The debut open mic night wasn't what Henry or Emma would deem a success but the locals did seem to enjoy themselves. Attendance was largely Granny's regulars showing up for their usual dinnertime, only peripherally aware the event was scheduled. Snow and Charming were there with their inner circle for support naturally, but only two performers had signed up.
One was a young girl, Grace. Emma had seen nothing of her father, Jefferson, since the return to Storybrooke but didn't hold that to be unfortunate. She had heard from Mary Margaret that Grace was still attending school and seemed quite happy to have her papa back. Grace knew that Henry didn't remember her or anything about his life, but when she heard him talking about tonight she had volunteered. Then she and Henry would have something to talk about that had nothing to do with the past.
She was unlucky enough to be the first performer and Emma could tell she was daunted by it as the young girl took her place in the performance area. Grace's toes were turned in and she scuffed them awkwardly as she stood before them. But she was a brave little thing and squared her shoulders. She announced she was going to sing a song she had learned in school and a lullaby her father sang to her. The first song was a silly rhyming song of the quasi-educational variety. Emma questioned the accuracy of some of its facts but knew the tune was catchy enough she'd probably be singing it in the shower tomorrow morning.
The lullaby was another matter. Grace's voice was sweet and clear, untrained but earnest as she sang the lyrics of a fairy tale Emma had never heard. Snow recognized the melody though, a lullaby of the woodsfolk who had often sheltered her when she had been an outlaw. She had heard it enough times that the words came back to her easily. Had things turned out differently for everyone, she might have sang it to baby Emma in her crib one day. A hand idly stroked her rounded belly at the sad thought. With this child she was determined to have the chance.
When the song was over, Grace spread the pleats of her school uniform skirt and dipped an awkward curtsy before running back to her booth. Henry left his seat in the booth next to it to smile at her and sat beside her to congratulate the performance. Emma had to look away to hide her smile as the girl blushed prettily.
The second performer was clearly more at ease in front of a crowd. He took his place with an engaging smile and a compliment for the performer who had preceded him. Grace's lullaby, he told them, had brought to mind another from their land. As he spoke he pulled a well-worn leather pack from his back and drew from it what Emma could only describe as a lute. It resembled a guitar in some ways but there was no mistaking it as anything but an item from the Enchanted Forest. Emma wondered if it had come over with him in the curse or if he'd found it in Gold's shop along with apparently every other item of significance or magic the locals had ever possessed.
He strummed the instrument as he sang the lullaby, another Snow recognized and told herself to remember for the months ahead after her baby came. The singer was skilled, with a rich strong voice, and accompanied himself adeptly. As the last chords of the soft and mellow song died away he launched into a new tune, jauntier than the one before. He didn't announce the song but as he began to sing Emma looked around and noticed more than few knowing smiles and nods of recognition. Her own mother was beaming.
"It's a harvest song" Snow said when Emma's face requested explanation. "Every child old enough to speak in our land knows this song. Even those who never in their lives worked a day in the fields have danced to it at harvest festivals and balls."
The singer left his corner and strode amongst the diners, encouraging people to join into the last verse of his song with smiles and gestures made with his elbows as his fingers strummed the faster melody. Only a few in the small crowd did but Snow's voice rang out above them all. Emma goggled at her mother. She wasn't all that surprised to find her Disney princess of a mother singing a tune, but it had struck her at that moment how differently she now looked at the woman she had once called Mary Margaret. The quiet, good-hearted, but slightly awkward schoolteacher she had been before the original curse had been broken. Emma knew they had both changed a lot from who they were the day they had met.
Recognizing perhaps the most famous person from his homeland, the singer strode over to Snow, finishing the song in harmony with her as he stood beside their booth. As the tune ended he did a silly little jig and gave the royal family a sweeping bow before returning to the corner. He thanks them all most kindly for their attendance to his songs and introduced himself as Al before bidding them good night.
A light smattering of applause followed him out and as Emma approached the counter to get a refill on her coffee she saw there were many smiles at his performance. A few were a bit sad though. It seemed so unfair for the cursed people to return to their lands, which many had been homesick for, only to end up back in Storybrooke without the slightest comforting memory of their year long visit home. Even beyond the frustration at their ignorance of the events of the past year, there was an emotional toll to losing all that time. Sometimes Snow wanted to cry at the irony of the fact that while she remembered ever moment of her pregnancy with Emma, but had none of her childhood, this child's conception and her early pregnancy were a complete mystery. It made her more determined than ever to see she made every moment of this baby's childhood its own special memory.
When she returned to the booth Regina was there chatting pleasantly with Henry and Grace. Robin was at her side, a sight that was becoming more and more common these dies. Emma arrived in time to hear Henry thanking Regina for finding their second performer.
"Well, I can't actually take the credit myself." Regina said, looking at Robin.
"Oh it was no hardship, I assure you. Allin is a good friend who used to..." Robin hesitated, unsure of how much to tell the boy and whether this world even had minstrels.
"...be in a band." Regina interjected smoothly with the lie when she saw Robin floundering. A toss of her head settled a stray lock of hair back into her usual immaculate style and also served to distract anyone from noticing the cover-up. She had learned some things from her mother.
"They opened for some national tours and he said he missed performing, so Robin mentioned your plan to him."
"Err, yes" Robin spoke again, "and he mentioned he'd be more than happy to return any time you need a few tunes played."
"Hear that, kid? First open mic night and you got yourself a regular already." Emma smiled at her son over the rim of her coffee mug before she took a sip. He returned the smiled in acknowledgment but she could see the wheels spinning behind his eyes as he concocted plans to bring more performers into the fold. Anything that distracted him from his video games for a couple days while her family busy trying to deal with Zelena was probably for the best.