Page 46 of Finding Wonderland

“It is, isn’t it?”

“Whose is it?”

Vera felt her smile spread wide across her face. “Mine.”

“Yours?” Isla’s brow furrowed in confusion as she looked at Vera. “What about your house now?”

“I’m selling it.”

Nodding her head, Vera tried to remember the eloquent speech she had planned out in her head to tell Isla.

“I’ve had my eye on this house since I was a little kid. The family that used to live here really took care of us and always had it decorated for Christmas and every holiday. I always told myself that’s the house I want one day. I want to raise my family in a house like that.”

Isla nodded, smiling. “I love that.”

“I contacted a real estate agent a few months ago, right before I met you, and viewed the house. I fell even more in love with it when I saw it from the inside. It’s the perfect family house. Lots of room to build a life filled with love.”

Vera reached out and twirled a stand of Isla’s hair around her finger.

“I told my real estate agent that I wanted to buy it for my family. She asked about my family, and I said, ‘I don’t have one yet.’ But do you know what happened less than a week later?”

“What’s that?”

“You and Mason walked into my life.”

“Vera,” Isla whispered as understanding filled her eyes.

“I know everything with us has happened so fast, but it also feels so right.”

“I know.” Isla nodded her head. “I feel the same way. Everything in my life,” her lower lip quivered as she laced her fingers with Vera’s, “I think has led me to this moment.”

Pulling Isla into a hug, Vera held on tight to her. “I love you, Isla.”

“I love you, too, Vera.”

“And I know this might sound crazy, and maybe I am crazy, but I think you’re the person I’m supposed to share this house with. The person I’m supposed to share my life with.”

“You’re not crazy.” Isla kissed her quickly before taking a step back to see her eyes. “Because if you’re crazy, then I’m crazy. Because from the second my eyes saw this house, it felt like home.”

Unable to contain her happiness, Vera bear-hugged Isla as she spun her around in circles. They were both giggling like children, and the sound was wonderful to Vera’s ears. She hoped there would be many, many more happy memories made at the farmhouse with Isla.

“So, what now?” Isla breathlessly asked as Vera set her feet back on the ground.

“I don’t know,” Vera laughed, then shrugged. “We can move as fast or as slow as we want from here. I don’t want to rush things, especially for Mason.”

“I appreciate that.” Taking a few steps toward the house, Isla crossed her arms over her chest as she seemed to study it. “I think Mason will love it here.”

“I think she will, too.” Vera joined Isla, putting a hand on her lower back. “And over there,” she pointed to the detached garage on the other side of the driveway, “is the garage with a spare room over it. I can see Mason and her friends hanging out up there. Having sleepovers, watching movies. It could be the perfect kid hangout space.”

“I love that you’ve thought of this.”

“There’s five bedrooms inside, so Blake will have a place to stay when she comes here.”

“Thank you for that.”

Isla walked up the steps of the farmhouse slowly, still seeming to be processing everything. Vera stayed a few feet back to give her space. She watched Isla run her hands over the railing as she leaned against it to look at Vera on the steps.

“What’s on your mind?”

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