Satellite
Exhausted aquamarine hues scan through the Boston Herald, as a yawn escapes a curly haired blonde. She pushes at a cascade of golden locks before reaching for a blueberry Pop Tart. It takes her a moment before the date is registered, August 15, 2006. Suddenly Emma is no longer tired, rather she's wide awake. "Five years old now." Almost instantly, as if verbally acknowledging the day has power, slender fingers play with the two necklaces that adorn her neck.
"Neal..." Breathing out the name of the man, who still holds her heart, Emma closes her eyes. Allowing herself to remember the most painful day of her life, a soft, barely audible sob end up leaving her. One that sounds suspiciously like, "Kid.." Her fingers curl around the necklaces, knuckles white from the force of her emotions.
She tries to imagine what Henry must look like today. Does he have her messy blonde curls? What about Neal's eyes? Perhaps it's the other way around? As usual, when she begins picturing what their son possibly looks like, thoughts about Neal make an appearance.
No matter how fiercely Emma denies it, she is still wishing for Neal to magically appear. "If only.." The thousand scenarios she's imagined floods her mind.
If only she found him in Tallahassee. If only they could be raising their baby together. If only he loved her enough to stay. If only... if only she could smell the soap on Neal's skin just one more time. If only she could read bedtime stories. If only...
A shaky breath is expelled from her before the fingers clutching at her necklaces relax. Emma stands up before going into her kitchen. A few moments go by as she looks through her cabinets. The sound of a match striking disrupts the silence as she lights a small candle that's stuck in the center of a chocolate cupcake. "Happy birthday, Kid. I'm sending you all my love."