It isn't perfect, in fact it's far from it. The house with a white-picket fence is cold at night and the bathroom pipes leak when you turn on the shower. Emma seems to be at the office all the time, her presence as both the saviour and sheriff required constantly with all the new visitors in town. He helps out sometimes, but he spends a lot of time helping with odd jobs around town. He occupies himself down at the docks a few days a week but there isn't much for a pirate captain to do there, or anywhere. He's cleaned the house top to bottom, gone grocery shopping (which was an odd experience for the 300-year-old) and even babysat Neal once or twice.
He worries about Emma too. She insists she is fine, but she cannot hide the shake of her hand or the way she zones out with a frown. She's distracted and he just wants to help; so he does in every way he can. He grabs her hand when it shakes, placing soft kisses on her knuckles; distracts her from her own head with fantastical tales from his time at sea and when she wakes up in cold sweats beside him at night he holds her, whispering his love. He may not know what's wrong, but he knows her.
She doesn't tell him what's on her mind, she just gets increasingly agitated and exhausted from the effort of internalising her pain. That is until he gets a call from David explaining how he has sent Emma home after she had what can only be described as a panic attack. He practically runs to their house to find her at the kitchen table, head in hands, her eyes immediately finding his. Tears begin to flood down her cheeks, huge broken sobs with each breath as he finds himself kneeling by her side, his arms wrapped around her shaking frame.
Even then she can't confide in him. It hurts but he understands and doesn't say a word as he makes her a cup of cocoa (with both cinnamon and a splash of rum), helps her shower and then tucks her into bed beside him. They both lie awake in silence, only Emma's occasional sniffles to pierce the night; after what feels like hours, she sighs and shifts to face him, their legs intertwined. And only then will she let herself say
"I think I'm going to die."
