Going Home

It's another routine morning. Henry is watering the plants by the windows as I help Emma cook breakfast. Music plays in the background as we quietly go about our routine. Emma shoos me away from the counter and I sit down at the table with Henry. Emma places a plate in front of us and a cup of hot chocolate. Henry looks at his cup and then back up at Emma.

"Mom, you forgot something." Emma looks and realizes her mistake.

"Right, cinnamon." She smiles and heads back to the counter. "Here you go." She places the cinnamon on the table. Henry and I sprinkle some in our coco and the cheesy clinking of mugs commences. Someone banging on the door interrupts us. Emma looks confused.

"Someone coming over?" Henry questions.

"No," she answers a little perplexed. She turns back to her food. The banging becomes more rapid and harder.

"Someone really wants to talk," I comment.

"You both wait here," Emma instructs as she goes to answer the door. She turns off the music on her way. I stop eating and listen closely as she opens the door.

"Swan," I hear a man state.

"Do I know you?"

"Look, I need your help. Something's happened, something terrible. Your family is in trouble." Henry and I share a glance at what the man is saying.

"My family's right here. Who are you?"

"An old friend. Look I know you can't remember me but I can make you." We hear the man grunt and it sounds like he is shoved out of the door.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"A long shot. I had to try. I was hoping you felt as I did."

"All you're going to feel is the handcuffs when I call the police."

"Look, I know this seems crazy but you have to listen to me. You have to remem…" The rest of his sentence is cut off by the slamming of the door. Henry and I quickly return to eating our breakfast.

"Who was that?" Henry questions as Emma returns to the room a little winded.

"No idea. Someone must have left the door open downstairs." She turns back to look at the door before coming to sit. "Come on, let's eat."

OUATOUATOUAT

"You're mom seemed rattled by that guy this morning," I comment as Henry and I head off to school.

"You heard what he said. He said her family was in trouble. You know how overprotective she can be of us."

"I don't think someone left the door open. He was looking for her specifically."

"Maybe it has something to do with her job," Henry comments shrugging his shoulders. I decide to let it go and we continue on our way in silence.

OUATOUATOUAT

New York City Serenade

Henry and I watch from the couch as Emma rushes around the apartment.

"I shouldn't be too late. I left money on the counter for pizza and please don't forget to do your homework." She grabs her coat.

"Emma," I interrupt her. "I've got things covered. Now go, you don't want to keep Walsh waiting."

"I've asked Mrs. Q to listen in on you."

"Mom, will you go already." Emma sighs and then smiles as she puts the coat on.

"Okay, I'm going. I love you, guys."

"Love you too," Henry and I call out after her as she rushes out the door. Once the door closes I turn to look at Henry.

"First date restaurant, special night out. You know what that means." I quirk my eyebrow and Henry grins.

"Walsh is so going to propose."

"Are you okay with that?" I question him. He thinks for a moment before answering.

"Yeah, I just want her to be happy."

OUATOUATOUAT

Henry concentrates on his video game on the couch as I sit at the table concentrating on my algebra. I hear the door open and close. The door lock clicks but Emma waits a few moments before finally walking in. She places her gloves on the table next to me and takes off her coat.

"Mrs. Q said you guys were quiet tonight." She places a kiss on the top of my head and then goes to join Henry on the couch.

"Not quiet, concentrating. I finally reached level twenty-three."

"You mind if a fifth level wizard joins you."

"On level twenty-three, good luck with that." Emma gets settled and Henry quickly launches into question mode.

"So what did you say?" I put my pencil down and join them on the couch. "To Walsh?"

"You guys knew?" she questions in shock. "How?"

"Come on Mom. First date restaurant, special night out."

"Writing was on the wall," I say in conclusion.

"Technically the writing was in the dessert."

"So, what did you say?" Henry asks. Emma doesn't answer. "Poor guy."

"I didn't say no."

"Well, if you didn't say yes, I stand by Henry's 'Poor guy' assessment."

"I just need some time to think about it," Emma defends. "I mean it's like a big step, kid. We had a good thing going here, just the three of us."

"Yeah, and we would still have a good thing if it were just the four of us," Henry insists as they continue to play.

"You think Walsh is worthy of joining our little family?"

"He's okay," Henry answers. Henry pushes pause on the game and turns to look at me waiting for a response. "Mads, this affects you too."

"He's okay." Henry turns back to Emma.

"Mom, not every guy is like my dad. Not every guy is just going to leave you."

"He didn't just leave. He set me up to take the fall for his crime and left me in jail. He doesn't even know you exist. He doesn't deserve to."

"And this guy is not that guy. He wants to be with you, us. He wants us to be his home. And anyways we know you like him." Emma looks at us in intrigue.

"How?"

"Because he's the first guy you've dated I've ever met." Henry returns to playing the game.

"When did you get so wise?"

"Somewhere after level sixteen when I became a knight."

OUATOUATOUAT

"Are you really okay with everything?" Emma questions later that night after Henry has gone to bed. She comes to sit next to me on my bed. I close the book I am reading and turn to look at her.

"Do you really want to hear my opinion?"

"Of course, Maddie. You are a part of this family."

"Walsh seems like a really great guy. If you love him and he makes you happy, I say you go for it." She squeezes my hand.

"It's late. You should get to sleep." She stands up and heads for the door.

"Goodnight, Emma." She pauses at the door and looks back at me with a smile.

"Goodnight."

OUATOUATOUAT

The next morning Emma seems distracted and breakfast is a little tense. We eat in silence, all of us lost in our own thoughts. Henry rifles through his bag as Emma and I clear the table.

"Mom, do you have it? My permission slip. It's due today and if I don't hand it in I'll miss the museum trip next week." I watch as Emma stares at a piece of paper for a moment.

"Yeah, you're permission slip. It's right here." She hands him the paper and then goes back to staring at the other paper in her hand.

"Emma, is there something going on?"

"No, nothing," she answers immediately.

"No, no you're doing it again. You're worrying," Henry points out.

"No I am not. I am thinking. There is a difference."

"Are you thinking about Walsh?" Henry inquires.

"No, I…" she pauses. "Yeah, I am. Can you blame me for taking 24 hours to think through making a life altering decision? I just want to make sure that nothing is wrong."

"You're always looking for something to be wrong. You don't have to do that, you know. Sometimes it's okay to accept things are good. We gotta go." Henry gives Emma a hug. "We're gonna be late. See ya, love ya."

"Love you, too," Emma calls after him.

"Henry's such a great kid," I comment from the door. Emma turns to look at me. "You're doing a good job raising him on your own." She smiles at me gratefully.

"You're pretty great, too. Your Nana did a good job on her own with you." I just shrug my shoulders.

"Nana already raised one kid before me and her mother was pretty great too. You didn't have that and you still do an amazing job as a mother."

"Thank you, Maddie."

"That's why I know you'll make the right decision about Walsh." She walks over to me and gives me a hug.

"You better go before you're late," she comments after letting me go. "Love you."

"Love you, too." I close the door and see Henry waiting at the elevator for me.

"Come on, Mads, we're gonna be late," he comments.

"I'm coming, kid. Hold your horses."

OUATOUATOUAT

"You want to talk to us about Walsh, don't you?" Henry questions as we walk the streets back to the apartment.

"Why would you say that?"

"You bought him candy at the drug store," I point out.

"Okay, maybe you're right. I have been thinking about him. Maybe what happened in my past with your birth father has kept me from living my life now. Maybe it's time for me to start looking forward. That we should start looking forward."

"So does that mean you're going to marry him?" Emma doesn't answer. "So that's a yes. How are you going to tell him?"

"Wait, first I didn't say I was…"

"You can tell him at dinner tonight," Henry quickly interjects.

"We're not having dinner."

"I might have sent him a text from your phone this morning. He's coming over at eight, and I arranged to sleep over at Avery's so the two of you can be alone." We pause outside the gate to the apartment building.

"Did you know about this?" Emma questions me.

"I had no idea," I answer as I put my hands up, "but I was planning on sleeping over at Megan's tonight anyway. So it worked out nicely."

"It's okay, Mom. If you're gut's telling you to marry him, trust it." She looks at us in awe for a moment.

"Crap, I forgot to pick something up. Here, take this." She hands Henry the bag after taking out the pictures she had developed. "Go see if you can beat level twenty-four. I'll meet you up there."

OUATOUATOUAT

Henry and I watch as Emma obliterates the eggs with her whisk.

"Mom." Emma continues whisking. "Mom," Henry calls out louder. She turns to look at us. "You're hurting the eggs."

"Right," she says sighing. She pours the eggs in the skillet. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," Henry and I comment.

"Do you believe in magic?" Henry and I glance at each other.

"Of course," we reply at the same time. Emma raises her eyebrows.

"And the Tooth Fairy."

"And Santa Claus."

"And the Easter Bunny. If it gets us a present, we believe," Henry finishes. Emma laughs lightly at our answer.

"You're not sure you made the right decision, are you?" I ask after a moment.

"I just didn't feel like pancakes," Emma answers distractedly.

"About Walsh?" Henry clarifies.

"Oh," Emma says with a laugh. "I made the right decision. I'm certain. It's gonna be you and me, kids. For a little while. Here you go." She places plates in front of both of us.

"As long as you're happy," Henry comments after taking a bite. "Tasty, but we got to run. We're gonna be late for school. You kind of overslept."

"Nope," Emma interrupts. "No school today. How about we go on a trip?"

"Like a vacation?" I inquire as we head back to the counter.

"Like I have a new case, and it's in Maine and it might take me awhile. I think we should go. It would be an adventure."

"No school. A trip with you. Sold," Henry answers happily.

"What do you say, Mads?" Emma questions.

"Let's do it," I answer somewhat reluctantly.

"Good. Because I've already packed."

"When do we leave?" Henry questions.

"Now." As Emma moves to put the juice back in the fridge, there is a knock on the door.

"Are you expecting someone?" Henry questions.

"Yeah." She goes to the door and opens it.

"Are you ready, Swan?"

"Henry, Maddie, this is Killian. He's, I'm uh, I'm helping him with his case."

"Did you skip bail?" Henry questions.

"He's still a little spitfire," Killian comments.

"Still?" I question in confusion.

"He's not a perp, he's a client."

"Why are you dressed like that?" Henry questions. To his credit, Killian looks like he stepped straight out of a book about 19th Century pirates.

"Why are you dressed like that?" he questions defensively in return.

"Alright. Alright, just make yourself useful Killian and get our bags. Henry, lend him a hand."

"Wait, we're really going?" I ask.

"Yes," Emma replies handing Henry his jacket. "I just need one last thing." I follow Henry and Killian out the door.