Emma Swan Dates A Real Boy Chapter 1: Part I, an once upon a time fanfic

I wrote this because I find it ridiculous that in 28 years, and then one missing year in The Land Without Magic, Emma formed important relationships with Rumplestilskin's Son, Malificent's Daughter, The Former Queen of Arendelle, and The Wizard of Oz, but never formed a significant relationship with anyone who was just ... normal. None of them did. Even when the curse broke, and real people could come to Storybrooke, and people from Storybrooke could leave, the only person to get involved with someone with no connections to magic was Zelena in the last season. And we only met him for, like, one episode. It was almost too little, too late at that point. Wouldn't it be interesting to see how someone from our world coped with all this stuff? Or if they even could? Nobody Emma dated or fell in love with was from the world she grew up in, and I thought it was about time I changed that. So, this story. Please let me know what you think in the comments. I know original characters are not super popular, but I tried.

Also, thank you to Esther-Channah for being my Beta.

Emma Swan Dates A Real Boy

Henry scanned the crowd, holding his lunch tray, and trying to ignore the unsettling feeling in his stomach. Being the new kid sucked.

Henry Swan and his mom Emma had just moved to New York. She was doing what she always did: bail bonds work, just in a new place. She could do it anywhere, really. Henry, meanwhile, would be spending his days here, at the local public school. It wasn't what he was used to. Everything was so … busy. People rushed past him without noticing him.

Henry didn't remember a lot about his life in Florida, or even the few years they spent in Boston. Somehow, names and faces seemed to blur together in his memory. Still, he knew he'd had friends in both places. Here, he was alone.

He had his mom and she was awesome, but she couldn't come to P.S. 33 with him. Henry had no clue how to just … sit down and make friends with people. Maybe it was easier when you were younger, but right now, he could think of nothing more terrifying. So, here he stood.

He felt someone bump into him and his tray clattered to the ground. Great! Now he had no friends and no lunch!

He bent down to pick up his spilled juice and smashed sandwich. Another boy was leaning over with him. Was he helping him?

"Thanks a lot!" the kid exclaimed, annoyed. So, not helping him, then.

"Sorry. I—"

"You got food all over —"

"Is that an Invincible Iron Man 55?"

"Yeah," the boy said cautiously. After a brief pause, he continued, "According to the guy at the comic book store, this is when Thanos first appeared. You know, the guy they've been teasing is going to be a thing in The Avengers movies? I figured I'd check it out."

"Yeah, it's pretty good. I actually have a copy back home that you could have if you want, you know, to make up for … but you want to check out Marvel Team-Up #55 for the first appearance of the infinity gems, only they were called soul gems then, and then Avenger Annual #7 from the 1963 series, because that's the first time Thanos tries to combine the gems."

"You have those?"

Henry nodded, trying not to get too excited, "Yeah. I have a bunch. Mostly older stuff, but they're actually in pretty good condition. If you wanted to come to my house sometime—"

"Cool. That'd be awesome. Could Sam come too?" the boy asked, motioning to a kid sitting at one of the lunch tables. "He's gonna want to check those out!"

Henry nodded, "Of course. And I'm sorry again for—"

"Nah, it's cool. I know it wasn't your fault; I saw that older kid bump into you."

"Hey, could I … maybe, eat lunch with you guys?"

The boy nodded. "Sure. I'm Jason, by the way." He stuck out his hand and Henry took it, giving his name.

"Sorry, your lunch got knocked over. You can share some of my sandwich if you want. I have to warn you, though, my dad packs me these super-healthy lunches." Jason looked down, a little embarrassed. "They aren't that bad, really, but if you don't want, Sam just bought his, so maybe he'll share."

"Cool. Thanks." The boys made their way to the table, Henry more than a little relieved to have made a friend.

It had been a long day. Another low-cut dress and another creepy criminal drawn in by a dating profile. Yep, Emma was living the life.

But she had Henry. That was what mattered. That was always what mattered. Long days and long nights and fighting to make rent or put food on the table were all worth it when her kid looked at her like she mattered.

She could hear him laughing through the window and her heart expanded, thinking that he was happy now. It had taken some time, but now, over a month after relocating to New York, Henry had made friends. He sat with them at lunch and had them over sometimes and went to their houses after school. He was settling in and Emma was so relieved that he had found people who made him feel accepted and recognized how special he was. She was equally grateful that it meant he had a safe place to stay and trustworthy people to watch him when she had to work.

Right on cue, the door opened to Jason Davidson's father Aaron on the other side.

"He'll be ready in a minute. I think my daughter commandeered him for something earlier, and now the boys have to make up the time."

Emma nodded. "Thanks for taking him again."

Aaron shook his head as if to say, 'Don't mention it,' and led her inside. She was nearly trampled by a shaggy pile of golden fur on four paws. It threw her for a minute. It wasn't that she didn't like dogs, but she hadn't been expecting one to jump up on her.

"Captain, down," Aaron said. The dog obliged.

"Captain? Really?" Emma asked, quirking her eyebrow at him.

"The Captain, actually," Aaron said, shrugging, "What can I say? Jason's love of science fiction didn't come out of thin air. Anyway, sorry about him."

"It's fine. I didn't know you guys had a dog."

Aaron nodded. "He's a rescue. Found him ages ago at this animal shelter where I help out sometimes."

Something tugged at the corner of Emma's memory. She couldn't put her finger on it, but something about what he'd just said … and then it was gone. That had been happening a lot lately, always leaving Emma slightly disoriented and, in this case, craving a bear claw.

"Can I offer you something to drink or eat while you wait?" Aaron asked, nearly reading her thoughts.

"Sure, whad'you have?"

"Well, water, and I made a decent smoothie earlier. I've also got some grapes and apple slices, if you'd like."

"Look, Henry told me you pack a healthy lunch AND provide super healthy snacks—which is great—but I'm not one of the kids. You won't be a bad parent if you reveal your secret stash of sugary confections. I promise I won't tattle to the kids."

"Sorry to disappoint, but this house is more or less a sugar-free zone."

Emma groaned. "You can't be serious."

"Sorry," Aaron said, not looking sorry at all. "How about some cheese and crackers? Is that a little better?"

"Depends. What kind of cheese? What kind of crackers?" She asked, a teasing tone to her voice. Aaron showed her the box of crackers and the wrapper for the block of cheese. "More healthy crap. Great. I think I'll just have water."

Aaron laughed. "Your son doesn't mind the healthy snacks so much, you know," he said, heading for the sink.

"Yeah, well, he's a good kid."

"I wholeheartedly agree." He handed off the water to Emma and she took a big gulp.

"So, what's with the health kick? Were you a fat kid or something?"

Aaron shook his head. "That's a story for another time. But I have to warn you, it's a lot to take in, so don't ask unless you really, really want to know."

"I honestly don't know if you're teasing or not."

"Mom!" Emma and Aaron turned to see Henry bounding down the stairs towards them, his backpack half on. "You're here!"

"I've been here for, like, ten minutes, kid. Apparently, someone was having too much fun to answer the door for their poor old mother."

Henry shook his head. "I want to hear about tonight's perp," he said excitedly. "Was it a runner?"

Emma colored slightly, looking awkwardly over at Aaron. She wasn't ashamed of what she did, but it wasn't exactly the sort of thing a mother did, let alone told her son about.

But Emma told Henry everything. It had always been that way. The only secrets she kept from him were the ones she kept from herself. Still, she wasn't sure if Mr. Super-healthy, Golden-retriever-owning, Perfect Parent would approve of her regaling her son with stories of honey traps and chasing down scumbags.

"Um, Henry, maybe –"

"I think your mom wants to get out of here and get some real food in her, but I'm sure she'll fill you in on her night," Aaron said.

"But you like those stories, too."

Emma nearly choked, and she wasn't even drinking anything. "You've told him?"

"Henry has quite the talent for story-telling," Aaron said, smiling at her son in a way that set her at ease a little. "And your job sounds pretty exciting. Makes me jealous."

"Being a vet is cool, too," Henry said, "You've got some great stories."

"Maybe, but I don't tell them as well as you."

"Well, as nice as it is to hear someone other than me tell Henry how great he is, we really should get going. It's a school night."

Henry nodded. "Thanks for letting me hang out, Mr. Davidson."

"You are always welcome, Henry."

"I'll meet you at the car, kid."

Henry nodded, heading out the door. Then Emma turned to Aaron. "Thanks for before. The diversion, I mean. I didn't realize he … well I guess I should say, thank you for not calling child-protective services on me and beg you not to change your mind about that one."

"The thing that stands out the most in Henry's stories is how much he worships you. If you were a bad parent, he would be a lot more messed up and he wouldn't talk about you the way he does."

"I know the job is a little-"

"You do what you have to do put food on the table. Henry's a happy, smart, caring, and considerate kid. You must be doing something right."

"Thanks," Emma said, smiling, "I guess I'll see you around."

The first time Henry had come to hang out at Jason's house, he had met Jason's dad. Mr. Davidson was nice, even if he only made healthy snacks. The second time, he met Captain, and had asked Emma if, maybe, they could get a dog. But it wasn't until the third time Henry came to hang out at Jason's house that he met Andrea.

She was Jason's older sister and to Henry, she had looked like a princess. Well, not a princess exactly; she hadn't been wearing a crown. But she had been dressed up in a period costume that had looked like something out of a fairytale.

She had told him her name was Hermia and been surprised that he knew what role she was playing right away. Then she had scampered off to her room to rehearse.

Occasionally, she would drag Jason and, by extension, Henry and Sam, into reading scenes with her, which was fun enough. Also, she would sometimes babysit them, which he was kind of offended by on principle, but other than checking that he and Jason had snacks and weren't making anything explode, it seemed that she and her brother had agreed to stay out of each other's way.

Tonight, he and Jason were working on their comic. Except Jason had earlier promised to take Captain for a walk, so Henry was waiting until he got back.

"What's that you're working on?" Henry heard from behind him. He was surprised to see Andrea hovering and he wondered how long she had been there.

"Just some stories," he said, trying to hide the bits he'd gotten down so far.

"For school?"

"Not everything is for school."

"Yeah, no kidding." Andrea was quiet. "So, you're a writer, then?" Henry nodded, not really sure why she was talking to him. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised. You certainly get Shakespeare more than Jason does. Or his friend Sam."

"Thanks, I think."

"So, can I see?"

Henry shook his head. "It's not really done yet. When it's ready, we'll show people."

Andrea nodded. "Jason's doing the pictures, right?" Henry nodded again, "Our mom was like that. She was pretty creative. She used to sew my Halloween costumes and everything and when I was super little."

"She sounds like she was cool."

Andrea nodded. "She was. And Jason, he doesn't really remember." She paused, "What was your dad like?"

"He was a jerk. Left my mom to fend for herself. It's always just been me and her, though, and she's better than ten parents."

"But you still wish you knew him?" It both was and was not a question.

"Why are you talking to me about this?"

Andrea shrugged. "I think my dad likes your mom."

"Yeah. They're friends."

Andrea shook her head. "I mean in a Hermia-Lysander kind of way."

"Oh," Henry said, not sure what to think of that.

"If he asks her out, if she says yes, then she can't leave. He's been left before."

"So has my mom."

"Yeah, well with my mom, it wasn't on purpose. Not that that makes it any better. But they've both been left, so if … I just don't want my dad to go through that again."

Henry nodded, "They think they're protecting us, but we protect them too."

"Dern right." She started to head off.

"Hey, if you ever want to talk about your mom with someone, I won't tell anyone or anything."

"Thanks. That goes for you, too."

It was Emma's first PTA meeting. No. That wasn't true. She'd been to plenty before they had relocated to New York. But it felt … new, somehow. She wasn't sure how exactly. It had been the same thing last week, when Henry had had a slight fever and had to stay home from school. And Emma knew, she knew, that Henry had been sick before. She knew he'd been colicky as a baby and that he got the flu when he was seven. But it all felt so … distant, somehow. She couldn't explain it and she tried not to think about it. Honestly, thinking about it made her feel like a bad mom.

And PTA meetings seemed so pointless. She cared about Henry's schooling, of course, but it didn't seem to her that these meetings actually got anything done; they just kept arguing back and forth. All Emma could think was, thank god for the coffee break. Except every other mom had the same idea and that line to the coffee was long. Well, Emma was more on for chocolate than coffee and the cookie table was slightly less crowded. All those parents that Emma didn't know were standing around by the tables, snacking and mingling. I should mingle, Emma thought. I know how to mingle. I can totally mingle.

She headed to the table and grabbed a handful of cookies. They tasted stale. A glance at the line for coffee showed that it hadn't gotten any shorter.

"They never seem to decide anything at these meetings." A woman standing next to her said.

Someone was reaching out, being friendly, Emma thought, and she didn't know whether to respond or run.

Her eyes darted to the woman's name tag (ridiculous for a room full of adults to wear them, but whatever) and something in her chest lurched when she read the woman's name: Margaret. There was something about the woman's name that made her want to engage in conversation. Near the nametag, she saw that the woman had a granola bar in her hand.

"You came prepared," Emma said, motioning to it.

"Well, they put about as much effort into the refreshments as they do everything else. This isn't my first rodeo."

Emma looked around, noting that some parents had, indeed, brought their own snacks. She couldn't help but wonder what the pile-up at that cookie table was about then.

"Too bad we can't bring coffee, or at least, hot coffee."

"Aaron Davidson has a thermos, though I suppose it could be a cold thermos." The woman supplied.

Emma glanced at Aaron who lifted his thermos at her with a smile. "I can't say if it's hot or cold, but it isn't coffee. Aaron refuses to drink caffeine. His house is devoid of coffee and chocolate."

The woman turned to her, a little startled, "I didn't realize you were so friendly with him."

Emma shrugged. "Henry is over there a lot. I've been by to pick him up a time or two. We've had the 'don't you have anything edible in your house?' argument while we wait for the kids to pack up."

"I usually just meet Sam out front; I wouldn't feel right inviting myself in."

Emma noticed the way Margaret's eyes seemed to linger on Aaron's.

"Are you interested in him?" Margaret blushed, but said nothing. "Why don't you go talk to him?"

"I just … I've never been very good at the whole dating thing. Sam's father was a huge mistake. I wouldn't know where to start with Jason's dad. He's an attractive man, but we've barely ever had a conversation-"

"Well, no time like the present," Emma said, something bold and powerful coursing through her. She motioned for Margaret to follow her as she headed in Aaron's direction.

"Tell me that isn't some gross health-juice?"

"To avoid being a liar, I'm going to plead the fifth."

Emma rolled her eyes, "We were just talking about how the snacks suck here."

"We?" Aaron asked, eyebrow raised.

Emma looked around and found that Margaret had followed her most of the way, but was now hanging back. She motioned toward her, "Margaret and I were talking. She mentioned this new restaurant she's been wanting to try, but you know how hard it is to go out when you have kids." Aaron nodded, taking another drink of whatever gross health juice he had. "Maybe we could try a place together some night this week. Does, um, next Tuesday work for you?"

Okay, so she should have checked Margaret's schedule first, but she was running on steam and determination here. And it was a week away. Judging by the crush the woman had, Emma was guessing she'd find a way to make it work.

"Tuesday at a restaurant together?" Aaron asked. His eyebrows shot up, but Emma saw the hint of a smile come to his lips. "I think I can make that work."

"Great? Margaret?" She called, turning to the other woman and missing the way his face fell ever so slightly, "Does Tuesday work for you?"

Margaret approached awkwardly. "I think so, if I can get a sitter."

"Oh, shoot," Emma said, actually slapping her forehead in a way so comical she felt like she was in a cheesy television show from the 1990s. "My regular sitter isn't around on Tuesdays. Well then, I guess it'll just be the two of you."

"Or," Aaron tries, "I actually have a friend coming to visit with me next week. How about Jason, Henry, and Sam all stay with Andrea, and the four of us go to this restaurant and get to be adults for a few hours?"

Great. A set-up. Emma almost said she really couldn't, but not to let that stop them, but then she saw the nervous look on Margaret's face and something in her just couldn't abandon this woman (or help picturing her with shorter, darker hair. Maybe she should suggest a trip to the salon before this double date nightmare.)

"Sounds good to me. Both of your numbers are in the school directory, right?" Aaron and Margaret nodded in turn. "Great. So, we'll work out the details later over the phone."

"Great," Aaron said with an awkward smile. "I'll be looking forward to it." He gave them both a nod before he headed in the other direction.

"That was amazing. Thank you so much."

Emma smiled, a warm feeling filling her chest. "No big deal. Us single mothers have to stick together."

Margaret nodded. "Well, I feel like I owe you now, so here," she proffered a steaming coffee cup that smelled like heaven. "I was able to get in there while you two were talking. Consider this a thank you."

Maybe the PTA hadn't achieved anything today, but Emma sure felt like she had.

"Why are you so nervous?"

Emma turned, surprised, to find Henry standing in her doorway watching her. She had been examining herself in the mirror as she modeled her third outfit. It was a little, well, pink, for her taste. It was soft. Emma couldn't even remember why she'd bought it; it really wasn't her style.

But after two failed attempts at semi-fancy outfits, which didn't make her feel like she was trying to catch a skip, she had seen it lying there in her closet and it had seemed like a good idea. Or not. She couldn't tell.

It wasn't that it mattered what she looked like all that much. Tonight, was not about her and … whoever her date was. She wasn't too keen on being set up in the first place, but the setup was kind of her idea. It was her fault that she was doing this, but looking back, she couldn't say she would have done it any differently.

It wasn't like her to play matchmaker. She'd literally never done that. But Margaret had just seemed so keen on Aaron, and so shy, and something in her heart had just clenched. She wanted this woman to find her happy fairy-tale ending and … Where had that thought even come from? Emma shook herself and turned to Henry.

"I'm not nervous," she said, only half-believing it. Because she didn't lie to Henry, but to herself? That was another matter.

"Are you and Jason's dad dating now or something?"

Emma's eyes widened. Where had that come from? "No, kid, I wouldn't do something like that without talking to you first. I've … never even met my date. It's a casual, group… set-up date… thing."

"Well, no wonder you're nervous. You hate set-ups. And dating. And possibly men. Why don't you just cancel?"

"I don't hate men," Emma said, wondering where he'd gotten that idea. "And it's too late to cancel. Besides, I want to do this. I think." Emma took another glance at the mirror. "I'm just not sure this dress is me"

"I think you look great, Mom."

Mom. Why did her heart stutter, warm, and try to fly away every time Henry called her that lately? He'd always called her 'Mom,' seeing as that was who she was to him. But suddenly, it felt new and thrilling and terrifying.

"You'll be good for Andrea?"

"Not that I need a babysitter, but yeah, I'll be good."

Emma chuckled. "Okay, grandpa. Can you grab the necklace by the bed for me?"

Henry nodded and brought Emma her necklace. He helped her with the chain before plopping onto her bed with his game-controller.

"I can fake sick, you know? If this mystery guy turns out to be horrible or the restaurant is bad or someone starts playing Yazoo."

Emma smiled. "Thanks. I'll call to check in but … I think I'll be good." She turned to Henry and pulled him in for a tight hug, "You're the best kid in the world. You know that, right?"

"This dinner isn't on the Titanic, is it? Because you're acting like I'm never going to see you again."

"I can't get mushy with my son sometimes? It's a mom's right." But Emma let go reluctantly. For all his complaining, Henry seemed to cling a bit too before stepping back.

"When I'm the one going on a big date, you can get mushy. No, wait, I take that back."

"Too late. Your first date, I'll be a pool of mush."

Henry groaned and collapsed back onto the bed.

"Well, this is certainly fancy," Margaret said. She'd taken the words right out of Emma's mouth. This place was a little ritzy for her taste. At least, the boys were footing the bill.

Emma eyed her date. He was nice enough to look at. Not particularly tall, but not really short either. His hair was dark, maybe black, but could easily have been called a very dark brown. He was cute, Emma supposed, though she didn't think he was really her type.

Did Emma have a type? She had once, sure, but now that she thought about it, she couldn't really recall the last time she had dated. Was that why Henry thought she hated men?

"Well, if fancy is the order tonight, you ladies certainly fit the bill. You both look lovely," Emma's date Alan said.

"Thank you," Margaret said.

When nobody else spoke, she nudged Emma slightly, "Yeah, thanks," Emma said.

That was it for a bit. They ordered drinks for the table, but all but one of them had kids at home, so nobody really went high on the alcohol list.

"You know what I miss? Getting so shit-faced you can't remember yesterday," Margaret said.

Emma nodded, surprised, "I can't say I miss it exactly, but I miss it being an option."

"I went through a wild phase in college; a lot of tequila," Margaret said.

"Rum was my poison," Alan put in. Emma blinked. Something about the way he said it felt … off. Like he should be saying it with a different accent or something.

"Emma? How about you?"

"I, uh, wasn't super picky in my drinking days."

"Maybe we should pick a new topic," Aaron suggested. Emma noticed he'd only ordered water. Was he a recovering alcoholic, she wondered, or was it just part of his healthy-healthy-healthy thing?

"Fair enough. How about an easy icebreaker then? Where did everyone grow up?" Alan asked.

"I'm a New Yorker, born and bred," Margaret said proudly. "My mother and stepfather raised me along with my younger brothers."

"Well, as Aaron may have told you, I'm from Canada," Alan said gifting both Emma and Margaret with a charming smile.

"Wow. You know, I've always wanted to go there," Margaret said. "It's so close, but I've never managed it."

"You should give it a go sometime," Alan said, shooting her a smile, "How about you, Emma? Where are you from? What's your story?"

Such a loaded question. "There's not much to tell for me, really. Aaron, how about you? Where did you grow up?"

"Me? Well, a few places, actually. It's kind of a sad story, though. I don't mind sharing, but I don't want to bring down the room."

"Well, now you have to tell us," Margaret said eagerly. Emma had to admit, his opening line made her a tad curious too.

"Okay, well, I was born in one of those Norman-Rockwelly small towns in Connecticut. Spent the first thirteen years of my life there with the best parents in the world. They were great, told me I could do anything, be anything. I have a lot of fond memories. And then, well …"

Alan put his hand on Aaron's shoulder. "We can change the subject, man. It's cool."

Aaron shook his head, "No, it's just, well, the truth is, I was orphaned." Emma's head shot up. "My parents died in a car accident around Easter time. It was really hard."

"Oh, you poor thing," Margaret said, reaching her hand out and placing it on Aaron's arm.

"So, you went into the system?" Emma asked.

"Briefly. But there was this couple, this amazing couple who took me in. I was a bit of an angry mess back then, but they refused to give up on me. They'll never replace the family I lost, of course, but I still consider them my parents. They're good people."

"That must be why you're such a good parent," Margaret said.

Emma didn't hear what Aaron said in response. There was a roaring in her ears and a tightness in her chest. She stood up and excused herself, heading for the bathrooms. After finding both the ladies' and the men's rooms occupied, she headed for the coatroom.

Her breathing was coming fast. Emma hadn't had a panic attack like this in years. What was wrong with her? Why couldn't she help but want to punch something, anything, everything?

"Emma? Are you okay?" Emma was surprised to hear Aaron's voice.

"What are you doing here?"

"I came to check on you. You seemed upset … and you've been gone for nearly ten minutes now."

Ten minutes? Was that how long she had been heaving?

"I'm … Go back to the table."

"Are you-?"

"I can handle myself!"

"I don't doubt that. But sometimes it's nice not to have to."

"And you would know all about that, wouldn't you? With the hard childhood you had?"

"I'm sorry if that upset you. I know it's a little much for some people. A little, sad– "

"Is it true?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"Accidents happen. Someone doesn't see something in the road—"

"Not that. I can see that happening. The universe loves to screw with people like that. I'm talking about after. "

"After?"

"You're thirteen, angry, distant. You're not the cute little baby every parent wants, or even a still-moldable five-year-old. You're an angsty little preteen. How the hell did you get adopted?"

"My parents … they're good people. I'm lucky-"

"You bet your ass you were lucky! Because that doesn't just happen. How is it possible that you get not only the perfect parents, but when they leave you, not of their own choice but due to some freak accident out of their control, you get another perfect set to adopt you? Two perfect families! Two! And I'm sorry for your tragedy and all, but seriously? The system does not work like that. Believe me, I know."

What was wrong with her? She didn't lose it like this. And she didn't swear like this. Not since Henry.

Henry. Henry had changed everything. Before Henry, she hadn't had a family, but the second he was born she did. And she had. For twelve beautiful, amazing years Emma had had the best family and she hadn't felt alone or abandoned.

But suddenly, these past few weeks, it felt like it had all just come crashing down. It felt like she had just been left. It felt like she had just lost her family before ever really knowing them. And it hurt. God, it hurt. She wanted to scream and cry. She was crying. She was blubbering and screaming and a mess in a coat closet with a guy who was more or less a stranger.

She had screamed at him and he had done nothing to deserve that. He had just had a happy childhood, more or less. Embarrassed, Emma swatted at her cheeks.

"Sorry. That was harsh. I shouldn't have said that. I'm … sorry about your parents. That sucks."

Aaron nodded, "I'm sorry, too."

"You didn't do anything."

"No, but somebody clearly did. It's none of my business; I won't ask you for your story. But I'm betting that some screwed-up stuff happened to you, and I'm sorry that it did. Even if the woman you became at the end of that screwed-up stuff is pretty impressive and, if I may say so, occasionally scary."

Emma laughed. "What, 'cause I tackled you that one time?"

Aaron shrugged. "Look, I'm not saying you have to, but if you ever need someone to talk to …"

Emma nodded. "I'll be okay. And we should get back there. Abandoning your dates is bad form."

"Somehow, I don't think they minded. They were bonding over some Canadian miniseries that one of them apparently has to see."

"Seriously? Your friend hijacked your date."

"Honestly, I was never interested in Margaret. She's nice, but not really my type. I had a feeling that they might hit it off, though."

"So, you were matchmaking?" Emma accused. She couldn't help but smile, especially in the face of his answering smirk.

"Much as you were."

"Totally different."

"Right."

"But wait, you didn't suggest Alan come along right away."

"Right away, you weren't exactly clear on who would be attending either."

"So, you didn't know who was coming and you didn't even like Margaret in the first place. Why agree?"

"I'll let you puzzle that one out for yourself. And now, we really do need to get back to the table. I ordered something fancy and overpriced, and I intend to eat every bite of it."

"My mom said it isn't a date," Henry said as he came up behind Andrea. He had been heading to the bathroom when he saw her door open and he thought … well, he thought they should talk about it. Because she should know. And to her credit, Andrea didn't jump or anything when he came up behind her. She was perfectly composed and cool, just turning toward him and raising an eyebrow questioningly. Henry wished he could raise just one eyebrow. "At least not with your dad. He's setting her up with some other guy or something."

"Yeah, I know. It's my Uncle Alan; he's staying with us for a bit."

"Oh. Is he nice?"

"Sure. Why?"

"My mom doesn't date much. I just want to be sure …"

Andrea smiled at him. "My dad doesn't date much either. I think it's a single parent thing. Or maybe a healing broken heart thing. Take your pick."

Henry thought about it. "I don't want to be the reason my mom doesn't go out and have a good time with someone. And I certainly don't want it to be because of the jerk who left her."

"Isn't your mom super independent? I'm sure she wouldn't let anything stop her from going out if she really wanted to."

Henry nodded. "It's weird. I'm not used to thinking of her with someone, but I want her to be happy and…" Henry didn't finish. Couldn't finish.

"And you wouldn't mind having a dad-type person around?" Andrea asked.

"How did you-?" Henry asked, his eyes wide.

"Because I miss my mom like crazy, and nobody could ever replace her, but I've got a lot going on these days that I could use a mom to talk to about. My dad tries, but it isn't the same. And when I see girls at school fighting with their moms, I just think about how lucky they are that they can do that. I never really got to fight with mine."

"I wonder about the dumbest stuff sometimes," Henry said. "Like, was he into comic books? And if he was, Marvel or DC? But I can't ask my mom. I don't know if she knows, because it isn't like they probably talked about that, but even if she does know, what good would it do to ask now? I hate him. I hate him for what he did to her. But then, I'll be good at something my mom isn't and wonder where I got it from."

"Henry? There you are," Sam said, coming through the still-open door. "You know this isn't the bathroom, right? We were starting to think you had the atomic runs or something and were busy stinking up the place."

Henry felt his face grow warm.

"He just wanted to know if I could get you guys some snacks," Andrea said, shooting Henry a smile.

"Dude, you don't want snacks in this house."

"Some of it isn't so bad," Henry said loyally.

"Yeah, I guess. But I'm having a Snickers when I get home."

"Come on, guys, let's head to the kitchen. I'll see if I can whip something up for you."

Henry had never really been much for sports. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy them every now and again, but he liked his books and his movies, his comics, and his video games. Sports always took a back seat. But Jason and Sam were trying out for the soccer team, so Henry had wanted to try out too. He thought it would be cool if they were all on a team together, and Emma was just grateful that it wasn't a sport known for causing concussions. So, she stood on the sidelines next to some of the other parents, watching her kid be awesome, if somewhat awkward, on the field.

"Do you think they have a shot?"

"Sam's father has been coaching him. He's a sporty type. Actually, if he makes the team, it'll be better motivation for my ex to take on some parenting duties, so I'm all for it really."

Emma smiled. "Well, it won't be just you forever. You and Alan seemed to be getting pretty chummy the other night."

Margaret smiled. "He's great, isn't he? Funny how that all worked out." Both mothers stopped to cheer on their boys for a second. "Of course, he doesn't live here, but he's going to be in town for a bit on business and then … I guess we'll see."

"Well, whatever happens, I'm here, if you need to like, talk, or whatever," Emma said awkwardly. "I can help you with date prep or post-date analysis over coffee and donuts."

"Oh, well, I don't know that I have time for all that. Single motherhood, you know? And when I do have a minute, I'll probably spend it getting to know him."

"Right, of course, but maybe when your schedule frees up, we can get a coffee and-"

"And gab about boys? Honestly, Emma, I'm really not into that sort of thing. The last time I had a close social circle they were mostly guys, and I have too much going on now to start forming friendships and going on coffee playdates."

"Oh," Emma said, wondering what had gotten into her. She wasn't one to gossip about boys either. She had just thought …

"I mean, I'm grateful for your helping me out. I'm just not really looking to expand my social circle right now. My boys and my new guy, that's about all I can handle."

"Mom, are you okay?" Henry asked, as Emma spread the takeout from Boston Market on the table.

"What do you mean?" she asked, spooning mac and cheese onto a plate for Henry and then grabbing some for herself.

"You just seem, I don't know, upset about something. I mean, we got comfort food for dinner," Henry said, pointing to the mac and cheese.

"I just feel bad about your try-out. You should have made the team," Emma said, settling down and digging into her food.

"I'm not bummed. Sam and Jason didn't make the team either, which was mostly why I wanted to join. Plus, this gives us more time to work on our comic, you know?"

Emma nodded. Henry had been working on making his own comic with his friends for a few weeks now. He wouldn't tell her what it was about yet, but he'd promised she would get to see it when it was finished.

"Okay. Well, good. I'm glad, then."

"You don't sound glad."

"Henry-"

"I'm not saying you don't care about me making the team. I know you care. But there's something else, isn't there?" Reluctantly, Emma nodded. "You want to talk about it?"

"It's just … You've made a lot of really great friends since we moved here. I love that you have, that you are adjusting so well. And I guess I'm just realizing that I haven't. I don't know when I forgot how to make friends. I mean, I had friends in Florida, right?" Henry nodded, "And then I thought I had made friends with Mrs. Whitfield, and then … I just… bombed."

"Mrs. Whitfield? Really?"

"What, you like her."

Henry shrugged, "I like Sam. And I mean, she's okay, I guess. There's nothing really wrong with her. It's just, she isn't like how I feel she's supposed to be when I think of her, you know?" Emma nodded. She couldn't explain it either, but f she knew exactly what Henry meant. "And making friends is harder for adults, not that it was easy for me. It was actually really scary."

"You did it though. You went into the lion's den and got the lion cubs to play with you."

"I don't think that's how the story goes. But, you know, now that I think about it, I think you do have a friend."

Emma nodded, "I know. And you're all I need, kid, really. That's why I didn't want to make a thing -"

"Oh, I don't mean me. Being friends with your mom is … well, I mean, I guess you and I are close, but calling us friends seems weird. Disrespectful, somehow." Emma nodded as Henry went on, "I meant Mr. Davidson. You guys are friends, right?"

Emma started to argue, but then she thought about that night at the restaurant, Aaron holding her while she cried, him offering to be there if she ever needed to talk.

"I … yeah. I guess we are."

"See, so there you go. You have a friend. You can like, hang out and stuff while I'm at school and you have nothing to do."

Again, Emma nodded. "I feel strange coming to my twelve-year-old son for advice."

"Why stop now?" Henry asked cheekily before scooping up some mac and cheese. Emma smiled, ruffling his hair.

It had been a long day. And it wasn't even noon. Henry had this big science project, and the two of them had been up all night working on it. Emma was exhausted, but she had a new case and it would take research and time. She could put it off, but then someone else could catch the skip and Emma would be out the paycheck. She needed to devote her day to this before Henry came home and she didn't have time. First, though, she needed coffee.

They didn't actually have a coffee maker in the house, because Emma usually opted for chocolate, and when she really needed a caffeine fix, there was a Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts on literally every corner. She could just grab a coffee to go, but she was also pretty hungry. There was a diner down the street that was decent, but did Emma really want to go sit in a diner all by herself?

She'd done it before, happily in fact, and it wasn't like she couldn't bring her laptop with her. But she thought back to her conversation with Henry and before she could second-guess herself, she was dialing the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's Emma. Um, Henry's mom?"

"Hey, Emma. Is everything all right with Henry?"

"He's fine, except a little sleep deprived. We both are actually, which is why I was going to head to Joe's down the street for a pick me up, and I was wondering if you wanted to join me?"

"Uh, yeah, sure. I'll see you in ten."

"Great."

"How did you get here before me?" Emma asked, shedding her jacket and taking a seat across from her new brunch buddy. The diner wasn't super busy, so she imagined they'd get served quickly. And Aaron had scoped out a pretty good spot.

"I was just around the corner checking on a patient when you called. The classic dog eating chocolate emergency that never gets old."

"Are dogs not supposed to eat chocolate?"

Aaron chuckled. "As a rule, no."

Emma spotted a waitress heading over to their table and thanked the food and caffeine gods for the speedy service.

"No wonder you're such of fan of canines. Health-nuts, the lot of you," Emma said, before placing her order.

"Just water for me," Aaron said, causing Emma to roll her eyes.

"Coming right up," the waitress said, heading towards the kitchen.

"Seriously, what is it with you and the healthy eating thing?"

"You really want to know?" Emma nodded. "Okay, here goes. My wife she … we weren't always the healthiest. I don't think I was so bad. A little lazy, maybe. Cooking takes a lot of time and effort and cleaning up even more so. It's so much easier to pick up a TV diner and call it a day. And my wife was always eating junk and saying she'd exercise and work it off later, but half the time, she didn't.

"When she was diagnosed, what she had … it wasn't supposed to kill her. But it did make her life harder. It made all of our lives harder. Neurological diseases tend to do that.

"She wasn't actually diagnosed for a long time. She didn't want to admit something was wrong, kept saying that it was just that she was tired. And then things just … got bad. And it … it really wasn't supposed to kill her. But the body is a unit. The parts that make it up communicate with each other. So, if something is wrong with one part of your body, everything else gets harder. It matters more. And when you don't eat right, exercise, take care of yourself, it makes a difference.

I watched my wife waste away, and I just kept thinking, maybe if we had taken better care of our bodies before, this wouldn't be happening, or at least not this bad. And I couldn't lose anyone else.

"So, I started eating better, and I got the kids eating better, too. Jason was so young when she passed, he doesn't even really remember junk food being in the house. Andrea remembers, but she also remembers what happened to her mom. And she gets it.

"And maybe it is a little paranoid. But there are so many things that can happen to you, and I want my kids to have every defense against anything that could take them away from me or take me away from them. So, I cook, and they eat healthy snacks, and we try to keep active."

At some point in his explanation, Emma's hand had found its way onto Aaron's arm. It made her heart hurt hearing him talk about his wife like that. Emma had lost people before, but never like that. She'd never watched some she loved die. For a minute, something tugged at her memory. Lips against hers, eyes going wide, a heartbeat that she couldn't find. Then it was gone, just like all the other times and she was focusing on Aaron again. His story was so sad. She couldn't believe he wasn't bawling, but she supposed it had been years now. Still, the sorrow on his face was plain.

"I'm so sorry. That must have been … I can't even imagine."

Aaron nodded, "We have to keep living," he said, as the waitress placed their drinks in front of them. "I refused to close myself off again, the way I did when my parents died. I have the kids to think about, and my wife would want me to live." Emma didn't know what to say so she just drank her coffee. "But things are getting a little heavy here. Why don't we talk about something else? Tell me about Henry's science project?"

"Oh, well, you know Henry; he's a go big or go home kid. I had to talk him down from a few things that I think NASA is probably working on before he would settle on something doable."

"Sounds about right. Andrea's the same way with her theater. She wants the costumes to be made for Broadway as opposed to high school."

They went on like that for a bit, talking about their kids, and then Emma's phone buzzed.

"Wow, it is really that late?"

"Time flies, huh?" Aaron said, chuckling. "Listen, I'm glad we did this. And sorry for things getting so intense in the beginning. Going on about your dead wife is probably not the best way to start a date off."

Emma nearly dropped her phone. "Date? This isn't -" She thought back to her phone call to him. What had she said? She'd asked him to get food. And then that night at the restaurant he'd said …

Aaron's eyes widened, "Oh, I'm sorry, I thought –"

"No, I didn't, it's just I … I … I have to go," Emma said, awkwardly, heading for the door. It wasn't until she got home that she realized she hadn't paid for her coffee or her food. Aaron would have to foot the bill even though he'd just gotten water. Which, while unfair of her, would be standard for a date maybe, but it hadn't been a date. She hadn't meant for it to be a date.

She had to fix this. But first, there was work to do and then, she had to pick up Henry.

She wasn't avoiding it really. She just had other priorities. She'd straighten this out.

It had been three days since the date that wasn't a date and Emma had been avoiding Aaron like the plague. It wasn't so easy, considering how much time their kids spent at each other's houses. Frankly, Emma was exhausted by how much effort she had to put into not seeing him, and that only served to remind her of how pathetic she was being.

She wasn't even entirely sure why she was avoiding him. So, they'd had a misunderstanding. They could talk about it like two rational adults. Despite having had to grow up too fast, there were days when Emma seemed to forget that she was an adult. Or so Henry pointed out to her every now and then.

When she had him meeting her outside the Davidsons' home, instead of coming in and hanging out while he gathered his stuff, her kid called bullshit.

"What happened with you and Mr. Davidson? Did you guys have a fight or something?"

"We had a … misunderstanding," Emma said as she tried to keep her eyes on the road and off her precocious, nosy offspring.

"Right. Okay. And what does that mean?"

"I don't know, kid. Why don't you ask Google?"

"I don't mean the definition. And you don't have to take whatever misunderstanding you two had out on me."

He was right. "I'm sorry, Henry. It's just, sometimes, with grown-up stuff … it gets hard, and I get scared."

"I know. You're like a stray cat that doesn't know how to react when a family offers it food."

Emma chuckled. "Mr. Davidson is a nice man and I'm glad you have fun there and feel safe with him. I'm not mad at him. I don't know if he's mad at me. I hope he isn't. I'm just trying to learn how to have relationships like a regular adult again and I'm not exactly acing it."

"I guess it takes practice, like school or writing or sports-"

"I still say you should have made the team," Emma said reflexively.

Henry laughed. "It takes practice to learn how to interact with people, and even if you are good at it generally, you still have to learn over again with someone new, because everybody is different. You just need to practice. Or you could just decide it isn't worth it and we could move again. I've heard good things about Atlanta."

Emma chuckled. "Georgia? Really?"

"They film a lot of the Marvel stuff there. And I grew up in the south. It's actually surprising how quickly my body has adjusted to New York temperatures."

"So, what you're saying is, I need to do the scary thing and just deal with the huge elephant in the room."

"It's what you would tell me to do."

"I don't know about that, but you make a good pitch. If everything goes south though, I am NOT moving to Atlanta. Maybe Boston again."

The clock on Emma's nightstand said 11:30. Henry was asleep. Andrea and Jason were probably asleep. Possibly, Aaron was asleep too. But she'd been stalling since she and Henry got home, and Henry's voice kept going off in her head telling her to practice being an actual adult.

She dialed Aaron's number. It was his cell, not his landline. It was weird that he even still had a landline, but it was an old house and maybe he didn't want to part with it. Still, calling it would have awakened the kids, so it was his cell that she dialed now.

"Emma?" He asked. He sounded tired. And surprised. And she hadn't expected him to know it was her.

"I know it is super late and you were probably dreaming about, I don't know, kale salad or something. I probably shouldn't have called."

"Is everything okay? Is Henry all right?"

Something in her heart jerked to hear that that was his first thought. "Henry's fine. I'm not. I mean, not in that something is wrong with me, but just in that there is something wrong with me. I'm doing this wrong. I wanted to apologize."

"Apologize?"

"I've been avoiding you, which you probably figured out, and I didn't realize you thought it was a date when I asked you to breakfast, but I probably should have, and I know I shouldn't have run out like I did-"

"Emma-"

"No, I need to get this out. I suck at relationships." She paused to gather her thoughts.

"Emma?" Aaron asked after a minute passed with her not speaking.

"I suck at relationships, and I don't just mean dating. I mean all relationships. Henry was the first person who I didn't screw up with and lately, I feel like I don't know what I'm doing with him half the time, like I'm learning it all over again, like I didn't raise him for the past twelve years-"

"That's not-"

"But it's just him. Just Henry. He's all I've had. He's all I've ever had, really. No one else, nothing else has ever stuck. And I thought I was bonding with Margaret and making a friend, but I bombed and screwed it up somehow, and Henry said that I still had you as a friend, and I just … I just need a friend. God, you have no clue how much I want a friend."

There was a long pause. Then, "We can be friends."

Emma couldn't remember if she had ever felt this relieved in her life. "Really?"

"Emma, I like you. I'm not going to pretend I don't, mostly because you wouldn't buy it at this point. I also respect you. I can respect a woman telling me to get lost-"

"I'm not saying-"

"I know. But if you did, I wouldn't bother you. I don't want to bother you. I want to be your friend. And if, at any point, you want more, than I would very much like that, but if you don't, that's okay, too. You are someone I would love to call my friend. In fact, I already do."

"For what it's worth, I'm not saying 'never'. Because it isn't like there is anything wrong with you. You're actually pretty great. But I haven't dated in … well, years, and I'm just not ready for something serious. And because you're my friend' and because of our kids, there is no way something between us could be casual."

"I understand. It took me a long time to date after my wife passed. It's important to give people space to do what is right for them in their own time."

"Thanks for being … Thank you. And I promise, next time I ask you to hang out, I will be super clear."

"Maybe I'll just assume it isn't a date unless you use the actual word 'date'. Or we could think of another word or phrase, if you prefer. Like, should a time come when you want to go on a date with me, you say, 'I'll have the kale salad,' and that's how I'll know."

Emma laughed. "I don't care what kind of relationship we have; I'm never trying kale salad."

"You haven't even tried it?" he asked in mock-offense. "Well then, how do you know you don't like it?"

"It's green. It's healthy. That's all I need to know."

"So, you don't do anything healthy?"

"Not food-wise. I keep in decent shape, though. Have to for my job."

"Well then, maybe we could go for a run sometime. As friends."

"I'll have to check my schedule."

"Fair enough. Well, I have to be up early for my 5:00 a.m. run-"

"Freak."

She heard him chuckle. "So, I'm going to have to go. Goodnight, friend."

"Goodnight, friend."

Emma went to sleep with a smile on her face.

Emma had never really gotten Shakespeare. Maybe it was because her school experiences had been so bad, or maybe the writing was just really confusing.

Watching Andrea on stage at her school's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, Emma was more or less lost.

Henry had wanted to go, of course, and Aaron had gotten them tickets near each other. They sat there almost like a family, watching the bumbling of a bunch of high schoolers dressed up like fairies and donkeys. Well, okay, there was just the one donkey. Even Emma could admit that part was funny.

"So, what exactly was that all about?" Emma asked after the final bow.

"Love makes people crazy," Henry said. "I mean, there's more, but that's basically it. And all actors are hams."

"And donkeys," Aaron added.

"Well, she did a good job, I think."

"I would drop the 'I think' when she asks how she did," Henry cautioned. "Actors can be kind of sensitive about that kind of thing."

Right on cue, Andrea came bounding over to them. Aaron took her in a hug. "There's my beautiful fairy."

"Dad, I wasn't a fairy."

"Well, you were amazing up there, whatever you were supposed to be."

Andrea rolled her eyes. "What did you guys think?" she asked, turning to Emma and Henry. "You aren't my dad, so I know you'll be honest."

"You were awesome," Henry said, "I totally thought you were going to kill that guy for rejecting you."

"You were the star of a magical teen soap-opera," Emma added.

"Thanks. I have to go change, and then the cast has this post-opening night thing we're doing. I'll be home by curfew."

"We can stick around."

"It'll be a while, Dad. But I'll be fine, I promise. And I will make curfew, but please let me stay. Everyone is staying."

Aaron sighed. "Keep your phone on hand, and if you think you'll be even a second late, you call."

She nodded, hugging him before sprinting backstage

"I thought we were all going out," Henry said.

"She wants to hang out with her cast friends," Jason said. "Plus, I heard her on the phone and I think she's into one of the other guys in the play; I forget which one."

"Oh." Henry's face fell slightly.

"We could still go out," Aaron offered. "I'd be happy to treat everyone to a meal."

Henry shook his head. "Thanks, Mr. Davidson, but I think I just want to go home."

In next to no time, Emma and Henry were back at the apartment gorging on take-out. "It's for the best we didn't all go to dinner. Can you imagine what kind of place they would take us to?" Emma asked, stuffing a French fry into her mouth. "It would probably be all steamed vegetables and quinoa."

Henry nodded noncommittally.

"Hey, kid," Emma said, nudging him with her foot. "Talk to me."

"About what?"

"I get that you're bummed. Andrea's a sweet kid. And, I mean, three years is … a lot, but it can't feel great to hear she likes someone else."

"Why would I care about that?" Emma gave him a look. "I don't. It's… whatever. I'm gonna head to bed."

Emma sighed. Once Henry was out, she dialed Aaron's number. "How do I talk to my son about girls?"

"Hello to you too."

"Sorry. I just … Henry's freezing me out."

"They do that, once they start liking the opposite sex. I was none too pleased to hear Jason's announcement myself, not that it's the first boy Andrea has liked. Not that she's told me, of course, but Jason's a bit of a spy and I'm in no position to discourage him."

"I don't want to spy on Henry. I just want him to talk to me. It's a little weird that he likes a girl, but I'd be all for it if I didn't see it ending with him getting hurt."

"Three years is a long time at that age."

"So, you know? I mean-"

"Did I catch on to the fact that your son has taken a shine to my daughter? Yeah. It was pretty clear. But Henry's a smart kid. I think the fact that he's focused on someone who he knows is out of reach means that he isn't really ready for anything that could be real. It's a fantasy, an idea of what he could have someday."

"So, should I say that to him?"

"Definitely not. His feelings are still real to him. But when he's really ready, I think it'll start smaller and slower with a girl his own age."

"It's not like I set any kind of dating example for him. I hardly date. And he doesn't have a dad to …" Emma winced. She didn't want to think of Neal. She couldn't think of Neal. What kind of dad would Neal have been, anyway? He was an orphan too, just as clueless as her, and a criminal. What would he have taught Henry? How to break into places?

"Emma?"

"Sorry. I just … It's hard. The single parent thing."

"Tell me about it. Andrea remembers her mother. She knows exactly what is missing from her life, and every time she wants to talk about boys or other female things, I can feel how much I fall flat."

"Well, she could talk to me. I mean, I don't know if she would want to, but you could tell her, if she ever asked. I mean, I'm not winning any parenting awards or anything, but I know a little about boys and tampons and stuff like that."

"Thanks. Same goes for Henry."

"Yeah. Somehow, I think the fact that you're Andrea's dad would make the whole thing awkward in this case. But thanks, all the same."

"And for what it's worth, I think you're doing a fine job with Henry."

"Yeah, yeah, so you've told me."

"I spend a lot of time at animal shelters; I know what a poor, mistreated creature looks like. That isn't your son. He's smart and bright and full of energy and hope."

"Well, maybe he's a really good actor. Maybe we're both just good at making it look like we have it all together when neither of us has a clue."

"Nobody has a clue. We press on."

"Well, I should head to bed."

"And I should get back to waiting up for my daughter."

Emma laughed. "Goodnight, friend."

"How did I know you were going to call?" Aaron said on the other end of the phone.

Henry was sleeping over at the Davidsons tonight. It was his first time sleeping over there. In fact, it was the first time in Emma couldn't remember how long that she and Henry would be sleeping in different places.

"Can I talk to him before he goes to bed?"

"I already told them lights out."

"And you think they listened?"

"I don't know. They're good kids, but … I'll go check." Emma waited for Aaron to come back on the phone. "They're either asleep or pretending to be asleep. I could try and rouse them?"

"No, they need their rest," Emma said, feeling foolish. "I'm sorry for calling like this."

"It's fine. There is nothing wrong with being worried about him."

"That's not it. I mean, I always worry about him, but it isn't like I don't trust you to keep him safe or call me if anything happens." It wasn't until after she'd said it that Emma realized that she meant it. "I trust you," she said again, the words feeling strange and yet right as they left her mouth. She paused, giving them both a moment to process. "It's just been a long time since Henry wasn't here when I went to sleep at night. I guess I've gotten used to not being alone."

"All great and precious things are lonely."

"What?"

"That's John Steinbeck. East of Eden?"

"So, you're the sort of person who quotes books and makes obscure references?"

"Once in a while."

"That's good to know."

"Emma, there is no shame in feeling lonely."

"I'm no stranger to being alone, okay? But I miss my kid."

"I can see that. Andrea's first sleepover was no picnic for me, and my wife was still alive at the time. Now …"

"You must miss her a lot."

"I used to fall asleep the moment my head hit the pillow. After my wife passed, I had to get used to sleeping with nobody on the other side of the bed, which was no easy feat."

"How did you get through it?"

"Time. And lurking in the children's rooms to watch them sleep. Jason and Andrea actually bunked with me for a bit after. We all needed it. Sometimes just the sound of someone breathing is enough."

"That sounds like something from a horror movie. Listening to someone breathing."

Aaron chuckled. "Well, in that context …"

"I should hang up and get some sleep, shouldn't I?"

"We can talk for a bit if you like. I don't have to go to sleep just yet, and a voice on the phone isn't all that different from the sound of someone breathing. In fact, I'd bet it's a bit better."

"Yeah, well, so long as you don't ask me my favorite scary movie or anything like that."

Another chuckle. "I'm sorry, who called who in the middle of the night? Besides, you seem like you'd have a lot of favorite scary movies."

"And you seem like you'd have a lot of movies you like on the Hallmark Channel."

"Ouch."

"I'm not wrong though, am I?"

"Honestly, between Andrea's love for classics and tragedies and Sam's passion for superheroes, Star Wars, and British science fiction, I haven't watched something that was just for me in a long time."

"Well, we'll have to fix that. Have a movie night. We'll watch Scream, The Grudge, The Omen -"

"So, I wasn't wrong?"

"Hugo, Enchanted, Harry Potter -"

"Enchanted? The musical about a fairy tale princess in New York?"

Emma shrugged. "It's better than it sounds."

"And isn't Harry Potter for children?"

"Okay, now you're just baiting me. And to answer your question, no, it is not just for kids. In fact, the later films are a little mature."

"How mature?"

"PG-13ish."

"Good to know. Jason never caught onto that craze, and Andrea won't read anything written this century."

"Technically, the earlier books were written in the 90s, which was last century."

"I'll be sure and pass that along."

"Okay. Now I really, really should get to bed. And you probably have to get up at some ungodly hour to go for a run or to the gym or something?"

"You go for runs too," Aaron countered.

"Not at five in the morning, I don't." Emma heard Aaron chuckle again. He did that a lot. She was realizing it wasn't the worst sound and she didn't mind causing it so much. "Listen, thanks for …"

"No problem. Goodnight, friend."

"Goodnight, friend."

It was decided that the five of them would see the new Frozen movie. Emma hadn't been to a movie in … Well, she didn't really remember the last time. It had certainly been a while.

It wasn't what she would have picked, or what Henry would have picked for that matter, but Andrea knew what she wanted to see, and with both Henry and Aaron trying to make her happy, it was three against two.

Emma and Henry each got a huge thing of popcorn and Emma put pieces of milk duds in hers. The Davidsons, of course, snuck in a bowl of fruit slices and baby carrots, which caused Emma to roll her eyes and nudge Aaron good-naturedly.

Aaron and Emma sat on each end with their kids between them, so that Henry was right next to Emma, which, incidentally, was right where she liked him to sit.

The movie was okay. It wasn't as predictable as Emma remembered Disney movies being, the songs were decent, and she laughed at the 'shoe-size doesn't matter' joke.

Then, there was what happened at the end. Before Anna sacrificed herself for her sister, it was just so clear to Emma what was about to happen. Because of course, true love didn't have to be about romance; true love was family.

In her mind's eye, Emma saw Henry lying in a hospital bed, something to do with food poisoning, she couldn't remember what, and her heart ached. She loved her kid so much.

And, like he somehow knew what she was thinking, Emma felt his small hand make its way into hers. Maybe he saw the tears on her cheeks. She gave his hand a squeeze so he knew she was okay, but when she glanced at him, she saw he had tears in his eyes too. And he was smiling at her in a way she hadn't seen in forever. "I believe in you."

When the movie was over, their little gang burst from the theater, smiles all around.

"Admit it: it was better than you thought it would be," Andrea urged.

"I admit nothing," her brother said, though he was smiling.

"It had its moments," Emma said. "I mean, I don't usually cry at movies."

"Henry cried, too!" Andrea said.

Most tween boys would deny crying, especially when their accuser was their crush. But Henry was Henry, so he said, "I'm not ashamed of crying. Real men show emotion. It's the twenty-first century."

Emma smiled, as Andrea's eyebrows went up to her hairline.

"He speaks the truth," Aaron said. "I bawl like a baby when Bambi's mom gets shot."

"Yeah, but everybody cries at that," Andrea countered.

"I don't!" Jason said indignantly, which just caused Andrea to laugh. "I don't."

"I'll record you on my phone next time we watch."

"Whatever, Bambi's for babies anyway. Next time we go to the movies, we're going to see something Marvel."

"Can I ask you a question?" Emma and Aaron were at the park. They had gone for a run while the kids were at school and were now sitting on the benches chugging their waters. But for the past few minutes, Emma had just been watching him, trying to figure something out. Truthfully, she'd been trying to figure it out for months, but he was sitting here now, and as they say, there's no time like the present, so she decided to just ask. Sort of.

Aaron motioned for her to go ahead, and she liked that he hadn't made some cheesy joke about how technically she already had asked. She hated that. "Remember when we were first getting to know each other and you wanted to go out with me?" Aaron nodded. "Well, why? I mean, you didn't know me so well back then, but you made quite the effort. So, what made you want to?"

Aaron smiled at her. "Well, I suppose I could say something casual like you were nice to look at, which is true, if a little insulting. If I say you're gorgeous or something over the top, you'll get all embarrassed and possibly violent." Emma laughed at that, and he kept talking. "But I guess it started with Henry. He would spend time at our house, talking about you and how amazing you were. He shared his stories about how you were brave and strong and capable, but also kind and genuine. And I thought that sounded like someone I'd want to know. And then when I met you in person, let's just say you didn't disappoint. You really were all those things he said."

"And you could tell because … ?"

"It wasn't one little thing. It was a million different things, but it was also just who you are. You are confident and independent and you've made a home with Henry under less than ideal circumstances. You never give up. You fight for what matters. I liked that. I still do."

Emma nodded. "Thanks."

"Anytime."

"I … I've been thinking about it lately. Us, going out. I mean, there is a lot to consider, with Henry and Jason and Andrea. And I haven't dated in … Well, I don't remember the last time I went on a real date, our little attempt at doubling notwithstanding. "

"We don't have to date, Emma."

"So, you don't want to anymore?"

"No, I still want to. But we don't have to. I don't want to push you to do something you don't want."

"But I do!" Emma blurted, surprising herself. "I mean, I think it is something I do want. I think. I'm not so certain about anything right now, but I think I want to give it a try."

"Is this you giving me the code-word then?"

"Well, we never actually agreed on a code-word, but I guess, yeah."

Aaron smiled. "Well then, Emma, would you like to go to dinner with me on Friday?"

Emma pretended to consider it. "I'll have to check my schedule." Then she got serious. "I'll have to check with Henry."

"I'll run things by the kids too. I mean, you aren't the first woman I've dated since their mother passed, but it is best to be up front about these things. Plus, you know them."

"Does that make it easier or harder?"

Aaron shook his head. "We'll figure it out."

"And we'll always be friends, right? I mean, if it doesn't work out?"

"I can't imagine not wanting to be friends with you."

"Okay, then. It's a date."

"Hey, kid, can we talk?"

Henry nodded, brushing crumbs from his shirt. It was just after dinner and it had taken Emma that long to work up her courage. But she and Henry didn't keep secrets, so she couldn't wait much longer on this.

"You like Mr. Davidson, right?" There. That was a good start.

"He's okay," Henry said with a shrug. "I mean, for a dad."

Good. This was good. She was working up to it. "How would you feel if I dated him?" Or she could just blurt it out.

After a moment, Henry said, "Unsurprised. And not just because you let me have two desserts with dinner."

"Well, you're a growing boy."

"You were buttering me up."

"Little bit," Emma admitted.

"Mom, relax. I saw this coming, remember? And Mr. Davidson is cool. He's nice and smart and fun, and he has a dog. His snacks could be better, but you can't have everything. Besides, maybe we could change him. I mean, if you can't convince someone to eat junk food, then it really is a hopeless case."

Emma laughed. "What happened to 'he's okay?'"

"I couldn't make it easy for you, could I?" Henry asked, smirking.

For their first date, Aaron took Emma to a nice restaurant. It wasn't as nice as some of the places where she would meet her skips, but it was nice.

"I shudder to think what you're going to order," Emma said, grabbing a napkin to play with.

"I'm going to order something super healthy and weird that isn't even on the menu. They'll have to go to the store to get ingredients," Aaron said casually.

"Seriously?" Emma asked, her eyebrow going up.

With a laugh, Aaron shook his head. "I mean, it's harder to be healthy when you don't make the stuff yourself, but there are a lot of options if you know how to look for them. Steam the vegetables; grill the chicken or the salmon, and so on. Salmon is actually really healthy and really delicious, so I'll probably opt for that."

"That actually sounds pretty good. Well, the grilled salmon part; I'm not so sure about the vegetables."

"Suit yourself, but you don't know what you're missing."

The waitress came and took their orders. Then another waiter came with some water and breadsticks.

"So, bail bonds? How does one get into that line of work?"

Emma laughed around a bit of breadstick. "You're really turned on by my job, huh?"

Aaron shrugged and Emma searched her memory. She didn't usually get to tell how she'd gotten into her line of work because, well, most of her dates were actually skips.

"Well, I didn't have so much experience and I needed some money, and …" Emma stopped, thinking harder. There had been someone, hadn't there? A woman she'd bonded with who was in bail bonds. They had both … had they both had kids? No, that wasn't quite right. Emma had gotten into this line of work earlier. She had needed work to support Henry. They'd always had enough to get by on since he was born; Emma had made sure of it. So, she must have been working when Henry was little.

Must have? Don't you know?

How had she met this woman? With a newborn, just out of jail and chasing down leads about her family … but she'd left that all behind when Henry was born. He was her family now, all the family she needed. And wouldn't it have been irresponsible of her to just go searching like that when Henry … No, something wasn't –

"Emma? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just, I'm just not sure I … it was a long time ago," she said, trying to shake past the fog in her head. "You know how it is as you get older. Things just start to … blur together, I guess."

Aaron eyed her skeptically. "If you're not comfortable telling me that's -"

Emma reached out for his hand. She needed him to know this wasn't personal. (Maybe she also needed the physical contact to ground her in the here and now, where things made sense.) "No, it's not … It's not that I don't want to tell you; I promise. I think it was … Something someone I knew did. I … I've been working since Henry was little and I can't quite recall how I got here. That happens sometimes, doesn't it? Where you just can't quite remember?"

"I mean, not for major life events … but I guess this wasn't one. Something someone in passing mentioned to you, maybe, that you decided to pursue?"

Emma let go of him and took another breadstick. "Yeah, I guess. Or … I just guess finding people is something I've always done, or tried to anyway. And I just fell into it, sort of." Emma grabbed another breadstick. "How about you? The vet thing; how did that start?"

"My parents, the ones who adopted me, they got me a dog from the pound to teach me to be responsible. They also thought I might feel more comfortable connecting with a dog than, you know, them. And they were right. I fell in love with animals pretty quickly and I thought it was something to look into. Studied hard, got the degree, and here I am."

"Right. Well, that sounds kind of like the plot of a kids movie -"

"Only if the dog also teaches me to play a sport and joins the school team with me while tripping up a psychotic animal-abusing clown."

"I was thinking more you and Sandy got adopted by Daddy Warbucks."

Aaron smiled. "Nice reference. You a fan growing up?"

"Musicals aren't my thing."

"Isn't Enchanted a musical?"

Emma laughed, "Yeah, okay, sure. Honestly, I'm not sure why I liked that one. When Henry and I first moved to New York, we decided to stay in and watch movies with take-out. I read the description and it just kind of … spoke to me, I guess."

"A Disney princess stranded in New York. So, do you think of yourself as a princess or fancy yourself stranded?"

Emma snorted at that. "Um, definitely not a princess. As for stranded, I don't know, I like New York." She took a bite of a breadstick. "I guess I don't care where I am so much. So long as I have Henry."

"I can relate to that. Though the kids have lived in New York pretty much their whole lives, so it's certainly easier for me to live here than anywhere else." Aaron paused as the waitress brought their food out. "Where did you live before? Florida, right?"

"Yeah, uh, Tallahassee. We moved to Boston a few years back because …" Emma paused, trying to clear her head. Moving Henry wasn't something she did lightly, because of school. She couldn't just drift around like she was on her own. She hadn't. There had been a reason to leave Florida and go to Boston. It was on the tip of her tongue, but, "Well, I don't really remember the reason. But then there was this fire and we lost our home and a bunch of our stuff, so we had to move again."

That had happened. Emma knew it had. She just didn't feel particularly sad about it. Shouldn't she? Shouldn't she care that Henry's childhood home had gone up in smoke? Shouldn't she care that she didn't have any of his childhood art anymore or that she couldn't look at those markings on the wall of him getting taller? That house was Henry's childhood and it was gone now. Emma had finally had a home and it was gone! No, she wouldn't think about that. The house in her mind with all its splendor was from a past that she had left behind. And now wasn't the time anyway. She was on a date.

"Luckily," Emma said, taking a sip from the drinks the waitress had just brought, "my job can be done anywhere. Plenty of scumbags in New York."

Aaron nodded. "You okay?"

Emma nodded back. "Yeah. Let's talk about something else."

They talked about something else. They talked about a lot of things. Aaron talked more than Emma. She trusted him with Henry and she wanted to trust him with more, but … it was hard. Every story, every first date question from the "Where did you grow up?" question, to the "What is your family like?" question, everything was hard for her to answer and made her feel vulnerable. She didn't want to talk about her lack of parents or jail or Henry's father.

They could talk about their kids, because she loved talking about Henry, and his kids were great, but when it got personal, it was easier to let him talk.

For his part, Aaron seemed pretty comfortable being open about his past, even the tragic stuff. He didn't go on and on about his birth parents or his wife, but he could talk about them. He was confident and secure enough to be emotionally vulnerable in a way Emma just wasn't, and she wasn't quite sure what to make of that. It was kind of scary, but she kind of liked it too, though she wasn't sure why.

After dinner, they headed back to Emma's apartment. The date was close enough that they didn't have to take the subway. They talked a bit more and then just sort of walked together quietly, enjoying each other's company.

"Well, this is me," Emma said, feeling like a teenager. Well, not the teenager she'd actually been. She hadn't really dated back then, at least not in any sort of traditional way. But she'd seen enough movies to know that this was a thing. The awkward moment by the door where the girl says what she just said and feels, possibly, as stupid saying it as she does.

"I had a good time," Aaron said, smiling at her.

Emma nodded. "Yeah. Me too."

"You almost sound surprised."

"Well, it's been a while. But I knew I'd like the company, so that wasn't surprising."

"Good to know. So, think we could do this again sometime?"

"What did you have in mind?"

"I don't know. We could see if Enchanted is playing anywhere. Or we could see Annie on Broadway."

Emma laughed. "I don't think it's playing right now. But … we'll think of something."

"So, yes."

"Yes." Was she blushing a little? "Um, goodnight."

"Goodnight," Aaron said, putting his hand to her cheek. And then his hand was gone. And then he was gone.

When Aaron met Emma to go jogging a few days later, she wasn't really sure how to act. But he handed her a water bottle and they got into a rhythm. She was tempted to put in headphones to make things less awkward but …

No. She could do this.

"So, friend, did I tell you about that guy?" she started.

"What guy?"

"That guy who wanted to date me. Cute. Good with animals. Really good father. Strange obsession with eating healthy." She heard him laugh that deep laugh she liked so much, "Anyway, I finally decided to give him a shot. We went on a date the other night."

After a beat, he asked, "And how did that go?"

"Well, the restaurant wasn't some smoothie shop with the word organic in the title, so that was a win. The food was pretty decent, actually."

"And the rest?"

"Well, I'm kind of out of practice, but I think he was a pretty decent date. Except for his being a chicken of course."

He stopped jogging. "How's that?"

"Well, he didn't even try and kiss me goodnight," Emma said, smiling.

"Maybe he was trying not to push too hard. Let you go at your pace."

"Right, well, it's not like he needed to jump my bones on the first date, but not even a peck? Kind of lame." She took a long drink from her water bottle, then shrugged. "Maybe he's gay."

"If he didn't want to kiss you, I could see that. But maybe he wanted to kiss you." He turned to her, putting his hand on her cheek again. This time she leaned into it. "Maybe he's wanted to kiss you for so long that it isn't even obvious anymore. It's just a part of him, like breathing." His voice was getting a little husky and his cheeks were pink from the cold, and Emma couldn't think of anything she wanted more than to pull him towards her and crash her lips onto his. So she did.

And there it was. That feeling that you got when you kissed someone for the first time and all you could smell and all you could taste was them. He tasted like cinnamon toothpaste and he smelled like sweat and aftershave, and Emma felt her head get woozy and her stomach swoop.

Then it was over and they were smiling at each other and Emma wasn't sure if she wanted to run from the feeling or towards it. She knew she kept her walls up pretty high a lot of the time. She hadn't been open with him. Not like he'd been with her. Not that she owed him anything either. But there was a voice in her head telling her that if she kept her walls up too high, they would keep out just as much love as they would pain. Something about that thought made her ache, and she felt him reaching up to catch the tears that were suddenly streaming down her face.

"I don't … I don't know why … I'm sorry," she blubbered.

Aaron nodded, pulling into a hug, "It's okay. You don't need to know."

She tried to use the pressure of his shoulder to staunch the flow of the tears, but all it did was make her see stars. The tears kept coming. After a while, Aaron led her over to a bench to sit down. He sat next to her and for a minute, they just stared at their shoes.

"It wasn't because of … You're not a bad kisser."

"And here my fragile male ego was worried."

"Lately I've just felt … I don't know."

"Emma, I don't want to force something-"

"It really isn't that. I like you. And I liked kissing you. I just … maybe I don't know how to do this: have a relationship. It's been so long, and I … I've never really let anyone get close. Not since …" She wouldn't let herself think of Neal. She couldn't tell him about Neal. Not yet. She wasn't ready. But maybe she could tell him something else. "Remember how I broke down when you told me about your parents?" He just nods, but it makes it easier for her to go on. "It was because I … I was in the system. I was abandoned on the side of a freeway as a newborn, and I had a family until I was three, but then they had their own kid and … and for the longest time, nobody wanted me. So I made myself not want anybody or need anybody. And then, Henry came and he needed me, and I let him in. But it was just us. I'm not good at letting people in, but I want to, with you." She reached out for his hand, squeezing it in hers, smiling at him through her tears. "I want to."

"The hardest part of me losing my parents was blaming myself. Why couldn't I save them? And with my wife, it was the same thing. So many mistakes. So many signs that I missed. So many things that I didn't do. My parents got me a dog because it felt good to be able to be there for someone who needed me."

"I feel that with Henry. We take care of each other. We always have."

"Emma, when I met you, I could tell you were a strong capable woman who had no problem looking after herself. And that is, quite frankly, as sexy as hell. But … I could also tell that you'd never really had anyone to look after you. And I wanted to be that person, the person who could be there when you needed someone. Not because you can't take care of yourself, but because you shouldn't always have to."

Emma wanted to cry again. Part of her was pissed, because how dare he presume to want to take care of her? She was fine with herself and Henry. But nobody had ever put her first, and it felt nice that he wanted to. And something in the corner of her mind was nagging at her, something about a baby's nursery and someone telling her that they would put her first. But she hadn't ever had that. Had she?

"Shoot. I didn't mean to make you cry again."

Emma laid her head on his shoulder. "No, it's okay. It's … I can take care of myself. But thanks for wanting to."

She felt him smile. "You deserve to have someone looking out for you. I mean, everybody does, but you're freaking Wonder Woman."

"Isn't she DC? I thought you guys were big on Marvel."

"Yeah, don't tell the kids, but I always had a soft spot for the DC universe."

"Secret's safe with me. Hey, can we just sit here for a bit? I don't want to run anymore."

"That sounds just fine."

"Well, this is a creative idea for a date," Emma said. It was their fourth time going out, not that they hadn't been spending time together in-between. They still went for runs and split up duties with the kids and just hung out. They had even co-chaperoned a dance at the school and Emma had tried really hard not to spy on Henry when some girl with braids asked him to dance. Overall, things were going well, though Emma wasn't entirely sure why they were at a shooting range. She wasn't complaining, though.

"Honestly, I got the idea from a sitcom. Can't remember which one. But it seemed like something you would be into."

Emma nodded. "I mean, I've gone shooting before. Had to, to train for work, and it's good to carry protection in the city. I'm usually armed, actually—licensed, of course."

"So, what you're saying is this is more like work for you than a date?"

Emma shook her head. "I like going shooting well enough. And I am curious to see how you handle a weapon," she said, giving him a flirty smile.

"I'm more familiar with a needle than a gun, to be honest."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Worst part of being a vet; putting down an animal. But sometimes, you have to do it. Mercy killing is the only kind I've ever done."

"Honestly, I can't picture you doing any kind of killing. I mean, you're big enough, but you've got this whole gentle, sentimental thing going on."

"If you're trying to make me insecure about my masculinity, it isn't going to work. I admitted to crying at Bambi already, and there is no coming back from that."

"That reminds me, we still have to do a movie night."

Aaron nodded, "One of these days. But today, we shoot things."

And they did, for a few hours. Emma hit the targets pretty well. Aaron got better with time. Afterwards, they went for a stroll. Aaron got Emma a pretzel and a drink, and he got water for himself.

"You held your own, at least," Emma said, smiling at him.

"Well, it's kind of like darts. I used to play in college."

"Yeah, used to suck at darts. Now I'm probably about as good as you are with that gun."

"Yeah? How'd that happen?"

Emma paused. She'd used to be terrible at darts. But then she had practiced. She had wanted to learn because … because … something was there again, at the back of her memory. Kind eyes and a wolf and a dart nearly missing her head… She could almost touch the memory, and then it was just gone. She shook the haze away and shrugged. "Don't remember really. I guess I just decided it was important to learn."

Aaron stopped walking.

Emma did too.

"What's wrong?"

"Emma I … think there's something we need to talk about."

"Okay. That's not ominous."

"I'm worried about you."

"What do you mean?"

"Remember when I asked about your place in Tallahassee and you couldn't really describe it? Or when I asked why you went into bail bonds and you couldn't quite remember?"

Emma shrugged. "Life gets hazy sometimes. It's no big deal."

"But it is! You get this look on your face when I ask you these things about your past, like you're struggling to remember, want to remember so badly, and then you just shrug it off like it isn't a big deal when you can't."

"It's no big deal."

"It is! Emma I … I told you, when my wife got sick, we shrugged things off. She didn't have the energy because she was tired. She'd had a long day. She was just a little clumsy and that's why she slipped. Her feet hurt because her shoes weren't broken in yet. There were a million clues and neither of us wanted to see them. By the time I finally took her to a doctor, it was too late to do much but watch her waste away."

His eyes were a little glassy and wet, and Emma reached out for him. "Aaron."

"You're having trouble remembering things. And maybe it really is nothing, but wouldn't you rather be sure?"

"You think I'm sick?" Emma asked, shocked.

"I don't know. I'm not a doctor. But I think you should see one. See if there is something physical or psychological going on in your head."

"Oh, so now I'm crazy?"

"That's not what I'm saying. But I … I'm growing to care about you, Emma, to really care about you, and I don't want to lose you. If something is wrong, I think you need to look into it."

Emma shook her head. "Nothing's wrong! It's just life. Stuff gets hazy and you can't remember everything in crystal-clear surround sound unless you have a photographic memory or something."

"Maybe you don't remember every little thing, but it seems like you've struggled with some real significant memories since I've met you. I can tell by that look you get – "

"Enough with the look! I can't deal with this right now, okay? I have somewhere to be." That was a lie. She had nowhere to be. School didn't let out for another couple of hours and she was between assignments. But she couldn't be having this conversation.

"Emma!"

"No. I just … I need to go." And she did.

They tried to pretend it hadn't happened. They tried to go on as they had before. But, inevitably, they came back around to that fight.

Because Aaron was right. Emma was forgetting things, and it wasn't normal.

Things hadn't been normal since the fire. Emma had felt more like a lost little girl since the fire than she had in twelve years, and she didn't know why.

She didn't know why she cried when Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarves played on ABC Family. Or why she would wake up with tears in her eyes, unable to remember what she had just been dreaming about.

She didn't know why she was sure that she had never been with anyone but Neal, and had stayed single since Henry was born, but also felt like she knew what it was like to have a one-night-stand or sleep with a married guy.

She didn't know why she remembered having friends in Florida, but couldn't quite remember their names or phone numbers.

It wasn't normal, but Emma didn't think she was sick. Eventually, after a couple more fights with Aaron and one long, honest talk, she agreed to see a psychiatrist.

"So, how does this work?" Emma asked, sitting on a gray couch that she'd refused to lie down on.

"However you'd like it to."

Emma shrugged. "I'd like to get out of here and catch a movie with my boyfriend and our respective kids."

Dr. Frank laughed. "All right. I can see you're a little … reluctant to open up. And while that is your right, and I get paid either way, I'd rather help you if I can."

"What makes you think I need help?" Emma asked defensively. Then she grimaced. "Right, stupid question. Why else would I be here?"

"Why are you here? Why don't we start there?"

Emma sighed, "I guess because my mind is all muddled up lately. I can't remember things the way I should be able to, and I don't understand why I feel or do or say things sometimes. It's like there's a part of my life that's just … blocked."

Dr. Frank nodded, writing something in his notebook. "And if there is? If something is blocked off, would you want to unblock it?"

"Well, I …" Emma paused. She almost said, 'Of course'. If something was wrong with her memories, obviously she would want it fixed. Except, she was happy, wasn't she? More or less. She was happy with the memories she had, the life she had, her friends, her family, Aaron, and his kids. It was all good. It just stopped being good when something nagged at her that she couldn't explain. "I have a good life. I don't want to lose it. If the fog clears … I don't know what I'll be unleashing. Or what I'll be losing."

"So what I'm hearing is that you think you have a good life, but you're having trouble accepting it. Always looking over your shoulder for the other shoe to drop; always expecting things to go wrong. Maybe you don't believe happiness can be real for you, because life has never been that kind, or because a part of you doesn't think you deserve it. Am I getting warm?"

Emma nodded, "That actually makes a lot of sense. I mean, every time in the past I thought I had something good, I lost it. I've lost so much. And things are finally good. I don't want to question it. I just want to be happy." She felt tears prick at her eyes. "Why can't I let myself have that?"

"It's more common than you think. Sometimes people just don't know how to believe in their own happy ending. But Emma, I think you're stronger than you think, and you can fight these dark thoughts. I can help you, if you'll let me."

"How?"

"I'd like to prescribe some medication. Just something mild to help with your anxiety. There might be some minor side effects at first, but they should wear off soon enough. I'd also like us to meet once a week; talk to my receptionist to arrange a time that works for you. And if you're having trouble with things: the meds, dark, confusing thoughts, anything of the sort, I'd like you to call me. I'm at your disposal, day or night."

"Wow. That's … Thanks, Doc. I didn't know psychiatrists were so hands-on."

"I just want to help you, Emma." He scribbled something on what looked like a notepad and handed it to her. "Take that to your local pharmacy and have it filled. I want you to take those twice a day, once with breakfast, once before bed. It'll help clear your head up."

Emma nodded and got up to leave. "Thank you, Dr. Frank. I really appreciate this."

"Please. Call me Walsh."

Emma didn't mean to snoop, not really. But it had been sticking out of Henry's backpack, and Aaron had implied that he had seen it. They'd been working on it long enough. Surely, she could take a quick peek.

The art was good. Emma didn't know if Henry had done any of it, how the three of them collaborated, but it was good. Then she started to flip through the pages of the story and she felt tears build up in her eyes.

"Mom? Have you seen my -?" Henry trailed off, seeing what she was looking at.

"This is … Henry, this is … " She couldn't find the words. Then she turned to the cover again and pointed to the superhero who appeared to be the protagonist of the piece. "Is this supposed to be me?"

"I wanted to make her a bail-bonds person by day," Henry said. "But Sam said a cop was more mainstream. And her day job didn't matter so much anyway. It's bringing super villains down to her boss in Hades when they escape that makes up the plot really. That and how great she is with her infant daughter."

"Daughter, huh?" Emma asked, tears in her eyes.

"We're all boys and we all have single parents. If we get this published someday, someone might try to guess which one of us the kid is supposed to be. Making it a girl throws suspicion. She's too young at this point for it to make much of a difference anyway."

"Henry, is this really how you see me? As a … a …"

"A badass superhero who takes down criminals and is still the best mom in the world? Do you really have to ask?"

"I guess I just never thought … I've always tried to be enough but – "

"Mom, stop. I know this past year has been hard. The fire. Starting over. And things haven't always been easy and Dad was a dick-"

"Henry."

"Jerk, bad person… Whatever. But you got us through all of that. And I wanted to make up a superhero, and they say you're supposed to draw on your own life, and you're, you've always been my – "

Emma crushed Henry towards her, tears streaming down her face. "I love you, kid."

"I love you, too."

"I can't believe we're finally doing this," Emma said, as she settled into the couch next to Aaron. She had a bowl of popcorn with melted chocolate balanced next to her on the other side and she was holding the remote.

"Jason and Henry are at the Whitfields for the night, and Andrea is at a friend's house. If we were ever going to do movie night, now would be the time."

"Right. Well, we have a lot to watch, so get comfortable."

"Why are we starting with Harry Potter again? I mean, that's at least sixteen hours; we won't even finish tonight."

"I know, but it's one of my favorite things and I wanted to share it with you."

Aaron nodded. "Fair enough. All right. Let's go."

Emma's thumb hovered over the play button, but she hesitated. Then she turned to Aaron. "So, listen, I want to tell you about me and Harry Potter."

"You and … You know him?"

"No, I just … There's some stuff I want to … Just listen, okay? So, when I was little I read the first book for the first time and all I wanted was to go to Hogwarts. But more than that, I wanted … a reason that my parents abandoned me. A reason that wasn't my fault. And I wanted a family. Maybe not a new mother and father, but a bunch of people who would … get me. Want me. Want me around and want to be around for me and think I was worth something. Only it never happened.

And then, when I was a couple years shy of twenty, it did. Or I thought it did. I was living on the street, stealing to get by, and I met this guy. He was another thief like me, but he seemed like a good guy. He was charming and sweet and I thought he really cared about me. And then … Then he called the cops on me for some watches he stole and left me with one. I went to jail and he was just … gone. And then, sitting alone in a jail cell alone and more terrified than I had ever been in my whole life, I found out I was pregnant."

Aaron reached out and cupped Emma's cheek, wiping away her tears. She gave him a watery smile.

"I almost gave Henry up, you know? I mean, I never told him that, but I remember thinking, I've never had a family, nobody has ever really loved me, I am just a big mess right now, and how could I possibly be a mother? But then, he was born, and I saw how beautiful he was, and I knew I could never part with him. But Neal, he broke me. I haven't … I haven't loved anyone since that. Not that way. I don't know if I can. But I've been talking to my psychiatrist about it for the past few weeks and … and I think I want that again or, I guess, for the first time. Something real. And I want it with you."

"I want that with you, too, Emma. And for the record, he didn't break you. Nothing about you is broken."

Emma leaned up and gave him a watery kiss. After a minute or two, she pulled away. "Now get ready to see some magic," she said, pointing the remote at the television. As the opening music played, she snuggled into Aaron's side and let him hold her.

"Emma. Shit, what happened?"

She wasn't surprised he was here. They'd had lunch plans and she'd stood him up. She had a good reason.

"I was chasing down a perp and I miscalculated," Emma said. That wasn't entirely true. It should have been fine. She'd tackled the guy and he'd fought a little, but Emma had been sure she'd had him. And then, her body just … hadn't responded the way she'd wanted it to. Her reflexes had been off and she'd been too slow and the guy had grazed her.

She'd gotten him in the end. And it wasn't like it was serious. But she could see how worried Aaron was.

"Did you go to the hospital?"

"It's not a big deal."

"Emma?"

"My insurance is shit, and it really is just a graze."

Aaron sighed. "Well, at least let me take a look."

"I'm not a dog, you know?"

"I have been known to treat the occasional scrape. And if you're good, I might even give you a treat."

"Yeah, you wouldn't know a treat if it bit you in the ass."

Aaron tried to smile, but she could tell she had really spooked him. So she let him take care of her. When was the last time someone had taken care of her?

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she felt someone tending to a cut on her forehead, even though that wasn't where she was cut and for a minute she wanted to cry.

She shook it off. She was here now, and whatever came before—or didn't come before—didn't matter.

"Promise me you'll be more careful," she heard Aaron say through the haze.

"My job is dangerous, but I can take care of myself. I always have."

"I know. I just … If something happened to you … Emma, I think I'm falling in love with you."

Emma sat there, staring at him for a minute. A part of her wanted to run. She hadn't heard those words, or said them, in a long time. But then, she thought of Henry's comic book. He thought she was a superhero. And she thought of what Dr. Frank had said about her deserving to be happy. And she thought of how unbelievably happy Aaron made her.

She kissed him hard, and over and over again, until neither one of them could breathe. "I'm falling in love with you, too," she said, and he gave her the biggest smile, and everything just felt right.

The next morning, Emma woke up with the biggest smile on her face. Everything was finally right. No nightmares. No scary echoes of a life she couldn't remember. She had her kid and a man she loved. And he loved her back. She was a superhero. And she was finally getting her happy ending.

She hummed while she made breakfast for Henry. It was a weekend after all, and she'd promised they would spend it together. She decided to pull out all the stops. Eggs. Pancakes. And of course, hot cocoa. Though, as Henry rightly pointed out to her, she almost forgot the cinnamon.

But she wasn't bothered.

Not about her memory.

Not about anything.

Everything was good.

While they were eating, there came a banging at the door. She and Henry confirmed with each other that they weren't expecting anybody, but the banging persisted. Somebody really wanted to talk to them. What if something was wrong? Aaron would have called or texted before coming over, unless it was an emergency. Could somebody be hurt?

She told Henry to wait at the table, hitting the radio on her way to the front door.

She opened it to find a guy dressed in leather from head to toe looking at her like she was the sun, moon, and stars.

"Swan. At last."

To Be Continued ...