Page 87 of Emma
Carmen chuckled, settling Emma instantly. “I think you’ll find she already has her heart set on somewhere.”
Emma frowned. “She does? Well, that helps if she has a preferred restaurant already. Whatever is best for Freya works for me.”
“No, it’s not a restaurant,” Carmen said. “She hasn’t stopped talking about wanting to see your house forweeks, Emma. Every other conversation seems to come back to it. She’s… Well, she’s very determined when she wants something, as you’ve probably realised.”
Huh. That sounded a lot like Emma herself. “She mentioned our place the other week, but I wasn’t sure how realistic that was,so I kind of brushed it off. I didn’t want to push or cross any line.”
“You’re not crossing a line. I actually ran it past Nia after Freya brought it up the first time. We’ve all agreed that it might be exactly what she needs. Something that feels normal. A safe space, if you will.”
“O-oh, okay. That’s…yeah, I’m cool with that.”
“We trust you, Emma.”
Emma’s throat constricted. Carmen’s words hit her far harder than she expected.We trust you.She didn’t take them lightly, not for a second. “Y-you’re sure?”
“I’m sure,” Carmen said. “Since the meeting, Freya is like a different child. She’s happier, and she’s more involved in day-to-day life. Meeting you, having a connection with you… It’s definitely opened our eyes to whatsheneeds rather than whatwewant.”
“That means the world, Carmen. It really does.”
“She’s been imagining it. The colour of your walls, whether you eat at the table or on the couch, if you’ve got pictures hanging up in the hallway. All the things that are entirely irrelevant to us as adults…she’s obsessing over.”
Emma pressed her palm to her chest. “God, I had no idea she was thinking about those things.”
“If you’re ready to welcome her into your home, then we have no issues allowing it.” Emma felt Carmen smiling down the phone. “Just keep it simple. She doesn’t need anything fancy for dinner. She won’t care what’s on the plate…only that she’s at yours.”
Emma laughed, completely ignoring the fact that a tear had just slid down her cheek. “I can manage simple. Pasta, maybe. Or lasagne. Vanessa will probably insist on garlic bread either way. And Freya has already told me she wants chips whenever we have dinner together.”
“That sounds perfect.”
“Thank you for trusting me with this. I don’t take it for granted.”
“Let’s work out some dates. See what plans she already has. Whatever day works for you both, it’s all yours, okay?”
Emma nodded. “Okay. Just let me know what her timetable is looking like over half term, and I’ll absolutely work around her.”
“How about this Friday? And if it goes well, you could arrange something else for a weekend while she’s free during the day.”
“I, uh…yeah. Friday is great!”
“Okay. Then I’ll let her know you’ve spoken to me and that Friday is going ahead.” Carmen cleared her throat. “Just remember that if she cancels, it’s not a reflection on you.”
“I know. And thanks, Carmen. I really do appreciate the trust you’re putting in me.”
When the call ended, Emma sat for a moment in the quiet, staring down at her phone in her hand. The nerves she’d initially felt when she’d called Carmen were no longer present, and in their place sat a warmth and a belonging. The door was officially open, and Emma couldn’t wait to step through it.
Vanessa lookedup from the kitchen table as Emma came rushing down the stairs. Her phone was clutched tight to her chest as though she’d just come off the most important call of her life. There was a look on her face—a mix of nerves and relief—that made Vanessa set aside her red pen without a second thought.
“Are you okay?” Vanessa asked, her heart in her throat as Emma stared back at her.
Emma leaned against the doorframe and exhaled slowly. “She’s…coming here. For dinner.”
Vanessa stared through Emma. When those words finally sank in, her chest swelled. “She’s coming here? W-when?”
“Friday.”
Vanessa swallowed. Friday wasn’t enough time to get everything prepared. It only left Vanessa with three days to plan whatever needed planning. “R-right.”
“Freya mentioned it to me the other week. Obviously, I didn’t want to get her hopes up, so I didn’t say yes or no. I’ve just spoken to Carmen about the kind of restaurants she prefers…and Carmen said she has her heart set on coming here.” A small smile tugged at Emma’s lips. “I hoped it would happen, but I didn’t think it would be so soon, babe. Maybe…next year, at least.”
