Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who reviewed my other story and subscribed or added it to your favorites. J (The other story was called When Wishes Come True). All feedback is greatly appreciated. I wanted to get this up before Thanksgiving. Have a great Thanksgiving everyone. Enjoy!
Emma was sitting at a table in Granny's diner, munching away on a turkey sandwich during her lunch break. She had to get out of the police station. She needed to look at people that weren't begging her to let them out of their cage. She was sick of watching Graham crumple paper after paper and aim for the trash can, missing nearly every shot.
The little bell above the door rung, and Emma looked up to find Mary Margaret guiding a seemingly downtrodden Henry into the diner. Henry was staring at the floor and moving at a snails pace. Mary Margaret leaned down to whisper something in Henry's ear and then Emma watched her friend straighten herself as the little boy slowly shuffled over to the counter and sat down.
Emma, as the kid's mother, felt that she needed to go find out what had him acting so out of character. Character? Geez, the fairytales were really starting to get to her. She got up and was about to make her way towards Henry when Mary Margaret spotted her.
"If I were you, I wouldn't go over there right now. I brought him in here to get him some hot chocolate and let him have a little break from his life."
Mary Margaret went above and beyond the typical teacher requirements when it came to that child. She didn't have to give Henry that book…just like she doesn't have to leave him little notes in his desk so that he doesn't feel left out when the other kids all get little notes from their parents. She did it because she's always had a soft spot for the little boy.
"What happened? Is it Regina? Did she upset him? Is he being bullied?"
Emma's mind was racing a mile a minute. She could feel her blood pressure rising as she thought of every possible thing that would upset Henry.
Mary Margaret smiled as Emma fired off questions. She could tell her friend was getting upset because she had already proven to be fiercely protective of the boy.
"It has nothing to do with bullies. I guess you could say that Regina is upsetting him. He claims that he's gotten used to the disappointment and refuses to talk about it."
"Refuses to talk about what? What the hell is going on?"
She really wishes her friend would come out with it already.
"The elementary school puts on plays throughout the year, and one of the plays is our annual Thanksgiving play. The teachers come up with ideas for the skits and decorations and block out one period of the school day for an entire week so that the kids can practice. Parental support is a big factor because they send the kids in with refreshments that can be served after the show and they also buy tickets to attend the show. Henry hates school plays and the holidays."
Mary Margaret was hoping that Emma would catch on to spare the teacher from having the be blunt with her roommate.
"If I had to dress up like a turkey and prance around to entertain a bunch of adults, I'd probably be a little frustrated too…"
Blunt it is.
"No, no, no. That has nothing to do with it. The problem is that…well, you see…Henry doesn't have anyone."
Emma could feel the wind being knocked out of her. "He struggles with that most basic question that they all inevitably face; why would anyone give me away?" It was strange how the woman who had become her best friend was the only person in the town who has said things that manage to break the mother's heart in two.
"Wh-What?"
That was all the blonde could manage to say.
Mary Margaret knew that this would be a tough pill for Emma to swallow.
"The mayor suddenly has 'meetings' every time a school function like this arises. So Henry never gets to choose a snack to bring to the show and he never has anyone there to see him perform. He's…well, he's the only kid that never has someone there."
That was the final nail in the coffin. Emma's fists were clenched so tight that Mary Margaret thought they may have to be surgically opened.
"So you're telling me that this woman can't be bothered to buy a pack of cookies, some Hi-C, and sit down for two hours to support the kid that she claims is her son?"
Yes, that is exactly what she was saying.
"Emma, I-"
The two were interrupted by Ruby appearing at the table with Henry.
"Okay Mary Margaret, I got him the hot chocolate and Granny told me to tell you that she added extra cinnamon because it 'seemed like that type of day.'"
The waitress then flittered off to the next table as Mary Margaret flashed her a grateful smile and Emma watched Henry's every move with sadness in her eyes.
"Mmm, extra cinnamon. That sounds good."
His teacher was trying to get him excited about something. Even if it was just hot chocolate.
"You can have it."
This kid is seriously depressed. He just willingly gave up a whole cup of his favorite beverage.
"Uh, thanks for bringing him and getting him the hot chocolate and everything. And thank you for the information. Do you mind leaving giving me a minute with the kid?"
Emma had a plan.
"Sure, no problem. I will see you at home after your shift. Bye Henry!" Mary Margaret flashed a smile to the boy and he waved at her half-heartedly.
"So, kid, I hear you're in a play." She watched as he swirled a fork around the whipped cream on in his cocoa.
"I don't really want to talk about it."
Well, she did.
"How much is a ticket?" That certainly got his attention.
"What?"
"How much are the tickets and where can I buy one?"
By now she had Henry's full attention. He was staring at her with his mouth hanging open like she had just grown a second limb.
"It - it is two dollars for one ticket. I have to take the money with me to school and give it to Miss Blanchard and she will give me a ticket."
Upon hearing this, Emma dug into her pocket and separated two one-dollar bills from the rest of her money and slid them over to a stunned Henry.
"One ticket, please." Emma smiled when she saw Henry pick the money up and examine it as if it were some ancient artifact. Her smile faltered when he looked up at her with tears pooling in the bottom of his big hazel eyes.
"Hey, kid-"
"You want to come see my play? Nobody has ever wanted to see me in a play before. The queen thinks they're stupid."
He refused to refer to her as his mother. Not after the way she's made him feel for the past ten years. Emma noticed this the minute the words came out of his mouth.
She placed her hand on top of his significantly smaller one.
"There isn't anywhere I'd rather be this Saturday evening at…what time is the play?"
"6:00."
"I will put in to have the day off."
"The whole day?"
"Somebody has to take you to the store to get the snack of your choice and some drinks."
Henry was out of his seat in a flash and throwing himself into his mother's arms. Emma not only welcomed the gesture, she had actually been hoping that he'd do this. She smiled and closed her eyes as she held her son. They could wait a minute before she walked him back to the mayor's house.
Emma walked into the cafeteria of Storybrook Elementary after giving her ticket to the woman collecting them outside the door. Mary Margaret brought Henry when she came around 5:15 so that she could help him get ready and help him set some things up. She glanced to the right where the table of snacks stood and spotted Henry's two packs of orange cream Oreos that sat next to the box of Capri Suns that he chose. A smile made its way onto her face as she remembered shopping for the items.
"What if no one else likes Oreos or thinks the orange stuff is weird?"
Henry was nervous because this was his first time bringing snacks to anything.
"Well, kid, they'll just have to pick something else."
Emma had spent the last 15 minutes trying to convince Henry to just pick something that he liked.
"But-"
"Look, do you like Oreos?" At her son's nod, she continued.
"Do you like that they're orange?" He nodded again.
"Do you like Capri Suns?" Yet another nod.
"There, problem solved. Toss it in the cart and let's check out." She had officially joined the ranks of mothers that can't make it through a trip to the store without haggling with their kid.
Emma was brought out of the memory when a woman wielding a camera bumped into her.
"Oh! I'm sorry! I was just trying to find the perfect spot to get pictures of my Sheldon! He's the star of the show." Emma stared at the woman incredulously and had to shut her eyes for a second to prevent herself from rolling them.
"Right. Good luck with that." And with that, Emma was off to find a seat.
Which proved to not be difficult at all once she spotted a chair with her red jacket draped over the back. She approached the chair and saw a large piece of decorated construction paper that was folded in half so that it would stand on its side. The paper had "EMMA - HENRY'S MOM" written on it and there were ribbons wrapped around the legs of the chair. Now the blonde woman understood why her roommate pushed so hard to take Henry to the school earlier than required.
She picked up the card and moved it to her lap as she sat down. She opened it up to reveal a picture of a hand turkey that had been made by Henry. Emma used her own finger to lightly trace over the outline of her son's hand. "Once you decide that kid is yours, there's no turning back." There was no turning back for Emma. Henry was hers.
She quietly sat there and admired the décor consisting of pilgrims and Indians made out of construction paper that the kids had assembled. Then Miss Blanchard got up on stage and introduced the 4th grade pilgrims and Indians and the show began.
Henry was dressed as a little Indian. He had what looked like paw prints painted on his face and donned a headband with a feather poking out of the back. He spotted Emma and gave her one of his most stunning smiles. She smiled back and kept her eyes on him the whole time, clapping and cheering when it was his turn to take a bow.
After treating Henry to an ice cream and hot chocolate dinner at Granny's, Emma along with Mary Margaret walked Henry back to the mayor's house and snuck out the back door when she finally got home.
Once they arrived at their apartment, Emma thanked Mary Margaret for helping Henry with the chair (after telling her she shouldn't have done it, of course) and Mary Margaret thanked Emma for being there for Henry.
"There's no need to thank me. I'm his mother. I wouldn't have dreamed of being anywhere else." Hearing that, the teacher smiled at her friend and headed for bed.
Emma reached into her pocket and pulled out the ticket stub from the play.
"Admission: One" she read the words aloud.
She took the ticket to her room and set it on her nightstand next to her picture of Henry.
"One person is all it takes." And with that, Emma got ready for bed knowing that Henry's night was made by her and that her life was made by him.
**Sorry for the long length. I guess I got carried away! I cut out the ice cream part so that you all wouldn't hate me for making you read so much. Reviews are always appreciated, especially after all the time and effort that went into writing this and posting it before the holiday. Have a good one! J