Chapter 36

"Ithink this calls for a celebration," Isabella said as they started back to the car. "We have two brand new college graduates who are heading east and we've convinced Kelsey to come with them."

"I don't think you had to do much convincing." Emma chuckled.

"When you know, you know. Right, babe?" Kelsey said.

"Right," Isabella replied, squeezing Kelsey's arm.

"Oh my God, Dana. Did you hear mom call Isabella babe?" Emma teased.

"I think it sounds fucking awesome," Dana said then immediately covered her mouth. "Oops, I mean friggin'."

Wyatt and Gus giggled. "We've heard Mom say that before."

Isabella smirked. "Real life here."

"Wyatt and Gus treated me to their favorite pizza place while I was in Charlotte. I think we should go by Angelo's and show them our favorite," Kelsey said.

"I'll buy the beer," Isabella added.

Kelsey ordered the pizza as they drove down the mountain. They picked it up on the way home and settled in for dinner and a movie.

After dinner Isabella helped Kelsey clean up the kitchen while the kids tried to decide on a movie. "Dana and Emma have been so good with the boys."

"I think Emma is enjoying this calm before she hits the stormy world of politics in DC," Kelsey said. "Dana has always enjoyed helping kids learn to ski and enjoy the mountains."

"Yeah, but I thought they'd be partying with their friends since graduating," Isabella said.

"That's what they did the week before," Kelsey explained. "All their friends" families were coming in for graduation so they were busy with them."

Isabella leaned her elbows on the island and gazed into the living room.

Kelsey sidled up next to her and bumped her shoulder. "What are you thinking?"

Isabella glanced over at Kelsey. "I'm almost afraid to say."

"Why?"

"I don't want to jinx anything," Isabella said.

Kelsey chuckled. "You said I was stuck with you."

"Oh, you are, but still," Isabella said, arching an eyebrow. "Everything is going so well."

"Spill it," Kelsey said, leaning against Isabella.

"I was thinking… They look like a happy blended family," Isabella said, gazing back at the living room.

Kelsey rested her head on Isabella's shoulder. "Mmhmm."

"Too much?" Isabella asked.

"Just right," Kelsey replied.

A phone began to vibrate at the end of the island.

"That's yours," Isabella said, reaching for it and handing it to Kelsey.

"It's Carmen," Kelsey said, connecting the call. "Hey."

"Hi, have you seen the latest comments on the website?" Carmen asked.

"Uh, no," Kelsey replied. "The girls graduated this weekend and Isabella and the boys are here. I haven't looked at them today."

"Isabella's with you? Can you put me on speaker?"

"Yeah, hold on a sec," Kelsey said. "She wants to talk to both of us. Let's go in here."

Isabella followed Kelsey into her office. It was also the extra bedroom where the girls were staying and clothes were scattered everywhere.

Kelsey sat in her desk chair and powered up her computer while Isabella dumped clothes out of a chair and put them on the bed. She pulled the chair over next to Kelsey and smiled when she saw the picture of them on the beach at Coral Bay. She'd given it to Kelsey for Christmas with instructions to put it next to her computer at home. The idea was to look at it and remember that wonderful day along with those happy feelings when things weren't going so great at home. Isabella had a feeling they were about to need it.

"Hi, Carmen," Isabella said.

"Hi, Isabella. Something is going on with the site. Look at these comments."

"Uh," Kelsey mumbled. "Give us a sec—I'm pulling them up now."

"What is that?" Isabella asked, squinting her eyes at the screen.

"‘It looks like the single moms vacationing their way around the Virgin Islands aren't so single after all,'" Carmen read. "‘Why are they pretending to be just like you and me when they're really lesbians in a gay relationship? Who are they trying to fool? Why pretend? Is this just another scam to get honest people to spend their hard-earned money on one-star vacations pretending to be five-star accommodations? Couldn't this resort get better spokespeople?'"

"Oh, fuck," Isabella murmured. "Can you take it down?"

"Yeah, but there are a couple of comments under it," Kelsey said.

"‘Why would they lie?'" Isabella read.

"There's another," Carmen said. "‘What's the big deal?'" she read.

"I can take it down," Kelsey said.

"Wait," Isabella said, sliding the keyboard over. She began to type a comment on the website. "I'm going to tell our followers to prepare for a surprise next week when we get to St. Thomas."

"What surprise?" Carmen asked.

"We're going to tell the truth," Isabella said. "Don't worry, Carmen. Kelsey and I will come up with something you and our followers will love. I never felt right about hiding this in the first place."

"I've got it," Kelsey said. "How can you not fall in love in the Virgin Islands? That's what happened to us and our followers were along for the ride. We can do this honestly and still save the campaign, Carmen."

"Let me think about it," Carmen said.

"I'll keep an eye on the website and see if anyone notices we took the comment down," Kelsey said.

"Okay. I'll get back to you," Carmen said, ending the call.

"Are y'all coming to watch the movie?" Emma asked from the doorway.

"Uh, we have a work issue. Go ahead and start it," Kelsey replied.

"We'll be right there," Isabella added.

Emma walked away and Isabella looked at Kelsey. "Can you tell where or who left the comment?"

"Maybe."

"I can't believe I"m saying this, but I think it might be Spencer," Isabella said.

Kelsey looked over at her with surprise on her face.

"I haven't told anyone but him about us," Isabella said. "Think about it, who says ‘gay relationship?' It has to be him, Kels."

Before Kelsey could say anything Emma once again appeared in the doorway. "You know my education is in politics and how to spin things," she said. "I didn't mean to overhear, but it sounds like I might be able to help."

"When we told Carmen about our relationship, she asked us to keep it to ourselves for now," Kelsey said.

"We both thought it was a bad idea and wanted to be honest, but we agreed to wait," Isabella continued. "Now someone has made a comment about us not being honest on the website. We always say we're two single moms showing the benefits of Coral Bay and what it offers."

Emma nodded.

"I just posted a comment that we have a big surprise to announce on our trip next week," Isabella said.

"I think we need to simply tell the truth," Kelsey said. "We fell in love on these trips and our followers were right there with us."

"Okay. There are good ways and bad ways to tell the truth," Emma said. "I think you need to show your followers how it happened. Didn't it start when you were both there at Christmas?"

Isabella smiled at Kelsey. "Yeah, it did."

"Did you do anything on that trip that you haven't done on any of the vacations yet?" Emma asked.

"Yes!" Kelsey said excitedly. "We haven't shown them Honeymoon Beach yet. That was a magical day."

Isabella reached for Kelsey's hand and held it between hers "That was the first day we danced together. I remember telling Liz that I'd never been with a woman." Isabella smiled. "She said everyone had a first."

Kelsey chuckled. "That's true."

"But I told her you weren't a first, you were a forever."

"Oh, Bella," Kelsey said, her face softening with emotion.

Emma smiled at them. "Focus, please."

They both looked at her. "Isn't it obvious we're in love?" Isabella said.

"I think you take us, as followers, to Honeymoon Beach and then to Peaches where you danced," Emma said.

"Okay, we can do that."

"Isabella, I hate to do this to you," Emma began, "but you may need to tell your coming out story. You never thought of another woman until you met my mom, isn't that correct?"

"Yes, and then I met the people at Peaches and saw the possibilities," Isabella replied.

"There may be a lot of women who are divorced and in a similar situation," Emma said. "You could help them, be a role model for them."

Kelsey looked at Isabella and smiled.

"And Mom, you need to tell your story. You made decisions for yourself with your two daughters in mind. Now we're about to embark on our careers and you can do something for yourself," Emma said.

"So you're saying we might help others by telling our stories?" Kelsey asked.

Emma nodded. "Neither one of you told the other about your feelings for months, so you weren't being dishonest or trying to hide your relationship. You were trying to figure out your feelings. That's honest. And now you want to share this with your followers. You've got to make them want to see what happens next."

"We should ask them to go along with us on this trip and to give us one more trip the next month," Kelsey said. "We should move up the family vacation. They need to see how our family has come together and if they don't like us after that then we can stop the trips. It's indulgent, but it's open and honest."

"That's a great idea," Emma said. "School will be out for the boys and Dana and I already told our employers about this trip when we were hired."

"Now that I think about it, we've never been dishonest or hidden anything," Isabella said. "We had to figure this out for ourselves first, and then as a couple."

"I still say the islands are a magical place and we're the perfect example of what can happen," Kelsey said.

"I'd be happy to work up a statement or two for this upcoming trip. I could give you some ideas of what to include when you get there and then build up Honeymoon Beach. The next day your followers get to experience it with you. I can outline the points you need to make at each place. Then you can invite them to meet us next month. It would just be a guide," Emma said.

Kelsey smiled. "Bella, would you listen to my smart daughter?"

"I hear her." Isabella put her arm around Kelsey. "I don't know about you, but I'm very proud at this moment."

Emma chuckled. "Stop it, Moms. You'll make me blush."

Kelsey and Isabella laughed.

"We're missing the movie," Emma said, getting up and walking to the door.

"We'll be there in a minute," Kelsey said.

"I had a feeling something was going to happen when Carmen asked us to keep this quiet," Isabella said.

"I did, too," Kelsey said.

"After I told Spencer, I got the same feeling. But I didn't think he'd do something like this," Isabella said.

Kelsey swung around and faced Isabella. "I don't care what comments are made or if we finish these trips. Spencer can try to undermine us all he wants, but I won't leave you, Bella. I love you and my life is with you. I've waited a long time to find my person and here you are. I'm holding on tight and I won't let go."

Isabella felt her heart overflow with love. With Kelsey's promise to hold on to, how could anyone or anything stop them? "I'm not letting go," she said softly and touched her lips to Kelsey's in a tender kiss.

When they pulled away Isabella raised her eyebrows. "Do you think we could sneak into your room while they finish the movie?"

Kelsey giggled. "What ever would we do there?"

"We'd go here," Isabella said, reaching for the picture next to Kelsey's computer.

"That was such a good day," Kelsey said.

"This day is, too." Isabella wrapped her arms around Kelsey's neck and pulled her in for a long, slow kiss.

Kelsey pulled away and took a deep breath. She reached for her phone and began to type.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm sending Emma a text telling them we'll see them after the movie is over." Kelsey smiled.

Isabella chuckled and stood up. "Kelsey Kenny, I love you more every day."

Kelsey took Isabella's hand and led them to her bedroom.