"Mr. Gold! Please wait!"
He stopped as Mary Margaret called, turning to face her with a tilted head and calm expression. "Ms. Blanchard, whatever is the emergency?"
"No emergency, Mr. Gold." Mary Margaret answered with a smile, pausing to catch her breath from the quick jog up the sidewalk. "Just a gift."
"A gift?" he echoed softly, puzzled gaze flicking between her face and the brown bag in her hands. "And what might that be?"
"Cupcakes." she stated simply, holding the bag towards him. "I baked them for my class, and there were some left over. I thought you might like them."
Looking even more surprised, Mr. Gold tucked his cane under his arm and accepted the bag with a nod, opening it and peering inside. A faint smile appeared on his lips after a moment, and it grew by a fraction as he looked back at her. "Chocolate, how lovely. Thank you very much, Ms. Blanchard. I will enjoy these immensely."
Both his smile and words seemed genuine, so she smiled back warmly. "You're very welcome, Mr. Gold. Have a good evening."
"The same to you." Tipping his head in farewell, he turned and walked away. Mary Margaret watched him for a moment, noticing the that his step seemed lighter than usual.