They enter the diner and are greeted by everyone who has already arrived. They choose their usual booth and Snow removes Neal from his stroller and places him on her left hip. He coos happily as he takes in the room full of people.
"Aren't you a little ham?" Snow says as Neal starts babbling at them all, delighting in the resulting laughter from everyone in the room. It was a stark contrast to the somber faces that had been present when they first entered the diner.
"That kid babbles on and on just like his dad," Grumpy teased, elbowing David lightly in the ribs.
David chuckled, clapped the dwarf on the shoulder, and began to go around the room greeting everyone. Snow shifted Neal around in her arms so he could still entertain the masses while she sat on the edge of the booth with him in her lap. She looked around the room and noticed that Regina, Henry, and Hook were still not there. Concern started to bubble up, but Snow beat it down, telling herself that sometimes people were late for simple reasons.
Red bustled over with two hot chocolates (with cinnamon of course) for Snow and David and a kiss for Neil. "Looks like almost everyone is here," she said. "Maybe give everyone else a few more minutes?"
"Yes, that sounds like a plan," Snow replies, kissing Neil on the top of his fuzzy head. I won't worry, she thought. They are just running late. Don't worry.
Red squeezed her hand, opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the sound of a loud sneeze and breaking glass. She gave Snow an apologetic look, then bustled away to help Sneezy clean up his drink he accidentally blew off of the counter.
"We might have to get you your own plastic cups, Sneezy," Red joked.
"I ah..ahh... ahhhhh…" Doc quickly placed his pointer finger under Sneezy's nose, stifling the impending sneeze, "..'gree!"
Snow smiled a half smile. Some things never change, she thought. She took a sip from her mug, taking care not to put it within arm's reach of her son. She quickly licked the froth from her upper lip and looked up to see a pair of blue eyes observing her closely. Her breath caught in her chest and she tried to will herself not to blush. Only David could elicit this kind of physical response from her. Her David. Her Prince Charming. Her husband.
He smiled his charming smile, a look of concealed triumph on his face as if he could hear her thoughts. That look that was reserved just for her. A look of pure love, adoration, and a little heat. He's going to pay for that one later, she thought trying to steady her breathing and keep the red in her cheeks from deepening. Very rarely was she ever caught off guard, but her husband was usually the culprit. Charming had returned to his conversation with Granny and Grumpy but kept glancing her way, seemingly amused. Cheeky, she thought. She narrowed her eyes, sending him a mock glare.
Oh yes, he'll definitely be paying for this later.