Chapter Text
Henry pouted so adorably, Emma nearly went ‘aww’ and wanted to pinch his cheeks like when he was a baby.
But being ten, going on eleven, he probably would not appreciate it, so Emma refrained from doing so.
“Do we really have to go home tomorrow?” he asked.
Not for the first time that night. And like the other times, Emma gave him the same answer: “yeah, Kid. We have to. But we’re coming back very soon. And your Mom is gonna come and visit us really soon.”
“And pretty soon we’re gonna live here,” Henry said, giving her a sleepy smile.
“Damn right we are.”
“I’m telling Mom you said a bad word.”
“Aww, come on, Kid, don’t rat me out,” Emma whined and gave him her best puppy dog eyes.
Henry just laughed.
“You’re heartless, Kid. Completely and utterly heartless.” Emma tucked him in and smiled when the door creaked and then was nudged open.
By a snout. The next second, Lola came trotting inside Henry’s bedroom.
“Hello, Lola,” Emma softly greeted. “Came for your nightly snooze?”
In response, Lola yawned. And then jumped up on the bed.
“Uhm,” Emma said as Lola made herself comfortable. “We probably shouldn’t-“
“-Tell Mom,” Henry finished the sentence and grinned conspiratorially. “Nope.”
He pretended to lock his lips and then went: “it’ll be our secret. Right, Mom?”
“Right,” Emma said and didn’t feel too guilty about having a secret with Henry.
This secret was very small compared to the secret Emma was keeping from him.
That she was secretly dating his son’s mother.
Obviously, she and Regina were going to tell him. But not right now. The time was not quite right.
“I don’t want to sleep.”
Henry’s voice brought her out of her thoughts, and she turned her attention back to her son. “And why is that, Kid?”
“Because if I fall asleep, it’ll be tomorrow and that means we have to leave.”
Henry’s logic was once again a work of art.
Emma ruffled his hair. “I promise we will come back soon, Kid.”
“I know, but….” The sentence ended in a sigh, and Emma gave him a hug to comfort him. She shared his feelings completely. She didn’t want to go home tomorrow either.
But they had to. There were things to do in Boston. Planning their new life being one of them. And telling Henry’s grandparents about their move was another thing.
Emma stayed with Henry until he was asleep. Which took almost an hour.
Her legs were completely stiff when she finally could stand from his bedside and stalk into the hallway. She left the door ajar so Lola could get out if she needed to. Not that that was very likely, though. The Lab mix was fast asleep and snoring like an old man, sprawled out in Henry’s bed.
Emma chuckled quietly to herself as she went down the hallway. Lola wasn’t allowed in the bed, but she clearly did not care about that.
Nor did Henry. He had gotten the unfortunate habit to pat his bed to encourage Lola to come up.
Nothing could come between a boy and his dog.
Emma went downstairs and poured herself a small glass of wine. She had deserved that. Her thighs and backside were aching. Going horseback riding had so not been a good idea.
But she had been helpless. Saying no hadn’t been possible when both Henry and Regina had begged her. Mother and son had thought that Emma atop a horse again had been a glorious idea, and so Emma had complied. Willingly, even.
But now she was regretting it a little bit.
“Ow, damnit,” she muttered under her breath and rubbed her left butt cheek. “Not worth it. So not worth it!”
That was a lie, of course. It had been so worth it. Even though she had felt like a sack of potatoes atop the horse.
Regina had claimed that she had a ‘wonderful posture’.
Emma was pretty sure that her lovely girlfriend was lying through her teeth.
Girlfriend. Emma smiled dopily. Like she always did when thinking about Regina.
She couldn’t believe how much her life had changed since she had met her.
Henry had gotten an amazing Mom. Emma had found an incredible partner.
Finding Regina had also changed things for Ruby. She had found a grandmother she hadn’t known about, and together they were gonna search for Ruby’s missing mother, Anita.
And pretty soon, Emma, Henry and Ruby would all be moving to Storybrooke.
Life was changing, but for the better.
Emma couldn’t wait to move here and start the new life with the new tattoo parlor. Henry would be attending an awesome school. He had already gained new friends. He would be close to his Mom.
And Emma would be close to her girlfriend. While Ruby would be close to her grandmother. And Dorothy, whom she most certainly was interested in.
Their new situation was a win all around. There was literally no losers in this.
Emma drank to that.
After having emptied her glass of wine, Emma ventured upstairs again and retired to ‘her’ bedroom. Not to sleep, but to wait. For Regina.
Regina had left the house shortly before dinner. She had a delivery at the hospital, and she had ‘warned’ Emma and Henry that she might not be home before tomorrow morning.
Emma had started fussing immediately after her girlfriend had left. Had worried whether Regina remembered to eat and drink, etc.
It did not matter that Regina had managed eating and drinking whilst working perfectly well before Emma had turned up. Now it was Emma’s official job to worry about Regina. And so far, she was doing a good job.
She lounged on the bed for a while. Then realized that she did not want to be dressed anymore. Her jeans were uncomfortable, and her bra was stabbing her.
So she changed out of her clothes and into her sleep shorts and a tanktop. She pulled her hair out of the too tight ponytail and ran her fingers through it. It needed a brush. It needed a brush badly.
Emma left her room again. Headed into the bathroom where she brushed her teeth and hair and removed her makeup, so she was ready to go to bed.
After having checked on Henry (he was fast asleep, bless him), she went back to ‘her’ bedroom and resumed lounging on the bed. She had left the door ajar for two reasons. Number one: so she could hear Henry.
Number two: so she could hear Regina coming home.
Emma folded her hands behind her head and rested one ankle on top of the other. She didn’t close her eyes or made any attempt at falling asleep, because she knew that would be impossible. She couldn’t really sleep without Regina. Not after their night together. Now that she knew how amazing it was to sleep in her bed (and not sleep in her bed!) cuddled up next to her, she found it difficult to go back to sleeping alone. Regina was perfect to sleep next to. She was so warm and so soft, and she always smelled so wonderfully.
Emma’s new favorite memory was their first morning together. Both of them had been so lazy and happy and they hadn’t left the bed for literal hours.
She smirked at the memory.
And then of course there had been their second night together. A mere two nights together where she had snuck into Regina’s bedroom. They couldn’t keep their hands off each other. Not even with Henry under the same roof.
Emma chuckled quietly. She literally could not wait to move to Storybrooke. She couldn’t wait to become a solid part of Regina’s day to day life. Henry too.
There would be no more sadness over missing Regina. Because pretty soon they would be living in the same town as her. What bliss!
Emma had grown quite accustomed to the house on Mifflin Street. She knew the house and all its little sounds. All the creaks and groans an old house often made. And she had grown particularly accustomed to knowing when the front door was being unlocked. And it was right now.
She blinked her eyes open. Huh. She had to have dozed off after all. What a miracle. It was probably all that horseback riding that had exhausted her. She had no idea how Regina could spend hours on horseback and not feel like her ass and thighs were dying.
Apropos Regina…..
Emma’s head snapped up as though she was a cat who had heard a can being opened in the kitchen. She was not a cat. And no cans were being opened anywhere. But Regina had most definitely just entered the house.
Emma smiled when she heard the sound of paws and claws clicking against the floor. Lola could be in deep, deep sleep, and she still would react to Regina coming home. Of course.
She heard the soft sound of Lola disappearing down the stairs and her sweet, sleepy whine when she greeted Regina. Emma couldn’t hear Regina’s answer. She was probably whispering not to wake Henry.
Click-click-click-click. Neatly trimmed claws against the floor as Lola once again went upstairs. Emma knew that the Lab mix without a doubt had gone back to Henry’s room. To either splay herself wide on the floor, or sneakily curl up in the bottom of Henry’s bed. Even though she was not supposed to.
There was a soft creak on the staircase. That was Regina coming upstairs now. The sound alone had Emma smiling. She liked knowing all of Regina’s little routines. For instance, she knew that Regina always took off her coat before her shoes and fluffed up her hair in a particular way. Whether it was windy or not.
She knew that Regina had the habit of walking on her tiptoes when Henry was asleep because she somehow had gotten it into her head that walking normally made more noise than the tip toe walk.
The footsteps came upstairs. Up the hallway. And to a brief stop right outside Emma’s door.
Her stomach flipflopped. This was new. But she absolutely loved it. Loved that Regina made a brief stop outside her bedroom door. As though considering whether she should come in or not.
Come in, Emma thought and tried to manifest it into the universe. Come in, come in.
Regina did not come in.
Emma’s bottom lip jutted out in disappointment as she heard the soft footsteps move away from the door. She also knew exactly what would happen now. Regina would peer into Henry’s bedroom to check on him, and then she would head into the bathroom to remove her makeup and do her whole bedroom routine.
Emma once again rested one ankle on top of the other as she listened to the soft sounds. Water running. Water being switched off.
After a bit of time, the footsteps were back in the hallway. But only briefly.
It didn’t take long before Emma heard the sound of Regina’s bedroom door being closed. Not all the way. Regina never closed her door all the way. She always left it ajar so she could hear if Lola needed her during the night.
Lola. And now Henry too.
Emma gave it fifteen minutes. Enough time to give Regina the opportunity to change into one of her many silk pajamas and get settled in bed.
Once the fifteen minutes were up, Emma couldn’t possibly wait any longer. She got out of bed and gently pushed open her door. The hallway was dark and quiet.
She found that she too was walking on her tiptoes as she moved down the quiet hallway. Regina’s habits were rubbing off on her.
Emma suffocated a low chuckle.
Once she had reached her destination, she quietly rapped on the half-ajar door.
“Come in,” came Regina’s voice.
Emma pushed open the door and poked her head inside the dimmed bedroom. She gave Regina what she hoped was an adorable grin because she knew that she technically was breaking the ‘rules’ right now.
“Hi,” she said sheepishly and batted her eyes cutely at Regina.
Regina was sitting up in bed. A large pillow was resting against the bedframe and supporting her back. There was a book in her lap, and her black framed reading glasses were perched on her nose. She was indeed wearing a silk pajamas. This one was pearl grey, and the three top buttons had not been buttoned, leaving a whole lot of chest on display for Emma’s eager eyes.
Regina’s raven black hair was hanging loose, and she pushed it away from her face as she looked up.
“Emma,” she said. Her voice was amused and mildly scolding.
“You look beautiful,” Emma said sweetly as she inched more and more inside the bedroom.
“Flattery will get you nowhere, my darling.”
“Not flattery. Just truth.”
Regina clicked her tongue.
“Can I come in?” Emma tilted her head and tried her best to be all adorable.
“Does it matter what I say? If I say no, you’ll just come anyway, won’t you?” Regina teased.
“You’re so hard to stay away from,” Emma purred as she slipped inside Regina’s bedroom and left the door open only a fraction behind her.
“This is not what we agreed, my darling,” Regina lightly scolded as she carefully put a bookmark inside the book before closing it and putting it down on her nightstand. “We agreed to not do this as long as Henry does not know.” The reading glasses disappeared inside one of the drawers in the nightstand.
“Technically, we agreed not to sleep together,” Emma corrected and grinned innocently at her girlfriend. “And I am not here to sleep with you. I’m just here to… sleep with you. Like, completely innocently.”
“How clever you are with your words, my dear.”
“Thanks. It’s a hidden talent of mine.”
The comment earned her a dramatic roll of dark eyes. And the bedding being pushed aside so she could get in.
Emma smiled goofily. She stood victorious. She had been allowed into Regina’s bed. Hurrah!
“I want no funny business,” Regina warned as Emma crawled into bed with her.
“I want funny business,” Emma said longingly as she curled up next to Regina. “Funny business with you is so…. Fun.”
“Emma.”
“I’ll be good,” she assured and flashed Regina another sweet smile. “Totally. I know what we agreed on, and I won’t break that agreement.”
“Very good. And?”
“And I’ll be back in my own room before the kid wakes up.”
“Excellent.”
“Did I pass the test?” Emma chuckled.
“In flying colors, my dear. And your reward is to spend the night in my bed. Aren’t you lucky?”
“Oh, I am so lucky, alright!” Emma pulled Regina into her arms and breathed in the scent of her hair.
“You probably shouldn’t do that, darling. I was too tired to take a shower tonight. I smell of hospital.”
“You smell delicious,” Emma assured. “How was work today? You were gone for a while.”
It wasn’t an accusation. Just a fact.
“Yes, it was quite the long winded affair. It was the mother’s first child, and she was a bit anxious.”
“Poor her,” Emma said sympathetically.
“I had to kick out her mother-in-law.”
“You what?” Emma half-snickered, half-gasped. “Why?”
“This woman had a horror story for every situation,” Regina said grimly and shook her head. “She spent the majority of the time ‘entertaining’ with how horrible it was when she gave birth to the father-to-be. Either it was the most complicated birth in history, or she was lying. It would appear that everything was wrong during that birth. The baby’s heart rate dropping. The mother’s blood pressure dropping. The placenta rupturing. Excessive bleeding. Once she started describing in detail how she had teared ‘from front to back’ during the birth, I couldn’t take it anymore. I kicked her out.”
“Good on you to look out for the mom to be,” Emma praised and kissed Regina’s cheek. “What did you tell the mother-in-law?”
“Well, I told her that my delivery room was a place of peace and not a place of exaggerated horror stories. And then I told her to get out. She huffed and puffed. But she left.”
“What did the dad say?”
“He apologized profusely for his mother’s behavior.”
“At least that,” Emma said and scoffed. “What a horrible mother.”
“I’m prone to agree with you. I’ve seen a lot of types in my delivery room, but this one had to be one of the worst. She made everything unnecessarily difficult. And she stressed the mother to be. Her heart rate lowered after I sent the mother-in-law out of the room.”
“Well, how’s that for proof. Good thing you sent her out. Was she present for the birth itself?”
“No. She was supposed to be, but the mother changed her mind and decided that she did not want her mother-in-law in the delivery room.”
“Good for her,” Emma said simply. “I hope that mother-in-law learned her lesson.”
“I hope so too. But I unfortunately know that type.”
“Did the birth go well?”
“Without a hitch. Healthy baby boy. Elliot Alexander.”
“Cute. Aren’t you completely beat, though?”
“I am,” Regina half-chuckled. “And how are you?”
“Sad because we’re going home tomorrow.”
“In the afternoon, my dear.”
“But still.” Emma sighed. “I don’t want to.”
“I know. I’m not particularly eager to see you two go either. But I’m basking in the knowledge that you will be back soon. Permanently.”
“Oh yeah.” Emma smiled now. “And you’ll come to Boston soon.”
“Of course I will. Next weekend.”
“Seriously?” Now Emma was genuinely excited.
“Oh yes.” Regina smiled and lightly cupped Emma’s cheek. “I shuffled some things around. Moved some shifts, and now I have the whole weekend free.”
“Wow. Like magic,” Emma said goofily.
“Exactly like magic, my darling.”
“But now it means that you have lots of extra shifts this coming week, doesn’t it?” Emma frowned.
“There might be a few all-nighter’s in between, but it is nothing that I haven’t tried before.”
“You work too hard.” Emma looped her arms around Regina and kissed the top of her head.
“It’s nothing I can’t handle.”
“I know that, silly. I’m not questioning what you can and cannot handle. I’m saying you work too hard.”
They both chuckled at that, and Regina switched off the nightlight, so the bedroom was cloaked in darkness.
Emma smirked. “This reminds me of our first night together where the light went out…”
“That was quite the night, miss Swan.”
“Hell yeah! It might have been dark, but the faces you made will forever be imprinted in my-“
“Hush,” Regina interrupted and chuckled. “Let’s not talk about that. It is hardly appropriate. And neither is the way you’re lying, miss Swan.”
“They way I’m- oooh!” she grinned sheepishly upon realizing that one of her legs seemed to have found its way across Regina’s waist. Woops.
“Do I have to move?” Emma asked sweetly. “I’m so comfortable.”
“I can sense that.” Regina skimmed a hand across Emma’s knee and then patted her thigh lightly.
Emma shuddered in delight at the touch.
Regina frowned, and Emma felt as though she should defend herself:
“Hey, can you honestly blame me?” she laughed. “I’ve just gotten a new girlfriend. Of course I wanna touch her and stuff.”
“You’re impossible.”
“You still like me.”
“Of course I do. Otherwise I never would have taken my clothes off for you in the first place.”
“Mmm, you should talk more about taking off your clothes,” Emma purred.
“Absolutely not,” Regina said primly and even went as far as buttoning her pajama top all the way to her collarbone.
“You don’t play fair,” Emma complained.
“Don’t think that I haven’t noticed your looks,” Regina smirked.
“Of course I’ve been looking. Girlfriend, remember? It’s a part of my job description to look at your boo-“
Regina lifted an eyebrow.
“Bosom,” Emma sweetly corrected and earned herself a low chuckle and a headshake. “It’s a part of my job description to look at your bosom.”
“Is that so? Well, if you keep that up, I might just hire you….”
“Oh, you are so-“ Emma never finished the sentence. Instead she just kissed Regina on the lips. A rather hard kiss it was. She groaned a little at the contact. God damnit, this whole ‘no touching’ thing was hard. Very hard.
Now that she knew how utterly delightful Regina was in the bedroom, and how freaking soft she was, the sounds she made, the expressions on her face, it drove her half mad that they had agreed to not do ‘couple things’ until they had told Henry the truth.
Regina pulled back and frowned at her. The look on her face was so utterly sexy, and Emma did not hesitate to tell her that. “It’s very hot when you get all scolding.”
“Don’t make me kick you out of my bedroom, dear. I’m very experienced in kicking people out.”
“Yeah. And I bet you looked the same as you do right now,” Emma teased.
“Goodnight, miss Swan,” Regina said firmly.
“Alright, alright, goodnight,” Emma laughed.
Regina rolled to her other side, now facing away from Emma.
But Emma did not mind. This only meant that she could spoon Regina a little more properly.
“This is nice,” she cooed and enjoyed the way her body seemed to mold to fit Regina’s.
“It is,” Regina agreed. “Very nice indeed.”
“And this doesn’t hurt either,” Emma teased as she pressed herself a little more firmly against Regina. Seriously, that woman’s ass was a work of-
“I’m beginning to think that our two nights together have created a monster,” Regina quipped. Her voice was getting slower. Sleepier.
“Grr,” said Emma and tried her best to sound like a monster.
Regina gave a low, sleepy chuckle. Then her breathing evened out.
It didn’t take long before Emma too was asleep. Curled up with Regina. And very, very happy…
Emma was a very good girl and was back in her own room when Henry woke up.
But breakfast was quite the subdued affair.
Henry was clearly upset at going back to Boston, and honestly, Emma was right there with him.
Boston didn’t even feel like home anymore.
Storybrooke was home now.
Emma couldn’t wait to move here. Couldn’t wait to be here all the time.
“What are you gonna do after we have left?” Henry asked his mom.
“Well, I don’t really have any plans,” Regina answered. “So I think I’ll stay in and have a quiet night with Lola.”
Emma couldn’t even begin to explain how badly she wanted to be there for that quiet night in. She could think of nothing better than spending the evening curled up in the couch with Regina and Lola.
“And tomorrow?” Henry asked. “What are you gonna do tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow I have an early shift at the hospital, and tomorrow night I have a cooking class.”
“A cooking class?” Emma lifted an eyebrow. “You?”
“You don’t need to learn to cook, Mom,” Henry said sweetly. “You’re the best cook in the world!”
“Suck up,” Emma muttered lowly and scoffed quietly when she saw how Regina melted and reached across the table to pat her son’s cheek.
“I’m glad you think so, honey,” Regina said and smiled at Henry. “Hopefully, my class will think so too.”
“Your class?” Emma asked confused.
“Yes. I’m the one running the cooking class,” Regina smirked.
“Ooooh.” Emma laughed. “Now that makes sense.” Regina was an exceptional good cook, and she was certainly the last one who needed a cooking class.
But teaching others how to cook? Yep, Emma could definitely see that happening.
Henry’s smile faltered some as he looked down at his plate. Regina had made pancakes, but for the first time, Henry hadn’t gone absolutely ferocious about them.
“I can’t believe we have to go home today,” he murmured.
This prompted Regina to reach across the table and pat his cheek a second time. “You’ll be back soon enough, honey. It is not goodbye forever.”
“No,” Henry agreed and pushed out his bottom lip. “But it’s goodbye for now, and I don’t like it.”
“Neither do I,” Regina said softly. “But we’ll be together again in one week. And very soon you and your mother will be living here.”
“And then no more goodbyes.”
“No more goodbyes,” Regina agreed and smiled at her son. “I think you should drink your cocoa before it gets cold.”
Emma zoned out a bit as she tried to calculate how many moving boxes they would need. Most of her things, furniture’s and the like, were boxed up in a storage room after she and Walsh had split up, but she did have some things at her parent’s place. And Ruby of course had some stuff too. They would have to hire a moving van.
But that was not a problem. With the money from the insurance company, they could afford that.
And they could afford buying the abandoned building and turn it into a sparkling new tattoo parlor. Enchanted Ink was coming to Storybrooke, and Emma could not wait. Regina had already given her the name of at least three people who could help her and Ruby with getting the place ready.
And yesterday, Emma and Ruby had had a meeting with Rumford Gold, the owner of the old building. His intention had been to turn the building into luxury apartments, but upon hearing Emma and Ruby’s plans he had changed his mind and had praised them for initiating something new in a small town like Storybrooke.
“This town could use some fresh blood,” he’d said, and afterwards both Emma and Ruby had agreed that it was a macabre way of saying it.
But according to Regina, that was just how Rumford Gold spoke. Nothing to be alarmed about.
Rumford Gold had sold the building to them. Just like that. Well, of course there was some papers that needed signing, and his willingness to sell to them probably had something to do with Regina being on his wife Belle’s, beck and call twenty four seven during her pregnancy.
But honestly, Emma did not care about Rumford Gold’s reasons. The building was her and Ruby’s. That was the only thing that mattered.
A hand on her knee under the table nearly had her slamming said knee against the table. She side-eyed Regina who did not react at all.
Emma scoffed. For someone who insisted on ‘no touching’ until Henry knew, Regina sure was using dirty tricks.
“Mom, you’re zoning out,” Henry complained. “I have been talking to you for ages.”
“Oh yeah? And what have you been talking about then?” Emma teased, quickly snapping out of it.
Regina moved her hand away from Emma’s knee.
“I was asking if we can’t stay for one more day?” Henry’s widened his eyes in that way he always did when he was begging. “Please?”
“Henry,” Emma sighed. “You know we can’t.”
“But Mom-“
Their conversation was effectively interrupted by Regina’s phone ringing.
Emma really hoped that it wasn’t the hospital needing Regina to cover another shift. She knew that Regina would say yes, and she also knew that Regina was tired after the long shift yesterday.
Regina excused herself and went into the living room where her phone was.
Emma heard her answer with her usual ‘hello?’. Then another ‘hello?’ and another.
A few seconds later, Regina returned to the kitchen.
“Who was that?” Henry asked curiously.
“Hang up call. It was probably wrong number. Do you want more cocoa, honey?”
“Yes, please!”
Regina poured Henry another cup of cocoa and then sat down at the table once more. Mother and son talked and laughed over breakfast, and the scene was so idyllic, Emma just wanted to stay in this moment forever….
**********
But that was not to be. After breakfast, time was up, and they had to leave.
Just as Emma, Henry and Regina were coming out on the porch, Ruby came walking up Mifflin Street. Her hands were shoved deeply into the pockets of her jeans, and her eyes were a bit red.
Emma fully sympathized with her friend. It couldn’t be easy to say goodbye to your newfound grandmother.
“Hey guys,” Ruby said and sounded more perky than she looked. “Ready to hit the road?”
“No,” said Henry and inched closer to Regina.
“Not really, no,” Emma agreed with her son. “But we packed, so yay, I guess.”
Ruby chuckled. “Can’t wait to come back to this place.”
“How is your grandma?” Henry asked his aunt. “Was she very sad?”
“Nah, she knows that I’ll be back soon, so it wasn’t too bad.”
Well, good for Ruby. Emma was pleased that Ruby wasn’t sad, but oh boy, was it bad to say goodbye to Regina after the amazing, amazing, amazing week they’d had together.
Emma’s brain was full of new memories, and she absolutely could not wait to relieve a few of them. Soon. With Regina.
“Well,” she said, rubbing the back of her neck and feeling unsure of how to do this. This whole goodbye thing.
Henry wasn’t in doubt, though. “Bye, Mom!” he said as he hugged Regina tightly around the middle.
“Goodbye, my sweet boy,” Regina cooed as she kissed the top of his head. “I will see you very soon.”
“Next weekend,” Henry said. As though reminding all of them.
“Absolutely,” Regina assured and glanced at Emma over the top of Henry’s head.
Emma returned the gaze and acknowledged that there wouldn’t be much time for privacy next weekend either. Not unless she slipped over to Regina’s hotel after Henry had gone to bed.
Oh. Yes. That could actually work. Emma just needed to enlist her parents as babysitters. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy, right?
Henry pulled back and Emma stepped forward to say her own goodbye to Regina. She wasn’t sure whether she should go for a hug or a handshake. A handshake seemed ridiculously formal and weird, but a hug could quickly turn into a gesture that was far too intimate. A hug could easily reveal them to Henry.
“Well,” she said awkwardly and actually rubbed the back of her neck. She was at loss for words. And it was torture that she couldn’t kiss Regina goodbye when she really wanted to.
“Goodbye for now, miss Swan,” Regina said. Her voice was stiff. She sounded way too formal.
Emma nearly chuckled. They weren’t very good at the whole pretending thing.
Henry seemed to be looking at them strangely, so Emma made a quick decision and stalked forward, enveloping Regina in a very fast hug that barely gave her the opportunity to breathe in Regina’s scent, and definitely did not last long enough.
“See you in a week, Regina,” she said as she stepped back.
“Indeed.”
Then Henry came over to hug his Mom goodbye one more time, and Emma took the opportunity to scamper over to the yellow Bug.
Ruby followed her, and as soon as they were out of earshot, she whispered to Emma: “God damnit, that was awkward, Swan.”
“I know, shut up,” Emma hissed through gritted teeth. She glanced at Henry who was still hugging Regina. “Do you think he noticed?”
“The kid? No, definitely not. But had it been an adult seeing that, they would go ‘yep, they definitely slept together, no question about it’…”
“Shut up,” Emma repeated and shook her head. “I don’t think I’ve ever given such an awkward hug before.”
Seriously. The way she had just sort of yanked Regina to her and almost patted her on the back as they ‘hugged’. Oof. Just… ooof. If she’d had a list of horrible hugs, this one would take the first place.
Ruby sniggered. “Don’t worry, Swan. I don’t think Regina was put off by it.”
“Let’s hope not.”
After having hugged Regina, Henry reluctantly trudged over to the yellow Bug. His bottom lip was jutting out and his forehead was wrinkled in a scowl.
Emma ruffled his hair. But she couldn’t coax a smile out of him. Only Lola could when she came outside to join the goodbye ceremony.
“Well, I guess we’re off,” Emma said, putting a hand on Henry’s shoulder and looking at Regina, trying to communicate how badly she wanted to kiss her right now.
“I’ll see you soon,” Regina smiled. “Drive safely. And text me when you get home.”
“I will,” Henry said, but Emma was pretty sure Regina’s words were aimed at both of them.
Emma, Henry and Ruby climbed inside the yellow Bug. Henry was still scowling as he buckled his seatbelt.
Emma adjusted the rearview mirror and smiled when she saw Regina put a hand on Lola’s collar to make sure she didn’t follow the car.
She started the engine and saw Henry twist his entire upper body to look out of the back window. He waved like a maniac even though the car hadn’t even moved yet.
Regina waved back, and Emma had this intense urge to go ‘naaah, you know what, let’s stay one more week. Or two. Or three. Or let just phone my mom and dad and have them send a moving truck with our stuff!’.
But of course she did not.
Instead she lightly pressed a foot against the gas pedal and drove away from Mifflin Street. And Regina.
Emma hated this. She hated, hated, hated this.
But they would be back soon. And Regina would come to Boston next weekend. Thank god for that!
To Be Continued…….