Chapter 8
CHAPTER EIGHT
Thank God it’s Friday.
Emma blew out a breath as she shoved another bag of balls into the already precariously filled cupboard, quickly slamming the door shut before the entire pile avalanched down on her.
God, she wished people would stack things in a sensible way.
It wasn’t hard, and it made everyone’s life simpler if they weren’t terrified of opening the equipment cupboard door.
Emma loved her job, mostly because the chaos meant the day went by quicker, but today had drained her battery.
All she wanted now was the familiar weight of her hoodie and the comfort of her slippers.
She’d never been one to head out partying at the weekend, hangovers were a waste of the following day, and this afternoon she was grateful for that outlook.
She would prefer to enjoy a bottle of wine at home with her wife.
Vanessa had already asked this morning if they had to make any plans this weekend.
Emma had practically shouted ‘no’ over her shoulder as she rushed out the door, exhilarated at the thought of doing absolutely nothing with the woman she loved.
Nothing involving a bra, anyway. Or a face of makeup.
As she walked down the corridor towards the main P.E.
office, she pulled her phone from her pocket, half-expecting a message.
But the screen was blank. No word from Vanessa yet.
She was probably tied up with a student again.
Emma had learnt just how devoted Vanessa was a while ago now.
It used to frustrate Emma, the way Vanessa gave so much of herself, but now it just reminded her of how lucky she was to share her life with someone so unwavering when it came to her students’ futures.
I’m about to finish. Have you left yet?
She sent the message and kept her phone in her hand, stepping into the office where two of her colleagues were still picking at the remains of their late lunch. The room smelled of microwaved pasta and the typical exhaustion that came with the end of the school week.
It was Becky’s birthday, and everyone was heading out this evening. There would be drinks, most likely karaoke, and a lot of blurry selfies. But in Emma’s mind, she was already at home, her bra flung somewhere across the room as her body sank effortlessly into their couch.
“Right, I’m off home. Have a great night, and I’ll see you all on Monday for the gossip.”
Tom swivelled in his chair to face her. “Oh, come on. You’re seriously staying in tonight?”
“I’m seriously staying in,” Emma replied as she leaned against the doorframe.
She’d already picked up her rucksack, and now it was dangling loosely from one hand.
Every muscle in her body ached from today’s four back-to-back lessons.
She missed her classroom lessons with the older students.
The ones she could actually sit down and talk to.
While Emma enjoyed being active—it came with the job—spending a few hours a week inside the classroom had always been a nice pause from the sports field on a rainy day.
“Whatever happens, take pictures and videos!”
Sammy snorted from across the room. “You mean like the video we took of you falling over in the street a few months ago?”
“I slipped on someone’s disgusting kebab that they’d dropped!”
“Sure.” Sammy grinned as she powered off her computer. “You were drunk. Own it.”
Emma hadn’t been. Two beers didn’t count. But this wasn’t a fight worth having. Not this afternoon. “Whatever you say. I’m leaving. See you Monday.”
She turned and headed out, her footsteps echoing in the near-empty corridor. Outside, the wind wasn’t as intense as it had been earlier, the air cool but not unpleasant as she pushed through the double doors and rounded the corner. Her phone pinged in her hand.
I’ve just got home now. I thought you had netball practice with the year 9 girls after school?
That had been the plan. But half the team was down with a stomach bug.
Cancelled. Too many off sick. I’ll be home soon. I love you x
Emma smiled. She loved these small moments between them, the ones people often took for granted. It had been a simple work-related conversation, but Emma felt blessed to be able to have them with her wife.
She crossed the grounds towards the car park, noticing how still the area had become. Most of the kids were long gone, and soon, Emma would be on her way to the peace and quiet she’d craved all week long.
In the distance, she spotted Freya walking alone. Again.
Every time she bumped into Freya, Emma was reminded of her own childhood over and over again.
Though Emma could bet that Freya’s parents loved her a lot more than her own had.
For a start, Freya had the correct uniform and one of the latest trendy rucksacks.
Emma was lucky if she even got breakfast and a glass of orange juice before she travelled to school each day.
Maybe she’s just introverted, Emma thought to herself.
Still, Emma lifted a hand and called out, “Hi, Freya! Are you waiting to be picked up?”
“No, miss. I had a meeting with my mentor.”
That explained why she was alone. Still, Emma couldn’t help but notice the strange sense of solitude Freya seemed too comfortable with.
Did she have any friends outside of school?
Had she even hung out with Alice this week?
Emma didn’t recall seeing them together, but she had been run off her feet—literally—for four of the five school days.
“Well, it’s Friday, so get yourself home and enjoy the weekend.
” She popped the boot of her car, tossed her rucksack inside, then turned back to Freya.
“Excellent netball trial last night. Did you enjoy it?”
Emma suspected Alice had nudged Freya into attending, but she didn’t mind who planted the seed. Freya had shown real potential. “I did. Can I come next time, too?”
Emma nodded and beamed a smile. “I expect to see you there. I was very impressed.”
“I’ve never played on a team before.”
“Well, high school is different from primary school. This is where you begin to find your feet and what you’re really good at.
Netball is definitely one of those things.
” Emma glanced at her watch. She had five minutes left before rush hour kicked in and doubled her journey.
“Have a great weekend, and I’ll see you on Monday for my lesson, okay? ”
“’Kay, miss. See you on Monday.”
Emma watched her go. Freya was just a guarded little girl who was slowly and cautiously letting the world in.
She didn’t suspect Freya would ever be the loud one or the rule breaker, but she didn’t need to be.
All Emma wanted was for her students to be open to new experiences and to find the one thing that really fit for them.
Emma smiled. Freya had a spark. She just didn’t know it yet.
She climbed into her car and started the engine.
The dashboard lit up, the workday falling away as the tension she’d carried started to ease, and her thoughts turned to home.
Since Vanessa’s scare last year, time had come to mean something else to Emma.
She no longer went about her life with the idea of infinite tomorrows.
Every evening and every weekend together felt like a victory.
A chance to hold onto what they had and enjoy it.
Emma didn’t need plans with colleagues, and she didn’t need parties.
She just needed her wife.
The kettle clicked off as steam curled beneath the cupboards and dispersed itself around.
Vanessa poured hot water over the teabags in two cups, inhaling the scent as it started to brew.
She could hear the narrator’s faint voice in the living room; Emma was watching one of her usual nature programmes.
It was her go-to at the end of the week when she wanted to relax.
She carried their cups through to the living room, smiling when she found Emma tucked away under a grey knitted blanket, her hair swept up into a messy bun.
That usually meant neither of them would be leaving the confines of their home for the rest of the night, but Emma had already made that clear the moment she’d walked through the door, one shoe flung off in the hallway as she wrestled with her bra beneath her T-shirt.
“Tea,” Vanessa handed a mug over.
“Thanks, babe.” Emma wrapped her hands around the cup, making room for Vanessa as she settled beside her and sighed. “You okay?”
“Mm. Just tired.” Vanessa leaned back and rested her head on Emma’s shoulder. “Long week.”
“You’re right, but it just makes the weekend at home even better. Don’t you think?”
Vanessa had to agree. It was usually what she was working towards lately. Home, quiet, loved. “I do.”
“Any sign of Dani yet?”
“I caught her for all of five minutes earlier. She was off rushing somewhere.” Vanessa laughed as she shook her head. “She’s dating a woman she met at a museum a few weeks ago. Apparently amazing. It would appear she’s in that ‘vanish off the face of the earth’ phase.”
“Insufferable, by any chance?” Emma lifted a brow.
“Mmhmm.”
Emma looked down into her mug of tea. “At least she hasn’t been abducted. It did cross my mind for a very brief moment.”
“She texts. When she can.” Vanessa didn’t want to get into a deep conversation with Emma about Dani.
Things were only just really starting to level out between her wife and her colleague.
Though truthfully, Dani was so much more than just that.
She was Vanessa’s friend, and regardless of the past Dani and Emma had, it didn’t change the fact that Dani had been a huge support to them both. “So long as she’s happy…”
Emma side-glanced at Vanessa, a small smile on her lips. “You miss her.”
“A bit.” Vanessa expected Emma to tense, but it never came. “She was there. When I needed her most. And she’s one of the very few people who actually asks me how I’m doing and waits for the answer.”
Emma watched Vanessa but didn’t say anything.
She wanted to, Vanessa could see it in her eyes, so she would patiently wait for her wife to figure out her thoughts before she verbalised them.
Then Emma cleared her throat. “When you found the lump and told her before you told me, I didn’t get it.
Even down the line, when I told you I understood, I didn’t…
not really.” Emma regarded Vanessa with a faint smile. “But I do now. I get it.”
“I needed to be scared with someone who didn’t know every inch of me. You…you’re my home. I couldn’t risk bringing the fear I felt into our space.”
Emma took one of Vanessa’s hands and pulled it into her lap. “I know, babe.”
“She’s been a really good friend to me. And I feel as though you’re both in a different place with one another now, too.”
“She…called me out a few months ago for ignoring the fact I was burned out. Made me cry in the staff kitchen and then forced me to eat a protein bar.” Vanessa noted how Emma’s eyes brightened.
“I think that was the moment when I started to really trust her. She’s not who I thought she was.
She’s not just some flirt with extreme eyeliner and heels worth a grand. ”
Vanessa laughed. “She still has the eyeliner. The heels… Well, I can’t comment on that, nor will I divulge how much my own shoe collection is worth.”
“We can discuss the cost of your wardrobe later,” Emma said, her eyes narrowed playfully. “But as for Dani, she’s solid.” Emma squeezed Vanessa’s hand. “And she loves you. Not in a way that used to make me worry, just…in a way that a friend loves and cares for another friend.”
Something within Vanessa shifted. While she knew Emma was on better terms with Dani, she hadn’t expected such a glowing review of the woman. Peace. That’s what Vanessa was suddenly feeling. “She really does.”
“I was only being protective of you.” Emma visibly swallowed, as though she felt guilty for that protectiveness. But Vanessa? Well, she adored her wife’s protectiveness. “But I do see it now. She’s always had your back. Especially when things got messy.”
“If it helps,” Vanessa said, stroking her thumb over Emma’s knuckles. “I think she’s very fond of you.”
“I don’t know. I’m sure she’s probably still waiting for me to blow up if she even looks at you.” Emma wrinkled her nose as she lifted a shoulder. “But I want you to know that I’m happy she’s in your life. Our life. She’s a good person.”
Vanessa smiled, allowing those words to settle in her mind. “I’m happy, too.”
Lifting her legs up onto the couch as she slouched against Emma, Vanessa enjoyed the silence that had blanketed the living room.
Emma dipped her head and kissed the top of Vanessa’s head, squeezing her shoulder supportively.
She sighed contentedly as she lifted her cup to her lips, smiling at the simple knowledge she had learned this evening.
The people in their lives were starting to make sense.