Page 6 of State of Grace

“It’s a great show; any network would be lucky to pick it up.”

“My agent, Salem, and a lot of people from the crew are trying to get the show picked up on another network, but I don’t know.” She halfheartedly shrugged. “Even the writers think there’s still only a season or two for the main characters’ storylines.”

Deep down, Blake knew the show was over, and she’d have to eventually move on from the character she’d played for the last seven years. She’d poured her heart and soul into portraying Avery Romano. Often, the lines between Blake’s personality and Avery’s were so muddled even Blake didn’t know where one stopped and the other began. Avery Romano had been an extension of Blake and knowing she might never portray her again was downright depressing.

“Anyway,” she shook her head to clear her mind, “as I said, I was cleaning out the condo, and I found that old chest that you made me, and it was full of letters and my baby blanket.” Beside her, Isla gasped as she clutched her chest. “I had no idea the letters existed, and Dad told me he forgot the chest in the move. I don’t know why he hid those from me.”

“I should have known.” Shaking her head, Isla pushed her tongue into her cheek as she looked away from Blake. “I should have known Ben would do this. He was always so dead set on the fact he knew what was better for you than I ever could.”

“I read them all.” Blake moved to the barstool between them and tenderly reached out her hand. She rested it on Isla’s knee; Isla covered it with her hand. “Every single letter from you and Vera, and the next thing I know, I’m on a plane headed to Maine to see my mom.”

Saying the word ‘mom’ out loud made Blake’s heart swell.

“May I hug you?” Her voice cracked as Blake nodded. The two embraced tightly, holding on to each other as if they were never going to let go again. After a few moments, Blake pulled away and wiped the tears from her eyes as Isla did the same. “So, do you have a place to stay?”

“I was going to get a room at the inn.”

“Nonsense. You’re staying with me,” Isla said firmly.

“Well, ok, if you insist.” Blake laughed as she shook her head. She’d hoped her mother might be accommodating, but she would have entirely understood if Isla wasn’t ready for Blake to move in for the next few weeks. “Is that going to be ok with Vera? And the kids? With Mason?”

Blake’s voice caught in her throat at the mention of her younger sister that she hadn’t seen in decades. Mason was three years old when their father took Blake, so the sisters never had a chance to get to know each other. Not the way Blake had always wanted to get to know her sister. She’d attempted to find Mason on social media over the years, but her searches always came up short. It wasn’t until a few hours ago she realized it was because Mason and Isla had taken Isla’s maiden name instead.

“Vera will be elated, and the kids will think it’s awesome to meet their big sister.” Isla smiled sadly at her. “And Mason,” she dreamily sighed, “she’ll probably say something sarcastic and act like it’s not a big deal that you’re here, but trust me, we have talked about this day for years.”

“I can’t wait to see her.” Her heart ached over the prospect of seeing her sister again. Blake had spent many days and nights wondering what her sister was doing. She wondered if Mason ever thought about her, too. “And your other kids. I can’t wait to meet them. How many kids do you and Vera have again?”

“Three. We have our twins, Brayden and Ellie, who are fourteen, and our youngest is Everleigh. She’s eight. They’re annoyingly well-behaved, thanks to Vera, and they’re so smart that I stopped being able to help them with homework years ago. And Mason is Mason. She started a not-for-profit organization about eight years ago and is also infuriatingly smart.” Isla patted Blake’s thigh as she stood. “I gotta turn the lights off and lock up here, and then we can get going. Did you drive here?”

“No, I took an Uber. Can I help with anything here?”

“No, that’s ok. My office is in the back if you wanna go back there and wait while I lock up out here.” As Isla walked over to the front door to let the hostess out, Blake walked through the kitchen door and into the restaurant’s kitchen. She found Isla’s office quickly and she scanned the room. Her heart skipped a beat at the various pictures of herself scattered around the wall. She recognized one of them from when she was younger, and she and her mother were holding up a giant catfish after Blake’s first time fishing. Pictures of Blake at various award shows and on talk shows over the years pulled a sad smile from Blake. Isla had loved her; she still loved her. It made Blake wish she could go back and change everything about her past to be raised by Isla.

Blake admired the rest of the photos on Isla’s wall of her family and what she’d assumed to be some of the staff’s families. She laughed at the silly pictures of Isla and Vera’s kids over the years, and her heart ached for the fact she’d missed out on watching them grow up in person. The pictures of Mason hurt her heart the worst; her younger sister looked so much like her there was no denying that bloodline.

But one photo in particular caught Blake’s attention.

It was one of the gorgeous women she’d seen earlier in the bar holding a newborn baby. Isla was beside her with one arm over the woman’s shoulder and another under the baby. She was kissing the woman on the cheek, and they both looked so happy. Blake wondered what the story was there.

“You ready?” Isla tapped on the doorframe with her knuckles.

“Yeah.” Pulling herself away from the photo, Blake followed Isla out into the back parking lot. They made the drive to the farmhouse on the outskirts of town in complete silence. Blake was in awe of the blue siding house that was larger than she had expected. A vast covered porch had a handful of rocking chairs scattered on it haphazardly, along with a pair of porch swings on either end. In the glow of the nearly full moon, the house was the most beautiful place Blake had ever seen.

“This is home.” Isla put the Jeep into Park as they got out. Opening the back door, Blake pulled her suitcase out and slung the backpack onto her back. “We bought it years ago before we had the kids and fixed it up to be exactly the house we wanted.”

“It’s perfect.” Blake stood beside her as she admired the house. “I love the color.”

“Vera picked it out.” Without a word, Isla took the suitcase from Blake and pulled it up the driveway toward the three stairs leading up to the porch. “I was against it at first but seeing it all painted changed my mind.” Isla lunged the suitcase up the stairs with a grunt. “Did you pack the entire country of Canada in here?”

“I’m sorry.”

“Nonsense; I’m getting old. That’s all.”

“Please,” Blake scoffed. “I can only hope I look half as good at your age.”

“It’s the Irish blood.” With a wink, Isla hesitantly opened the front door. “The kids are asleep, but Vera might still be up. Let me see if I can find her while you wait in here, ok?”

Blake nodded as she followed Isla inside the farmhouse. It opened up into a large living room with three gorgeous pillars separating the kitchen and dining room. A small hallway led to the back patio, and an office sat to the entryway’s left. She mindlessly walked into the pale-yellow painted living room, taking in the whole place. On one wall was a stunning floor-to-ceiling bookcase with books and photographs all over it. A stone-colored, L-shaped sectional sat in front of a decently sized television along with two reclining chairs. Throw pillows covered the furniture, and Blake was sure she’d never seen that many pillows outside a store.

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