Page 60 of Finding Wonderland

“Will the owner care?” Mason looked at her from Vera’s embrace.

“No,” Isla smirked, “because Mama and I own this house now.”

“What!” Mason exclaimed as she looked at Vera and then back at Isla. “Are you serious?”

“We are.”

“Yes! I love it here!” Her excitement vanished in an instant and Isla’s heart sank. “Wait, we’re not leaving the Cove, are we?”

“No, honey.”

“Never,” Vera reassured. “The Cove is our home. Your mom and I want to raise you and any sibling there. This will just be our little getaway place.”

“Wait.” Mason narrowed her eyes at Vera. “Are you pregnant?”

Vera seemed to just realize what she’d said as she looked at Isla for help. But Isla didn’t know what to say either. She nodded, trying to silently give Vera the okay to tell Mason they were going to start the process again if she wanted to tell her.

Which, of course, Vera did.

“But I’ll always be your favorite kid, right?” Mason joked, which made them all laugh.

“Always, sweetie.” Vera kissed her forehead. “Always.”

Chapter 22

Vera

2005

Standing in a courthouse in a white sundress wasn’t exactly the image Vera had always had of her wedding day. Granted, she didn’t think getting married at all would ever happen. Not because she didn’t find the right person, but because antiquated laws prohibited her from officially marrying Isla Mackenzie.

But that was all changing thanks to the state of Massachusetts.

As soon as they heard the news that gay marriage was legal in Massachusetts, both Isla and Vera took time off from work, packed Mason up in the car, and headed south. They impatiently waited the three days after applying for their marriage license before they were finally in a crowded city hall waiting for their names to be called.

Vera nervously straightened out her dress for the hundredth time. She’d found the dress years ago and purchased it in the hopes of one day wearing it to her wedding. But as the years went on, she forgot about the dress pushed back in her closet. Isla had been the one to pull it out the night they heard about the legalization.

As the news played on the TV, Isla and Vera jumped up from the couch and hugged each other. Happy tears filled both their eyes as they celebrated the victory so many had been waiting for. Isla had ran to the bedroom, pulled out the dress, and held it up for Vera.

“We can get married now.”

“I can’t believe this is actually happening.”

“Do you still want to marry me?” Isla was teasing, but there was no doubt in Vera’s mind.

“I’m ready to run down the aisle with you.”

The memory was still fresh in Vera’s mind, not only because it happened less than a week prior but because she never wanted to forget that feeling.

Isla took Vera’s hand and squeezed it. “We've waited eight years for this.”

“I can’t believe it’s happening.”

Beside them, Mason rolled her eyes. “I love you both, but this is getting sickening.”

At fourteen, Mason was in her moody teen years. She was still as sweet as ever, for the most part, but she’d developed an attitude that constantly kept Isla and Vera on their toes. But Vera wouldn’t have it any other way. Vera loved Mason as if she were her own daughter. And in Vera’s eyes, she was.

But adopting Mason was something Vera wanted to be official. She had wanted to do it for years, ever since she found out Mason’s father had his rights to Mason terminated. The holdup was that Vera never understood the process. When she finally got the nerve to ask someone at the courthouse in Portland, they told her they didn’t recognize same sex adoptions. Vera had been crushed, and vowed not to bring it up to Isla or Mason until she knew exactly what she had to do.

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