Page 23 of Finding Wonderland

“It’s okay.”

“How about Carlson’s Cafe?”

“Yeah, that’d be nice.”

Taking Vera’s hand, Isla stood to her feet. Vera tucked her hair behind her ears as she smiled at her.

“Is it cheesy if I tell you that you look beautiful?”

Isla blushed. “Stop it. I don’t need a mirror to tell me I look like shit.”

“You don’t,” Vera stated confidently, “trust me.”

She wasn’t expecting Isla to kiss her, but that’s exactly what happened. Isla wrapped her arms around her neck and leaned in as if it was something she had done every day for a hundred years. It felt so natural to be in Isla’s embrace that Vera had to remind herself that they had only known each other for a few weeks.

But clearly that didn’t seem to matter.

Maybe all the fairytales were right.

Maybe you do know the moment you meet your soulmate.

Chapter 9

Isla

Three days had passed since Isla had cried her heart out to Vera and she was still mildly embarrassed that it’d happened. Under normal circumstances, Isla wouldn’t have let her emotions overcome her like that. But she had been trying to hold it together for so long that one look at Vera sent her falling apart. Not in a bad way; in fact, it was the opposite.

Vera made her feel safe.

Isla didn’t know how to explain it, but there was a softness that she could almost feel in Vera’s presence. She calmed the parts of Isla that she didn’t know could be calmed. And that simultaneously scared Isla as much as it excited her.

There was no doubt in Isla’s mind that she had feelings for Vera. She also couldn’t deny that she knew Vera had feelings for her, too. After all, Isla wasn’t one to go around kissing random people. Especially not people she barely knew and especially not random doctors. But there was just something different about Vera.

Maybe the whole soulmate thing is real, Isla mused to herself as she finished bussing a table. Work had been slow, as she was learning most lunch shifts were, but it gave her just enough downtime to daydream about Vera. If anything, it kept her mind from constantly thinking about Blake.

Not that she wanted to forget Blake. In fact, that was the last thing on earth she wanted. Blake was a part of her and a part of her would always live outside of her body and in Blake. But Isla knew that no matter how much she wanted to let everything fall apart because of what happened, she had to keep going. For herself and for Mason. Especially for Mason. Mason still needed her, and she was with her. Isla had to stay strong for her to protect her.

Which was why she’d been careful not to let Mason watch any TV shows recently. She’d claimed the cable was out, but in reality, Isla couldn’t stand the thought of Mason seeing Blake on TV. Isla didn’t want to explain, again, why Blake wasn’t with them anymore and why their daddy took her away. It killed a piece of Isla’s soul each time she had to retell the story.

But Isla knew the older Mason got, the more of the story she’d have to tell her. At least for now Mason was too young for all the details.

“Isla,” Maureen called from behind the bar, holding up the bar’s corded phone, “phone call.”

Her heart immediately began racing. No one knew she worked there except Mason’s school, Maggie, and Vera, and she doubted Vera would call her at work. But with Mason at school, she had a good idea of who it would be. Isla ran over to the phone and grabbed it out of Maureen’s hand as she pressed it against her ear.

“Hello?”

“Miss Mackenzie?” It was an unfamiliar voice on the other end of the line.

“Yes? Who’s this?”

“Oh, sorry. This is Miss Smith from the elementary school. I wanted to let you know Mason has an upset tummy and a fever. I have her separated from the other kids in the nurse’s office right now, but you should come and pick her up.”

“I’m on my way.”

After telling Maureen the situation and clocking out, Isla sped over to the school to pick up Mason. She looked so sick and tired laying on the small vinyl bed. Isla sat beside her and felt her forehead with the back of her hand.

“What’s wrong, baby?”

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