Page 132 of Finding Wonderland

“Always, Mason. Always.”

A few more hours of celebrating continued with dancing and partying before Isla and Vera found themselves alone in the backyard. The kids had gone to bed and everyone else had gone home for the night. Mason and Blake had told them not to touch a thing cleaning-wise, they had it all under control the next day. Isla topped off Vera’s glass with wine before topping off her own with the rest of the bottle.

“I can’t believe tonight actually happened.”

“I can’t believe they all kept it a secret.” Isla picked up her glass and took a sip. “I mean, our kids kept a secret. Can you believe it?”

“I really can’t,” Vera yawned. “But I’m glad they did. This was perfect.”

“It was, wasn’t it?”

Reaching out, Vera twirled a strand of Isla’s hair around her finger. “Isla?”

“Yeah?”

“Would you marry me again? Knowing everything we know now?”

“I’d marry you a thousand times in a thousand different lifetimes.” She kissed her, savoring the way their lips fit together. “You’re my soulmate, Vera.”

“And you’re mine, Isla.” They kissed again before Isla got an idea. Standing, Isla walked over to the table they had been sitting at earlier with friends and picked up her phone. “What are you doing?”

“We’re going to dance.”

“But there’s no music,” Vera laughed.

Isla searched for a moment longer for the perfect song before selecting it to play. The opening notes of Shania Twain’s ‘You’re Still the One’ began to play as Isla held her hand out to Vera.

“May I have this dance, Mrs. Mackenzie?”

Vera smiled up at her, the same amount of love behind her eyes that had always been there. “Always, Mrs. Mackenzie. Always.”

One

Year

Later

Bonus Chapter

Vera

Every time one of their phones dinged with a new notification, both Isla and Vera grabbed it as fast as they could. They eagerly awaited a call from Mason or Chase to tell them Mason had gone into labor. The last time Vera had checked her two days ago, she told Mason it could be any time now.

Vera had just forgotten how stressful waiting on that any time now could be.

It seemed like only yesterday that Mason and Chase were starting the journey to expand their family. Since Chase’s accident had prevented her from carrying a baby, the task fell to Mason. Mason had been beyond nervous during the IUI procedure and called Vera every day for the next two weeks to ask if she could find out if she was pregnant yet. Thankfully, it only took two tries for them before Mason received a positive pregnancy test.

The entire family had been elated, but no one more so than Vera. She had been honored to help Alexis deliver Harper, Archer, and Reese, as they were also her grandkids. But there was just something different about Mason. Mason was her first baby; the first kid she ever had the privilege of raising. Ever since she met Mason at four-years-old, the two had shared a special bond. And that bond had only grown deeper over the last nine months. Vera loved having the honor of guiding Mason and Chase through their pregnancy journey.

Even if that meant late-night phone calls and hours of birth plan discussions with Mason, Vera wouldn’t change it for the world.

Vera’s phone dinged, and she quickly picked it up off the end table, startling Isla. They were cuddled beside each other on the couch watching a movie, trying to distract themselves from the fact they’d have a new grandkid soon.

“Is it Mason?” Isla’s voice was just as excited as Vera's. Vera read over Blake's message and shook her head. “Dang it.”

“I love all our kids, but I’m about to the point where I tell them to stop texting or calling until after Mason delivers the baby.”

“If only her doctor could have given her a more specific date.” With a smile, Isla kissed Vera’s cheek as she snuggled back against her.

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