unbeta'd. all mistakes are my own fault
ESESES
Every day since first watching the tee ball practice, Emma had poofed herself to the park to watch the other kids as she hid among the trees. Regina had panicked the first few times she'd disappeared. Once Regina found Emma, she watched the girl watch practices in longing.
'She wants to play. Why don't you sign her up?'
"Because she isn't ready. When she's ready, Emma will ask me. Right now I'm lucky she talks to Merida at daycare. It's taken her this long to make one friend, Daniel. I'm not going to force her into being around a dozen or so when she's clearly not comfortable enough yet."
'She's scared, Regina. Emma needs a push. Go ahead and sign her up. She won't get there on her own. She's too stubborn.'
"No! I refuse to push her. She's not ready for this!"
'You pushed her to go to the doctor. You pushed her at the dentist. Daycare, the office… Emma needs to be pushed to interact with other kids otherwise she's going to keep sitting back and relying on your presence and not interact with any other children! I'm telling you she will be fine!'
Regina found herself angry at Daniel for the first time in her life. She didn't know what his problem was, but he wasn't actually here to take care of Emma. She was, and she wasn't going to force interactions on Emma if she wasn't ready.
"The dentist and the doctor are necessary evils in this world, especially with Emma. I take her to the office and daycare to learn to start adjusting to people. Emma will come around on her own time. Forcing it will only make her resent others and not ever want to interact."
'Emma dislikes, distrusts, almost everyone. Her talking to Merida proves she's ready to be with more kids. You have to encourage her. She will never do it if you are always there to give her an out.'
"Daniel, she's barely spent a month here! I'm not going to force her into a sport if she isn't even comfortable talking to Merida without me there. I'm her mother, and I'm saying she's not ready."
'I'm saying she is!'
Emma walked into Regina's office. She'd been watching Dragon Tales with Miss Ari when she heard shouting.
"Mama? Danny! You mad? Me bad?"
Regina glared at Daniel's apparition before kneeling down to be eye level with Emma.
"No, sweetheart! You aren't bad. Danny and I were just having a difference of opinion. Sorry if we were being too loud. Are you excited to play with Merida today?"
Emma glanced between them completely unsold that they were just talking. She knew enough about fighting and loud voices to know they were angry at each other.
"You mad acause me?"
Daniel instantly regretted forgetting that his duckling was in the other room. The look of devastation on her face, and now seeing the hurt and anger in Regina's eyes, made him feel like an utter ass.
'No, Ducky! It wasn't because of you.'
Emma pushed his shimmery form away from her as he tried to comfort her. Her lie detector went off like crazy at Daniel's statement. He'd never lied to her before. She turned and slammed into Regina so hard that the brunette nearly fell over. Emam wrapped her arms around Regina's neck tightly.
"He lyin'. What me do?"
"You didn't do anything, baby. Mama just got a little upset at Danny because he wants me to make you do something you're not ready for. Don't worry about it. You're perfectly fine. Did you want to go pick up Merida early?"
Emma nodded as Regina stood up and supported Emma as the girl clung to her. Regina glanced at Daniel and saw he felt bad. Good! He was overstepping before, and now Emma was upset. Today had been going well so far, and now she had to do damage control.
Regina took some files and put them in her bag before telling Ariel she was leaving for the day. She carried Emma over to the daycare. Emma wriggled until Regina set her down inside her classroom, and she ran over to the redhead.
"Meri, we go home play now!"
Merida looked over at Regina. "It spwinklah day."
Emma turned to look at her mother as well, face scrunched up in confusion.
"Sprinklers are something water comes out of and you play with. Merida, I can always start a sprinkler for you and Emma at home."
Merida nodded and took Emma's hand. Regina conjured another car seat into her vehicle and drove the girls home. They took off the second the car pulled into the garage.
"Girls, do not run! Emma, take your shoes off please."
Emma kicked off her shoes and pulled Merida into her playroom. They were playing for a bit with Emma's tea set until Merida noticed Emma's glove and ball.
"You pway ball?"
Emma looked at her, head tilted as Merida ran to pick up the mitt.
"Oh, dat…."" Emma's cheeks reddened as she shrugged. She had no idea if playing ball was good or not to her new friend.
Merida pointed to her shirt.
"Me pway on da team. You pway too?"
The blonde shook her head no. "Play wif mama."
"We go ask. You pway wif me on team."
Regina looked up when she felt a tiny tapping on her arm. She turned to find Merida looking expectantly at her while Emma was staring down at her socks.
"Yes?"
"Emma pway ball me team."
"Emma doesn't play on a team, dear."
"Me knows, dats why she pway me team."
"Ah, well did you ask Emma if she wanted to play on a team?"
Merida didn't even glance at Emma as she nodded. "Yes. She wants."
Regina smirked in amusement before looking at Emma who still hadn't looked up from her socks.
"Emma, sweetheart, do you want to play on the team? That means playing with all the kids we see, not just Merida. You have to play with them and talk to them too."
"A course she do. She pway nest to me."
"Merida, I think it's time to let Emma talk now. Baby, is this something you want to do?"
Emma looked over at Merida, who was bouncing up and down impatiently waiting for an answer. Green eyes met brown as little shoulders shrugged.
"You come too?"
"I can come. Of course I will, but you're going to be playing and practicing with the other kids on the field. I'll sit in the bleachers and watch."
Emma's little nose scrunched up and her brows furrowed.
"Come on, Em! You gots ta!"
"Emma, you do not have to if you don't want to. It might be fun to try though."
"Try?"
"Yes, try. I'll take you to a practice or two, and if you don't like it, you don't have to go again. If you like it, you can keep playing."
Emma pursed her lips and tilted her head, studying Regina's face for a minute before nodding.
"If you come, me do, to try."
"See, she do. Swpinklah now?"
Regina magicked a bathing suit for Emma before conjuring a sprinkler that looked like an oversized beach ball. Merida started playing immediately. Emma stood frozen, studying Merida as she played until the little redhead forced her to join in. Soon the girls were giggling and running around playing in the sprinkler until Elinor came to collect Merida.
As Regina was reading to Emma that night, she looked down at her daughter, stroking blonde curls back from her face.
"Emma, baby, you know that you don't have to play tee ball if you don't want to."
"It 'kay. Me try. You stay der? No leave me."
"Oh, Emma, I won't leave you. I promise that if I can't come to your practices that I will have Miss Ari or Auntie Kat take you, okay? I will come to every game. If this is something you want, I will always support you."
'Told you she would be fine if you pushed her.'
"Daniel, don't start again! Now is not the time."
Emma looked up at Regina.
"Dis why you mad? Me play ball?"
"No, honey. There's a bit more too it. If you want to play ball, I am happy. You have to want it for you though. I don't want you to feel you have to because of Meri or me or anyone. You play ball because you want to, or you don't because you don't want to. It is your choice."
"Me try. You needs to come too. No be alone again."
"Sweetling, you're never going to be alone again. I'm here for you now. I know lots of new people are scary, but I'm going to sit in the bleachers the whole time. If you don't like it, you don't have to keep doing it, okay?"
Emma nodded and snuggled into Regina. "Stay wif me."
"Always, princess!"
ESESES
Regina took Emma to tee ball practice the next day with Elinor and Merida.
"Mayor Mills, what can I do for you?"
The coach, a high school junior, Lydia, was clearly in shock to see her. Regina couldn't blame her. She never really went to any sporting games Storybrooke had. She'd go if Emma wanted to though.
"This is my Emma. She's a bit nervous, but she'd like to try and practice with your team. Is that alright?"
"Well, sign up closed at the beginning of May, but I can make an exception since one of my kids broke his arm jumping off a swing and can't play anymore."
Regina had to clear her throat three times before Lydia stopped staring. She guided Emma back out from behind her legs and kept her hand on Emma's shoulder.
"Perhaps I need to send you an email on town conduct around Emma?"
"No, ma'am. I just, it won't happen again. Does she know how to play?"
"We've been watching practices for a week. She knows how to play catch. I haven't tried having her hit a ball yet."
"Okay, that's okay. She'll need a bat and a uniform shirt and hat. What size is she?"
"3T will be fine. They need their own bats?"
"Yes, most kids have their own bats. They practice at home. Tennis shoes only. No sandals or cleats. Shorts or leggings are fine. Jeans are hard to run in. It's $45 and another $25 to have the mom's shirt."
"I'm not playing, dear. What do I need a tee shirt for?"
Elinor stepped in to answer. "The moms all wear their team's shirt. It has the logo of the team and then Tee Ball Mom on back. Everyone wears them."
Regina raised an eyebrow at the woman.
"I am a queen. I'm a bit more refined than a Team Mom tee shirt."
Elinor nodded in Emma's direction and Regina found pleading green eyes staring up at her.
"Mama, same as me! Pwease!"
"We'll see, Emma. This is Lydia. She's your coach. That means you listen to her like you do Miss Aimee at daycare. Got it?"
Emma nodded and Merida dragged Emma across the field and started introducing her to her other friends. Regina watched as her daughter tensed and took a step back from the growing circle of kids surrounding Emma. She didn't pull away completely, but Regina knew Emma wasn't comfortable. Green eyes sought out hers every ten seconds or so.
Lydia was pretty good with the children. Emma listened to her pretty well. Other than having to deliver a conjured bat to Emma, Regina hadn't had to intervene, at least not on the diamond.
During Emma's first few attempts at hitting, she got frustrated at not hitting the ball. Regina didn't know what Lydia said to her, but the next attempt, Emma slammed it well past all the other preschoolers.
"Run, Emma!"
Lydia helped direct Emma where to go as she ran the bases.
"Go home, Emma!"
The little blonde ran right off the field, causing Regina to poof in front of Emma, blocking her path. Lydia chased her down on foot.
"Emma, where are you going? Honey, don't cry. What is it?"
"She say go home. No want me. Me go home."
"Oh, Emma. The base you stand at to hit is called home plate. If you run around first, second, and third, you run back to home base to score a run. She was telling you to run to home plate, not go home."
"I want you on my team, Emma. I don't want you to leave. I wanted you to score your run. You earned it."
Regina wiped tears from her daughter's face, hugging her tightly.
"Me run home, now?"
Lydia took Emma's hand and led her back towards the field.
"Yes, you can run to home now."
Emma ran around the bases again, this time jumping on home plate with both feet. She beamed a smile at Regina, who smiled right back at her. That was definitely going to be one to remind Emma about when she was older.
The end of the second practice Lydia gave Emma a bright kelly green shirt that said Storybrooke Dragons on the front with a silhouette of a dragon underneath. The back said Mills and the number 11.
"Mama, look, dragon!"
"I see. You seem to attract the dragons don't you?"
"Me wike ball. Toothless get shirt too?"
"I'll see what I can do."
Abigail joined Regina at practice on the third day.
"Wow, she's pretty good, especially for someone who didn't know what baseball was last week."
Regina beamed.
"She is excellent at throwing. We need to work on catching and hitting a bit, but Emma is doing great, isn't she?"
"Awe, look who is a proud soccer mommy. I think I need to get Sidney here to document the taming of the mayor."
"Abigail, I still have the picture of your escapades last Christmas. I don't want that odious man anywhere near Emma. He keeps trying, and I'm seconds from fireballing him as it is."
"The man is in love with you, unrequited or not. Of course he wants to get close to your daughter."
Regina shuddered and started muttering a few more protection spells over Emma.
News had gotten around about Emma coming out of hiding to play tee ball. The entire town, being absolutely nosy with nothing else going on, crowded the next game. People's jaws dropped as Regina showed up with Abigail. Both sported Dragon tee ball shirts. Abigail's just happened to say Aunt instead of Mom.
Emma backed away in panic as she saw the crowd near the field.
"Emma, honey, what's wrong?"
Abigail pointed to the field.
"The entire town is here. I guess everyone is excited to watch four year olds pretend to know how to play baseball."
"Alright, baby, you stay with Aunt Abbie and I'm going to get them to leave. You'll be okay."
It took ten minutes for the townspeople to clear out of anyone not family or friends of a child on the field. The crowd was still large, but much more manageable for Regina. She'd threatened to demolish the sundae shop if they didn't disperse.
"Listen you peasants. I will only say this once. Do not interact with my daughter unless she interacts with you first. I doubt she would, so that means leave her alone. She isn't an exhibit in a museum or a medical specimen to stare at. Emma has made huge progress in being around other children. The first person who stalls that progress will meet the Evil Queen again. Am I clear?"
Regina got mutters and mumbles in response, along with several eye rolls.
"I'm not kidding. Emma is a three year old girl. She is my daughter. You may think me a tame and mellow person now, but I will rip each and every one of your hearts out if Emma feels uncomfortable in the slightest around anyone."
Granny walked up behind Abigail and Emma. She was wearing a Tee Ball Granny shirt Regina had given her when she'd asked her to come to Emma's game. Her little granddaughter looked positively panicked. She's recognized the behaviour post dentist when Emma had a panic attack in her kitchen. She picked up the feather light child and stared at her.
"Emma, what's wrong?"
"Dem. Too many. Me go home."
"You don't want to play your game? I've been hearing all week about it. I thought you were excited to play."
Emma's breathing became more rapid as beads of sweat formed on her forehead, pupils widening.
"Me home! Me home!"
Little feet kicked her as legs flailed, but Granny held tight.
"Child, I know lots of people are here, but they're here for you."
It seemed to get Emma's attention some.
"They're here for you and your team to cheer you on to win. You know your mama is here. Kathryn is here. I'm here. You know we won't let anyone hurt you. They want you to do well. Are you sure you don't want to stay?"
Blonde curls shook as Emma wrapped her arms around Granny's neck.
"Emma, want to know a secret?"
Turning to Abigail , Emma nodded.
"Everyone is looking at your mama because she never wears jeans. They're too shocked to even notice anything else. When the game starts, they're going to be all cheering for you and your team. That's fun, right? You get a snack after the game. You got to stay if you want your snack."
Merida ran over and tugged on Emma's shirt.
"Emma, come on! We gots ta go now!"
Regina walked back over and took Emma from Granny.
"Duckling, breathe with me. In and out. In and out. That's it! Good!"
Emma calmed down after a few minutes, but she'd locked her limbs around Regina, not wanting to let go.
"Remember what we talked about? How much fun it's going to be to play a game? Pretend everyone else isn't here. It's just me, Auntie Abbie, and Granny. We're going to be cheering for you. Try it, and if you don't want to stay, we can go home."
"Pwomise?"
"I promise!"
"Kiss kiss!"
Regina gave Emma her kiss before putting the ball cap on blonde curls.
"Go get 'em, baby!"
Emma grabbed onto Merida's hand before securing her other hand in Regina's. The trio walked to the diamond before Emma took her glove and bat from her mama.
"You can do this, Emma. I've faith in you!" Regina whispered in her daughter's ear and snuck a kiss to her cheek in before the girls gathered with the rest of their team.
The townspeople were torn between staring at the casually dressed mayor and the newest mystery resident. Regina did her best to ignore them, focusing on Emma and her team. She cheered right along with everyone else who actually paid attention to the game.
Emma had two line drive doubles and a single. Merida did well too, but Regina mainly focused on her own daughter. The Dragons were clearly a much more athletically inclined team than the Chimeras.
At the end of the game, Emma hung back as other parents and kids milled the field. Regina, Abigail, and Granny found her at the far end, out of the masses. She was examining the wrapper of the fruit roll-up the team had gotten as a snack.
"Mama! You see? Me good?"
Regina picked Emma up and hugged her, pocketing the snack for a later time.
"You were the best ball player ever!"
"How about we go to the diner and I make you an Emma sundae?"
"After she has lunch!" Regina knew Emma deserved a treat, but it was lunchtime, and she wasn't going to let Emma spoil her appetite on sugar instead of a proper meal.
"Gwanny, you shuht wike me and mama and Auntie Abbie!"
"That's right, I do. We're family. Family supports one another. What do you want for lunch?"
"Cheese sammy and mash tatoes."
"Grilled cheese and a sweet potato it is."
Sidney stepped in front of them as they reached the parking lot.
"Good game, Emma."
Emma's protection shield flared to life around the four of them, keeping Sidney at a safe distance.
"This is highly inappropriate, Sidney. I've asked you to stay away from Emma. I will trap you back in the mirror."
"I don't have my camera, Madame Mayor. I was just congratulating Miss Emma on a game well played."
Abigail scoffed.
"If you're not watching a tee ball game for the paper, you're just creeping on little children. That'd make an excellent headline, 'Journalist enjoys watching little children'."
Sidney glared at her before turning his attention back to Regina.
"Go home, Sidney. I don't want to tell you again to stay away."
They left Sidney standing at the edge of the field as they walked to the diner. Granny let them in through the back. She'd set up a table in there for Emma to eat at and colour whenever she was there. Regina noticed through the window into the diner that Ruby had on a Dragons tee ball shirt as well. She gave the wolf a brief smile before turning her focus on celebrating with Emma.
ESESES
Tee ball really helped Emma come around to playing more with the other children at daycare. Emma still refused to go alone, but she at least played freely now.
Regina would bring her paperwork to the daycare and sit in the corner and do her work in plain view of Emma at all times. The town had started demanding to see Emma now that she was out playing tee ball and going to daycare. She'd refused, citing that other three and four year olds were vastly different than being bombarded by masses of adults twice Emma's size.
Emma had agreed to sit in on another videochat Town Hall meeting. She wasn't thrilled about seeing so many people staring at her. She'd sat still for all of six minutes before turning away from the camera and burying her face in Regina's neck to hide.
Going into the daycare Monday morning, Regina was surprised to find Aimee with Maureen Rey, the eighth grade teacher at the school.
"What's going on?"
"It's tradition that all the four year olds starting school in the fall get a seventh grade buddy. The buddy stays with them next year too. We introduce them over the summer so that the kids know each other for when August comes. Since you insisted Emma be tested to start a year early to stay with Merida, she's getting buddy too."
Regina's face drained of colour.
"School?"
"Yes, four year olds go to K4 and five year olds go to K5. There are a lot of four year olds, so the school goes Group A and B. They go half days and switch off which one is morning and which is afternoon. This way they get a sense for both time periods when they go all day in K5. Once a month, K4 goes all day, having both groups meet."
"Kindergarten?" The question was uttered in near awe.
Aimee and Maureen looked at each other. Was the mayor going mad?
"Regina, are you alright?" Aimee approached her friend with caution, unsure of what was transpiring.
"Emma starts kindergarten at the end of August."
Both teachers smiled, understanding what was going on now.
"She is, but it's going to be alright. Emma has really come around here. I'm sure she'll be great in K4. Quinn is the K4 teacher. She's a very nice woman. She'll be here tomorrow along with Maureen."
Emma starts school in a few months. She's just gotten her baby and she was already starting school. There was so much she had to do to prepare!
Maureen noticed the panic in the mayor's eyes.
"Everything is going to be alright. The school has a list of supplies by grade that can easily be gotten at most stores around town. The uniform is sold right at registration so you can buy a few and take them home immediately or get them tailored first."
"School? No! Me not go!"
Regina turned and dropped down to Emma's level.
"Emma, we've been over this. Lessons here aren't like the faeries. You're not going to be punished for not knowing. Teachers are there to help you learn. Miss Aimee doesn't punish you, does she?"
"No, but not gonna go!"
"Why won't you go?"
"Too much people. You leave me. Don't leave me!"
Emma threw her arms around Regina's neck as she started crying. Regina rubbed her daughter's back and waited for her to calm down some.
"Emma, I am not leaving you. Everyone has to go to school. You like helping Mama in her office, right?" At the nod, Regina continued. "You have to go to school so you can help like Miss Ari."
"Mama come too!"
Regina sighed. Emma was barely starting to come around to daycare, and that was only with kids her own age. How was she going to handle the hundreds of kids at the school? Her mayoral duties were really going to suffer, but it looked like kindergarten classes were in Regina's future. Lucky for the town, classes were only half days.
"Mama will come until you feel comfortable to go on your own. Miss Aimee said you get a big buddy to be with you too."
"Big buddy? Just want you!"
"Emma, a big buddy is an older kid who is going to help you to your classroom when you come to school and make sure you get back to daycare okay. They're going to be coming soon to meet you."
"NO! Just mama!"
"Perhaps we hold off on Emma's buddy for a bit. I'm sure once she sees the other kids with them she'll start to come around. Right now that isn't a good idea."
"I do have one student out on vacation still. She can be Emma's buddy when she comes back. That'll give some time to adjust."
Emma stayed glued to Regina's lap all day while the teenagers came and got assigned to their little buddies. Merida insisted on bringing hers to show Emma.
"Dis Jazz. She me buddy. Her has tiger. Where you buddy?"
Emma stared up at the dark haired girl, transfixed by the blue gem in her belly button.
"She doesn't have one right now, Meri. Her buddy is on vacation."
"Oh, wee wamb! You shay-uh mine."
Regina laughed at the precocious little girl calling Emma a wee lamb.
"Mama, me do?" Emma pointed to the gem as she looked up expectantly at Regina.
"Maybe when you're thirty."
Emma's brows furrowed.
"When dat? Tomowwow?"
"Sometimes you make me think you've got a thirty year old hiding in there, but no. You're three. Thirty is much older."
"Wike Gwanny?"
"Not quite that old."
"Wike Auntie Abbie?"
"Yes, old like your Auntie Abigail. I will be sure and tell her she's old the next time I talk to her."
"Kay. Ask if she do too. Me wanna see!"
Despite Emma not leaving Regina's lap the rest of the day, she did interact a little with Jasmine, mostly at Merida's insistence.
The teens left when it was time for the little ones to nap. Regina turned to Aimee, pausing her paperwork.
"Who will Emma's buddy be? Are they suitable for Emma? If she must have a buddy, I want the best."
"Of course, Regina. Emma is being paired with a straight A student. She's on the basketball team and the debate team. She's a wonderful choice for Emma since she's fascinated with dragons."
"Is this girl fascinated with dragons as well?"
"Not quite. Lilith Rose is a dragon."
"The girl is a dragon? Does that mean her mother is…" Regina trailed off as her jaw dropped open.
"Her mother is Maleficent."
Regina asked Granny to come over that night. She needed someone to talk to about Emma starting school. Knowing how Daniel felt about Emma interacting with people, she couldn't talk to him.
"Child, what's troubling you?"
Granny knew something was on Regina's mind. The lost, worried look in her eyes told Granny it was about Emma.
The brunette glanced over at her daughter who was happily colouring at the table.
"They got buddies today at daycare."
"That's wonderful. How did Emma handle it?"
"She didn't. They got seventh grade buddies for going to school at the end of August. My baby is going to school in a few months!"
"Ah, and you're worried?"
"Yes! Emma already refused today to go to school. I don't think she's ready. It's a lot of people, new people she's never seen before. School will be so different for her. I don't want to overwhelm her. She just started tolerating daycare."
Granny handed Regina a glass of wine.
"It's normal to be nervous, Regina. Every parent gets nervous sending their child off to school. It's a rite of passage though. Emma is strong enough to go. The teachers will look out for her."
"I know, and she's made it clear I must go with her too. I just, I'm not ready for her to go yet either. I just got her. I wish I could drop all my responsibilities and be with her all day. I'm not ready to let her go to school and lose more time with her."
"Kindergarten is half a day. You can always take her to the office with you when she's not at school. Once Emma adjusts, she's going to love school. She's incredibly intelligent."
"She got that way through punishment. Emma is afraid to go because of what the f-a-e-r-i-e-s did to her for not knowing. I don't want her to fear school. I want her excited about it. I don't know if I can send her this year, though."
"You're sending her, child. Emma needs an education. If you hold her back, all the other kids are going to form bonds in K4. You send her in as a new kid in K5, and you're only going to make it harder on Emma. How are you going to explain to her why the other kids in daycare are leaving for school and she isn't?"
"I don't know! I don't know! I want to freeze time and keep her in this moment forever. School is such a huge step. I am not ready for this!"
"Gwanny, Meri gots a big buddy today."
"She did? Can you tell me about them?"
"Uh huh! Her name Jazz. She has tiger and a blue belly. Mama said me gets one tomowwow."
"Emma, I did not! I said you could get one when you're thirty."
"Me be dat tomowwow."
Granny chuckled as she stirred the pasta sauce.
"I'll be thirty tomorrow too if that's how this works. Who is your buddy?"
"Miss Aimee say she on bay-cay-shun."
"Va-ca-tion," Regina corrected, sounding out the syllables.
"Yeah, that. She come soon. She a dragon!"
"That's not very nice, Emma!"
"No, Granny. Lilith Rose is Maleficent's daughter. She's really a dragon."
"Oh, well then. I'm sorry, Emma. I bet you're excited to meet a dragon."
"So essited! Me drawing her my ABC's to show her how good me is."
Granny turned to Regina and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"I think Emma might be a bit more ready for this than you are."
"Emma is excited to meet a dragon, simple as that."
"Are you excited for school, Emma? You can play with all your friends there. They're going to have new toys to play with and you get to dress up."
Emma turned to look at her mama.
"No, me bwing me buddy to Mama's. We do lessons there."
Regina shot Granny an 'I told you so' look before returning to salad preparation.
School. How had it become time for Emma to go to school yet? She'd asked that Emma be tested to know if she could bump Emma up so she could stay with Merida, fearing what would happen if Emma started school next year with kids she didn't know instead. She hadn't quite planned beyond testing though. Regina needed to get all of Emma's paperwork into school to register her. Perhaps she would apply to be Emma's group aide for the teacher. This way she could stay with Emma all year while being involved in her learning and getting more time with her. August was coming whether she liked it or not. Regina definitely wasn't liking it at the moment.