Miles To Go

Chapter Forty-Three

Emma paced slowly around the small, private room that had become home to her in the last month, save for the six days she'd been in in ICU. Her chest ached, all the time, but the depths of that ache had lessened over time, day by day. She glanced at the clock for what felt like the hundredth time in the last hour and frowned only to find it had been just mere minutes since she last looked. She was ready to go home, she'd been ready to go home weeks ago.

Today wasn't the day she was going home, unfortunately, but Regina had promised she'd bring dinner and she had no idea just what the dinner would be. Was she cooking something at home to bring for her or would she just stop at Granny's on the way and pick up one of the healthier options on the menu? With her anxiety running on high, her emotions all over the place after what had happened earlier between her and Regina, her stomach growling, it just made everything feel so constricted, like the walls all around her would close in at any given moment.

After Regina had left earlier, she had a long talk with the doctor about her release. Dr. Whale had given her specific restrictions upon her return home. She couldn't do any strenuous activities and that most definitely meant that she wouldn't be able to have sex or go for a run in the mornings. She was also told she couldn't return to work for at least another two weeks and that would happen only after he gave her the all clear. While each wound, the entry and exit point from the bullet she'd taken was mostly closed, he informed her that she was still healing on the inside and that because it had been a high velocity bullet, it was the reason it was taking so long for her to heal.

Her heart raced when she could hear Henry's voice just out in the hallway and when he appeared in the open doorway, she smiled widely and they met halfway, arms flinging around one another in a solid yet gentle hug.

"Hey, kid."

"Hey, Mom."

"Where's Regina?"

"Right here," Regina said with a smile as she walked into the room, placed the white plastic bag on the small round table where they ate their meals together, and she wrapped her arms around both of them. "Sorry that we're a bit later than usual."

"It's okay," Emma smiled as Henry slipped out from between them. "What did you bring for dinner?"

Regina smiled brightly before moving in for a soft kiss. "After our conversation earlier, you put me in the mood for lasagna and Henry was in agreement. He helped me make it when we got home."

"Did you?" Emma asked as she looked over at Henry. He nodded and pulled out the containers, three of them and opened the lids, the smell of warm lasagna immediately beginning to fill the room. "Oh my god, it smells delicious."

"Shall we?" Regina motioned to the table and Emma nodded, their arms dropping from around each other but not until they had shared another small, light kiss.

Each container, Emma noticed immediately, had a piece of lasagna inside of it, each of their portions slightly different. Henry, of course, had a piece similar in size as Emma's and Regina, as usual, had the smallest piece. They were quiet as they ate, save for the soft moan that slipped past Emma's lips at the first bite and every bite after that one.

"How was school, kid?" Emma asked, wanting everything to feel as remotely normal as possible, as if they were at home and not in a hospital room. "And none of that "it was okay" crap this time. I want to know—"

"It was okay," he chuckled and Emma rolled her eyes playfully. "Nick asked me if I could sleep over at his house tomorrow tonight and Mom said yes," he said and he looked right a Regina when he called her Mom.