"Thank you for meeting me" Emma smiles shyly at Regina from across the booth at Granny's.
"Miss Swan, we still have a son. Honestly, I believed this meeting to be about his schedule. You don't have to thank me for being his mother." Regina says tersely.
"It is. I mean, we should talk about that but I also want to apologize again. I had no idea who she was."
"Would it have mattered?"
"Uh-what?" Emma flounders.
"If you had known exactly who she was and how it would effect me, would you have saved her? You keep apologizing under the premise of 'you didn't know who she was' Would that have changed anything? Or would you have been unable to help yourself regardless."
"Honestly, it would depend on when I knew."
"Go on."
"If I had found out who she was when we were in the dungeons, I wouldn't have helped her escape. She didn't ask me to, anyway. But once we were out of the castle, I wouldn't have felt I had a choice. Leaving her in the past could have unimaginable consequences. I like the life we have right now. I don't want to lose it" Emma finished with a shy smile.
"You really would have left her because of me?"
"If I had known, it would have been the right thing to do. You matter to me, Regina. We are family."
"Well, thank you for that, then. I appreciate the sentiment and I believe you to be sincere."
"I am, Regina. I don't like seeing you hurt."
"Well, on to more pleasant things. I would like Henry for the weekend."
"No problem." Emma smiled.
"Good. Also, your mother wants to throw a 4th of July barbecue at my house. I trust you will be there?"
"Of course. And Henry's 13th birthday is Saturday the 12th. What would you like to do?"
"I think he'd enjoy a pool party. Again, obviously, at my place."
"Agreed." Emma smiled "See? This is fun."
"Oh, Emma, one more thing about the party."
"What's that?"
"Don't bring the one hand wonder."
With that, Regina rises from the booth and walks out of the diner with extra sway in her hips.
"Yes, Madame Mayor." Emma shakes her head, smiling.