Page 56 of Emma
Vanessa squeezed Emma’s hand. “Emma has been carrying this heavily since Freya came to her. Every decision she’s made has been with Freya’s safety and emotional well-being in mind.”
Carmen looked at Emma again, this time without the hesitancy in her eyes. “Freya talks about you a lot. About netball. About how kind you are.”
Emma’s throat clenched. “I care about her. More than I know how to explain.”
Nia closed her notebook gently. “What I’d suggest is that we take this next step slowly. We talk with Freya. We gauge how she’s feeling. If she expresses interest in contact, we begin with something light. Supported. A letter exchange, maybe. Or a hot chocolate with Emma and her wife in a neutral space.”
“I’d be happy with that,” Emma said immediately. “Anything that makes her feel safe.”
Ben nodded. Carmen didn’t speak, but she didn’t say no, either.
Ellie offered a small smile. “It’s a difficult road. But I do believe everyone in this room is coming from a place of love. That’s a very good place to start.”
Nia rose, signalling the end of the meeting. “I’ll make contact with Freya and schedule a follow-up. No decisions today. Just movement.”
Everyone stood slowly. Emma thanked Nia, her voice steady but her hands still shaking slightly. Carmen met her eyes briefly, and this time, she didn’t appear to be challenging in her demeanour. Ben seemed…indifferent. Perhaps he was resigned to the fact that Emma did deserve a place in Freya’s life.
Ellie walked them out of the office and thanked them for their time, but Vanessa and Emma stayed behind for a couple of minutes.
Vanessa turned to Emma and took her hands. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I think so.”
“You were brilliant.”
Emma released a deep breath. It wasn’t certainty she felt, not yet, but it felt a lot like hope. “Babe,” Emma whispered. “Do you think she’ll want to see me?”
Vanessa squeezed her hands. “Oh, I think she already does.”
Vanessa stood at the stove,stirring the sauce that would accompany dinner, her mind going over everything that had been said during the meeting earlier today. She wasn’t hungry, not after such an intense couple of hours, but she needed something to focus on. Something repetitive and quiet. Thegentle clink of the spoon against the pan was far more soothing than she’d expected it to be.
Behind her, Emma paced the kitchen floor like a restless cat, full of energy, her eyes bright in a way that Vanessa hadn’t seen in weeks now.
“Nia said I can write to her,” Emma said for what must have been the third time. “A letter. Or maybe something digital, like an email. I wonder if she’d prefer that. Kids are all into digital these days, aren’t they? I draw the line at a voice note, though.” Emma laughed. “Oh, God. What if she’s into sending stupid GIFs and memes like I am? You hate them, but they always tickle me.” Vanessa knew Emma was just saying everything that came to mind, but God, she wished she’d stop and take a breath. “What if we end up having a private joke over a picture of a dancing tree or something random like that?!”
Vanessa smiled but didn’t turn away from the stove. “One step at a time, baby.”
“I know, I know,” Emma said quickly,stillpacing back and forth across the tiles. “I know it’s just the beginning, but still. Carmen didn’t even push back today. And Ben was...surprisingly okay. He seems like a nice guy. And Nia. Did you hear what she said? Nothing’s stopping me from having contact with Freya.Actually,morethan just contact. I’mallowedto be in her life, Vanessa. I’mallowedto have a sister.”
Vanessa finally turned and leaned against the counter, watching her wife with a smile. “I heard her. I was sitting next to you, Emma.”
Emma stopped and gripped the back of one of the dining chairs. “I just…I can’t believe it. A month ago, I didn’t even know she existed. But now she’s real. What’s happening is real.”
“It’s definitely real.”
“I wonder if she prefers cats or dogs. I definitely think she prefers crisps to chocolate, like me.” Emma grinned, andVanessa’s heart burst from the sheer look of joy in her eyes. “Do you think she cries at films like me?”
“Baby, you cry at adverts.”
Emma flung her arms out. “She might, too! What if she’s like me in a hundred tiny ways we haven’t even seen yet?”
Vanessa crossed the kitchen slowly and placed her hands on Emma’s arms, steadying her. “Breathe.”
“Iambreathing. I’m breathing easier than I have in a long time.”
“You’re spiralling. Just…the happy kind for once.” Vanessa slid her hands up to Emma’s shoulders and gave them a soft squeeze. “And I get it, I really do, but it’s a lot. It’sbeena lot. For both of us.”
“I know, I’m sorry.” Emma’s eyes softened. “But you’ve been amazing, babe. You really have. I couldn’t have gone into that meeting today without you next to me.”
