The game shop had a line around the block when we arrived. Most of the children in Henry's grade were here with their parents. It was nice seeing him have fun with other fans. A costume contest, giveaway, and a raffle took place as we waited for the game release.

To gain everyone's attention, the manager played the Final Fantasy theme. "Who's ready?" The room roared with cheers. "Help me count down to the release. Ten, nine, eight-"

"Seven, six, five, four, three," the crowd counted.

"Two, one!" Everyone cheered again. "Single file line in the taped area. One register for cash and one for cards. Thank you."

It took us about an hour to get Henry's copy. He was nearly bouncing with excitement to finally have the game. "Freebies are in the bag."

"Thank you, Alex." Taking the bag, Henry and I made our way outside.

Once we got back to the car, I waited. "Onto the comic store?"

"Yes!" Glancing through the plastic bag, Henry's smile grew. "Awesome!"

There were some familiar faces at the comic shop. "I guess a lot of people had the same idea." Henry agreed and held the door open. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Henry browsed the shelves and flipped through the boxes of back stock. He pulled a few and made his way towards the counter.

Phillip scanned each book. "Did you make the new Final Fantasy release before they sold out?"

"Yup! I can't wait to play it." He paused glancing up at me. "Only after my homework is done." Both Phillip and I laughed.

"Good answer." Phillip smiled as he gave Henry a paper bag. "See you next time."

"See you later." Taking the bag, we left.

Before getting into the car, I saw a familiar yellow bug followed by a Jeep. Warmth fills my chest just seeing her car. Am I falling for her? I can't. I need to find a way to distract myself from her.

Xxx

It was nearly seven when my phone rang. "Hello, Emma." Henry's game paused in the living room. "Are you taking a break from showing your friends around?"

"Hey. I left them a little bit ago. They wanted to grab dinner and get to bed early so they could leave first thing in the morning. How was the game shop and comic store?"

"It was fun. Henry had a fantastic time. I actually did too."

"That's great! Can I come by and get those leftovers? Or would you rather me wait? I know it's right at dinner time."

Seeing Henry peek around the corner, I smirked. "Join us for dinner. I promise, it's not turkey."

"Be over soon. Can I bring anything?"

"No. We have everything. I know Henry will be excited to show you his game." I continued before Emma could speak. "Yes, he has a second controller."

"Yes!" Emma laughed.

"Don't speed, Deputy. We can't have you breaking any laws."

"I won't."

Ending the call, I met Henry's gaze. "Yes?" I know that grin.

"Nothing." Ducking back towards the living room, the sound of his video game started again.

Since Emma enjoys video games too, I'm going to have a son and an adult child in the house. Looking down at the ribbon, I clenched my jaw. The more I'm around Emma, the harder it is to keep her at arm's length. But she makes Henry happy. And she makes me happy too.

Slicing some of the leftover turkey, I put it in a Tupperware container. As I finished, there was a knock on the door. "I got it!" Henry yelled.

"Hey, kiddo. Is your mom in the kitchen?"

"Yeah, she's in there. I set up the second controller already."

"Cool. Let me talk to her for a few and then you can show me your haul."

"Okay."

Placing the container in the fridge, I checked on dinner. Hearing footsteps, I spoke. "Everything is almost ready."

"It smells delicious. Is there anything I can do?" Sliding out of her coat, Emma laid it over a barstool.

"If you could bring down some plates and cups, that would be helpful."

"Sure."

Turning off the timer for the potato wedges, I placed the glass pan on the stove. "We can serve ourselves and eat at the table."

"Sounds good." Emma didn't have to ask where anything was. It's almost like this is a second home to her. A familiar warmth filled my chest again. Movement paused behind me. She feels it too. Lovely. This string makes it difficult to hide things. "Done."

"Thank you. I still need to shred the chicken. It shouldn't take much longer. I know Henry's been excited to show you his game. In a few, will you tell him to get to a stopping point and get ready for dinner?"

"Sure. If you need anything else, let me know." Emma's eyes lingered.

"I will."

Nodding, she went to join Henry. "Alright, show me the goods."

Once the BBQ chicken was done and I placed the bag of sub rolls on the counter, I called for Henry and Emma. "Everything is ready. Come eat."

"Mmm! Smells awesome!" Henry grabbed a plate and started serving himself. "Looks great."

"It looks amazing." Emma added, taking her own plate. "Thanks for inviting me to stay."

"You're welcome."

Dinner was quiet for the most part. Emma and Henry had to pace themselves and remember to chew their food. The more time I spend with Emma, the more I see how alike she and Henry truly are.

Leaning back in his chair, Henry sighed contently. "That was delicious."

I smiled, dabbing my mouth with a napkin. "I'm glad you enjoyed it." I paused, glancing at the clock. "You have just over an hour before bed. Do you want to play your game?"

"Yes!" Getting to his feet, Henry took his plate and glass to the kitchen. "Can Emma stay and play with me?"

"Only if she doesn't need to get home right away."

Surprise was clear in her green eyes. "Yeah, I can. Let me help clean up and I'll be right there."

"No need. Have fun. Cleaning won't take long. I'll join you shortly."

"Okay. At least let me help clear the table." Stacking the rest of the dishes, Emma took them into the kitchen. Rubbing her hands together, she made her way towards the living room. "Okay, kid. Show me what you've got." I heard laughter as I cleaned. It's nice having laughter in the house. I enjoy having Emma here. Henry does too.

Once everything was finished, I joined Henry and Emma in the living room. "How is it going?"

"Great!" They spoke in unison. Neither took their eyes off the screen.

Taking a seat, I watched as the two played. I could conquer a realm in a matter of days but I fail at conquering video games; I don't understand it. Leaning back, I thumbed through a comic book Henry got. Interesting. He chose one that has a lesbian couple in it. A blonde knight and a brunette queen. I wonder if he knows more than he's letting on. He's not mentioned the storybook in awhile. I wonder where it is. My stomach lurched at the thought. Would Henry still love me if he found out what I've done?

"Noooooo!" Henry's playful dismay and Emma's laughter brought me out of my thoughts.

"Pay back!" The blonde cheered. They switched games. How long have I not been paying attention? "Alright, kiddo. It's getting late. I'll shut everything down for you."

"Okay." Getting to his feet, Henry went upstairs.

"You okay?" Emma asked quietly.

Unable to think of an excuse, I nodded. "Yes."

"I wanted to check because you spaced out and stared at the same page for the last twenty minutes."

Glancing back to Henry's comic, I closed it. "I just have a few things on my mind. Nothing to worry about."

Fiddling with the controller, Emma spoke softly. "If you ever need to talk, I'm here."

She knows I'm lying. "Thank you."

"Mom!" Henry called. "I'm done brushing my teeth and stuff."

"Up in a moment." Standing, I picked up Henry's comics. "I'll be right back."

Emma smiled as she wound the controller cord around the controller. "I'll be here, putting this away."

Entering Henry's room, I placed the bag of comics on his desk. "Ready for bed?"

"Yeah." He snuggled into the blankets. "Thank you for letting Emma come over more."

"You're welcome." Placing a gentle kiss on his forehead, I patted Henry's hair. "Goodnight, my little Prince."

"Night, mom."

Flipping off the light, I cracked his door. I lingered halfway down the steps to be out of sight. This feels nice. I'm happy. I've not felt like this since Daniel. I swallowed hard as my chest clenched. That's terrifying.

Rejoining the younger woman, I gained her attention. "Would you like a drink?"

"Sure. What do you have?"

"A few things. Follow me." Leading us into the kitchen, I opened a bottom cabinet.

"Wow." Emma's eyes grew. Inspecting the different bottles, she thought. "I've not made an Amaretto Sour in awhile. How does that sound?"

"I'll get an orange and some lemon juice." Gathering everything else she needed, Emma started making the mixed drinks. Moving her coat, I sat on a bar stool to watch. "I should have known you would know how to bartend."

"I was a bartender for a while until my reputation as a bail bondsperson was built. I had to pay the bills somehow. Shaken or stirred?"

"Dealer's choice." There's something sexy about her making mixed drinks in my kitchen. "Would you like to come over more often and have dinner with us and spend time with Henry?"

Puzzled, Emma stared for a moment. "I-I'd really like that." Warmth filled both of us. "Thank you, Regina." Pushing a drink towards me, she smiled. "Let me know what you think."

"You're welcome." Bringing the glass to my lips, I sipped the sweet, dark liquid. "Delicious."

Emma swallowed hard, her eyes never leaving my lips. "G-great." She squeaked.

"Let's go into the den. It's more comfortable." I purred.

Getting settled in my chair, I placed my drink on the table. I watched as Emma sat on the couch end that was closer to me and sipped her drink. "Is everything alright?"

Biting her lip, she chose her words carefully. "I'm confused, I guess."

"About?"

"Us. This string. What it means. How we keep going back and forth about being around each other. And…" Her voice trailed off.

"And what?" I kept my voice low to not scare the skittish woman. She's allowing herself to be vulnerable. I don't want to ruin it.

Leaning forward, Emma took her glass with a shaky hand. Downing the rest of the dark liquid, she let out a ragged breath. "And how I'm starting to fall for you…"

It was my turn to choose my words carefully. Apparently what I said before Thanksgiving didn't work. "Emma," moving to the couch, I sat beside the blonde. I wanted to be on her level for this. "I'm not a good person. You deserve someone so much better than me. I've done some unspeakable things and I don't want to darken your soul with those."

"Regina, there's no way you're that terrible. If you were, you couldn't care for Henry the way you do. You love him with all of your heart. A terrible person couldn't do that." Without realizing it, Emma placed her hand on mine. "Whatever you did in the past, you did it to survive."

She's being sincere. I like the feeling of her hand on mine. Breaking her heart is going to do the same to mine. "It means a lot to me that you believe that." I paused, placing my other hand on top of hers and moving it back to her leg. Instantly, I missed her warmth. "Every time I try to push you away, I regret it. I want you to spend time with Henry but it's difficult because you fit with us so well. It's like you've always been here."

"I still don't see why we can't be together. Or give it a chance." Motioning towards the string that connected us, she continued. "Clearly, there's something here."

"I can't explain. Not now."

"Then when?" She pleaded.

"I don't know." My voice cracked.

Seeing something in my eyes, Emma dropped the subject. "I'm not giving up on you." She smiled, grabbing both of the empty glasses. "Be right back."

I watched as the blonde made her way out of the den. Leaning my head back, I sighed. You really should. This is not going to end well for me. I jumped hearing glass shatter. "Emma? Are you alright?" Getting to my feet, I ran to the kitchen.

Horror washed over me when I joined Emma. In the backyard stood a shirtless Graham in leather pants and a matching leather harness across his chest. Before either of us could speak, my phone began to buzz.

Turning, the blonde started towards the front door. "Emma," I called after her. "Emma, wait." Damn it! I forgot he was coming over tonight. "Emma." She wouldn't stop. Getting in her car, she left. "Damn it!"

Storming back inside, I went to confront Graham. Glancing around the yard, I couldn't find the Sheriff. "Graham. Graham."

"Over here." A nearby bush started to move. "Oooph." Rolling out, the leather clad man laid on the ground. "I did the first thing I thought of."

"And that was jumping into a bush?" Great. He's cut up from the branches.

"I panicked."

Sighing, I shook my head. "Come inside and let me clean the cuts."

"I guess it's safe to assume nothing is happening tonight?" Graham slumped onto the stool he carried into the bathroom.

"Correct." Opening the First-aid kit, I started cleaning each cut.

"I'm sorry. I tried to text you when I was parked down the street. I thought it would be late enough. When Miss. Swan saw me, I froze."

"Time got away from me." Finishing, I tossed away the trash and closed the kit. "All done."

"Thank you. I'll go."

"That would be best."

Once Graham was gone and the glass was swept up, I went back into the den. Dialing Emma's number, I waited. Please answer. Voicemail. Damn it. "Emma," I paused. I don't know what to say. "I'm sorry you found out that way. Graham and I have been…a while. Long before I knew about you and this red string. I hope you got home safely." I paused again. "I really enjoyed tonight." Ending the call, I leaned forward and rubbed my temples. Damn it!