Chapter 7 #2
These were the moments when she realised how lucky she was.
How blessed she felt to be loved like this.
To come home to a woman who saw right through the armour she sometimes forgot she was still wearing.
Emma was her sanctuary. She was her home.
No conflict and no poorly chosen words from Lauren could ever alter that truth.
Crossing the room slowly, Vanessa leaned over the back of the couch and pressed a kiss to Emma’s cheek, allowing herself a moment to linger. She smiled against her skin and wrapped her arms around Emma’s shoulders. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.” Emma tilted her head and kissed Vanessa. “Did you enjoy your bath?”
“I did. I feel better for it.”
Emma gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. “Good. I didn’t want you to work yourself up. It’s no good for you.”
“I know.” Vanessa drew back reluctantly, the loss of contact felt immediately as she zipped up her hoodie. There were practical things to do, she was definitely ready for dinner, but all she really wanted was this room, this couch, and her wife. “Do you have much more work to do?”
“No. I should be done in about twenty minutes.” Emma barely looked up, her attention still on the papers in her lap, but the growing tower of marked papers on the coffee table spoke volumes. She was almost done.
Vanessa lowered a hand and squeezed Emma’s shoulder. “I’ll start dinner.”
“I think after today, we deserve to unwind and not worry about dinner. Takeout will be here in about thirty minutes or so. I ordered while you were upstairs.”
Vanessa’s heart melted purely because her wife knew her so well. Once upon a time, it would have unnerved Vanessa to be read so easily, but not with Emma. Never with Emma. “You’re amazing.”
“And you’re tired, so come and join me on the couch and wait for the food to arrive.
” Emma set the papers down and swept them to one side.
“I’ll finish those tomorrow at work. No rush for them.
” She opened her arms to Vanessa, that stunning smile ready and waiting as it always was. “Come on. Sit down.”
Vanessa rounded the couch and eased herself into Emma’s lap without hesitation.
She curled around her, the day beginning to fade from her shoulders as the tension and the tightness loosened.
For the rest of the night, she didn’t want to think about anything beyond this.
The door was locked, the evening was theirs, and Vanessa wanted to exist only here.
She reached up and brushed her fingertips against the nape of Emma’s neck. “You don’t have a manipulative bone in your body.”
Emma tensed slightly and lowered her eyes to where Vanessa’s hand rested on her thigh. “I don’t know why she said that. I hope it was just her frustration talking, but I don’t know.”
“Look at me.” Vanessa slid her hand to Emma’s jaw and lifted her head. “You don’t.”
“If you’ve ever felt that way—”
Vanessa stopped her with a kiss, silencing the doubt before it could take root any deeper.
This would stay with Emma, Vanessa knew that, and no reassurance would erase what Lauren had said completely.
But she would try. She never wanted Emma to think she was anything of the kind.
“I haven’t. Ever. Not for a single second. ”
Emma’s eyes glistened with unshed tears, her bottom lip trembling as she whispered, “Promise me?”
“I promise you.”
Emma’s arms tightened around Vanessa’s waist, and that familiar protectiveness rushed through her more than ever before.
Her fingers toyed with the hem of Emma’s hoodie, and the urge to undress, worship, and soothe her wife in the most intimate of ways planted itself at the front of Vanessa’s mind.
Just as she considered stripping Emma bare, her phone started to continuously buzz on the coffee table.
Vanessa groaned. “Please, for the love of God, silence that fucking thing for me.”
Emma reached out, one arm still snug around Vanessa’s waist, and lifted the phone. She turned the screen towards Vanessa. “It’s…Lauren.”
Vanessa’s stomach tightened. She’d never ignored a call from her daughter, not once in all of Lauren’s life, but right now? Right now, she didn’t want anything coming between her and Emma. Still…she took the phone and answered. “Hello?”
“Mum, I’m sorry.” Lauren sniffled down the line. “I know you don’t want to hear it, but I am. I’m so sorry.”
Vanessa’s heart clenched, but she held firm. “I’m not sure I’m the one you should be directing your apology at, Lauren. What you said to Emma was downright disgusting.”
“I-I know.”
“You’re finding it hard to cope, and you know I’ll always be there to lend a hand when I can, but I do have a life too, Lauren. Given the last twelve months, I have more of a life now than I ever did before. You have to understand that.”
“I do, and I’m proud of you for getting out there and doing the things that make you happy.”
The weight that had been pressing down on Vanessa’s chest lifted a little, but the sting of their conversation earlier still lingered. Vanessa wasn’t ready to let it slide just yet. “When is Rob home?”
“In a few days.”
“And you’re going to speak to him? Explain how being left to parent alone isn’t acceptable?”
“I… Yes. I’ll have to. I love Daisy more than anything, but I’m not sure I can maintain the running around for much longer. I was less stressed when I was working full-time.”
Vanessa lifted a shoulder. “Then Rob has to make some decisions. I’m sure it won’t be the end of the world if he explains to his office that flying out of the country every other week for weeks on end isn’t an option anymore.”
“I’m worried he’ll lose his job.”
Vanessa frowned. Lauren had never been worried about Rob’s job in the past. Had something happened that neither she nor Emma knew about? “Surely it won’t come to that. He’s high up in the company now. They clearly value him if they’ve promoted him twice in two years.”
“He was offered a permanent position in a different office. It wouldn’t mean travelling around anymore. Well, not out of the country, anyway.”
“Oh.” Vanessa glanced at Emma, who was quietly listening, her palm slowly stroking Vanessa’s thigh. “Why didn’t he take it?”
“Because I told him he couldn’t.”
Vanessa narrowed her eyes at Emma, noting how confused her wife seemed, too. “Why?”
“Because the position they offered him was in America. The main office.”
Emma’s hand tensed slightly against Vanessa’s thigh. She wasn’t sure which of them had stiffened first. “O-oh.”
“I don’t want to move out of England. I don’t want to be so far away from you and Emma. It’s just… It’s not an option for me. For us.”
Vanessa nodded slowly. She would hate to know Lauren and Daisy were so far away, but if it was beneficial to them as a family, then Vanessa could be on board with it. “Is that why Rob has been travelling more often lately?”
“Yeah. It’s not ideal, but it’s better than us moving over to the States.” Lauren sighed. “This is where my life is. It’s where it’ll always be. But…I’m going to speak to him when he’s home the middle of next week. Until then, I’ll manage. We always do, right?”
“I can help you with Daisy, sweetheart.”
“The full-time nursery position is staying in place. It’s easier for everyone. Then you don’t have to rush out of work two days a week, and it’ll give me more time to myself.”
“Is it financially possible?” Vanessa hoped it was. If it meant Lauren struggled, then she would insist on letting the full-time place go.
“Oh, yeah. Rob agreed as soon as I mentioned it. He pays Daisy’s fees anyway.”
“Good. That’s good.”
“Would you tell Emma I’ll call her tomorrow? I think she needs a little bit of space from me after the things I said to her today.” Lauren cleared her throat when her voice broke. “I just hope she doesn’t hate me.”
“She’s sitting right next to me.” Vanessa lowered her hand and covered Emma’s. Her wife gave her a small, forgiving smile. “She doesn’t hate you. Neither of us do. But we do want to be on the same page from now on, okay?”
“Okay. Well, I’m just heading into nursery to pick Daisy up, so I’ll talk to you at the end of the week.”
Vanessa ended the call and set her phone face down on the coffee table, then turned to Emma and brushed her knuckles across her cheek. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” Emma nodded, her eyes flicking between Vanessa and the phone as if she was still processing. “I’m…glad she called.”
“Me too,” Vanessa dipped her head and kissed Emma. “It’s not quite fixed, but it’s a start.”
Vanessa knew it would take time for Emma and Lauren to work things out between them, but she had faith in her daughter.
When she was in the wrong, she admitted it.
Vanessa just hoped it wouldn’t take too long.
Whenever Emma had fallen out with Lauren, she always seemed so down on herself.
After the last twelve months, they all knew that life was too short to stay mad at each other.
The doorbell startled them both, and as Vanessa’s stomach growled, Emma looked back at her with a slow smile spreading on her lips.
“That’ll be the takeaway.” Emma urged Vanessa off her lap and stood up.
“You get the plates while I get the door. We’ll eat under the blanket and watch something completely mindless. ”
Vanessa leaned in to steal one more kiss. “Perfect.”