Emma started down at the books, letting out a frustrated sigh. She had gotten her GED once she got out of prison, but college was never an option. Now that she had her parents and son back in her life, she wanted to do something to make them proud, especially now that she had two baby siblings. She wanted them to have a good example to look up to. So, she had enrolled in some online classes to get her criminal justice degree. It was a hell of a lot harder than she thought.
School had never been her thing. The only times she could remember really trying was in the rare great foster home, like Ingrid or the couple that Lily had ruined her chances with. She hadn't finished her sophomore ear when she ran away and managed to escape being pulled back into the system for good. Being a bail bondsperson didn't require an education and considering the original sheriff of Storybrooke hadn't been college educated, it wasn't a requirement. Even so, she figured it'd help her with the job.
She did decent her first semester, but now things were getting rough. She had failed her first math test and if she didn't get at least a 70 on her next, there was no way she'd ever pass the class. It was no use, it had been a stupid idea. She should be focusing more on helping Henry to go to college or making sure that the town was protected from another attack.
Grabbing hold of her books, she chuckled them into the wicker waste basket by the desk.
"I need a drink," she mumbled to herself.
A few hours later, Ruby walked into Emma's room, holding a large laundry basket. With four adults and the occasional teenager in the house, they all split up chores evenly. Laundry was the most soothing for Ruby. Even though there was a ton of it with two little ones under 5, it was still something that kept her calm. Especially when Neal would sit with her and help her fold.
She was putting away Emma's sweats when she saw something poking out from the trash. At a closer glance, she saw they were Emma's textbooks. Scrawled out on her planner was "call school to resign."
Oh hell no.
She headed downstairs and found Emma playing with Wilby in the living room. There was a glass of wine out as well, with a half empty bottle next to it. Emma wasn't really a wine drinker, except for when she was stressed out.
"You're dropping out?"
Emma looked up at her. "You're spying on me?"
"I was putting laundry away."
Emma sighed. "I'm going to flunk out anyway."
Ruby frowned and sat next to her.
"No, you're not."
"I am. I flunked my first test and I doubt I'll do any better on the other."
"So, we'll get you a tutor."
"Mama…"
"You're holding back from your potential, Emma. I don't want that for you, that's what I did every day under the curse."
"That was different, you couldn't control how you acted."
"Exactly, but you can Emma. You're unbelievably smart and you can do anything you set your mind to. You've mastered magic and I guarantee that's a lot harder than College Algebra. So what if you struggle with one subject? Get help, try again and get back out there."
Emma wanted to argue, say that she couldn't do it. Yet, she saw the determination in Ruby's eyes. She believed in her, that was still something that she was getting used to. Sure, Ingrid had as well, but her intentions weren't pure like Ruby's. Emma thought about what she would do if it were her own child. She wouldn't let Henry up and quit either. She had so much faith in him, probably more than he had in himself. Maybe that was a parent's job, to believe in their child, even when they couldn't see it.
She sighed. "You're not going to let me quit, are you/"
"No chance in hell. I doubt Snow and David would either. You're lucky I was the one who found it and not them. You know your mom and her hope speeches."
Emma chuckled a bit. Little did her mama realize, this was a hope speech, just in her own way. "What if I fail?"
"And what if you do amazing?" Ruby put an arm around her. "I believe in you, Emma. I'm not going to let you quit on yourself."
The next couple of days were spent with Emma getting a tutor and working it out with her professor for how she could retake the test. She knew that she wouldn't walk out of the class with an A, but she'd pass and that was the important part. All of it would be worth it the day she got to
