Disclaimer: Just playing, will put everything back when finished.
He's growing up. The pint-sized ten-year-old kid who'd shown up unannounced at her door on her twenty-eighth birthday is no more.
Every day he gets better and better at sword-fighting with his grandpa, and has lately been trying to eat them all out of house and home. When she hugs him she doesn't have to bend over like she used to, and it's only a matter of time before he'll tower over her. Even his face is starting to thin out, losing the fuller cheeks of youth. She's heard that certain physical traits can skip a generation, and swears that if he ever were to cut his hair the same he'd be a dark-haired version of her father.
Yet she tries not to get too torn up over it. Kids grow up, that's life. And in many ways she's grown up with him. She doesn't run anymore from feeling, she smiles more, hugs more, and is in every way the Savior, the destiny she once felt she could never fulfill.
But there are times, quiet, calm times, when Henry shows her the boy he's been over the man he's becoming. When he doesn't make a face or try and wriggle away after she "embarrasses" him for a plethora of reasons.
Tonight, movie night, is such a night. Per usual they all end up a familial cuddle glob by the end of the first film, but she tries to hide her excitement when Henry nonchalantly plops his head against her shoulder.
Things have been a little tense since she caught him up way past bedtime on the phone with a girl he swore he didn't like the day before. So tense in fact that he's spent most of the week at Regina's instead of the agreed upon schedule.
She'd been more upset than angry when he'd stormed out and requested David take him to Regina's, but wasn't willing to apologize for plucking the phone from Henry's hand and sternly telling his girlfriend that "Our family motto is 'I will always find you,' so he'll find you tomorrow. Good night," before promptly hanging up. Just as much as he wasn't willing to apologize for shouting at her "Just because you're the Savior who happens to be my mom doesn't mean you can do that!" so they'd remained at a stalemate. Both of them too stubborn to admit they may have equally overreacted.
It was a wonder in her mind that he came back at all, but Snow had only smiled reassuringly when Emma voiced this fear and said "Nobody can resist movie night," with a wink. She'd scoffed accordingly of course, but when that timid knock had announced Henry's return, she'd also breathed a sigh of relief.
Which brings her to the here and now, her son back and resting against her like nothing happened. But as casual as he's playing it, she still feels that small amount of tension, like he isn't sure he won't be rebuffed after their fight.
And she will not have it. Because even though she keeps herself from thinking about how too soon he'd be closer to twenty then ten, she also knows this closeness they still share won't be the same for much longer. She has to take what she can get while she can.
So Emma moves her arm and wraps it snuggly around him, feeling Henry snuggle closer with a relieved sigh, and hearing a soft "I'm sorry."
She only hugs him closer and presses a kiss to his hair, whispering back, "I know, kid. I'm sorry too. You should have your girlfriend come over so we can meet her."
"She's not my girlfriend."
"Of course not, kid," she smiles bittersweetly, "Of course not."