As the early afternoon sun bore down on Emma Swan's back, she took a moment's pause to inspect her handiwork. The garden had clearly been a dumping ground but she had to admit, she was rather impressed at the difference she had managed to make in just a few short hours. The corner that had clearly been the home of large dog was now devoid of the huge, ramshackle kennel she had inherited and was now covered temporarily with large paving slabs. A couple of cheap plastic chairs stood on top, creating what was beginning to look like an informal area for catching what Emma could already tell were going to be the last few rays of sunlight in the evening.
There was a raised bed that ran the entire length of the garden, from which she had removed three black sacks full of beer cans, pieces of plastic and other assorted litter. It had clearly been a long time since this little house and its surroundings had been given any tender loving care. We're made for each other she thought with a smile, appreciating their similarities.
She'd found an old lawnmower amongst a tangle of overgrown ivy and after several minutes of tinkering, Emma had managed to persuade it to splutter to life. There wasn't much grass to contend with; rather some clumps of dry, yellowing weeds interspersed with large, bald areas and the occasional tuft of jade; but at least the thistles no longer scratched her calves as she picked her way across the garden.
Just as she began to use the back of her hand to wipe away the beads of sweat that had collected at her temple, Emma heard a faint cough from just behind her. She spun around more quickly than her sun-addled brain could manage and almost toppled over until a hand clamped around her wrist and helped to steady her.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I certainly didn't mean to startle you."
The speaker was a woman. She had smoky eyes and dark hair that fell neatly around her shoulders. Her black pencil skirt and matching blazer were in stark contrast to the crisp whiteness of the blouse beneath, and would have been intimidating if it wasn't for the genuinely kind smile she wore on her face. The lack of wrinkles around her eyes and lips told Emma she wasn't old and she would have been the same height as Emma if it weren't for the patent heels she was wearing. Hooked inside her left elbow, she carried a large basket full of apples, which shone like rubies in the sunlight.
"I just wanted to bring you these… to welcome you to the neighbourhood. The gate was open," she added as an afterthought. "Regina Mills." She held out her free hand.
"Oh… er… hi," stammered Emma, removing her gardening gloves and taking the outstretched hand. "Emma Swan."
"Nice to meet you, Ms Swan," Regina smiled. Emma couldn't help but notice her twinkling eyes. "Like I said, I wouldn't usually barge in like this. I tried the door but there was no answer and then I saw the gate open-"
"Oh that's ok," Emma interrupted. She was actually pleased to see a friendly face in this unfamiliar territory. "I just couldn't bear to look out the window when it was such a dump out here." She spread her arm and gestured towards the sun. "Besides, I'm more of an outdoors kind of girl."
"You've done well considering you only moved in this morning!" Regina commented. Then, noting Emma's concerned expression she added, "Oh, I wasn't spying on you. I'm the mayor."
Emma released a breath. "Right." Under any other circumstances, she'd be a little creeped out, but for some reason she found herself relaxing into the mayor's company.
There was a pause as each woman tried to think of something to say until Emma noticed Regina hopping from one foot to the other under the weight of the basket.
"Here, let me take those. You're kind to bring them," she said, grabbing the basket handle and making her way towards the back door of the house.
"I grow them in my garden. You might have seen the tree as you drove down here. Mine's the house right at the top, just before the bend," Regina explained, following a few paces behind the blonde who set the basket down just inside the door.
"Oh, right. That's your house? It's huge!" Emma exclaimed, instantly regretting it. She was increasingly aware that, in the company of this woman, she was certainly inferior.
"Well yes," Regina replied, "rather too large actually."
"And you live there alone?" Emma asked, noticing the lack of ring on Regina's left hand. Regina's face crumpled into a frown and the blonde instantly backtracked. "Oh no… I mean… I'm sorry, I just meant-"
"It's alright," the mayor interrupted, rearranging her features into a soft smile, "I actually live there with my son, Henry. He's at school or I'd have brought him over."
"A son? Cool."
"Yes. He's… He's very important to me." She had been going to say he was her everything, but felt it a little early to be divulging such personal information to a perfect stranger. "Do you have any children, Ms Swan?"
"Oh please, call me Emma," she insisted, "and no. No, I don't. Just me."
She smiled but it didn't reach her eyes and Regina could tell she was keeping something back. It didn't surprise her. Most people were cautious at first, especially when they found out she was the mayor. Sometimes she wanted to grab people by the shoulders and make them understand that mayors are people too.
"Well then, Emma. I'd better be getting back. If you ever need anything, you know where I am. And you're doing a great job on the house."
"Thanks," Emma replied, and she gave a small wave as she watched the brunette pick her way back over the balding lawn and disappear down the path to the gate.
Regina stepped over the cracks in the paving with the house on her right, reflecting on her encounter with the muscular blonde. All of a sudden, she paused. She couldn't say what made her, or indeed what she was going to do, but a moment later Regina turned on her heel and retraced her steps, poking her head around the wall of the house.
"You may already know this," she called, "but there's a firework display tomorrow evening to celebrate the town's anniversary. If you don't happen to have plans, you'd be more than welcome to come with Henry and me. We're leaving at 8."
Something pulsed inside Emma like electricity at the reappearance of the mayor, and Regina had hardly finished her sentence before the blonde replied. "Sure, sounds great. Thanks."