Say yes
Emma Swan is a single mom with little in life expect her son, who she loves unconditionally. One day at work she is offered something more. Love, even if she and the other person don't know it yet.
Emma loves the little things in life, for example she loves the days her son will sleep in and give her that extra hour in bed, or when he doesn't cry in the day, or when he manages to eat his food without throwing it at a wall. Like I said, the little things. This morning she is jolted awake by her alarm, but she can't remember why she set it. She looks around the room a little distorted where just waking and smiles when she feels her boy clutching her shirt in his sleep. "When did you creep in here kid?" She whispers and removes his hand from his shirt carefully as through not to wake him.
This is something which happens often, Henry will sneak in and curl up to his mother, it's a little snug as she only has a single bed but she loves when Henry sneaks in. She often wakes up but this time she didn't. She must have been tired from last nights shift. Ruby – her roommate – looks after him when she's at work, they're like best friends so she loves spending time with the kid.
It's summer so she can see her being called in this morning, and she can't really say no. The restaurant she works in is really fancy and the pays okay. She can't say no the hours they offer her and Ruby gets that. Everything she does is for Henry. Everyone who knows Emma knows that. Henry stirs in his sleep and Emma sighs, knowing he is going to be up any minute went down to make breakfast.
As if he smelt the pancakes he bounces down the hall. "Mommy! Mommy, Mommy!" She smiles down at him. "Morning sweetie. Someone's wide awake this morning."
He grins up at her, and puts his arms out to her. She gives him a lopsided smile and picks him up. He's three and thinks the world of her. She is his world. "Food!" He says and gasps out to it. She puts him down in the chair and he pulls at the pancakes, she has a recipe he loves – Apple and cinnamon. She's surprised he likes it but isn't complaining. Her phone beeps and she sighs to see her bosses number lit up. "Hello?" She says trying to hide the sadness. "Well I was going to spend the day with Henry – Yes okay I'll be there. Bye Gold." Henry's sad eyes are staring up at her and she sighs to herself, "I'm sorry kid..." He doesn't understand that they need the money. But he just wants to spend time with his mommy.
He nods sadly. "Ruoooy?" He asks and Emma smiles. "Yes, you'll see Ruby." He claps his hands and grins. At least Emma has the morning with her boy.
"How about we go to the park for a bit?" His eyes widen and nods frantically. Her heart melts and she lifts him into her arms and gets him ready for the day then she simply pulls on her jeans and a black rest top. Emma pulls on her black angle boots and runs out of the door to join her impatient son.
OoO
"Mommy – look!" She smiles and kneels down beside him. "I'm watching you sweetie." He grins and picks up some sand from the sand pit, "Yummy."
"No Henry don't eat that, kid." She chuckles catching his hand. "Do this," She whispers and takes the sand from him patting it into the ground and he giggles copying her actions.
"Fun!" Henry shouts and Emma smiles, she loves these moments with her kid.
Henry looks up meeting his mothers eyes and he smiles his toothless smile. He's in the process of losing his baby teeth, "I love you baby."
"Love eww!" He says and Emma can't help but laugh at him. "It's you kid not eww." Emma cups his cheek rubbing some dirt of it, and his face contorts. "Eww, dirt!" He laughs and grabs his mother's hand. "Love eww."
"Love eww." Emma says widening her eyes in a laughing manor. Emma's smile grew wider as did Henry's. Then all of a sudden Henry throws sand in her face. "HENRY!" She shrieks – wiping her face. "Not nice! I'm gunna have to have a shower now kid." She says sadly. She isn't annoyed about the fact her son wanted to play with her, she's annoyed now she loses an hour with him.
OoO
She runs into work with five minutes to spare and runs into the office, slips out of her skinny jeans replacing them with black tight trousers, and her black blouse holding the elegant writing Gold in of course gold. She then neatly puts her hair into a ponytail which goes to her mid back and she simply throws her black rimmed glasses into her pocket knowing she'll need them. A minute to spare – she isn't late. "Good."
She walks down the stairs back into the restaurant. "Hey Gold." She smiles as nicely as she can given that she's mad at him. "How busy are we planning to be okay?"
"Oh – you know the usual." He said offhanded turning back to his wife. "Belle please show the new girl around."
New girl? A girl around Emma's age enters the room, "Alexandra, this is Emma. She'll be showing you around today and tomorrow she's sort of your guild if you like."
"Hey Emma Swan. At least now I understand why I was called in. Come on I'll show you the kitchen first." Emma chuckles to herself as she walks past the young woman and grabs her hand indicating her to follow. "So ever worked in a place like this before?"
"Yes, I worked in Granny's diner – it's up on Main."
"Yeah it's my kids favourite place to eat. But then Storybrooke is a big place. I haven't explored a lot of it myself if I'm honest."
"You have a kid?" Alexandra asks her eyes lighting up, "Yeah, Henry. He's three. You?"
"No, but I have a little brother and three sisters. Big family. I'm the oldest my youngest sister is two."
"Woah, that is a big family." Emma smiles warmly. "Hi Killian." She smiles to the head chef.
"Alright, Love." Emma inwardly cringes.
"I'm not your love Killy – how many times do I have to tell you?" Emma rolls her eyes in his direction.
"At least once more love." He flirts and she shakes her head – will he ever get the message?
"Hmm, Alex this is Killian he's the chef and Milah she's like our second chef helps out Killian – this is Elsa one of our waitresses and her little sister Anna is our potwash. Started last week – two young to be a waitress." The teenager smiles warmly, giving a small wave. Alexandra smiles to everyone, and follows Emma out. "Right so, it's a Tuesday day, not too hard. It should be fine."
"Emma!" Belle says, and she turns her head to the out of breath brunette. "Belle?"
"Someone is booking something and we need your help organising it. You're our head waitress. They want to plan everything to the last detail, it's her mother's retirement and she said nothing can go wrong. Flowers need to be arranged and everything."
"This sounds like a wedding, Belle." She raises an eyebrow. The lady in question is stood in the kiosk looking around, well shit. She was gorgeous. Like beautiful gorgeous not just gorgeous. Emma tries not to stare. She looks back to Belle. "I'll do it. Whatever she needs, I'll help her with. But not today."
"I didn't mean today, Emma. Thank you so much." Belle runs off and Emma goes back to Alexandra. "I'll go you the gardens." She says with a bright smile, she needs to get out of there.
OoO
Alexandra has been working on her own now for an hour and Emma pokes her head around to her every now and then. "She's good no?" Emma asks Elsa.
"She's very good. Just clicks with the customers. Is quick, she clearly wants this job." Elsa comments and they both see a woman, the same woman from earlier, run out of the restaurant. "She seems upset... Emma?"
Emma is already running after the woman. "Hey! Are you alright..." She yells but the woman is gone. She did however drop her mobile. "Who the hell doesn't have their phone locked now a days?" She isn't annoyed through, now she knows she can get the woman's phone number to return the phone.
She smiles in realisation that her shift is finished and runs up stairs to throw on her other clothes and goes down to meet Alex. "You did amazing today. See you tomorrow?" Emma says and winks at the girl. "I gotta run or I would stay and have a drink with you, but my kid needs me. See ya. Bye Belle, Gold."
"Swan." He nods to her and she chuckles and runs out the door.
OoO
"Henry?" She calls and hears the pitter patter of small feet then followed by heavier ones – Ruby. Henry hugs her leg and doesn't let go, "God kid, let go a little will ya?" She asks crouching down and hugging his close. "God I missed you."
"Issed you!" He yells and she winces as the sound hits her ear. She walks into the room Ruby is in and hugs her. "How much do I owe you?"
"Nothing, spending time with my Godson is reward enough." Ruby says as she gently pushes down Emma's hand holding the purse. "And I'll always do it, I only live down the hall."
"Honest to god, I don't know what I'd do without you."
"Die, probably." She says then they break out laughing. Emma hugs her best friend goodbye and goes to put Henry down for a nap. She then takes out the phone.
"Hello Regina's house." A male voice comes through.
"Hi. Can I speak to her please?" Emma says, the man sighs seeming annoyed.
"She's not available at the moment. She's upset."
"Yes, well that's why I'm ringing I-"
"She's fine don't worry." He says and shuts the phone off, leaving an utterly confused Emma.
OoO
"Who was on the phone Robin?" She asks, coming down the stairs with aspirin going to the kitchen for water. Her mother has hurt her for the last time.
"Some girl." Regina's head shot up in his direction. "Excuse me?"
"It was just some idiot. Said she wanted to talk to you." Regina's anger flared.
"I'm sure she's not an idiot, Robin. Why didn't you give me the phone?!" She demands and crosses her arms over her chest. "Robin."
"You're not well, Regina. You need rest."
"Oh, Robin." She sighs angrily. "You sound just like mother. I'm not ill. I'm just exhausted. Now hand me the phone."
"No." He says bravely.
"What?!" She blinks in shock, how dare he say no to her in her own home. About her own phone no less. "Get out, Robin."
"Regina..." He says but she shakes her head.
"No, Robin. You can't keep telling me what to do in my house. This isn't the first time you've done it, you need to stop. Now get out."
He hung his head low as he exits the house. Regina sits in the chair with her head in her hands, feeling the anxiety rise up within her.
For once Regina didn't want to be alone. As if on cue her phone rang, she looks up and takes a deep breath – that phone call could have just stopped her panic attack. "Hello?"
"Hi... is this Regina?" Oh. Robin's Idiot from earlier.
"Yes, hi. I'm sorry Robin was rude to you earlier." Regina says, her voice coarse.
"Hey, hey, are you okay?" Emma says her voice full of concern.
"I'm fine, so who exactly are you?" Regina asks and she hears Emma's chuckle.
"Right yeah. I found your phone." She says and Regina's eyes widen. She didn't realise she had dropped it. "Thank you... urm, I d-do need that back."
"Yeah I know, no problem. Henry! Put that down! Sorry hold on. Henry, are you okay sweetie? Oh kid." She sighs, Regina can hear shuffling then a cry. "Kid, please stop crying. Urm Regina come to my apartment, I swear its fine but Henry's cut himself. Please..." She then gives her address to the other woman. "See ya!"
The line goes dead and she has no choice but to go.
OoO
The knock on the door was quiet, Emma almost missed it. She jumps up and jogs down the hall. She opens the door to the brunette and smiles. "Come on in, I'll just grab your phone." She sees the child she heard about on the phone starring at his hand. "Hurts, momma."
"I know kid, I know." She goes by the tv and picks up the Samsung. "Here." She smiles and picks Henry up. "Milk?"
"Want some milk do you?" She smiles turns to Regina, "Coffee, tea?"
"Oh urm, yes please. Coffee white no sugar." Emma smiles and gestures her to follow. "Right, I'm Emma Swan." She chuckles realising she hadn't introduced herself.
"Regina Mills." She smiles, and Emma nods. "I found your phone outside Gold's."
"Oh." She says, and Emma smiles. "So, are you alright? And by all means tell me to shut up or keep my nose out."
"My mother... Don't worry. I'm fine. I'm sorry about Robin. He had no right." She says looking down at the coffee which had just been handed to her. Emma smiles. "I get it, partner's trying to look out for the other. It's sweet."
Regina looks down again, "He's not my partner, he's... just Robin." Regina shrugs, and Emma chuckles.
"Fair enough, I get it." Henry pats Regina's hand, and she looks at him. "Yes Henry?"
"Gia?" He asks looking to his mother. "Regina, Henry. Regina."
"Geeee-eee-nnna?" Emma laughs, kissing his head. "That's the best you're gunna get from him."
"That's fine, he can talk me Gina if he wants." Regina says and Henry's eyes like up. "Ooohhh, did you hear that momma?"
Emma kisses his forehead, "Yeah, don't you feel special? Come on, Kid, bedtime." He pouts and hugs Regina's hand, as he can't get to her. "Night."
"Wait if you want, finish your coffee. You're more than welcome." Emma says and walks out the room carrying a sleepy Henry. Regina is left not really knowing what to do, she sort of just sips her coffee looking around the room, it's a quaint little apartment with cream walls and red carpets. Not somewhere Regina excepted to be spending her evening. But somehow she didn't want to be doing anything else. She ideally picks up one of the offered biscuits ideally nibbling the corner.
"There, he's down. Been a hectic day, work was busy had to train a new girl. And then I found your phone then I had to get Henry – and now I'm rambling." Regina brings her hand up to her mouth to stifle her laughter. "It's fine, I like making people smile. Makes me feel better. Although, I don't mean to get all bossy on your arse but put a lock on your phone. You're just lucky I was the one to find it." Emma says matter of factly and Regina raises an eyebrow at her.
"I'll bear that in mind Dear." Regina says in a jokey manor.
Emma smiles and stifles a yawn. "Sorry, I haven't even had any food yet. God, do you mind if I make myself a sandwich?"
"Go right ahead. Please." Regina gestures her hand and Emma smiles. "Want anything?" Regina shakes her head lightly. "I've ate already. So you mentioned your job – what is it you do?"
"Oh I'm a waitress – that's how I found your phone. I saw you run out, I tried to find you but you were gone."
"You work at Gold's?!" Emma nods her head looking over her shoulder not watching the knife she was currently using to butter bread. "Shit!" She winces sticking her finger into her mouth. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, fine. It's only a blunt knife, but sometimes their worse." She mumbles with her finger still in her mouth. "It's fine. See?" She wraps it in paper towels and sits down. "Well that's the bread ruined and I have no more. I'll get some in the morning." Emma sighs and looks in the cupboard pulling out a pack of nuts.
"What about you, what do you do?" Emma asks and Regina raises an eyebrow.
"Oh... I'm a CEO..." She whispers, "I work at Mills Offices. Family business." Emma's eyes widen.
"And I'm just a waitress..." Regina gasps. "No! No, no that's not what I meant!"
Emma smiles, "I know. Don't worry. I am what I am." She looks to Henry's room. "And man I do it all for him."
Regina's facial features soften as she looks to the boy's room also. She looks to the clock on the wall and her eyes widen. "I need to go, I'm heading out of town for a couple of days, and my flight is in six hours. Damn, sorry! I need to go. It was lovely meeting you Emma and thank you for finding my phone."
"Oh yeah no problem. See you at Gold's sometime I guess."
"Yes, see you." Regina heads out the door, hoping she'll see her again.