Page 28 of State of Grace

“Never.” Blake picked up the phone, unlocked it again, and put another song on.

“Isn’t this a Whitney Huston song?”

“Yes, but Dolly wrote it and recorded it first.”

“Are you a Dolly Parton fangirl or something?”

“I mean, she’s amazing. She was a trailblazer for women. She started out writing songs, then started singing, became super popular, appeared in movies, and then bought Dollywood. Dollywood. I’ve always wanted to go to Dollywood for the chance to meet her.”

“So, the short answer to that question is yes.”

“Yes.” Blake’s hearty laugh filled Alexis’s ears and warmed her heart. She loved seeing Blake so passionate about something, and she would never have pegged her to be such a fan of Dolly Parton. “This is gonna sound so lame, but if I could have any job in the world, I’d work at Dollywood.”

“I totally get that; I’d work at Disney World in a heartbeat.”

“You got the mouse, and I got Dolly. We’re all set for our retirement jobs.”

“Oh yes, once I retire from the bar with my millions, I will move to Florida.” She said sarcastically. “That’s a dream that’ll never be fulfilled.”

“You could, you know?”

“Retire with millions?” Alexis scoffed.

“Move to Florida.”

“I could never leave the Cove.” Alexis tightened her grip on the steering wheel. The thought of leaving the Cove, even in a hypothetical sense, made her stomach tighten. “My family’s here; Sophia and Emily and Maddie and Isla and my friends. They’re my family, and I couldn’t leave them. They all help me with Harper, and without them, I honestly don’t know where I would be.”

Blake looked out the window without saying anything for a few moments.

“So,” she popped her knuckles, “are you and my mom close?”

“Oh, yeah.” Alexis couldn’t help but smile at all the beautiful memories she’d shared with Isla over the years. “I don’t have a great relationship with my mom, and Isla stepped up after I got pregnant with Harper. She and Sophia never left my side for nine months. And I mean that literally at times. They were there even when I wanted to be left alone.”

She noticed a change in Blake’s posture as she set the phone down. Blake rubbed her hands together nervously a few times before rubbing them on her thighs. Scratching the back of her neck, Blake cleared her throat and looked out the windshield.

“That’s great.” The sadness in Blake’s voice was undeniable. Alexis paused the music as she pulled into the long driveway at the farmhouse. Putting the car in park, she turned to face Blake the best she could in the small car.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have...”

“No.” Blake put a soft hand on her arm and shook her head. “Don’t apologize. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Yeah, but I made you sad.”

“You didn’t make me sad.” Blake turned to face her. “I love hearing how Isla helped you when you were pregnant. I’m so happy that she had you and you had her. What makes me sad is the fact my father took me away from my mother, and I don’t have memories like that with her.”

“Well, you can create them now.” Alexis tried to make her voice as optimistic as she could. “You and Isla have been given this second chance. Take advantage of that.”

“I will,” Blake sadly smiled.

“Good.” She firmly nodded.

“And maybe you and your mom could try and work on things too?”

“Maybe.” Alexis shrugged. There was so much baggage impeding her relationship with her mother that Alexis didn’t know if it was even worth the hassle anymore. She had several mother figures in her life, and Harper had more surrogate aunts than an ant hill, which was more than enough for both of them. But still, Alexis wondered.

Reaching into the center console, Blake pulled out a rock and held it up.

“Why do you have rocks and leaves in here?”

---