Page 35 of Pieces into Place (Moonflower Cove Romance #16)

Isla

S eeing any of her babies in pain was hard on Isla.

It didn’t matter if it was a broken arm, the flu, or labor.

Her heart went out to each of them as she desperately wished she could trade places with them.

Especially when it came to her kids being in labor.

Watching Mason give birth was beautiful and an experience Isla would never forget, but she hated seeing Mason in so much pain.

She even had physical reminders of the pain for a few days after that on her arm where Mason had grabbed onto her and squeezed as she birthed Silas.

Not that Isla minded. She was a mom, and that was what moms did for their kids.

Just like they dabbed a washcloth onto their daughter’s forehead as she labored.

Blake had made it to six centimeters, and Isla was so proud of her. Her contractions had been intense. More intense than Isla ever remembered witnessing before. Vera assured her it was normal with Pitocin, but that did little to ease Isla’s concerns over Blake’s pain level.

“You’re doing so good, Blake,” Isla encouraged as Blake squeezed onto her hand tightly through the contraction.

The two of them were alone in the room together, as Vera and Alexis had gone down to the cafeteria for something to drink.

They had been trying to eat and drink outside of the room as to not do so in front of Blake.

She’d had to reassure Alexis and Vera that she was more than capable of staying with Blake as they went downstairs for a few minutes.

Besides, it was nearing eight-thirty, with Blake probably still hours away from delivery.

Isla desperately needed another Diet Coke.

As Blake’s contractions continued, the monitor beside the bed began to loudly ding. Blake looked up at her, fear plastered across her face.

“Mom? What is that?”

Isla had no idea, but she didn’t want to tell Blake that.

She tried to figure out what the numbers and lines on the screen meant, but they were all foreign to her.

What wasn’t foreign to her was how quickly Melanie ran into the room.

Melanie was all work and no play as she studied the screen and Isla studied her.

Having known Melanie for years, Isla could read her fairly well.

But her poker face was one that Isla hadn’t encountered before.

“Blake, it looks like the baby isn’t loving this position, so let’s get you flipped over to your other side, okay?”

“Is the baby okay?” Blake’s voice was shaking as Melanie helped her flip over to her right side.

“She is. Her heart rate is just dropping with each contraction and it’s taking her a bit to get it back up.” Melanie put her hand on Blake’s shoulder and smiled softly at her. “We’ll try this position for a another contraction or two and see if that helps her, okay?”

With Blake now facing away from her, Isla moved to the other side of the bed so she could hold onto her hand.

She tried to stay out of Melanie’s way as she kept clicking buttons on the computer and studying a chart Isla didn’t understand.

Isla was about to ask Melanie what it meant when Blake had another contraction.

Blake squeezed Isla’s hand as the monitor began dinging again .

“Mel,” Isla’s voice got stuck in her throat as she realized the dip in the chart she was watching was the baby’s heartbeat falling.

“Blake, let’s get you onto your back while I raise the head of the bed a little more, okay?

” Melanie worked quickly as Isla stepped out of the way.

She felt so helpless watching Melanie adjust monitors on Blake’s stomach as Blake worked through the contraction alone.

“I’m going to page Dr. Jacobs, okay? We may need to turn off the Pitocin to keep baby girl’s heart rate stable. ”

Her stomach fell to the floor as Melanie paged Avery to the room. She squeezed Blake’s foot, unable to hold her hand without being in Melanie’s way. Vera and Alexis rushed back into the room as Alexis ran to Blake’s side as Vera checked in with Melanie.

“We need to stop the Pitocin.” Vera pressed a button that Isla assumed did just as she had said. Isla almost reminded Vera that Blake wasn’t her patient, but she stopped herself. If anyone knew how to help, it was Vera. “Shit.”

“What?” Isla and Alexis asked in unison. The panic was clear on both of their faces as Isla reached out and took Alexis’s hand.

God, I know we don’t talk a lot. But please let everything be okay with Blake and the baby.

“That was such a reflex.” Vera took a step back from the bed. “I should have let Avery make that call.”

“No, you did the right thing.” Avery hurried into the room. She stood between Melanie and Blake as she looked at the monitors. “I’d have done the same thing. Thanks, Vera.”

“You’re welcome.”

Stepping out of doctor mode, Vera went back into mama mode as she checked in with Blake. Isla watched from the edge of the bed as Vera pressed her forehead against Blake’s and whispered to her. Every few seconds Blake would nod and Isla knew Vera was telling her it was all going to be okay.

Isla wanted to believe that. But the truth of the matter was the baby’s heart rate kept dropping with each contraction. And each time the monitor went off, Blake’s heart rate would increase more than normal. She wasn’t a doctor, but she knew what was happening wasn’t ideal.

And her anxiety shot through the roof at what the implications were.

As three more contractions came and went, the baby’s heart rate took a nosedive each time.

Isla desperately looked from Melanie to Avery to Vera to figure out what their plan was.

She tried to read them, but they all had poker faces she couldn’t decipher.

The three of them seemed to have an entire conversation without words as Avery looked at Vera, then Blake.

“Blake, Alexis,” Avery took command of the situation, “the baby’s heart rate still is not tolerating the contractions well. I know this isn’t what you want to hear, but I’m recommending a cesarean. I strongly feel that’s our safest option for mama and baby.”

Isla felt as if the air got sucked out of her lungs.

Although she knew c-sections were common, Isla had never had anyone in her family experience one.

Much less it be her child getting ready to be put under the knife.

She watched as Avery’s words slowly registered with Blake and Alexis as Alexis looked down at her.

Alexis nodded, seeming to silently let Blake know she was on board.

Blake looked at Vera with tears in her eyes.

“Mama,” her voice cracked slightly, “I’m scared.”

“Oh, honey.” Vera rushed to the bedside, embracing Blake as they both cried.

“I know this isn’t what you wanted, but I think it’s the best decision for you and the baby.

I know it’s scary, but Dr. Jacobs is amazing and you’re going to be in great hands.

And Mom and I are going to be right here, okay? We got you. ”

After Blake and Alexis agreed to the cesarean, everything moved fast again.

There was a flurry of nurses into the room as Isla and Vera stood out of the way.

Granted, Isla felt as if she were holding Vera back from stepping in but, selfishly, Isla needed her wife at that moment.

Without Vera’s arms around her, Isla was sure she would crumble into a million pieces.

Before they wheeled Blake off to the operating room, Avery gave Isla and Vera the chance to hug Blake one more time.

Isla went first, holding onto Blake as tightly as she had that day in the courtroom when she’d lost custody of her.

The idea of her daughter being somewhere she couldn’t be, going under the knife in a major surgery…

it was almost impossible for Isla to keep it together.

“I love you, Blake.”

“I love you too, Mommy.”

“I’m going to be right here waiting when you get out, okay?” Isla smiled as she brushed Blake’s hair off her face and kissed her forehead. “I love you.”

Reluctantly, Isla let go of Blake, not wanting to delay the surgery. As Vera took a moment with Blake, Isla pulled Alexis into a hug.

“I’ll let everyone know. You just focus on Blake and your daughter, okay?”

“Okay,” Alexis nodded against Isla. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Watching Blake be wheeled down the hallway felt like Isla was watching Ben drive away with her all over again. She and Vera followed behind them until the door marked authorized personnel only. Vera hesitated, but Isla pulled her arm back.

“Come on.” Avery motioned for Vera to join them. “You or Isla. Come on.”

Vera looked to Isla. “You go. ”

“No.” Isla firmly shook her head as she put her hands on Vera’s chest. “You go. You can tell her what’s happening, and she needs that. Her and Alexis both do.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure. Go be with our daughter.”

The two embraced tightly as Isla steeled herself to go through the surgery alone.

“Mackenzie.” It was Melanie’s voice that pulled them from their hug. She motioned for Vera to join them. “Let’s go.”

“I love you.

“I love you, too.” Vera kissed Isla quickly before jogging down the hall to catch up with them.

As the door swung shut behind them, Isla put one hand on the door and the other on her heart as her tears poured out of her eyes. She felt beyond helpless, knowing there was nothing more she could do. Blake was now fully in Dr. Avery Jacobs’s hands.

“Mom!” Mason’s voice echoed down the hall as Isla turned toward it. She barely had time to brace herself before Mason hugged her. The hug kept all of Isla’s pieces from falling apart, and Isla had a feeling Mason felt the same way.

“How did you…?”

“Aunt Mel texted me like a half hour ago. She told me she thought they were heading for a c-section and I should come. I was putting Silas to bed, but I got here as quickly as I could.”

“Oh, Mason.” Isla kissed her cheek several times. “Thank you for coming. I needed you.”

“Where’s Mama?”

“Avery let her go back with them.”

“That should win her some brownie points with Mama.”

“Mace,” Isla chuckled .

“What? You know it’s true.” Mason’s grin was like a balm to Isla’s tired soul. She was beyond thankful to have one daughter to hold while the other was in surgery.

“Come on. Let’s go pack up Blake’s room so I can get my mind distracted.”

Walking back into Blake’s room felt surreal.

Everything looked the same except there was now a giant empty space from where the bed had been.

Isla walked around the room in a daze as she collected everything they had brought with them.

She carefully packed it into their bag before storing it in Vera’s office.

They’d come and get it once Blake had a postpartum room.

Isla slipped on the sweatshirt Blake had been wearing when she arrived at the hospital.

It smelled like Blake, and Isla took a long sniff as she closed her eyes.

She had done the same thing with Blake’s clothes after Ben took her.

To keep them always smelling like Blake, Isla had used the same detergent ever since then.

As she and Mason walked down the hallway toward the waiting room hand in hand, Isla used the sleeve of the shirt to wipe her tears away. She caught another whiff of Blake and smiled.

I’m right here, Blake. Right here.

She hoped that, somehow, her words would get to Blake.

They found a quiet corner of the waiting room, which thankfully wasn’t that crowded. Isla started to pull out her phone to text an update to everyone, but Mason stopped her.

“Chase is on it. I told her I would keep her posted and she’ll send out the messages to everyone from there. You don’t need to be thinking about anything right now but Blake and meeting your new granddaughter.”

“Thanks, Mace.”

Mason put her head on Isla’s shoulder as her fingers intertwined with Isla’s. Isla remembered how Mason used to do the same thing anytime she was scared. She kissed the top of her head to let her know she wasn’t alone.

“Mom?”

“Hmm?”

“Are Blake and the baby going to be okay?”

“They are, honey.” Isla kissed the top of her head as she squeezed Mason’s hand. “They are.”

“I hope so. Blake and I are just starting to rebuild our relationship.”

“Mace, don’t.” She shook her head at her daughter. “We can’t think like that. Blake is strong, and the baby is healthy. Avery is a great doctor and Mama is going to be right there, too. Everything is going to be okay.”

“It will be,” Mason nodded, snuggling closer to Isla.

It has to be , Isla thought to herself as she held Mason in her arms.