Page 44 of Emma
“Quiet. Just the way I like it.”
Emma offered a small, knowing smile. She preferred quiet weekends, too. Especially when they were spent tangled up with Vanessa in their cosiest clothes as the rain hammered the windows, the world locked outside. “Mostly the same for us, too.”
“I was hoping to find you in the P.E. department,” Ellie said, descending a couple of steps. “Thank you for saving me the trouble of making my way over there.”
Emma paused, her foot hovering over the next stair. Something felt off.Shefelt off. “Did you need to see me about something?”
“I did, yes. Could we do it in my office?”
Ellie’s voice was too calm for it to be anything terrible, but there was still a hint of apprehension fizzing inside of her. She couldn’t remembereverbeing called to the head teacher’s office. Not as a student, and certainly not as a teacher. She suddenly felt like a child about to be told off, that strange unease only curling with more intensity in her belly. “Sure. That’s no problem.”
She reached into her bag for her phone and quickly sent a message to Vanessa.
I’ve been summoned to Ellie’s office! If you don’t see me here again, the school board decided I’m nothingmore than an imposter and I only got this job because I’m sleeping with the best teacher in the school!
With a tight smile, she locked her phone and put it away. Whatever this was, she’d face it. She had to. Once she was inside Ellie’s office, Emma exhaled slowly and forced her shoulders to relax. The space smelled as it always did. Of peppermint tea. She perched on the edge of a chair and willed herself to stay calm. “So, what’s up?”
Ellie settled into her own chair, her fingers steepled. “I received a call this morning.”
Emma sat up a little straighter. “O…kay. I’m going to assume this call has something to do with me.”
“Freya Fields.”
Her name hit Emma like a punch to the stomach. Her chest tightened as every last thought blurred into a mess. Was Freya being moved? Wasshebeing moved? Was she about to be dismissed?
“Is she being moved?” Emma asked, her fingers curling around the hem of her shorts. “If she is, I’ll save everyone the hassle and find a position elsewhere myself. She’s been through enough in her life already. I don’t want her to have to swap and change again. That’s not fair to her.”
“So, you knew that she was your sister?”
“Only when she told me herself last week.” Emma lowered her eyes to her lap, to her trembling hands. “I didn’t believe her at first, obviously.”
Ellie didn’t speak, only nodded, quietly holding space.
“I got in touch with my mum and she confirmed that she’d had another child once I’d left home and cut contact with my family.” Her voice broke slightly, just a hairline crack in the composure she was clinging to. And she reallywasclinging onto it for dear life. “I’m sorry. I’m still coming to terms with it all. If I’d known I had a sister, I would have taken her and looked afterher. I would have done anything to get her away from my useless parents.Ouruseless parents.”
The pain of it all settled deep inside Emma once again.
Her sister, her own flesh and blood…had been left to fend for herself.
“A social worker on her case has asked that I set up a meeting when it’s suitable for you.”
“Look, Ellie.” She drew in a shaky breath and let it out slowly. “You have enough to deal with. You’ve been through enough. You don’t need all of this going on in the background. I’ll hand in my resignation, and I won’t have any contact with Freya. Which, by the way, I haven’t done so far. I wouldn’t. I know it’ll only mess with her head, and I don’t want that for her.”
“Emma, you won’t be handing in your resignation. You’re a vital part of this school. You’ve only just taken on the head of department job.”
“I only did that because Vanessa encouraged me to go after it. She’s always pushing me towards things to better myself.”
Ellie smiled gently. “That’s the sign of a good wife.”
“I know, but anyway…” Emma gestured vaguely. “None of this is necessary. I hoped that maybe I could have some kind of relationship with Freya, but if a social worker has been in touch, I think we can both agree that whatever is about to happen is only going to upset me and mess with Freya’s routine.”
“Perhaps we could set up the meeting and go from there. Nobody has any answers as of yet, and I think it’s important that you hear what they have to say.” Ellie leaned in slightly, the kindness in her voice the only thing keeping Emma calm in this moment. “Granted, I’ve never dealt with a situation like this before, but I didn’t get the impression that one or both of you would have to move on. In fact, the social worker sounded more than happy to meet with you.”
The tightness in Emma’s chest loosened a little. Ellie had a way about her, calm and unflinching, that made Emma believe this may not all collapse after all. She reminded Emma a lot of Vanessa. They had similar personalities. “Will you be there?”
“Yes. And I’ll make sure Vanessa is available, too. You need support as well as Freya. You’ve both had a shock recently.”
“Well, I appreciate it. I really do.” Emma wiped her palms down her thighs and sighed. “I’m just worried they’re going to tell me I’m not allowed to teach her or be in the same room as her, you know?”
