Page 121 of Emma

Freya’s head shot up from her plate. “Can I?”

“Of course.” Vanessa was already pressing call.

The ringtone sounded a few times, and then Carmen’s face appeared as she squinted against the sun. Ben’s shoulder was visible behind her, and the background was impossibly blue sky and the kind of water that made you think of postcards and summery cocktails.

Carmen waved at the screen. “Happy end-of-season! We’ve got a terrible connection, so if it cuts out, know that we love you.”

“We won!” Freya blurted out, unable to hold the news in as she nearly knocked the lemonade over. “Three-nil! And I got two awards! Look!” She handed the phone to Emma, who held it steady while Freya hoisted the plaque and mimed the trophy with her hands.

Ben’s grin spread over his entire face. “Get in! That’s our girl.”

“Players’ Player?” Carmen’s voice trembled. “That’s amazing, Freya.”

“They all voted and…they picked me.”

“We’re so proud of you,” Carmen said. “Did you thank your teammates? Did you thank your coach? Are you?—”

“Behaving?” Ben cut in. “No food fights with your sister.”

Vanessa angled the phone so both she and Emma were in the frame. “We wouldneverallow such a thing.”

Emma gave a stern look to the camera. “We arepillarsof the community.”

Freya laughed. “I am behaving. Promise. Emma and Vanessa are feeding me so much that I can’t move.”

“What are you having?” Ben asked.

“Everything,” Freya said. “Including the sharing platter that I amnotsharing. Except the mushrooms. Emma can have those.”

“Poor Emma,” Carmen leaned back, and the camera showed a strip of sun-bleached boardwalk and a kite surfer in the distance. “We’ll be back Sunday. We’ll take you out to celebrate with us on Monday night.”

“Can we go to the same place we went to for my birthday?” Freya asked immediately. “Because they have those chips with the fancy salt.”

“We sure can,” Carmen said. “Alright, love, we’ll let you eat before your sister steals the rest of your dinner.”

When the call ended, Freya stared at the blank screen, almost dazed.

“You okay, kiddo?”

Freya nodded. “Yeah, I just…I like that I get to tell both of you. That I don’t have to pick.”

“You never have to pick,” Emma said, not trusting herself with anything more complicated.

Freya smiled as she nodded, then… “Can I have some of your pasta?”

Emma pushed her bowl across. “Knock yourself out.”

“Notliterally,” Vanessa said. “We only brought one inhaler.”

They traded bites of food, opinions, and then leftovers. The waitress came back twice to marvel at the speed at which one small person could demolish an entire platter. Emma watched Freya eat the way she played—wholeheartedly and oblivious to anything other than joy—and relaxed against the booth.

Six months. That’s how long it had taken to build this ordinary yet brilliant relationship.

“Right!” Vanessa slid out of the booth. “I’m going to see what I can find at the dessert counter. Be prepared!”

“Okay, babe. We’ll trust you.” Emma watched her wife go, madly in love with everything that Vanessa was. She didn’t know how she’d ended up being the luckiest woman in the world, but Emma was grateful. God, she was beyond grateful for moments like this.

“Can I ask you something?” Freya asked as she shifted closer. “It’s okay if you say no.”