A/N: One small note for Chapter 5: There's a point where Emma will say "Make a wish, mama!" to Willow. I just wanted to clear up that in my family, 'mama' and 'mamas' are used as terms of endearment for daughters and nieces. I am not really sure why, but yeah. So that carried over into this. Just to eliminate confusion. -Tayma
Chapter 5: It's A Monday
The day after Will and Emma said goodbye to Willow for a week, Will arrived to work half an hour early, stopping by Emma's office. He'd received a text after waking up that Emma had something for him waiting in his office. Thinking it was the coffee she'd mentioned to him, Will walked to her office, knocking on the glass window so as not to smudge the glass.
"You wanted to see me, Miss P?" He asked, smirking a bit.
Emma rolled her eyes and smiled. "Sure did, Mister Schue." She walked over, a hand extended towards him holding a cup of coffee. "Here is your coffee, and here are the videos." She reached into her bag and produced a pile of VHS tapes.
"Videos?" Will took the coffee, eyebrows furrowed. "Thanks for the coffee." He took a sip.
"Of Willow."
"Oh, right! Thanks so much. I was in such a hurry yesterday; I suppose I forgot."
"I figured as much. So those are the three videos I thought you'd like to see the most, but there are tons of others at my place. Once you watch these, just let me know and I'll bring you a few more." Emma smiled and sat against the edge of her desk, picking up her own latte and taking a long sip of it. "Be sure to watch the one marked 'Big One' on it. It's probably the cutest."
Will nodded, looking down at the tapes in his hand. They felt extra heavy. Maybe it was because he was holding a piece of his child's life in his hands – a piece that he missed out on. "Thanks so much, Em. Really. I'll watch them and bring them back to you as soon as I can."
"Oh, no. Don't worry about it. They're copies."
"Copies?"
"As in I have the originals, those are for you. I didn't want to overwhelm you with fifty VHS tapes, though, so I figure bringing them in small groups like this will give you time to watch them before being bombarded with more." She smiled genuinely, taking another sip. "Contrary to what you may think, Will, I do want you to know everything there is about her."
"I don't think anything, Emma. I think you pulled a typical Emma and you put everyone else first; it's what you always do and it's what makes you so great. If I'm to think anything about you and Willow it's that you two are amazingly well off and I commend you for keeping it all together."
Emma's smile widened. "Well thank you." She watched him for a moment, their eyes meeting in the silence that overcame them. Eventually, the warning bell rang, causing each of them to jump.
"Right, so. Thanks. I'll, uhm, I'll watch these. If, uhm…if you talk to Willow?"
"Tell her Dad loves her? Got it." Emma nodded, watching him as he turned and walked out of her office, heading towards his classroom. She took another sip of her latte, setting it down and moving to sit behind her desk. She placed her head in her hands, taking a deep breath when there was a knock on the door.
"Miss P? I need to talk to you."
Emma painted a smile on her face and looked up to see Noah Puckerman standing in her doorway. "Of course, Puck. Come on in and have a seat."
-x-x-x-
The school day passed painfully slow after the first period bell rang. All Will wanted was to go home and pop his videos into his VHS player. He thanked God that he had been nostalgic at a garage sale last month and bought one that was for sale. By the time third period rolled around, Will was glancing at the clock every ten minutes and decided that it was a makeup day for the kids to catch up on anything they needed, so long as they kept the noise level down.
Lunch with Emma was torture. Each of them wanted to talk, but neither of them knew what to say. Shannon was extremely uncomfortable, resorting to leaving early to 'work out a few plays,' but Will and Emma knew that she was just awkward sitting with them in the suffocating silence of their little table. Sue walked into the faculty lounge, gave them a two second glance before muttering 'already dead inside,' then turning and leaving straight away. This at least gave the two of them a momentary laugh, but then silence fell again and each of them let out a relieved sigh when the bell finally rang. They were sitting together more out of an obligatory feeling than wanting to be friends like they usually did.
When the final bell finally rang, Will remained back a few minutes, trying to stay cool when a few kids asked him for some last minute help. Honestly he wanted to tell them he had his own kid to learn about and could they bother their parents, but he was sweet as ever, making sure they understood their assignment due the following week. Once they were gone, he headed out of the building, passing Emma's office on the way, but she was already gone. Sighing, he went out to his car and got in, ramming the key into the ignition and starting up the old blue clunker.
The drive home passed swiftly and before he knew it, he was sitting at home, on his couch, the VHS marked 'Big One' in the player, television on and remote in hand. He took a deep, shuttering breath, letting it out slowly before pointing the remote at the player determinedly and pressing PLAY. There was a bit of crackling and the screen went bright blue before switching to a blurry image that slowly focused before his eyes.
Emma Pillsbury at the age of twenty years old stood with a baby on her hip, both of them facing each other with smiles on their faces. Both the baby and the young woman had bright red hair, Emma's long and pulled into a half-ponytail with a headband in. Baby Willow had a matching black velvet headband in her own whispy hair and she had a wide smile on her face. Emma pointed to the camera, smiling at the baby before looking at the camera.
"Look at the camera, Willow." She glanced back at the baby, wrinkling her nose playfully. "Willow, look at Auntie Ginn." Emma kept pointing until the baby finally looked at the camera and squealed.
"Say hello, my name is Willow Jane Schuester and today I am one year old!" Emma held up her index finger, smiling when Willow sort of imitated the gesture. "That's right, baby girl. One year old! You're so big! Can you tell Auntie what word you learned last month?" She bounced her a little bit, trying to get her to speak, glancing at her older sister, Ginnifer. "Oh, hold on. I know."
Emma walked over to the mantle and pointed at a picture she had of her and Will from their high school graduation and pointed at him. "Wills, who's that, baby girl?"
"Dada!" Willow squealed, clapping her hands.
Emma laughed. "That's right, that's Daddy. Who's that?" She asked, pointing at herself in the image. Again, Willow squealed 'Dada' causing Emma to laugh. "We're working on that one." She said, glancing at Ginnifer. "Here, trade you baby for camera."
The camera went to Emma and she handed Willow to Ginnifer, who looked much like Emma, but somehow instead of the bright red hair of the rest of her family, Ginn had dark brown hair that made her stick out like a sore thumb. The girl bounced her niece happily, smiling at her.
"Well while Mommy's been teaching you who your Daddy is, Auntie's taught you more important things, hasn't she?" The lens zoomed into Willow's face and Ginnifer said, "Broccoli." Willow's face got very serious at the word, looking at her Aunt like she was displeased. After a moment, Ginnifer said, "Cookie." Willow smiled widely and clapped her hands again.
"Ginn, I'm going to smack you," Will heard Emma saying as the camera zoomed back out. "You can't teach her that sort of thing."
Ginnifer looked at the camera. "Yeah. That's why I'm not her mom."
The camera stayed on aunt and niece for a moment before the phone rang and Ginnifer went to check caller id. The camera followed her and she read the screen, turning to Emma. "Uhm, it's Will…"
"Shit. I told him to call me tonight." Will heard Emma say before the camera cut off.
Will's eyes were glued to the screen, his heart beating rapidly. Tears were in his eyes from his daughter's adorable ways. He yearned to have known her then, and there was an internal pull that he couldn't explain. All he knew was he longed for that time with her so badly, it made him feel sick. He was about to fast forward when the screen blipped again and an image of a baby in a high chair with a cupcake before her came into focus. He took a breath again before leaning back against the couch and watching.
"…Happy Birthday, dear Willooooooooooooooow! Happy Birthday to you!" Emma smiled and leaned towards her daughter, kissing her cheek gently. "Make a wish, mama."
Willow started to eat the pink frosting on her cupcake, getting it all over her face, and the video panned out to show who else was there. It wasn't a big party, but it was all of the people who mattered to Emma and Willow at the time. Her grandparents were there, as well as her sister and two girls that Will had never seen before, but judging by their hair colour and their big eyes, they were Emma's cousins. They were all chatting away happily, waving at the camera before returning to their conversations. When the camera moved back to Willow, Emma was sitting in a chair next to her, running a hand over her head gently. She had no idea the camera was on her as she started to talk to her daughter.
"So remember the other day, and I promised that for your first birthday, I'd tell your daddy about you?" Emma waited as if Willow would respond, but she just looked at her mother, sucking frosting off of her own tiny fingers. "Well it looks like there's a tiny set back in that. Today is his and Auntie Terri's year and a half anniversary." Whoever was working the camera zoomed in to Emma's face as she rested her chin on the edge of the highchair, oblivious to everyone else as she had her own little talk with Willow. "Something you'll come to learn about Mommy is that she always makes sure everyone else is happy before she does anything. So right now, it's not the right time, but it will be soon, okay? In the meantime, I love you, sweetheart, and I hope that's enough for you." The camera zoomed out and Willow was staring at her mother, her hand smashed into her cupcake. Emma smiled a bit and sniffled, wiping a tear off of her own cheek.
"Em, you're more than enough for her, okay?" Ginnifer was recording again and Emma turned her head, startled out of her small world.
"Ginn, turn off the camera."
"Emma, come on. You're enough. You're her mom, and you're all that she's got."
Emma's head bobbed in a nod and she took a breath. "Yep, I'm all she's got because I let her dad to go get married. So. Turn off the damn camera, Ginnifer. You can have it back when we do presents."
Will paused the video for a moment, thinking back on his and Terri's year and a half anniversary. They were supposed to go out to dinner and Will rented a hotel room for them to have a romantic evening together. Instead, Terri came home around noon with bags from Pottery Barn again and she and Will had an argument. Will was in college, he had loans and scholarships, and he was trying to balance a job while Terri played housewife and did nothing all day. She complained that she couldn't get nice things without being yelled at, and then Will suggested she get a job, and she complained that he asked too much of her. He had more than he could take and he'd called Emma, trying to get some advice from her; she was always good at helping him and Terri out, no matter how much Terri took Will away from time with Emma. He recalled the conversation he had with Emma as well, and he immediately realized that it had been his fault that time that Emma didn't tell him about Willow.
"Hello?" Emma's voice was on the other end of the phone, a little out of breath.
"Hey. Bad time?"
"Nope, perfect. Just one…Ginnifer. Can you take her, please? Thanks…Yeah, Will. You're fine. Listen, I need to talk to you."
"I know, and I know you said to call tonight, but something came up and I need to talk to you now."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, it's about me and Terri. We're fighting and I could really use some of your killer advice."
Silence.
"Emma? You there?"
She nodded, though he couldn't see her. "Yeah, I'm here. What's, uhm, what seems to be the problem?"
"Finances. Again. She doesn't understand we can't go on shopping sprees, but she doesn't want to work."
"Well, listen, you have to tell her it's one or the other, Will. Either she wants to go on shopping sprees and therefore she works, or she doesn't work and therefore can't want the shopping sprees that badly. There's always a compromise. If she's dead set on spending frivolous money, then tell her to give up her weekly manicures that she's obsessed with, or maybe stop fake dying her hair blonde and just leave it her natural sandy brown." She couldn't hide the tone of annoyance in her voice. Terri coming between things again. Terri causing him problems again. It was always about Terri whenever he called; never a 'Hey, Em! How's it going?' or 'How's school going for you?' She doubted he even knew she dropped out of Columbia.
"Gah. I agree. You're so smart, Emma. This is why I love you."
"Thanks, Will. Hey, listen. So I need to tell you som—"
"But what if she argues?" Will asked, running a hand through his hair.
Emma sighed, sitting down on her living room couch. "Then she argues, Will. I can't be your answer to everything. She's your wife, is she not? You know her well enough to have proposed to her the day I was gone to Columbia, and then eloped with her three months later. I'd assume you have answers for yourself."
Will flinched slightly at her tone. This wasn't like Emma at all. She was usually so kind and sweet about it; very accommodating and always assisting him no matter how long it took. What had changed? "Em, are you okay?"
"No, Will. I'm not. I'm frustrated. How many times have you called me in the last year and how many times has it ever been about just you or asking how things are going over here? Zero. You've called me to complain about Terri, to tell me you're engaged to Terri, to tell me you're on your damn honeymoon with Terri after a surprise wedding, to ask me why the hell you married Terri, but not once have you called me to see how I'm holding up or to just tell me about you. I'm sorry if I'm being selfish, but I've got stuff going on, too, Will. This is a two-way street, but lately, I'm only driving in your direction."
"Then let me drive in your direction, Emma. Just say so. How are things with you?" His tone sounded slightly annoyed, but genuine for the most part.
"I'm…holding up. I, uhm, I wanted you to call because I needed to, uhm…to tell you th-that—"
Will groaned. "Hold on, Emma. I'm sorry. WHAT!" She heard him calling out and then sighing, getting up and walking. She heard Terri in the background before hearing Will let out a breath. "It's okay, baby. I know you're just trying to make it homey…yeah…okay, hold on." Emma heard a bit of shuffling and then, "Hey, Emma? I'm going to have to get back to you. It was nice talking! Thanks again, Em. You're the best."
Then he'd hung up.
Looking back, he felt like a complete and total asshole. Why couldn't he have been as great a friend to her as she was to him? Marrying Terri seemed to mess with him a lot; dating Terri messed with him a lot. His priorities changed, and it wasn't until now that he realized he dropped Emma as a priority. He stopped caring about her like he used to; he became selfish. He just used her as a tool to keeping his marriage together. Will sighed, lying back against the couch. Did he even want to keep watching? Would there be more things like this? Even if there were, Emma couldn't have known that he would react this way to seeing them. She couldn't have known that he'd take it so personally and start re-evaluating everything. Emma was being sincere and she'd been wanting him to get to know about his daughter. If this was a consequence, then let the punishments pour down.
Picking up the remote, he pressed play again, turning on his side and pressing his head into a pillow. The scenery changed and Emma was sitting in a nursery room, rocking a sleeping Willow in her arms. The camera was in a door crack, and Emma was rocking back and forth slowly, singing to her quietly. After a moment, the camera pulled away and it turned to look at Ginnifer Pillsbury who looked directly in the camera.
"Em's going to kill me if she knows we recorded this." She said, smiling and laughing a bit. "But she's so damn cute." Ginnifer laughed again before shaking her head. "Okay, cut if off, Grams. Happy Birthday, Wills." Ginnifer waved a bit before the video went black.
The VCR clicked and then stopped before starting to rewind. Will heaved himself off of the couch, moving to grab another VHS tape. He pulled it out of the container and read the label. "First Day of Kinder." He stared at it for a moment before walking over to the VCR, pulling out the tape when it was ejected and shoving the next tape in. He replaced "Big One" in its respective case before laying back down on the couch, grabbing the remote and pressing play again.
The camera shook a bit as the person filming walked alongside Willow who was grasping Emma's hand in her tiny one. The little girl's long curly hair was held back with a headband and she was wearing a black and white polka dotted dress with white tights and black shoes.
"You excited for your first day of school, Wills?" the voice that spoke told that Ginnifer was filming again.
Willow nodded, smiling up at the camera. The little girl's silence was more telling than her nod, as was the firm grip on her mother's hand. When they reached the front of the school, Emma crouched down in front of Willow, taking both of her hands and smiling up at her.
"We're excited, right?"
Willow nodded.
"And you know Mommy's going to be here right after school to get you, right?"
Another nod, but her lower lip started trembling and her eyes welled up as she stared at her mother. Emma reached a hand up and brushed her tears away with her thumb when they started to fall.
"Hey, sweetness. No tears, okay? I'll pick you up, and then we'll go to a special dinner with Auntie Ginn."
Willow nodded again and sniffled, trying to stop her tears. She hugged Emma tight, and then took Emma's hand as she was led into the building with a wave back at the camera. Ginnifer sighed a bit and yelled "BYE, BABY GIRL!" before turning off the camera.
The screen went dark for a moment before opening up to a close up of Willow's face, a big grin on it. She giggled a little bit and looked right at the camera. "Auntie, make sure you can see Mommy, too!"
The camera panned out to show both Emma and Willow. They were each holding a remote control in their hands, lifted to their mouths like microphones. Emma was seated in one couch chair, the other pulled close to her as Willow sat in it, as if they were on a talk show.
"Please state your name and age for the record." Emma said into the remote "microphone," her voice very professional, causing Willow to giggle.
"I'm Willow Jane Schuester and I'm five," Willow said into her own "microphone."
"Ah, interesting. Five. Good year. Now, Willow. Today was a momentous day in your young life. Would you care to tell our viewers at home why that is?"
Willow stared at Emma for a moment and whispered, "Mommy, what's amentous mean?"
Emma giggled, "Momentous, baby girl. It's a big day."
"Oh!" Willow squealed, giggling again and then talking into the remote. "I started kindergarten today."
"Well, well. If that's not just amazing. And how was this first day of kindergarten?"
"It was good after I stopped crying."
"You cried? Why's that?"
"Well, you dropped me off, and it made me sad, because I don't like being away from you, but you have school too, so it was okay and I made a friend named Margot and she's pretty and we played with crayons."
"Crayons! My word, those are your favourite!"
Emma smiled as Willow giggled again. "I know! It was great!"
"So you coloured. What else did you do?"
"We had story time, and we did these colouring pages where you colour the word whatever it is. Like, if it says blue, colour it blue. If it says green, colour it green. We also got spelling words. But I already know how to read so I will be great!"
"Sounds beautiful! And how did you celebrate this first day of school, Miss Schuester?"
"I went to dinner with Mommy and Auntie Ginnifer! Then we got cupcakes and came home."
"Ah. Impressive, impressive. Now tell me, how are you feeling about school tomorrow?"
"Excited, I think. I don't know."
"Well, thank you, Miss Schuester, for your time." Emma looked at the camera. "You heard her folks. We'll see how excited she is on the walk over tomorrow." She winked and Willow giggled.
"Mommy, why are you so silly?"
"Because I'm magic, remember?"
"No you're not!"
Emma looked at her with shock before standing up. "Willow Jane, you better take that back." She raised her fingers in front of her and started wiggling them like she was going to tickle her, taking slow steps forward, causing Willow to squeal, hop up out of the chair and run laughing out of the room, Emma following close behind. "I'm going to get you, Wills! You better say I'm magic!" There was a bunch of running and giggling and squealing before Emma returned a few minutes later, holding Willow in her arms. "Say it!" Emma giggled and so did Willow, shaking her head. "Say it!" Another head shake and Emma tickled Willow's side. "YOU'RE MAGIC!" Willow screamed, giggling. Emma smiled, kissing Willow's cheek and hugging her before setting her down. "NOT!" Willow yelled before running out of the room again. Ginnifer started laughing and the camera started shaking, Emma glancing over at her with a smile. "Okay, Ginn. You can stop it now."
The screen went blank and the VCR clicked again, stopping and then rewinding. It wasn't until there was nothing on the screen that Will noticed how hard he was smiling. He was grinning from ear to ear, watching Emma with their daughter. Emma fit so well into the role of being a good mother. It appeared to come so naturally for her, and Willow adored her. She was such a happy kid when she was small, if these videos were any indication, and the way that she acted now, she was still a happy kid. Though he was so sad he didn't know her all of this time, Will's heart swelled with the knowledge that Emma was at least a great mother to her, and Emma kept her happy. There was no other woman in the world Will would have wanted to mother his child and keep her a secret for ten years. Only Emma could ever pull that off and make it completely acceptable.
When the VCR was done rewinding, Will got up and moved to put the third one in. When he pulled out the third tape, he glanced at the front of it. There was a sticky note with Emma's writing on it. This was sent to you five years ago. It was intercepted by Terri, and it is the reason you didn't know sooner. She called me and told me to keep my mouth shut. I wasn't going to cross her. –Em. Furrowing his eyebrows, Will pulled the sticky note off of the tape and looked at the label. "For Daddy." His mouth went dry and he swallowed hard before putting the video in. He didn't even make it back to the couch, choosing instead to sit on the coffee table before pressing play.
Willow stared up at the camera with a wide smile on her face, waving excitedly. Her curly ginger hair was pulled into a side braid and she had little green earrings in her tiny ears. She was sitting on a couch and her little body was dressed in a green floral dress.
"Okay, Wills. Just like we practiced, okay?" That was Emma. She was recording this time.
Willow nodded before stopping her waving and looking directly at Will through the television screen. "Hi. My name is Willow and I'm five. My mommy is Emma Pillsbury and she's my mom." Willow paused and sighed. "Mommy, I messed up. Can we start over?"
"It's okay, Willow. We can't keep restarting. Just say whatever you want to."
"Oh, okay." Willow nodded and tapped her chin for a minute. "Hi. My name is Willow and I'm five. My mommy is named Emma and my daddy is named Will, but I don't know who he is. Mommy says I'm his special surprise because he doesn't know 'bout me yet." She paused, letting out a huff. "I have an Aunt Terri and he's married to her, but I don't know her, either. Today is Christmas." Willow smiled widely at Emma. "I don't know what else to say, Mommy. Can I say that I love him?" She paused, and Emma must have nodded because Willow smiled wider. "And I love my dad a lot. I have a picture of him and everything! Santa, I know this is late. But please give me my daddy for Christmas. Thank you!"
"Very good, baby girl. Go find Grandma really fast, okay? I'll be right down."
Willow nodded and waved. "Bye!"
The camera swirled around for a moment before being set on something and Emma moved to sit where Willow just was. She took a deep breath and let it out in one gust, rubbing her shaking hands on her own green dress.
"So…hi. It's been, uhm…it's been a few years since I saw you last. As you heard Willow just say, her dad is…well, you. I've, uhm…I've tried to tell you before, but you just wouldn't listen and to be honest, I didn't try very hard when you'd change the subject. I'm just scared, I guess. I don't want to derail your entire life, and I know Terri didn't marry you with the intention of becoming a step mother to a child. But you need to know about her, and it's all she asked for…" Emma paused, starting to cry. She held a hand to her mouth for a moment before sniffling and looking back at the camera with watery eyes. "For Christmas, all she asked for…was her dad. So, I'm trying. I can't get ahold of you, and I don't know why you're not answering, but this is the next best thing. I'm so sorry to you and Willow for keeping her from you…it was just for the best, trust me. I did it for you." Emma paused, wiping underneath her eyes and sniffling. She swallowed and reached forward, picking up a small stack of pictures. "I've documented everything I could about her for you. So…if you want to comply with her Christmas wish, if you want to know her, call me. Tell me. I'll send you pictures, I'll come to Ohio to introduce you, I'll make sure you know her. If you don't, then just send the video back. I hope you want to know her, though. She's perfect. Her name's Willow Jane Schuester. I hope you approve of the name. Like I said all those years ago, Will. I love you." She smiled at the camera and got up, leaning over the camera before it shut off and the screen went black.
Will sat on the coffee table, tears on his cheeks as he watched the video. He let out a tiny sob as the screen went blank, dropping his head into his hands. He could have known her. He could have met her years ago, but Terri told Emma to stay quiet.
Terri.
"DAMMIT!" Will stood up from the coffee table, throwing the remote down. He placed his hands on his head and turned, going to the phone and picking it up, dialing Terri's number. It rang a few times before Will heard Terri answer, smile apparent in her voice.
"Will! Hey, how's it going?"
"Is it in your DNA to be a bitch?" Will asked, anger causing his voice to shake.
"Uhm…nice to hear from you, too."
"I'm serious, Terri. What the fuck is wrong with you. Willow Jane Schuester. Ring a bell?"
Terri was silent on the other end of the line. When she said nothing, Will gripped the phone tighter.
"Terri. Answer me. Who is Willow. Jane. Schuester."
She took a breath, "She's your daughter, but Will let me explain, you don't understa—"
"Oh! Oh! There's something to explain? THERE IS NOTHING TO EXPLAIN, TERRI! NOTHING! GOD AND YOU WONDER WHY WE'RE DIVORCED NOW!" Will could hear whimpering on the other end of the line, and then some sniffling and he rolled his eyes. "Don't pull that crying shit with me, Terri. Don't do it. You have no reason to cry. You kept it from me. My child, you kept her from me."
"N-no!" Terri cried out, causing Will to roll his eyes. "Will, you don't – n-no! Emma kept her from you! It's Emma!"
Will laughed bitterly. "It was always Emma with you. She was always your cop out for everything wrong in our relationship. But if I didn't see it before, I definitely see it now. It was you that was every fucking wrong thing in this godforsaken relationship. Not Emma. YOU!"
"Why are you calling, Will?" Terri whimpered, sniffling again.
"To tell you that I met Willow and she's perfect. Oh, and by the way? That little secret cost you. That alimony check I send you every month out of the goodness of my heart? Don't expect that this month. Or any month from here on out." He was furious, and he helped support her out of the goodness of his heart; he wasn't court ordered to provide for her in any way after their split; she'd refused it at the time, but Will still sent her checks to make sure she was okay.
"W-what? Will! I'm not built to work every day!"
Will shrugged. "Not my wife, not my problem. Goodbye, Terri."
With that, he hung up the phone. He stared at the phone for a moment, running his hand over his face before dialing another number. He held the phone to his ear, looking at the time. It was almost eight-thirty. Hopefully this wasn't a bad time.
"Hello?" The voice was chipper.
"Emma, hey. You busy?"
"Nope, not in the slightest. Perks of having a daughter on vacation." She laughed a bit and sighed. "How can I help you?"
"I watched the videos."
She let out a breath. "Oh. You did."
"I did. Can…can I come over and talk to you?"
There was a moment of silence and then, "Yeah, of course. Just come over whenever. Have you eaten?"
Will's head shook, though she couldn't see him. "No, I was about to eat before heading over."
"Don't bother. I was going to make some fried rice. I'll make enough for you, too."
He swallowed hard. "A-are you sure?"
"Yeah, Will. I'd have leftovers anyways. I'll see you soon?"
"Yeah, see you soon."
He hung up the phone, walking to the table by the front door and pocketing his phone and wallet. He slipped on his shoes and grabbed his car keys before heading out of the door and getting into his car to drive to Emma's.