Emma lifted her head when her mother flicked the lights on and off, pushing off her face mask and tugging at the earmuffs as she approached.
"Hey, Regina is looking for you."
Emma looked around at the various pieces of wood she'd cut, glancing up at the clock. It had been just over an hour that she'd been here, which meant she was technically late coming home now, but not by much.
"She okay?"
"She is. But she's been trying to reach you on your cellphone and when you didn't answer, she called the station. Your father answered and told her you had just stepped out to go to Granny's and must have forgotten your cell. She wasn't happy to hear you went there. He says sorry. He panicked and it was the first thing that came out of his mouth."
Emma nodded as she began putting away the pieces she'd been working on.
"You might have to come up with a back up story in case this happens again."
Emma walked over to her father's workbench and grabbed her phone, seeing several missed messages and a couple of missed calls. She quickly sent a message back to Regina saying that she'd swung by Granny's for a hot chocolate before the end of her shift and asked her if she wanted anything. Regina responded back almost immediately that she did not, but that she wanted Emma home.
"Regina's asking me to come home. Maybe I'll start leaving this with you and you can let me know when she messages?" Emma asked, scratching the back of her head as she held up her phone. "I didn't think she'd be looking for me yet."
Emma had come to her parents' place after work, heading to her father's garage behind the loft to continue the project they had begun together. Emma had approached him a couple of weeks earlier, wanting to know if he would be willing to let her use the space so she could make the baby a cradle. She hadn't told Regina, wanting to keep it a surprise. It had been very slow progress, as she'd only been able to sneak over for an hour (at most) at a time. This was the third time she'd have to stop earlier than expected (out of three times!), and Emma was beginning to think she should just take a few afternoons off in order to complete her project. There was still plenty of time before the baby came, but she wanted to give the finished cradle to Regina at the baby shower they'd inevitably have, so she'd begun working on it early.
Speaking of which.
"Did you and Ruby talk to Granny yet about having the baby shower at the diner?" Emma asked, dusting off her pants and reaching for the broom.
"Leave that, Emma. Come inside and change. Your father can clean up later."
"I don't want to leave him my mess."
"Your pregnant girlfriend is looking for you," she responded, staring at her pointedly.
"Right."
Emma followed her mother up the stairs to the loft, heading to the bathroom and immediately stripping out of her clothes. She then pulled at the shower cap she'd been using to protect her hair from any debris, shaking out her locks as she looked herself over in the mirror. She gathered her discarded clothing and put it in the hamper, placing the shower cap back in the closet, and then took a warm washcloth with a little soap and quickly scrubbed at her body.
Ever since getting pregnant, Regina had the nose of a bloodhound. She could smell anything. Emma hadn't yet been caught (as she typically showered before going home), but she knew her "I swung by the home improvement store" excuse wouldn't work more than once, maybe twice, if ever Regina caught whiff of a smell of wood on her. So, she scrubbed quickly at her skin, doing her best to rid herself of the smell of wood and sawdust.
Emma tossed the cloth in the hamper when she finished and quickly dressed, grabbing her phone and her keys from the counter.
"Mom, do you think it'd be okay if I came by around lunch time one day and just spent the afternoon working? I'm not making any progress having to stop every five minutes. I'm thinking of taking a half-day to actually get somewhere with this project."
"Sure, honey. Your dad won't mind either."
"I'll check with him too."
Snow gave her a look.
"Your father doesn't mind because I'll tell him he doesn't mind. Let me know what days you plan on coming by and I'll make sure to make you some lunch."
Emma smiled.
"Thanks, mom."
Emma quickly made her way home, calling out Regina's name as she entered the house. She'd probably get in trouble for it, but at least she'd be sure her girlfriend knew she had arrived.
Emma glanced around the main floor, ultimately finding Regina in the kitchen, snacking on a raspberry danish.
"Hello, beautiful," Emma greeted, taking a step closer and pecking Regina on the cheek.
"You're late," Regina responded, chewing her bite of pastry. "Why were you late? And you smell… is that your mother's hand soap?"
"Got a little sidetracked at work, sorry. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Why do you smell like your mother's hand soap?"
Emma felt her anxiety rise a little.
"Uh, we bought new soap at work, must be the same stuff she has at home."
Regina's eyes narrowed.
"I don't recall receiving the receipts for that purchase. We buy the soaps for the station in bulk. Your mother buys hers from the grocery store."
Emma shrugged.
"I don't know what to tell you. Maybe my dad brought it into work. Anyway, I'm sorry I'm late," Emma repeated, hoping to change the subject away from the way she smelt.
"Yes, you told me you'd be home at six."
"It's just after six. I'm sorry," Emma frowned. Regina never watched the clock like this. At least, she never used to. "What's up?"
"We were going to open the rest of my presents at six."
Emma stilled, then chuckled.
"Is that why you've been tracking me all over Storybrooke? You wanted to open your presents? That's why you sent all those messages to make sure I was going to be home on time?"
"I refuse to be shamed for my behaviour," she retorted, finishing off her pastry.
Emma laughed against her cheek.
"Alright, baby. I'm glad it was nothing serious. Let's go open the rest of your presents."
"Maybe now I don't want to."
Emma grinned, yanking her closer. Regina went willingly.
"What would it take to make you change your mind?"
"Mmm," Regina pretended to think about it. "An apology. For being late."
"An apology? What kind of apology?"
Regina traced Emma's lips with her fingers, then looked up at her with a grin.
"I can do that," Emma replied, kissing the tips of Regina's fingers before moving forward and pressing their lips together.
Emma slid her tongue along Regina's lips, moaning happily when she tasted raspberry. Regina chuckled, knowing exactly what Emma was reacting to.
"You're so predictable," Regina murmured against her lips, bringing her fingers up and diving them into Emma's hair, intent on deepening their kiss.
Emma, however, had other plans. She pulled back, affronted.
"Are you calling me boring?"
"I would never use such a word, Miss Swan. I adore you."
Emma grinned, kissing her softly again before taking a step away, reaching out for her hand.
"Come on. Let's go open the rest of your presents. Then maybe you can con a foot massage out of me later."
"I don't need to con you into anything. You got me pregnant. You are now obligated to do anything I say."
Emma stopped, grinning widely at her as she spun and pulled Regina back into her arms.
"I did get you pregnant, didn't I?" Emma asked, looking down at her and kissing her softly.
"You're entirely too proud of the fact."
"It turns me the fuck on, honestly," Emma replied, leaning forward and kissing her again. "Knowing you're carrying my baby. You. Regina Mills. The most gorgeous, intelligent, persistent, caring, wonderful woman. The mayor of this town is the mother of my child, soon-to-be children. You. The woman I've been lusting over for years. So, yeah. It turns me on. How could it not?"
Regina's heart beat faster, her breathing increasing the more passionately Emma spoke. She knew Emma desired her. She wasn't exactly discreet about her attraction, but there was something about the way Emma spoke now, staring so intently, that sparked arousal deep in Regina's belly.
"None of that, now. We have presents to open," Emma chided, dragging her back to the living room.
Regina chuckled, following her lead. She really did want to open the rest of her gifts. There was a big one in the corner she'd been eyeing since yesterday. They hadn't had time before work this morning to open anything else, and Regina was curious.
Emma guided Regina back to their chair, reaching over for a bag and handing it to her. Regina opened it with glee. Emma would never tire of this, of seeing her this open and expressive and happy. Regina had confided once that she hadn't gotten a gift from anyone other than Henry in decades. Ever since she learnt that bit of information, Emma had made it her secret mission to surprise Regina regularly.
"Oh, these are lovely, Emma," Regina said, smiling. She pulled out a few bottles of cream, taking a moment to read the labels.
"Most don't have smells, because I wasn't sure how you'd feel about them. I know your sense of smell is off the charts now. But there are a couple with shea butter and vitamin E, because I know you like that smell. If you don't like the others though, we can go exchange them for ones you'd like better."
Regina shook her head, opening the jars and smelling each of them. There was only one that made her recoil, and she quickly closed it up.
"Maybe not that one."
Emma laughed, grabbing it and putting it in her pocket.
"The lady at the baby store told me that that green box is good for stretch marks on your stomach, and it's good for when your skin starts to itch. That white container is nipple cream, and she said it works really well. The other ones are just body lotions that she recommended, and that white bottle with the pink writing, apparently it's good for massages as well. Maybe we can test that one out too later."
Regina smiled at her, glancing down at the containers lined up next to her thigh.
"You spoil me, Emma."
"You haven't been spoiled in a really long time, sweetheart. A really long time. Let me." Sensing Regina was feeling a little embarrassed, Emma reached for another gift as a distraction. "I wonder what's in this one!"
Emma handed over the bag excitedly. Regina smirked at Emma's enthusiasm, her own excitement spiking at her lover's reaction. She was surprised to feel the weight of the bag, pulling at the tissue paper and laughing when she saw the bright colours inside.
"Everybody needs snacks!"
Regina began removing the items: bags of chips, mini marshmallows, licorice, hard candies, chocolates, chewy candies. There was a box of chocolate caramels and some suckers, a few bags of pretzels and mixed nuts. There were banana and apple chips. It looked like Emma had bought the entire candy section of the store.
"Emma, I'm going to become diabetic if I eat all of this."
"Well, you aren't going to eat it all at once. And I can help," Emma beamed, reaching for a loose hard candy.
"Your unwavering support is to be admired."
Emma simply grinned before reaching behind her for two more bags.
"Okay, I won't be offended if you don't like any of these things. If you hate everything, it's okay. I just… wanted you to have a few things to start. There's a gift card in there for more."
Regina frowned, a little confused, but accepted the bags from Emma. She peeked inside and could see material… clothing? She reached in for the first piece, a beige knitted sweater, with a scoop neckline. It was actually… it was nice. It was something Regina would have chosen for herself.
"I tried to think about what you'd like," Emma said nervously. "These are all from the maternity store. The materials are either loose in the waist or stretchy and meant to grow with you."
Emma had read that some women struggled as their clothes became tighter, especially if they suffered from any disordered eating or body issues. Regina was beautiful, but Emma knew that her mother had done a number on her mental health and had badly distorted Regina's self-image. The beauty standards of the Enchanted Forest hadn't helped, either. Emma hoped that by buying some pieces for her ahead of time would help. Especially since she'd gone to an expensive shop, one that specifically carried clothing that wasn't meant to even look like maternity clothes.
"It's lovely, Emma," Regina said sincerely, her fingers tracing over the soft material.
"Wanna try it on?" Emma asked, waggling her eyebrows.
Regina rolled her eyes but complied, standing and removing her blouse, slipping the top on.
"What do you think?"
"Hot. You look great."
Regina grinned at her, reaching into the bag again and pulling out a dark purple shirt, one that cinched just under the breast and hung loose in the waist.
"I hope you like this one. I really like it."
Regina nodded; she did. She was surprised, in fact, to realise that it was something she'd have chosen for herself.
"You look shocked."
"I hadn't expected you'd be so good at selecting clothing for me."
"I have spent years staring at you, Regina. I've kinda memorised your wardrobe."
"You noticed my clothing?" Regina asked, standing and removing her sweater to try on the purple shirt. "I thought you were too busy imagining what was underneath to even notice my outfits."
Emma laughed, a slight blush tinging her cheeks.
"Well… I did that too."
"I'm well aware," Regina smirked, smoothing down her new top. "What do you think?"
"I love it. It looks gorgeous against your skin. You have beautiful skin, you know that? It looks really good on you."
"Will you ever tell me if something looks terrible on me?"
"As if anything would have the audacity to look bad on you."
Regina let out a soft laugh.
"You flatter me," she responded, but she was secretly pleased. She loved that Emma found her attractive in anything. Or in nothing.
"My dad picked out that one," Emma explained, as Regina bent down and removed a soft blue, long sleeve top. It ruched at the sides, the material over the stomach bunching in such a way that Regina's expanding belly had room to grow. "He thought you'd like it."
"You brought your father clothes shopping?"
"Well, he is really excited for this baby. And he kept going back to this top. You don't have to wear it. If you don't like it, I'll return it."
Emma couldn't tell what Regina's expression meant, and that was a rarity for her. Usually, she was able to decipher all of her expressions.
"What's wrong?"
Regina shook her head. She liked the shirt, especially the style of it. It felt strange, however, to know that Charming was picking out clothing for her changing body. Regina had used clothing as an armour, as a layer of protection from the outside world, from everyone around her. She felt a little exposed knowing the figure she'd worked so diligently to maintain would be so different, and the fact that Charming had chosen something specifically to accommodate such changes, that he was acutely aware of what would happen to her, it was a little unnerving. It made her uncomfortable. But then, at the same time, it was also incredibly thoughtful of him to have chosen something specifically for her.
He thought you'd like it.
"Your father was correct. I do like it."
"You don't have to say that."
Regina smiled softly at her, folding the shirt in her lap.
"I do, Emma. You know when I'm lying."
"I do, but still. You don't have to wear it if it makes you uncomfortable."
Regina sighed. She should have known Emma would figure it out.
"It's just… a little strange. I know this happens to everyone who gets pregnant. Their bodies change. It's to be expecting when creating a life. I just… I'm an incredibly private person and this transformation is quite obvious. Or it will be, soon. It's unnerving."
"You feel exposed."
Regina nodded.
Emma stood and made her way to Regina, pulling her into a hug.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought him. He was just really excited."
Regina shook her head.
"No. I'm grateful he's happy and that he's looking forward to it. You've no idea what it means to me that he is supportive, especially considering who I am and the history we share. By all rights, your father should despise me, and yet… he's out choosing gifts he thinks I'll like."
Tears gathered in her eyes.
"I'm sorry," Regina said, smiling softly. "My thoughts and feelings are a little jumbled."
Emma chuckled, taking Regina's hand and guiding them both back to their cuddler chair to sit on the edge, facing one another.
"It's okay. This whole thing is messy, isn't it?"
"A little. But then again, so are our lives."
"Got that right."
Emma pressed several kisses to Regina's temple.
"Okay?"
Regina nodded.
"Thank you. This is a beautiful top. I'll wear it when I outgrow my clothes and we know we'll see him."
"You'll make his whole week. He went through that whole damn store looking for something you'd like."
"Did he?" Regina's stomach warmed.
Emma nodded.
"He's kinda your biggest advocate right now. I'm constantly getting lectures at work."
"Are you?" Regina asked, grinning.
"Don't look too happy! It's all Emma, did you make sure to pack extra snacks in her lunch today? Emma, you should add cottage cheese to her scrambled eggs for more protein, but make sure you blend the cottage cheese so the texture is smooth. Emma, you're not letting her lift anything, right? Did you massage her feet today?" Emma rolled her eyes. "And he's always asking how you're feeling, if I remembered to tell you you were beautiful. Seriously. It's like I'm a teenager again. Like he thinks I can't take care of you."
Emma feigned exasperation. The truth was, she lived for the moments her father 'harped' on her, as she'd never had it growing up. She loved that he checked in, because it meant he cared. And if the expression on Regina's face was any indication, she liked it as well.
"I didn't realise he was so interested."
"He is. He lives for every detail. He's got that app that tells you all about the baby's growth and he checks it every day, like he hasn't done this before. But this is my grandbaby, Emma. It's different. I don't tell him much. I know you're private, but I share little things with him."
Regina hesitated, then looked at her lover.
"Emma, he's your father. They're… they're your parents. If you want to share things about the baby, you can. This is your child as well."
"Yeah, but I wanna respect your privacy."
Regina leaned forward and pressed her lips to Emma's. She pulled back just enough to look at her.
"I love you so fiercely, Emma Swan."
Emma, unable to respond due to the overwhelming intensity of emotion in Regina's tone, simply leaned forward and pressed her lips to Regina's, pouring everything she felt into the kiss.
"I love you too."
"You can tell him things about the baby, Emma, especially if it doesn't involve me directly. I don't particularly want them knowing I had a breakdown in my bedroom because I thought I was unattractive, for example."
"I'm an idiot, but I'm not that stupid. I'd never tell anyone that. But, if you're okay with it, it would be nice to tell him stuff. Like when we told them the baby moved, that was nice."
Regina nodded in agreement.
"I want you to feel excited, Emma. I want you to share with your parents if you'd like to."
"Thank you. I think it goes without saying that like, I don't really have any qualms about you sharing stuff with other people? You know, maybe don't recreate my 'O' face or anything (Emma grinned when Regina snorted and rolled her eyes), but I want you to feel like you can share when you want to."
The truth was, Regina rarely shared anything with anyone who wasn't Emma or Henry. Emma didn't want her to hold back if ever the desire did strike her, keeping quiet for fear of what Emma might not want her to say. Emma wanted Regina to form friendships with others, and she wanted her to talk to other people about anything she felt inclined to share. Emma was private to a certain extent, but she trusted Regina. She trusted her judgement.
"Thank you, darling."
Regina went through the rest of the two clothing bags, pulling out fuzzy socks, slip-on slippers ("the lady said these'll be good when it gets hard for you to put on shoes"), a fluffy new bathrobe, a couple more tops and several pairs of pants. She pulled out the gift card Emma had left inside, eyes bulging at the amount on the back of it.
"Emma-"
"Don't yell at me. That was my dad. He said it was a gift from him and mom. Maternity clothes is expensive."
Regina did know that, which was why she'd held off thus far. Not that she couldn't afford it, but her clothes still mostly fit for now.
"I'll have to call them and thank them," she murmured, surprised. She hadn't expected this.
"Sure," Emma agreed, pecking her on the cheek before getting up and grabbing the final box in the corner. "Sorry about the Christmas wrapping. It was on sale and we needed a lot of it."
Regina grinned. She didn't care. She eagerly began tearing at the paper when Emma placed the gift in front of her, head tilting when she read the print.
"Wrap-around body pillow?"
"It's a pregnancy pillow! I did a lot of reading, and I leant that these are life savers and super comfortable." Emma pulled out her phone from her pocket, pulling up an image. "The box sucks because it doesn't show you anything, but look. See? You lie in the middle and it's supposed to help support your back and hips and it's perfect for your stomach when you get really pregnant. Everything I've been reading has said to get this for you to make you more comfortable later in pregnancy. Apparently it's a game changer."
Regina nodded, looking back at the box. She'd heard of the pregnancy pillow from Snow, but she hadn't yet gotten the chance to look into getting one.
"If this isn't the one you wanted, we can exchange it. I looked up reviews and this one got 4.8 stars out of 5. I figured it'd be good."
Regina traced her fingers over the box, looking around the room at the multitude of bags, each one filled with gifts for her.
"You are so thoughtful, Emma. You truly didn't have to do any of this, but I appreciate that you thought of me."
"I love you. I'm always thinking of you. And you're giving up your body for almost a whole year to grow my baby. It's the least I can do."
Regina smiled before sliding over to straddle Emma's lap and kiss her deeply. Emma moaned appreciatively when Regina snuck her tongue in her mouth, pressing on her lower back to hold her close. Regina rocked a few times on Emma's lap, grinning when she felt Emma stir with interest between her legs.
"Behave," Emma mumbled against her lips, but she made no move to stop her. "The boy will be home soon."
As though he had been summoned, the women heard the front door swing home and their son called for them from the entrance.
"You've taught my son terrible habits. He never did that before you," Regina grumbled, shifting off of Emma's lap to once again sit next to her.
Emma beamed proudly.
"Hi, moms. Oh, you opened the rest of your gifts. What did you get?"
Regina pointed at the various bags as she spoke.
"Clothes, more clothes, a body pillow, some creams, a large bag of snacks. Your mother went overboard."
"It's important to spoil your partner, Henry. Remember that."
Henry grinned.
"Can I have some snacks?"
"Henry, listen carefully," Emma started seriously, leaning forward towards her son. "Never, ever finish the last of anything when you are living with someone who's pregnant. Seriously. Unless you have a death wish, just don't."
Regina rolled her eyes at Emma's dramatic warning.
"Grandpa told me the same thing. He said he accidentally finished grandma's Oreos once and she cried for a week and made him sleep on the couch."
"So you've been sufficiently warned," Regina observed.
"Oh yeah!" Henry nodded. "I won't finish your snacks."
"Then you may share with me, yes."
"Awesome. What's for dinner?"
Emma and Regina exchanged looks. Their son was definitely a teenager, and certainly had the appetite to match.
"Are you craving anything in particular?" Emma asked her.
"No. Although…" she bit her lip, worrying the lower one.
"Anything you want."
"Pizza?"
"You want pizza? You never want pizza."
"Your child wants pizza." Regina then looked at her son, who was nodding eagerly. "Both of them."
Henry grinned again.
"You know me so well, mom."
"Yeah, I can make that happen. I'll call and then I'll go pick it up. Do you want anything else while I'm out?"
"We're nearly out of pickles," Regina said seriously.
"I can grab more. You want the regular ones or the garlic ones?"
"The hot and spicy ones."
"You're out?" Emma was surprised.
It used to take Regina weeks to finish a jar. Emma had just bought one last week.
"Nearly. If we had been out, you'd have gotten a phone call at work."
Emma laughed.
"Alright," she responded, kissing her cheek and getting up. "I'll call and go now, but I'll grab your pickles and maybe some orange juice for tomorrow morning?"
"Yes, please."
"Leave the mess," Emma warned, knowing full well Regina would start cleaning the second she stepped out of the house. "I'll pick it up when I get back."
"I'll clean it," Henry offered, surprising both of his mothers. "What? I can."
"Yes. Thank you, mijo."
Emma exchanged a quick look with Regina before heading out the door. She called the pizza place on her way to the grocery store, placing an order for two larges and some cheesy breadsticks. She had a feeling Regina would want them. She then pulled into the grocery store parking lot, grabbing some orange juice, a pack of bacon (you could never have too much), and heading to the pickle aisle. She scanned the shelves, her stomach filling with dread as she realised she couldn't find Regina's favourite Extreme Bean pickles. She went to the cashier, who informed her they were waiting on a shipment and it was possible they'd get more tonight. Maybe.
"I'm not certain though. We never know what we're going to get."
Emma thanked her and paid for the items she had picked up, chewing on the inside cheek as she approached the car. There was no way she could return home without them. She dropped into the driver's side, pulling out her phone in order to check her messages and buy herself some time as she contemplated what to do about the pickle situation.
-We are now officially out of my pickles. I blame you. You brought them up and when you left, they called for me.
Emma snorted, but her stomach clenched when she opened Henry's message.
-Mom's crying about the pickles. You better find some.
She now really needed to find some. She went to the corner store ("we don't carry pickles"), the retail store ("we don't have that brand here, no."), and then to the only other grocery store in town (who also didn't carry the brand).
"Fuck."
Emma pulled out her phone to text her son. She wasn't about to tell Regina that there were none left in town.
-There's none in town. I'm going to have to go out of Storybrooke.
It took a few minutes for Henry's response.
-Bangor has three grocery stores. I'll call and see if anyone has them.
-Thanks, kid.
Bangor was a twenty minute drive one way, but it was the nearest town to Storybrooke. Emma then texted Regina to tell her she'd be a little late, immediately driving away as soon as she'd sent off her message. She arrived in a little under eighteen minutes, heading to the supermarket Henry had told her to go to. She bought all six jars on the shelf, pulling out her card when the cashier gave her a questioning look.
"Pregnant girlfriend."
"Ah," he nodded sagely. "I know what that's like."
Emma paid and scooped up her bags, heading to the car and pulling out her phone.
-Heading for the pizza now. Be home soon.
Emma swung by the pizza place and grabbed the pizzas, the breadsticks, and a few dipping sauces, breathing a sigh of relief when she was finally home. She'd been gone over an hour.
"Did you take a tour of Storybrooke?" Regina sassed when Emma finally entered the kitchen. "This town is not that big, dear. And did you find my pickles?"
"It's nice to see you too, honey."
Regina rolled her eyes.
"It's nice to see you," Regina responded mechanically. "Pickles?"
Emma laughed, handing over the bags.
"You're such an asshole."
Regina grinned.
"It's why you love me."
"No, I love you because you have really nice ti-hhhii, Henry."
Henry scrunched his nose at his mothers, making a beeline for the pizzas. He opened the boxes, nodding happily.
"Yes, nice."
He then grabbed three plates, stacking them next to the boxes.
"You pick first, mom."
"It's okay, mijo. You grab the ones you want."
"Oh, no. The pregnant lady picks first. You take the ones you like."
"That's not necessary-"
"No offense, mom, but you just cried over pickles and made ma drive all the way to Bangor to get you more."
"That's what took so long?" Regina asked as she looked over at Emma, incredulous.
"Well, I wasn't going to come home empty-handed."
Regina closed the cupboard she'd been stocking with her prized pickles, marching right up to Emma and kissing her soundly.
"Thank you."
"Least I can do."
Henry tapped his mother's shoulder.
"Um, can you pick your slices now? Your son is starving to death."
Regina laughed, grabbing her plate and choosing two slices of each, before then grabbing some breadsticks and a dip. Henry's eyes widened in surprise, but he said nothing.
"Wise man," Emma murmured, when Regina left the kitchen. "I saw that look. You're lucky she didn't."
"She never eats that much! I was surprised."
"She won't eat it all, either. She'll probably have two slices and the breadsticks and then yell at me for letting her take too much."
Henry snorted.
"You do get blamed a lot."
Emma shrugged, patting herself as she grinned.
"Got broad shoulders for a reason, kid."
Henry rolled his eyes.
"You're not mad she blames you?"
Emma smiled.
"Nah, kid. She's just teasing me. She doesn't actually mean it. I thought you knew that it was just a joke?"
"I do," Henry said hesitantly, popping a piece of breadstick in his mouth. "But not everybody gets mom's sense of humour. I just wanted to make sure you knew too."
"I do, kid. Your mom is snarky and sassy, she has a super dark sense of humour, and sometimes a bit of an asshole, but all of that is what makes her so funny. I like that she's like that."
Henry regarded her carefully.
"Not many people do."
Emma nodded.
"I know. Their loss. Your mom is great."
"She is," he agreed easily, following her into the dining area.
"Took you both long enough, I thought you'd gotten lost."
"This is a pretty big house," Emma observed, sliding into her seat. "Wouldn't be a shock to hear you've lost a few people in here."
"It's why I've been single all this time, Miss Swan. My previous lovers got lost somewhere in the vastness of this home, and so I've had to keep replacing them."
"Noted. I'll try to be careful."
Regina shrugged.
"I'll just get another if you become lost as well."
Henry laughed into his pizza.
"Don't check her freezer."
Regina pointed at Henry.
"Be careful, my little prince. There's still room in one of them."
Henry glanced over at Emma, the two exchanging a look.
"Very dark," Emma grinned, biting into her pizza.