Page 52 of Finding Wonderland

“These are perfect.”

“They are,” Isla wiped a tear from her eyes. “Here.”

Taking the ring from Vera, Isla took hold of her left hand and tenderly slipped it on. She placed a kiss on it, making Vera swoon. Vera did the same with Isla, carefully placing the ring on her finger. As Isla cuddled closer, Vera held her in her arms.

“I love you so much, Isla.”

“I love you, too.”

Chapter 19

Isla

2003

After working at Straight to Ale for nearly a decade, Isla had worked her way up to be the manager of the bar. It was her domain, with Cliff and Maureen O’Riley entirely giving her the reins a few years back. Isla loved the extra responsibility; she loved making the schedules and overseeing the staff and getting to spend time with her customers one on one. She had developed a good rapport with her regulars which helped turn Straight to Ale into the most popular business in town.

Of course, the addition of themed nights at the bar and pool tables in the back helped as well. From karaoke to trivia to special musical guests, Isla made sure there was always something fun happening at the bar to bring people in. It had worked splendidly as they had to start taking reservations for most of the events last year. There were even regulars who made reservations for each week on specific nights.

Overall, Isla was beyond proud of the work she had accomplished at Straight to Ale.

Being the manager also allowed Isla to create her own schedule, which worked wonderfully the last few years as Vera finished up her residency and started working full-time as an OBGYN at the hospital. They had recently moved all their OBGYN department to an office near the hospital, which allowed Vera to essentially have her own practice under the hospital’s umbrella. Vera was still at the top of her game, constantly pushing herself to learn more procedures to better serve the community. She was even starting to become one of the most requested IVF doctors around. Isla couldn’t be prouder of Vera if she tried.

And then there was Mason; her surly yet sometimes still sweet twelve-year-old. She was thriving in school, so much so that she was already taking classes several years in advance of her classmates. Isla had no idea where she got her brains from. Maybe she picked them up from Vera, as the two would often study at the kitchen table together.

The kitchen table that Isla hoped would one day soon be filled with more children.

She and Vera had been talking about having a baby for years. They both wanted more kids, but Vera wanted to be done with her residency first. Isla understood that and happily waited until Vera was ready before they started trying. Which was apparently going to be easier said than done.

Three failed IVF treatments had left both Isla and Vera discouraged. Vera blamed herself, which crushed Isla’s soul as she tried to comfort her wife. They had decided to use Isla’s eggs for Vera to carry, but Isla worried maybe the issue was with her eggs. After all, she was in her mid-thirties. Maybe they weren’t as good as when she had Blake and Mason.

But Vera was determined. She kept her attitude as positive as she could, and Isla followed suit. They had another egg retrieval scheduled in a few weeks, and Isla prayed this time it would work. Which meant that Isla was going to do everything in her power to ensure her eggs were the healthiest they could be. She’d been taking her hormone shots regularly, watching what she was eating, and finally picked up running again. Anything for a baby, that’s what she kept telling herself.

A knock on her office door startled Isla from her thoughts.

“Maureen, hey,” Isla stood to greet her with a hug. “I haven’t seen you in forever. How are you? How’s Cliff?”

“Old,” she snarked with a laugh. “But we’re good, dear. How are you and your family?”

“Good; we’re good. Mason’s twelve, so that’s a new adventure for all of us.”

Maureen chuckled. “I bet. She was always a spitfire.”

“And still is.”

“And how is that wife of yours? Is she still doing well?”

“She is.” Isla felt her smile spread on her face as she talked about Vera. “She has her own practice now near the hospital, and loves every second of it.”

“That’s wonderful.”

“Thank you.”

With the pleasantries out of the way, Isla started to worry why Maureen had showed up unannounced. It had been years since the O’Rileys had been to the bar. They had moved to Florida a few years ago and only kept in touch as needed via phone calls. Isla took care of everything for them at the bar, so they were free to enjoy their retirement. She motioned for Maureen to sit on a leather seat by her desk as Isla sat back in her desk chair.

“So, not that I’m not happy to see you, but why am I worried you’re here with bad news?”

A sad smile formed on Maureen’s lips. “Oh, Isla. You know I wouldn’t stop by unannounced with bad news.”

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