"You know I can walk to the bus myself" Henry said as he walked beside Emma on the side walk. They had this conversation almost every weekday and of course there were times when Emma had to go and he did walk alone but if it was Emma's week with Henry she tried to walk with him. She'd missed a lot of his childhood and wanted to participate in as much as possible now.
"I know" She replied ruffling her son's hair 'But I can't give up my last 10 minutes of the week, you're going to your Mom's tonight."
'Emma!" Ruby called out trotting across the street to the two of them as Emma's heart skipped a beat. More than anyone but Henry Emma had missed the vivacious waitress "Hey Henry."
"Hey Ruby" Henry replied smiling up at her "Do you need my mom for something?" Emma smiled when he called her Mom. Building her friendship with Henry had been her priority since she moved to Storybrooke and she was beyond privileged that he called her Mom now. Regina was still his Mom too of course, and Emma appreciated all that Regina was trying to do to repair her relationship with Henry which was why they'd figured out this whole trading weeks shared custody thing. Emma would have preferred to have him full time, but she let him decide and he chose to live with both of them.
"It's not an emergency" Ruby replied reminding Emma to come back to the present. "Do you mind if I walk with you guys?" She asked him.
"Will you tell me about Wolf's time?" Henry asked by way of agreeing, hopping in between the two women so he could be closer to Ruby as she answered. The three of them walked comfortably in line the rest of the way to the bus stop as Henry interrogated Ruby about all things wolf's time. They barely beat the bus to the stop and Henry climbed on, waving at the two women on the sidewalk as both a gesture of goodbye and dismissal since the other mothers had drifted away after safely securing their children in the bus driver's hands.
"I'm actually glad you're here" Emma said shoving her hands into the pockets of her red leather jacket as they turned to walk away. "Henry's back at Regina's tonight…"
"Oh we could have a girl's night!" Ruby exclaimed breaking out into a wide smile and doing a half skip that seemed dangerous in such high heels.
"Oh well actually" Emma said stopping and struggling to explain in a way that wouldn't end with the two of them hanging out with Emma's mother. "I was thinking we could do something just the two of us." Ruby looked a little confused tilting her head in a way that Emma struggled not to see as a puppy dog "… like a date. With me, you and me on a date."
Emma gulped as Ruby said "Oh" and looked at Emma and then let out a whoosh of air she hadn't realized she'd been holding in when Ruby added "Oh!" And broke into the wide innocent smile that Emma had grown to love "Of course!" Ruby leaned forward and kissed Emma quickly "It took you long enough" She added before grabbing Emma's hand and leading the stunned Sheriff back down the street they'd walked up earlier.