Emma and her dad has made pretty good work of bed frames and moving some smaller furniture around.
"When Adam gets here tomorrow, we'll get the couches and book case out for you, honey." David sat down on a stool near the kitchen counter.
"I know, Thank you for your help today, Dad. I appreciate it." Emma looked over her shoulder from where she stood in the kitchen.
"When your mother gets back in town from that school board event, she's gonna see this place and you're gonna have to kick her out of the house." David chuckled, "she's gonna have a field day trying to tidy up the place for you."
"Oh I definitely wouldn't mind that." Emma looked around, the place has collected a bit of dust from sitting unused for so many months. "Plus you know she'll just want to stick around to gush over the kids." She chuckled lightly and placed some chopped carrots onto a platter.
"Yeah that too." David laughed and agreed.
The weather came around and showed it's ugly face, thunder boomed outside. Just as she was about to call the kids inside, they came rushing in through the back door.
"Mom! Mom! I met our neighbor!" Henry exclaimed walking in. "Ooh! It smells great in here." The smell of the chopped chicken floating in the air. Henry started helping Harleigh out of her shoes.
"Who did you meet, Kid?" Emma asked looking at David for any clue but he just shrugged.
"Our neighbor! Ms. Mills! I accidentally threw my ball into her backyard but she gave it back." He beamed.
"You two come wash your hands." She beckoned them over. "I thought you said Cora moved out of that house, Dad?" Emma looked over to him as he set things up on the table.
"She did, after her husband passed away she didn't really feel a need to stay there. You must've met Regina then, Hen?" David asked as they all sat down, Emma helped Harleigh into her booster chair. Henry nodded confirming it was Regina whom he had met.
She set up Harleigh's food chopping everything she usually liked on her wrap into small pieces and even breaking down the tortilla into little squares.
Regina Mills was here in town? Well that would've been nice to know before she accepted the offer. Not that it would have swayed her decision this was a great place to raise the kids. But the last thing Emma wanted was to start a feud with Regina and have to walk around town tip toeing every where she went. Emma moved back home to simply live a drama free life.
And Regina Mills was nothing but drama, literally everything Emma did seemed to piss the older woman off when they were growing up. Emma tried to be her friend but that lead to no where. In high school, Regina pretty much avoided her, they even rode the same bus every morning.
"She said she knows you mom!" Henry said after placing all his favorites into the wrap and dug in.
"Um well...yeah." Emma sounded unsure. We know of each other more like it? Do we really know each other? "She and I went to school together, but we never really talked." She explained and sat down.
"Yeah why is that?" David asked munching down on some chips. "I always wondered why you two never hung out. I mean I know that Cora and Regina were both pretty prickly, but I thought you two would get along."
"We just...were in different circles I guess?" Emma didn't really have an answer to that question. She was lucky to even get a hello from Regina back in the day.
It was no question that Cora had put a lot of pressure on Regina. Anyone with eyes could see that, Regina had this attitude where if it wasn't perfect or benefited her in some way, then she wasn't even going to concern herself with it. Because that's how her mother raised her. She had to be the perfect daughter, despite her different...anatomy then all the other girls. Emma found out about that through cruel gossip. It was a nice town but high school kids are still very much asshole's no matter where they went.
Growing up Emma barely saw Regina outside though. She never had any relationships, at least that she knew of, just hung out occasionally with her two friends Mallory and Ella. She never came out to parties, certainly not any party Emma threw.
The only really meaningful interaction to ever occur between them happened at school. It was Regina's senior year, and Emma found Regina hyperventilating in the bathroom, one class period. When she asked what was wrong she didn't receive an answer. So she told Regina that she was just going to sit there with her and if she wanted her to leave to just say so.
Now Emma didn't have to do that but she did, and she sat there with her for a good 15 minutes before Regina got up. She helped her up off of the floor and they just stood there looking at each other. Regina was only an inch or two taller than her so she had to tilt her head a bit. She just gave Emma a look over and a small nod before leaving the girl standing in the bathroom.
After that day Emma thought they could maybe be friends, but she was wrong again. If anything that interaction just made Regina stop glaring at her every time she looked her way.
"Well she was nice, I like her. She's really pretty too." Henry nodded along like he was stating a fact.
She couldn't argue with him there, Regina was indeed very pretty. Regina Mills was probably the first girl to make Emma's little bisexual heart skip a beat. But the older girl would never even give her the time of day.
"Well I'm glad you are getting familiar with the people here in town, bud." Emma grinned and they all continued to eat and have light conversation. Laughing at Harleigh's silly antics as she ate her food.
After lunch and helping Emma install the TVs, David started to take his leave. The kids had gone upstairs to take a nap.
"Alright princess, that's just about it for one day." David huffed and rose up from the floor.
"Dad." Emma groaned and rolled her eyes.
"You live here again, so you might as well get used to it. You're my princess through and through." David chuckled.
"Oh goodness Dad." She cringed further but went in for a hug. "Thank you again for all your help." Emma said with her head pressed against his shoulder.
"Aah you know I'm always here for you and the ducklings. You couldn't keep me away if you tried." He sighed and kissed her head. "I'm going to head over to the house now, your old man deserves a nap."
The days work was definitely tiring, "Ok. Drive safe, I'll see you tomorrow?" Emma walked him to the door.
"Bright and Early," David smiled. "I love you sweetie. Kiss the kids for me, will ya?" He stepped outside.
"Of course. I love you too!" Emma watched him get into his truck and waved as he drove off. Shutting the door, she pressed her back against it and let out a deep breath.
"What a day." Running a hand through her long golden curls. Emma made her way around the house. Everything looked good so far, minus not having a couch. Once they got everything out, Adam would return the moving van to Boston for her before returning to New York.
She had lived in this house for years, it hadn't been her home in sometime. Maybe that feeling would come back sooner rather than later. She prayed that this was in fact the best decision for her and her kids, but if it wasn't...well she didn't want to even think about that possibility. She had been from Maine to Florida to Arizona for a bit, then to Boston and now back to Maine. This had to be it.
Yawning, Emma made her way upstairs and looked at the rooms as she passed them. It was a four bedroom, three bathroom home, two floors with an attic you could walk up into. The yard out back was big enough that you could park a car back there and still have plenty of room to roam and play. It was perfect.
She found Henry and Harleigh cuddled up inside her newly made bed. She smiled at the sight and tip toed around the room before joining them in the bed. Harleigh immediately turn her head and with sleepy eyes saw that it was just her Mama moving around.
"Hi mama." Harleigh grinned only halfway awake.
"Hi baby," Emma leaned over and kissed her little hand. "Go back to sleep." She rubbed her little belly and scooted in a bit closer.
Slowly her little eyes closed again and her breaths evened back out. Emma looked at both of her kids and saw how blessed she was to have two great kids like them. She really hoped this town would help give them the best childhood possible.