Miles To Go

Chapter Seventy-One

Every day that passed since the interview brought on a feeling of urgency, impatience, even a sense of hesitation and fear that maybe that phone call wouldn't come soon, that maybe they'd be waiting for well over a year before they got to bring their daughter home. Regina spent her days in her office staring at her cell phone and the phone on her desk. Every time either phone rang, she answered in a hurry and always before the first ring even concluded.

But every phone call she received throughout the week had not been from the Boston Adoption Agency. By late Friday afternoon, she was feeling distraught, her nerves making her whole body feel as if it were coiled around the butterflies constantly taking flight in the pit of her stomach.

The last phone call she received had been from a dealership in Portland, informing her that her order she'd placed a while ago would be delivered that afternoon. It was a complete surprise, mostly for Emma since she had absolutely no idea that Regina had not only purchased a vehicle for herself online, but one for Emma as well.

"Shane, please make sure these files are put away before you leave," Regina said as she placed the half a dozen folders on his desk.

"Of course, ma'am. Is that everything?"

"Yes," she smiled as she slipped on her light grey trench coat. "Do remember to lock up on your way out, Shane, and have yourself a wonderful weekend."

"You too," he smiled right back at her, moving from his desk as he picked up the files.

Regina headed down the stairs and smiled when she saw Emma waiting in the cruiser that was parked not too far from the door. It was growing colder, the air a little damp with signs of an impending storm due to hit at any given moment. Regina shivered as she hurried over to the cruiser and climbed in.

"Hi," Emma smiled as they leaned over the middle console for a kiss. "How was your day?"

"The same as usual," Regina replied and she put the seatbelt on. "Yours?"

"Long and boring. I did beat Booth over a game of darts. He owes us one night of babysitting."

"It's nice to see you are using your time at work for other causes," Regina replied, trying to suppress her chuckle. "You haven't been home yet by any chance, have you?"

"Nope. Come right here to pick you up."

"Good," she smirked and Emma just gave her a look. "What, darling?"

"What did you do?"

"What did I do?" Regina asked, raising an eyebrow. "Nothing, dear."

"Henry text me earlier when he got home from school," Emma said as she kept the cruiser parked where it was, not even making a move to put it into drive. "He said that there was something delivered today. Something huge. He wouldn't tell me what."

Regina sighed in relief, hiding it well with a forced yawn. Henry had called her when the vehicles had been dropped off and parked in the driveway, asking her if it was a mistake that they'd been dropped off there instead of somewhere else. After Regina explained to him that it was a surprise and told him to sign off on the delivery for her, she made him promise that he would not tell Emma that there was a brand new black Lexus LX waiting for her, nor of the brand new silver Audi S8 she'd purchased for herself.

Emma grunted, clearly annoyed by her choice to remain silent and she put the cruiser into drive and pulled out of the town hall's parking lot. Regina fidgeted with her purse on her lap and the closer they got to home, the more nervous she became. While she knew how much Emma loved her Bug, she had toyed with the option of buying a new one for her and in the end, she chose something much more practical. An SUV that could not only dub as a family vehicle, but fit for her to use as the Sheriff's vehicle as well.