter away from her. “We saw the news, and I wished I could have been there for you.”

“Thanks.” She smiled sadly. “I wish you could have been there, too.”

A silence filled the space between them for a few moments as both contemplated what to say next. There were many things Blake wanted to know about her mother and her life in Moonflower Cove, but her brain was only capable of processing how much she’d missed her mom.

“And, I’m sorry about the show.” Isla grimaced as if she knew she shouldn’t bring it up but had decided to do so anyway. “It was such a great show, although I may be biased since I gavebirth to one of the main stars.” She winked.

“Thank you. I loved working on it.”

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