Page 38 of Emma
Lauren gave Emma a knowing look. “Andyoursister.”
Emma’s throat constricted. Even now, it still didn’t feel real. There was a girl out there—her sister—with Emma’s eyes, her stubbornness, and that same hope for the future. For…something more from life. A younger version of herself living a life Emma had never been part of. “Can’t believe I have a sister.”
“Me neither. But so long as everything goes well down the line, it’s going to be amazing for you both.” Lauren leaned in and drew Emma into a hug. “Everything will be okay. It always is. Look at the shit we’ve already faced together. This is just a bump in the road thatwillwork itself out in the end.”
Emma pulled back just enough to meet Lauren’s gaze. Her best friend had always known how to make the world feel a little less chaotic, but tonight it was a struggle to pull herself out of the chaos. “I hope you’re right. I don’t know how much more I can take.”
“Give it time. Find out what’s next. But please, don’t think the worst. Anything is possible.Anything.”
Emma wanted to believe that, she wanted to cling to the hope and never let it go, but the truth was…she had spent most of her life bracing for the impact of whatever hit next. She was always preparing for the moment things would go wrong.
Until Vanessa, nothing had ever truly stayed right.
And now, standing on this precipice again, she could already feel the ground shaking and shifting beneath her feet. Because whywouldFreya’s parents want Emma in their daughter’s life? All they’d know was the family Emma came from. The damage and the dysfunction. From that alone, they’d likely assume the worst. She couldn’t blame them, and she couldn’t change what they believed…unless they gave her the chance to prove herself. And that decision wasn’t in her hands.
“It’s a waiting game now,” Emma said calmly. “That’s all I know.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Feelinga little unnerved by what this day could bring, Vanessa sat at the breakfast bar, mindlessly skimming the morning newspaper. Her eyes followed every line of text, but none of the words sank in. Her thoughts were too loud, and with another night of worry weighing on her mind, Vanessa was exhausted. The rustle of the pages beneath her fingertips gave her something to focus on, but everything around her felt uncertain. Even sitting here, enjoying her morning coffee, it didn’t feel right. It didn’t feel normal.
Upstairs, she could hear the faint sound of footsteps. Emma was getting ready for work. Again, it was something so normal—routine—but it didn’t feel right. Vanessa wasn’t sure how to change that; she wasn’t sure the atmospherecouldbe changed right now, but maybe she could travel into work with Emma this morning. At least then, they’d have time to talk. Time to plan what was next. Time to breathe.
The sound of footsteps grew louder, and then Emma appeared in the doorway as she zipped up her jacket. There was an odd, determined energy about her, like she’d already rehearsed this moment in her mind.She’s just trying to cope with this the best way she can.
“Babe, do you have a lesson after lunch today?”
Vanessa looked up and set the paper down. “I don’t. I was hoping to catch up with Dani, but nothing is definite. Why?”
“Thought we could have lunch together and not rush ourselves when it’s over.”
Vanessa lifted her coffee cup and smiled against the rim. A lunch with Emma, without the rush and without the pressure, sounded likeexactlywhat she needed. “Tell me the time and place and I’ll be there.”
“Well, midday in the staff room.” Emma grinned, and Vanessa immediately noted how there was something lighter about her. She wasn’t putting it on to keep up appearances. No, this was absolutely genuine. The heaviness of Saturday didn’t seem so pronounced this morning. Maybe Sunday’s quiet reflection had helped. Maybe the start of a new week was some kind of reset. Vanessa could only hope this week would be kinder than the last. “I was hoping we could figure out how I deal with the Freya stuff. I can’t avoid my student forever, and I don’t want to be that person anyway. I just want to work and have my life. That’s all.”
Surprised, Vanessa sat back with a frown. She had assumed Emma would want to carve out a place for Freya in her life, especially now that the truth had been revealed. “You’re…going to let it lie with Freya?”
“Oh, no. I want her in my life. I just need to figure out the best way to go about it.” Emma pulled herself up onto a stool, exhaling a deep breath as she relaxed her shoulders. “Lauren was right on Saturday. Why shouldn’t I have a relationship with Freya? She’s my sister.”
There it was. Lauren’s influence. Vanessa had hoped her daughter’s words hadn’t taken hold, but clearly they had. It only made things feel harder and messier…potentially leading to a much more delicate situation. Vanessa would have to remindEmma how difficult this could be—how fragile the situation was—while hoping she didn’t crush Emma’s dreams for the futureandher heart. “I understand that, and I’m sure most other people understand it too, but Freya’s parents will have the final say, Emma.”
“I know. I was thinking that maybe I’ll find out who I need to contact and just ask them if I can see Freya. I don’t even mind if they’re with her for the meeting. I mean, I’m already teaching her, so what does it matter?”
The simplicity in Emma’s words and her logic tugged at Vanessa’s heart. It sounded so rational, so…easy, yet the reality was anything but. Vanessa cleared her throat, reached across the breakfast bar, and took Emma’s hand. “I’m going to assume the school has no idea that Freya is your sibling. When theydofind out, it may be that you no longer teach her. I don’t quite know what the rules are. This isn’t something I’ve ever come across before.”
“That’s right. Uproot the kid who has already had a shitty upbringing.” Emma scoffed as she pulled her hand away, retreating from the comfort Vanessa had tried to offer. “That doesn’t seem fair to Freya. Why should either of us face consequences when we didn’t ask foranyof this?”
Vanessa couldn’t bear the frustration etched across Emma’s face, but she had to admire whatever was brewing behind her eyes. Protectiveness, perhaps. Vanessa wasn’t surprised, though. Emma had to be the most protective person she knew. “Believe me, baby, I wish I knew the answers. I hate seeing you like this. But during my free period this morning, I’ll see what information I can find out.”
“That’s what I’m worried about the most—the school finding out, and one of us being removed.” Emma cast her gaze to her lap. “But then I also don’t want to secretly know the truth and they find out I wasn’t honest about it.”
“I would absolutely discourage that. It never ends well when we hide the truth.” No matter what, Emma couldn’t keep this to herself. Even if it seemed like the right thing to do in this particular moment, Vanessa couldn’t back her on it. “This is all very new. Let’s just figure things out between us before we start getting our hopes up or thinking the worst.”
Emma slid from her stool and rounded the island. Her lips landed on Vanessa’s, but it was fleeting. As Emma pulled back, she managed the smallest of smiles. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
Vanessa took Emma’s hand and squeezed gently. “We’re good together. There is no problem that we can’t solve between us.” She lifted Emma’s hand and smiled as she kissed her knuckles. “Think of it as something to keep us on our toes.”
Emma laughed, but it was nothing close to anything Vanessa recognised. “Honestly, I’m tired.”
