Page 81 of Finding Wonderland

2011

Isla tried to avoid working late as much as possible, especially since Ellie and Brayden had been born. They were almost five and starting kindergarten in the fall. It seemed like yesterday they had just brought them home, and both Isla and Vera were struggling with the babies growing up so fast.

For Isla, raising their babies the last five years had been bittersweet. She missed Blake every time she watched Brayden or Ellie smile. They both had the same smile as Blake and Mason. Brayden also had Blake’s icy blue eyes. Isla wished more than anything that all her babies could finally be under the same roof again.

Pulling the Jeep into the driveway, Isla looked at the house in the moonlight. There were toys in the front yard and on the porch, making Isla regret missing another after-dinner playtime with her family. Mason’s car was also parked in the driveway which meant she was still home. At twenty, she had her own dorm on the local college campus as part of her scholarship. But she rarely stayed there.

Not that Isla complained. She’d let Mason live there forever if she wanted to.

Opening the Jeep door, Isla headed inside the house. She quietly unlocked the backdoor into the kitchen as she sat her bag on the table. The TV was playing softly in the living room, and Isla went to investigate who was still awake well after midnight on a school night.

She found a blanket fort in the middle of the living room with four little sock-covered feet sticking out of one side. Her smile widened as she peeked into the tent and saw Ellie and Brayden sound asleep snuggled next to each other. On the nearby recliner, Vera was asleep as well. Isla walked over to her and gently kissed her forehead.

Vera stirred awake and smiled up as Isla. “Hey. You’re home.”

“I am.”

Kneeling beside the recliner, Isla propped her head up with her elbow as she looked at Vera. Even in the darkened room, she was stunning. Isla could look into her blue eyes for hours and never get tired. Vera smiled, warming Isla’s heart more.

“Are you hungry? I made spaghetti.”

Without waiting for an answer, Vera stood and walked into the kitchen. Isla followed behind her, watching as she took a covered plate out of the refrigerator. She carefully unwrapped it and put it into the microwave. Walking over to her, Isla wrapped her arms around Vera’s waist as she kissed her.

“I missed you.”

“I missed you, too.”

As they kissed, Isla gently pinned Vera against the counter. Vera hummed happily as Isla’s tongue pushed farther into her mouth. Her hands slowly moved up Isla’s back and into her hair. Somehow, Vera knew exactly when the microwave was about to go off and quickly opened it before the timer could wake the kids.

“You better eat so you can have your strength.”

“Yeah,” Isla arched an eyebrow at her, “for what?”

“I think you know what.”

“Does the water bottle in the cooler need to be changed?”

“Bingo,” Vera chuckled. “I swear I’m not being lazy. I just get water everywhere if I do it.”

“It’s okay.” Isla kissed her once more as she took the spaghetti out of the microwave. “I got you.”

“Thanks, babe.”

Sitting down at the table, Vera handed Isla a small cup of freshly shredded cheese along with a glass of wine. Isla didn’t know how she ever got so lucky to have Vera Mackenzie as a wife. She knew Isla and could anticipate her wants and needs better than Isla could. Reaching out, Isla put a hand on Vera’s arm.

“Remember our first dinner together?”

“The infamous spaghetti dinner.” Sighing contentedly, Vera leaned onto the table and smiled at Isla. “I fell hard for both of you then.”

“It was mutual all the way around.” She took a bite of the spaghetti and smiled. “You know, I fell more in love with you each time I saw you and Mason together. I just knew you were the one. Nothing else mattered. No one else mattered. It was just you, me, and Mason against the world.”

Vera’s eyes were dreamy as she spoke. “It still is. We’ve just added two tagalongs.”

“I think we should add another.”

Isla watched as her words slowly registered with Vera. Her already wide smile grew wider as her eyes narrowed, as they often did when she was at her happiest. She covered Isla’s hand with hers and laughed.

“Are you serious?”

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