Page 108 of Emma
“That’s all anyone can ever expect.” Emma reached into the cupboard for the plates, smiling when Daisy yelled from the living room. “Bye, Freya.”
When the line went dead, Emma stood there, the spoon limp in her hand as tears slipped freely down her face. The sauce hissed and bubbled on the hob, forgotten, because all she could think about was that shy little voice asking what she wanted for Christmas.
Right now, Emma had everything she could ever want.
The murmurof Emma’s voice had carried from the kitchen for a few minutes, and Vanessa hadn’t missed the way her tone kept lifting, as though she couldn’t quite contain her smile. It had to be Freya on the call to her, or Carmen at least. Vanessa knew the signs these days. She was curled up on the couch with Lauren,who had Daisy sprawled half-asleep against her chest, a picture book slipping from her tiny fingers, but the moment Emma came into the room, her phone still clutched in her hand, Vanessa sat up straight instantly. “Was that Freya calling?”
“Yeah.” Emma looked at Daisy first, then at Lauren, her eyes bright and glassy when she eventually found Vanessa’s gaze. “She wants to come for Christmas dinner.”
Vanessa’s heart swelled as she rose to her feet, cupping her wife’s face the second she was close enough. “That’s amazing, baby.”
Lauren grinned. “She really said yes?”
“I was doing okay until she told me it was nice to feel wanted somewhere.” Emma’s voice cracked, but she shook her head and cleared the emotion from her throat. “I wasn’t expecting her to say that.”
Vanessa’s own throat burned as tears threatened. God, she wanted to wrap Freya up in a hug and never let her go. She wanted to wrap her up in the kind of love she’d clearly never had enough of. She eyed Lauren, who looked just as moved, and smiled. “She feels safe with you. That’s why she said it.”
“Em, this is the best Christmas present you could ever have!” Lauren gently lay Daisy down against a cushion and stood. She wrapped her arms around her best friend, holding on tight. “I’m so happy for you.”
Emma nodded as she drew back, unable to fight the tears. “That’s what I told her. That her being here is all I want.”
Vanessa couldn’t hold back any longer. She pulled Emma into her arms and pressed her lips to her hair. “This is going to be one of the best Christmases I can remember,” she whispered. “Not because of the food or the decorations, but because she’ll be here. With us.”
Emma’s body shook as she sobbed against Vanessa’s chest. “I never thought I’d get this.”
“And yet here we are.” Vanessa pulled back and met her wife’s eyes, brushing a tear from her cheek as she did so. “She wants this, too, Emma. That’s what matters most. She chose you.”
Daisy stirred, letting out a little whine, but Lauren quickly stroked her hair to soothe her back to sleep. “You’re going to have the happiest little sister on Christmas Day, Em. I just know it.”
“I think this calls for a cup of tea.” Vanessa stood back, pride, hope, and love tangled together inside her. “And then it’s time to start planning.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Emma tuggedher scarf tight around her neck, her fingers curled around a paper cup of mulled wine while she milled about the Christmas market. Freya shuffled along beside her with a hot chocolate, both hands cupped around it, marshmallows already melting into a sticky swirl on top.
The market lights twinkled overhead, strung across the rows of wooden stalls where vendors sold everything from handmade decorations to overpriced fudge. A brass band in the square struck up another carol, and Emma had to laugh when Freya turned to her and muttered, “If I hearJingle Bellsone more time, I might scream.”
“Not a fan?” Emma asked as she drew in an icy breath.
“Not when it’s the fiftieth version I’ve heard this week,” Freya rolled her eyes playfully. “How many versions do we actually need?”
Emma smiled back, and she felt it. That now familiar rush every time she caught a glimpse of herself in Freya. The same dark hair, the same quick wit, the same way sarcasm softened into shyness at unexpected moments. “Well, by your count, we clearly need fifty versions of it.”
They paused by a stall selling warm sugared donuts, the smell so tempting that Emma caved and bought a small bag. She passed one to Freya, who instantly took a bite and covered half of her face in sugar.
“Oh, my God! That’s so good.” Freya just about managed those words since she’d shoved the remaining three-quarters of it into her mouth. “I’ve never had those before.”
“They’re something I only treat myself to at this time of year. I’d be forever at the dentist if I ate them all year round.” Emma licked her fingers and turned to Freya as they reached an empty bench. “So, just three days to go. Are you ready for Christmas dinner at ours?”
Freya grinned as she sat down. “Yeah. I can’t wait. What food will we be having?”
“Oh, the works!” Emma waved a hand between them. “Turkey, gammon, beef, roasties…so many roasties, pigs in blankets, sprouts. You name it, we’re having it.”
“Ben loves sprouts. Don’t tell him I said this, but he’ll probably eat them all before anyone else gets the chance.”
Emma laughed. “Good to know. I’ll make extra.”
“And Carmen…” Freya thought for a moment, her breath fogging in the air. “She usually makes red cabbage. She’ll probably want to bring it. She thinks it’s not Christmas without it.”
