Emma

Chapter 3

Emma sat beside him on the steps of the porch, deep in thought.

A minute or two must have passed already since Oliver had finished telling her that she'd been adopted into the Queen family when she was a newborn baby. It hadn't been difficult to explain that she'd been raised as Moira's own child until she was about two years old, and that he had become her guardian since their mother died. They had pictures of Moira and her in the house, so she'd known what he was talking about even if she barely had memories of those times. Emma had only spoken once during his lengthy speech - which was quite uncharacteristic of his darling little girl - and it was only to ask him what a legal guardian was. What had been harder to talk about was the part when he had to tell her that her real birth mother was alive somewhere. Too many implications accompanied that fact.

Oliver waited with baited breath for Emma's reaction. What he feared was not that she might feel bad and cry - for he always hated seeing the usual sunshine on her face replaced by shadows of sadness. What he feared more was that she might resent him and Thea for telling her the truth about her background only now. What he feared most was that she might ask him to find her mother and want to get to know her. Too many repercussions would accompany those possible responses.

"Do you think she cared about me at all?" Emma finally asked.

"Who? Mom?" Oliver asked, his brow crinkled. He wanted to be sure he understood which woman she was referring to.

"My real mom," Emma replied. "I mean, she must have had a pretty good reason for giving me up. Aren't mothers supposed to love and take care of their own children? You and Thea take such good care of me, and you're not even my real parents. Why do you think she gave me up?"

Oliver didn't know what to say. When he decided that this was the day he'd tell her the truth, he'd had an inkling that Emma would ask about that. He hoped she wouldn't (but he knew better), because he didn't want to think about the reason or reasons why. That would only lead to him speculating about the only girl he'd ever truly loved.

Truth be told, he had spent many sleepless nights and even more waking moments wondering about his one true love. Why had she given up her own flesh and blood for adoption? Where was she, and was she okay? Why had she not bothered to find out about how her daughter was doing, all these years? The Felicity he'd known since childhood and fell in love with would never have done that. She had always been thoughtful and kind.

His mind had often ventured into more poignant questions, both when he'd been overseas, and even more so when he'd come home. Everything around him screamed Felicity - the ranch, the rolling hills where they used to ride, the woods nearby where they'd had their most intimate conversations, the places in town where they used to hang out with their friends or just the two of them. Everything.

In the last seven years, it had always been hard not to think of her. He had tried to forget, to run away. But his heart had never completely healed. He had thought that it had, when he realized he had learned to love a precious child without expecting anything in return. Loving unconditionally had somehow eased the pain he'd tucked away in the deepest recesses of his heart. But ever since he learned that Felicity was Emma's biological mother, the bittersweet memories and the unanswered questions had begun to resurface. His little girl had become a daily, concrete reminder of what he'd lost, what he'd been missing, and what he'd regretted doing that day he had last seen her.

What had gone wrong between them? Why had she cheated on him while she was away? Did she love Emma's father, or was he just a fling, a one-night stand? She had plenty of time to come clean that summer. He would have forgiven her if she had told him the truth. Or would he?

Oliver wouldn't allow himself to dwell on these negative thoughts. No, not when Emma herself - the innocent victim of circumstances - was willing to give Felicity the benefit of the doubt. "...she must have had a pretty good reason for giving me up." That was what Emma had said. This sweet little lady had just learned that her biological mother had given her up for adoption. She could have easily judged her mother for abandoning her; instead she chose to consider why, to consider the possibility that her mother (whom she had never met before) could be a good person with a good reason for making that choice. Emma had more faith in Felicity than he had (shame on him), and that sobered him up. Oliver was proud of his little girl. She had a good heart. Despite the challenges and failures of single parenting as a single guy all these years, he must have done something right after all.

"I don't know, Emma," he replied. "But I think you are right. I knew your mother. We were... very close. She was a good person. She must have had a good reason."

Emma nodded. She then looked up at the starry sky, "Where do you think she is now?"

"I do not know exactly," he answered truthfully. "Why do you ask? Would you like to meet her?"

Emma shrugged, unsure of her answer.

"You can think about what you want to do... or not do. Take your time," he told her. It was actually more for him than for her. They were going on a field trip to Star Labs with the rest of her class that weekend. He wasn't sure whether or not he should track her down in time for their trip. If it were up to him, he wasn't too keen on looking her up. After all, Central City was a huge city, and the chances of randomly running into Felicity there were slim. But, if it was Emma asking, he just knew he'd do it. The mere thought gave him goose bumps.

Emma simply nodded and then scooted closer to him. She linked both her arms with one of his and squeezed tight. "Love you, Ollie."