Deasil Street8.1

Teresa and Warren had James get in touch with Emma quickly; and then gradually Teresa arranged for her to come and live with them. They sold a few things to pay off Emma’s debts and hadn’t asked any questions. Like where she was living, why wasn’t she in school… they could wait until she was ready to open up. As Megan put it, they were in the plaster stage. Open heart surgery could wait.

Eventually Emma gave them a time and place, and Teresa met her there.

They didn’t speak much in the car on the way back to Deasil Street. This upset Teresa a bit, as she was bursting to connect to her first child. But it would have to wait. Everything was moving slowly, but they had to do it at Emma’s pace or not at all. She had tracked them down, so she called the shots.

Megan had so far been really supportive and helpful. Teresa had been worried she might act out over jealousy... She had done over James when they were children after all; and now she had found out she wasn’t her only daughter, but the younger of two.

Megan was purposefully keeping a lid on her feelings. She welcomed Emma, with whom she had to share a room, but made sure it was clear that she didn’t want or need a ‘big sister.’ They might be friends though, if it all worked out.

For Emma, that was enough for now. She wasn’t sure about how to deal with a younger sister.

The Baileys were at peace, the children were all cooperating… Teresa and Warren managed to sleep well for the first time in an age.

Megan didn’t see a great deal of her new sister in the following weeks. She was too busy being with her best friend Allain. They were completely on each others wavelength and never ran out of things to talk about.

Her favourite thing was their shared aversion to rules. They pushed the curfew almost every night, just sitting and watching the stars come out.

She was head over heels for him, but it still came as a surprise to find him reciprocating her feelings. When he leant in for their first kiss, she was more in shock than anything else.

Edward on the other hand had been anticipating this development for some time. He hadn’t told Allain to start this relationship, but had hinted he wouldn’t mind if he invited the Bailey girl round more often.

Edward had been disappointed recently with Trinity. He still loved her, but she wasn’t shaping up to be the criminal Queen he hoped she would. She was going soft. He wanted an empire, with them at the head. But she said she was thinking about going straight…

He would befriend Megan, bring her into the fold. If he and Trinity didn’t work out she would be his insurance policy. One day, she’d marry Allain and have the next generation of Poeson criminals.

The basement under his house was all prepared for the years ahead. He would make his fortune, invest, and live a life most could only dream of.