"Auntie Emma! Auntie Emma! Did you see me?!" Roland shouted gleefully as he made his way to where his parents, aunt, and Lily were standing. "I scored a goal!" He continued, jumping into his aunt's arms and laughing loudly as she easily hoisted him up in the air.
"Yes, I did! You played an incredible game, Rolo!" Emma beamed up at him, before she spun him in the air and started laughing along with him.
"Why is it that he always runs to her?" She heard Robin jokingly whisper to Marian as the other adults in their group, along with some of Roland's teammates' families watched on with big smiles on their faces as they all celebrated the team's third win of the season.
"Obviously, I'm his favorite, big brother." Emma told him, a teasing smile easily appearing on her lips as she lowered her nephew enough so that he could wrap his small legs around her hip, leaving him where he would be more at eye level with his parents and Lily. "Isn't that right, Rolo?" The blonde couldn't contain her laughter as the little boy eagerly nodded his head in agreement, even as his parents pretended to be outraged. "I'm so proud of you, buddy." She whispered into his ear before she handed him off to his dad.
"Are we going to Granny's for dinner?" Roland excitedly asked his dad, already knowing the answer even as put his hands on either side of the man's face and squished his cheeks.
"Oh, I don't know, Roland…" Robin jokingly pondered, his words slightly muffled by his son's actions. "I'm sure a milkshake is just what I need to heal my wounded heart after my only child chose my little sister as his favorite." He told him with a pout on his lips.
"Yay!" Roland exclaimed in excited, wiggling around in a silent request that his dad him down so that he could run to his mom. "Mommy, we're going to Granny's!"
Marian couldn't help but smile along with her son as she watched him happily bounce in place. "That sounds perfect, but you'll have to change out of your cleats first, sweetheart." She reminded him as she grabbed his smaller hand in her own and directed him to where she'd parked her SUV when she'd gotten to the game with Emma and Lily.
Emma grabbed Lily's hand in her own, entwining their fingers together as she moved to follow behind Marian, a content smile on her face, only to be stopped by Robin's voice calling her name. "Emma, I was wondering if you'd ride to Granny's with me." He told her. The without Lily went unspoken, but the blonde woman heard it all the same. "I need your advice on something."
"Uh, yeah, sure." She answered hesitantly, giving Lily's hand a gently squeeze before letting go. "We'll meet you guys at the diner." She continued, meeting Marian's gaze, silently asking if it was okay that Lily went with her while Emma and her big brother talked on their own drive to the diner. When Marian nodded subtly in agreement and continued walking towards her car, Emma and Robin started walking towards his. "Subtle." She muttered, elbowing her brother in the stomach as soon as they were out of earshot.
"Yeah, I know, but I couldn't wait." Robin sighed out, rubbing at his stomach as he unlocked the doors to his car and slid into his seat, Emma following closely behind him as she did the same thing and clicked her seatbelt into place. He turned the car on, turning the radio off before he backed out of his parking spot and then shifting into drive. "Did you know that Regina Mills was back in town?" He asked her somewhat reluctantly, keeping his eyes on the road no matter how much he wanted to turn and gage his sister's reaction.
"Oh, yeah. I did. I mean, I do know." Emma answered, keeping her gaze on the scenery as she practically glared at the passenger side window.
"You know?" Robin asked incredulously, not buying the nonchalant attitude that Emma was trying to sell.
"Yes, I know."
"And that's all you have to say?" Robin continued, his eyebrows furrowing in genuine confusion.
"What am I supposed to say, Robin?" Emma asked him, irritation slipping easily into her voice as she rolled her eyes.
"Seriously, Emma?" Robin blurted out, not believing that his little sister would rather pretend to be unaffected than talk to him about someone who still affected her so deeply after so many years. "In case you've forgotten, I'm your big brother, and unfortunately for you, I know you better than anyone else do." The except Regina went unsaid, but Emma still heard it nonetheless.
"How did you find out she was back?" She asked him instead of acknowledging what he'd said. She doubted that Regina had contacted him directly after how the brunette had distanced herself from her girlfriend's family after their break-up.
"That's what you're choosing to talk about?" Robin asked her, still struggling to understand why Emma was trying to appear unaffected by the news. "Okay, whatever." He grumbled out. "I saw her walking around town earlier today. I kept myself out of her line of sight obviously, but I honestly doubt she would've noticed me even if I hadn't."
"Zelena was with her, wasn't she?" Emma asked, not needing a verbal confirmation.
"Yes, she was." Robin confirmed. It looked like they were having a bit of a heated argument." He continued. "I couldn't hear them from where I was standing as I kept an eye on Roland, but I know that Regina was really agitated by whatever they were talking about."
"Why do you say that?" Emma asked, mentally berating herself for her inability to keep her curiosity at bay, but not knowing it was a lost cause to pretend otherwise.
"There was a moment where Regina couldn't help but raise her voice loudly enough that a few people couldn't help but stop and stare at them." He told her, a hint of amusement in his voice as he thought back to the brunette woman glaring daggers at her big sister, much like she had numerously when they'd been teenagers.
"Well, whatever. That's their business." Emma told him gruffly. "Is that all you wanted to talk to be about, Robin?" She asked him, her voice softening as she spoke.
"Emma, I love you. I mean, I don't really have a choice in the matter because you're my baby sister after all." He started, ever mindful to keep his eyes on the road as he continued to drive them towards Granny's. "I guess- I just wanted to know where your head was at with all of this. Oh, and before you get the chance to interrupt me and tell me that there's nothing to worry about because you're obviously going to try to convince me that you're telling me the truth, I want you to remember that I know as well as you do that Regina will never be just an ex-girlfriend to you."
"And if I told you that I've already talked about this with someone else?" Emma prompted him, knowing that it wouldn't take too long for him to piece together who she was talking about, but wanting to take advantage of any amount of time she'd be given to get her thoughts in order.
"Then I'd tell you that I'm not surprised that you've chosen to talk to my ex-wife about this, believe it or not." He told her matter-of-factly. "While I'm your big brother, Marian being your first choice is to be expected. She's become your best friend after all."
"That doesn't bother you?" Emma asked him, genuinely curious.
"Really? You're going to continue to deflect?" Robin asked her, taking advantage of the red light to look over at his little sister and catching the grimace on her face. "Marian and I are divorced, but that doesn't change who we are as individuals to you, to our son, to our parents, so no, Emma. I'm not upset that you've chose to confide in your best friend. I'm just glad that you're talking to someone who's going to listen to you and do their best to help you work through whatever confused feelings or thoughts you might have."
"I don't have any confused feelings!" Emma exclaimed, regretting her actions the moment they stopped at a stop sign and her brother met her gaze with an incredulous look of his own.
"Really?" You don't have any thoughts running rampant in that thick skull of yours?" Robin asked her somewhat mockingly. "You're not asking yourself why it is that Regina has chosen to come back now, after being gone for so long, after you've finally allowed yourself to move on with your life and give someone else a chance? You're not wondering why it is you haven't been able to write a single song since the day the two of you broke up?" He continued, inwardly reluctantly to do so, but knowing that Emma needed to be pushed into thinking about the things that she was obviously still trying to avoid. "Look, Emma, I know why you'd rather talk to Marian than me in this situation. She's not going to push you into asking yourself these questions that you're not ready to think about the answers to because she's in a similar situation, whether she realizes or not. Fortunately, or unfortunately for the both of you, I don't have that problem."
"Have I told you that I like Marian more than I like you yet?" Emma muttered out petulantly, a reluctant smile tugging at her lips as she heard her brother start to laugh beside her. "I know why you're trying to get me to talk about it, believe it or not. But like you said, I'm not yet ready to talk about it." She told him sincerely. "I think I'm struggling to accept the reality that she's actually here and that she's not just a figment of my imagination."
"That's understandable." Robin acknowledged, parking his car and pretending to not yet notice the two women and little boy who were sitting at one of the booths by the diner's window waiting for them to walk in and join them. "You don't have to tell me what's going on your mind right now, Em. I can't even begin to imagine where your thoughts are wandering to, but if you ever want someone to help you navigate through them with you, you have me as much as you have Marian."
"It's not going to change anything, Robin." Emma told him. "No matter what's going on in my mind, I'm with Lily now. I'm happier than I've been in a long time. I can't allow myself to think about Regina that way after I promised myself that I'd leave her in the past where she belongs." She continued, her throat closing tightly around the words even as she tried to appear unaffected by them, but like always, her big brother could hear the words she'd left unspoken. She wouldn't allow herself to outwardly affected by Regina, but the brunette woman had already gotten into Emma's head. Hell, she'd never left.
"Okay, but if you change your mind, my offer still stands." He reminded her with a gentle grin.
"I know it does, but for now, I'm getting hungrier by the second and Roland's had his face pressed up against the window glass since the moment you parked the car, so we should probably get inside." Emma told him with a laugh as she watched her nephew who was ignoring Marian as she tried to get him to sit down in his seat to no avail.
"Before we do that." Robin started, extending out an arm to keep her from attempting to get out of his car. "Have you told Lily yet?" He asked, narrowing his eyes as he watched as his little sister pointedly avoided his gaze. "Emma?"
"No, I haven't." Emma huffed out. "It's not that I haven't wanted to do it, so don't you dare look at me like that. I just don't know what I'm supposed to say." She told him.
"Don't overthink it." Robin reassured her as he gently placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. "Just tell her that Regina is back in town."
"Yeah, okay, yeah." Emma breathed out. "Let's get inside I'm craving a-"
"Grilled cheese sandwich, a side of onion rings, and a root beer." He finished for her. "When aren't you?" He asked her, laughing when Emma smacked him playfully in the arm before she got out of the car and walked into the diner, Robin following closely behind.
