I know you've been watching watching over us.
I'll see you again one day, my love.
A week later when a majority of the town gathered around the common square for Veterans Day, Regina and Henry laid down flowers at the base of the Founder's statue. Henry placed down a bouquet of yellow lilies. 'They're like Emma's hair,' he had claimed. And Regina had whispered a promise into a single red rose before laying it down beside his bouquet. The sound of rifles firing eleven times weren't louder than the contagious laughter and soft murmurings of Emma's voice in her head.
Regina didn't drink on the three-year anniversary, though she was sorely tempted to. Archie praised her, but she wasn't in the mood to be encouraged like a child.
In January, vowing to start the new year right, Regina and Henry spent the second half of his Christmas break painting nearly every room in the house. Gone were the monochromatic walls that made the pristine mansion look like a model home. In its place were Marigold Yellow hallways, a Salem Red living room, and a Tavern Green playroom. The duo had pushed aside and wrapped all the furniture, donned their sloppiest clothes (for Regina she had to resort to buying a tank top and sweat pants) and set about bringing life to the house. The perfectionist in Regina made sure Henry chosen colours that matched, but for the most part, he was the boss on the project, and as the president, he framed the extra pictures from the scrapbook and the album around the house. Regina smiled genuinely as he straightened the frame of the three of them on the fireplace mantle.
Change was in the air, and every time she heard a whisper of Emma's name or an event on the news about soldiers overseas, it hurt a little less and her acceptance grew a little more. Regina could safely say she was happy.
There were times over the following months where Regina would watch Emma's video message on repeat, read the conversation of their letters like it was her favourite novel, or slip her arms into Emma's oversized US ARMY shirt and inhale the scent of the worn material, believing for just a moment she could still smell Emma in the fibres. After three years the scent was long gone, but it was okay. Wherever Emma was, she wasn't hurting. She was safe. That was all Regina could ask for. If she ever forgot that, she more easily believed the numerous people in her life reminding herself.
"You have everything?" Regina crouched down by Henry, an oversized and overstuffed duffle strung across his chest as he squirmed in her grasp. "Canteen? Flashlight? Bug spray? Change of underwear?"
"Mo-oom," Henry groaned, looking around to see if any of his friends heard.
She didn't care for his embarrassment, instead clasping his cheeks in her palms with a shaky and tight grip. "You don't have to go if you don't want to. I'm sure we can get your wilderness badge by pitching a tent in our backyard."
"Mom," the eight-year old whined again. "I want to."
She nodded uncertainly as the boys from his Boy Scout troop began to slowly file onto the bus.
"It's just one night."
"If you get frightened or want to come home, just tell Troop Leader Harkness, and he has all my numbers," she reminded him for the fifth time that morning alone.
"I know."
"Here." She reached into her purse and retrieved Rex, holding out the worn and limp dinosaur for him.
He blushed and shook his head. "It's for babies."
Regina's face dropped. "It's Rex."
Henry bit his lip conflicted and leaned in to whisper. "I want Rex to take care of you for tonight ."
She frowned but held the stuffed toy to her chest and nodded again. "Now you didn't answer me. Do you have fresh underwear?"
"Yes, Mom," Henry groaned under his breath.
"Listen to your Troop Leader and don't go around telling ghost stories or staying up late." She smoothed his hair down and out of his face, but Henry leaned back and swooped his fingers through it to get it to look messy again. "I love you."
"I love you too, Mom." She hugged him tightly and kissed him on the cheek, rouging his skin before he took off toward the bus.
She watched him move through the bus and sit down beside Nicholas, looking past his friend briefly to smile out the window and wave. After a few minutes, the bus departed, and the parents bidding their sons goodbye that early May morning either stayed to chat, drifted back to their homes, or stopped by Granny's to beat the breakfast rush.
Regina stayed standing on the corner of Finch and Meadowvale for the longest time, watching the bus shrink in the distance before it turned a corner and disappeared entirely. A knot in her chest tightened. He'll be back tomorrow.
Sighing, she held on to Rex's claw and walked the short distance back to the mansion. For Saturday morning, the streets were a bit more alive than usual. Multiple parents apparently opted to spend the day outdoors in the newly bloomed landscape since they were already up and about. April had been especially rainy this time around, so the sunshine in the new month was a blessing in the New England air.
Regina couldn't fully enjoy it though. She was too acutely that by the time she reached home, no one would be there to greet her. It's just for one night, she reminded herself again. He's with other boys, and Harkness has done this trip a million times, and Nolan is on patrol tonight. That last thought didn't give her much hope, but that was partially due to her distaste for the man.
Reaching Mifflin, it was only a short walk to her front door, and as soon as she stepped in, she never realized how large the mansion was until then. The colour certainly made it more inviting, but standing under her staircase, tossing her keys into the bowl by the side table with a hollow clang, made her feel so very small in her home. She couldn't even remember the last time she was home alone since having Henry.
Calming herself down some, she moved briskly to her kitchen and immediately began scrubbing down her stove. The splotch of grease from when August fried pork chops four nights before was more stubborn to get out, but the steel wool under her fingertips dug into the stain. The stove, along with the oven, the sink, and the counter tops, was spotless in an hour, and Regina looked around for more to do. Curse her natural cleanliness. She barely needed to wipe anything down. She didn't need to go into the office. August was helping Marco with a few orders. Ruby was working until dinner at the diner. Perhaps Kathryn or Tina would come over. She scowled remembering Kathryn was at her father's place for the weekend and Tina, though exuberant with energy for the preschoolers she taught, was hell to be around on weekday mornings.
She fiddled with the circle pendant on her necklace then nodded determinedly. She could face Tina's wrath quite easily.
Just as she reached for the phone, a knock sounded at the door. Her pulse jumped. What if it's about Henry? She left him on the bus an hour ago, could he have really gotten hurt already? No, they would call. She raced to the door regardless and pulled it open swiftly.
Her breathing halted at the first sign of yellow hair.
"Hi."
Chapter 24
Chapter Notes
Disclaimer in Chapter One.
AN: This is not an OQ fic. Those who say otherwise have been greatly misinformed.
Fun fact: I was supposed to end this story with the last chapter.
Emma suppressed a cry when she felt a searing pain overwhelm her body. She was numb, and the adrenaline that had coursed through her hours? minutes? days?—how long had she blacked out for?—was nearly spent.