Page 100 of When Ellie Falls in Love

Lydia inBeetlejuice.

Audrey inLittle Shop of Horrors.

Maureen inRent.

And Sophie inMamma Mia!

When the Moonflower Cove Theater announced it would be doingMamma Mia!for its end-of-summer musical, Ellie knew she and Isla had to be in it. Thankfully, the casting gods agreed. Not that it was a hard sell. Isla and Ellie were not only great performers and singers, but they also had the mother-daughter duo thing going for them, which made them beyond perfect to play Sophie and Donna.

Ellie had been on cloud nine ever since they’d gotten the call about the parts. Performing with her mom was something Ellie had always dreamed of doing. Everyone assumed Ellie was into Broadway because of her Aunt Eden or Cousin River. But the truth was Ellie had developed a love of theater because of Isla.

When she was little, Isla would sing Broadway songs to her to get her to go to sleep. As she got older, Ellie remembered show tunes being the only thing on the radio when Isla was driving. And then when she found out that her mom was going to be on Broadway before she had Blake, Ellie’s jaw had hit the floor. She always knew her mom was talented, but had no clue she wasthattalented. Or that she’d given up what could have been a huge career to start a family.

“You were amazing, Mom.”

Ellie hugged Isla tightly backstage after rehearsal. They almost had the entire show down, but Isla was still struggling to get through the “Slipping Through My Fingers” scene without crying. Not that Ellie could blame her. Ellie struggled too.

“Thanks, Ellie.” Isla kissed her cheek. “I’m so proud of you.”

“I’m proud of you too. You made it through the scene with only slight blubbering tonight.”

“Hey, I can’t help it. I’m emotional over my baby girl growing up and going to college. It’s a lot for a mom to handle, okay?”

“I know.” Ellie tightened her hold on Isla, who did the same. “But at least I’m not going off to college, so you’re stuck with me for like four more years.”

Isla laughed, but Ellie could hear the emotion in it. She pulled back slightly, framing Ellie’s cheeks with her hands for a brief moment. “Thank god for that. Are we still getting ice cream?”

“Yes, please.”

“Is Sadie meeting us?”

Ellie and Sadie had plans later to head to the seasonal drive-in theater to catch a late-night movie. Although rehearsal was taking up a lot of Ellie’s time recently, she made it a point to hang out with Sadie as much as possible. Which so far meant they had hung out every day recently, and Ellie loved it.

But she also loved spending one-on-one time with Isla. That was why she’d told Sadie to meet them an hour after rehearsal was set to end at Any Given Sundae. Sadie understood, which Ellie appreciated. They were both momma’s girls, so it worked.

“She’s going to pick me up from the shop to go to the movie.”

“Are you too embarrassed to have your girlfriend have ice cream with your mom?

“No,” Ellie laughed as they gathered up their water bottles and headed out the door. “I just want some mommy time to myself.”

“Aww, that’s my baby girl.” Isla put an arm around Ellie’s shoulder as they walked to the Jeep. “You were always my favorite”

“You tell all your kids that”

Isla chuckled. “And I mean it, too.”

The drive downtown to the ice cream shop was filled with, of course, Broadway karaoke. Only Ellie and Isla liked to spend their car rides that way, so they had to savor it any chance they could. Even if the drive was only a few minutes long.

“Oh, thank god,” Isla dramatically sighed as she parked the Jeep in front of Any Given Sundae. “Dylan’s working.”

“Extra scoops for us.” Giggling, Ellie got out of the Jeep and joined hands with Isla as they walked into the shop. The temperature change from the warm ocean air to the cold store was enough to send shivers down Ellie’s spine, so Isla wrapped her arms around her from behind as they waited in line.

For a Tuesday night, the shop was busy. Granted, the warmer weather was probably working wonders at keeping it that way. But Ellie didn’t mind. It meant more time with her mom.

Ellie loved both of her parents immensely, and could never pick between the two for who was her favorite. They both loved her unconditionally, made time for her whenever she needed it, and were the best parents a girl could ever ask for. But as she got older, Ellie began to savor the time alone she had with them. Especially as the middle kid.

“Howdy, partners.” Dylan was wearing a cowboy hat for who knew what reason and playfully tipped it at them. “Your usuals, I presume? Cake batter and strawberry?”

---