The first time Henry noticed his moms holding hands was in the Mayor's office. Regina and Emma were seated on the same side of the conference table with several folders and reports spread out in front of them. Henry was at the other end working on his homework. It sounded like they were having trouble with justifying the need for more insurance for rebuilding parts of the town ruined by magical monsters, (and Emma for when she blasted a hole through the side of the Sheriff's office.)
Henry was working on algebra and trying to tune out his mother's constant back and forth discussion, when he heard Emma gasp. Her finger was bleeding from a paper cut.
"Henry, can you get the first aid kit, please? Emma just suffered a rather nasty paper cut," Regina said as she held Emma's hand up and inspected the gash. After he fetched the kit, and Regina cleaned and dressed the cut, Henry noticed something peculiar. Regina and Emma's hands were interlaced and resting on the glass top of the conference table.
The second time he noticed his moms holding hands was about a week later at Granny's. In order to make room at the booth for Regina and Henry to slide into the booth, Emma had scooched over just as Regina was sliding in and she inadvertently sat on Emma's hand. It wasn't a big deal in Henry's opinion, Regina apologized for the accident, but Ma was blushing and tapping her feet all throughout dinner.
It was clearly driving Henry, Regina and his grandparent's nuts. Finally, when Emma started tapping her knife nervously on the table, Regina grabbed her hand and stopped her incessant fidgeting by holding it. Henry watched as she clasped Emma's left hand in her right and brought it down to rest on top of her thigh. They stayed like that for the rest of the dinner, and though Ma was still blushing, at least she was being still.
The third time Henry noticed his moms holding hands was during a Saturday night screening of 'Steel Magnolia's' at the local theater. They were showing popular classics every Saturday all summer and Regina had never seen this one. Henry wasn't really into it, though he did like the armadillo cake. He sat next to his moms, who seemed a little too into it.
Like when Shelby starting having a diabetic fit and the other women were trying to force her to drink her juice, he felt Regina tense up, and sure enough when he went to take the popcorn bucket from Emma, he saw it: Mom and Ma's hands were joined together, this time resting on Emma's thigh. Henry couldn't be sure, but during M'lynn's impassioned monologue about running to Texas and back, he thought he saw Emma rubbing soft circles with the pad of her thumb over Regina's wrist.
After another week of sitting by silently, but catching the two women holding hands, or gazing at each other with affection, he had to say something and call them out. He took Emma off to the side one evening, while Regina was humming pleasantly in the kitchen and preparing dinner for the trio.
"If you want to hold Mom's hand you don't have to have an excuse, just take it," Henry informed her with an eye roll.
"What? What are you talking about?" Emma's eyes widened and she looked a bit horrified like a terrible secret had just been uncovered.
Henry smirked and patted her back, "Really, Ma? Okay, well maybe tell her that her hand looks heavy and you want to hold it for her? Or make a fist and ask her if she can hold something for you and then when she opens her hand just wrap yours around hers."
Emma seemed to choke and sputter on air, and then when she recovered she pursed her lips and looked at her son in disbelief. "Those are terrible pickup lines."
"I'm 13. They work for me," Henry shrugged and turned his attention back to his video game. Though he knew he was being shrewd. The fact that he had noticed and said something had definitely started Emma's wheels turning.
Later that night, after dinner and dishes and dessert, the three of them sat around the fireplace. Henry was reading on the floor, while Regina and Emma sat on the couch. Emma was reading a fitness magazine and Regina was engrossed in National Geographic.
From Henry's angle on the floor in front of them he could see over his book Regina's hand scratching lightly at the upholstery, seemingly oblivious. Emma was staring at it between them, like she was torn between what she wanted and her fear.
Henry lowered his book and caught her attention. He raised his eyebrows and nodded almost imperceptibly, but Emma's cheeks flushed and her eyes widened. He saw her sneak a peek at Regina's hand just sitting there just waiting to be held, and he nodded again in silent encouragement. Emma swallowed and ever so slowly reached out and brushed her fingers against Regina's palm.
To everyone in the room's relief, Regina grabbed the pro-offered hand up like she was a snapping turtle eating a head of Romaine. The peaceful quiet stretched on, Emma looked content, and Henry could see Regina smiling mysteriously to herself as all three of them pretended to read for another half hour.
Henry knew it was just a first step, and after a while he yawned and excused himself to bed. He didn't want to be around for when Emma got braver and decided she wanted to hold more than just Regina's hand.