And Then There Was You

IX. Inhale, Exhale

I've been in and out on writing this chapter, being OCD, as always. XD -Anyway, I do apologize if I took too long!

[Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from ABC's hit show, ONCE UPON A TIME.]

The sun is high up on midday and Emma is on the drive home. While she sings to the current tune of the radio, "Classic" by MKTO, her lips curl up at the corners as her mind fills with the recent events at the Mills' residence. Her chest feels weightless as she inhales the air around her, filling her with the feeling of ecstasy. She lets out a sigh of contentment, knowing that somehow the woman of her dreams' son approves of her, more so she finally confirmed how Regina felt about her. This day could not get any better than this and nothing or anyone could mess it up. At an instant, her cellphone rings and sees her mother calling. Damn. I spoke too soon. Emma picks up the phone and turns the speaker on.

"Hey mom, what's up?" Emma answers casually, already sensing in the back of her mind that there is a high chance her mother, not believing it.

"Don't 'hey, what's up' me," Emma's mother, Mary Margaret reprimands on the other line. Her voice firm, although impatient and irritable. "Where are you now?"

Emma squints her eyes and softly hisses through clenched teeth, hoping her mother didn't hear it nor picture the face she was making. "I'm on the way home. I slept over at Ruby's. Didn't you get my text?" she blithely replies, not wanting to raise any suspicions that she had slept over at someone else's place, let alone her own professor.

"Yes I did, but it was this morning," Mary Margaret retorts. Her huffing can be heard from the other line. She seems to be hyperventilating of some sorts, but trying to refrain from ever exploding. "I've told you many times to let me know when you're not coming home. Don't you even care about me worrying about you all night at all?" Mary Margaret scoffs, "ugh, why do I even bother?"

Emma imagines her mother rolling her eyes from the other line. "I'm sorry, it must've slipped my mind."

"Slipped your mind? I've had it with your excuses, Emma," Mary Margaret snaps. There is a silence from both ends of the line and only a slight static sound can be heard. Mary Margaret lets out a sigh and her tone calms. "Well since you're still on the road, stop by the grocery store and buy some milk and cereal for Neal."

"Okay, you want anything?"

"No, thank you. Just get back here before I go to work and please, bring the car back in one piece."

"What about me," Emma asks playfully, hoping it would ease the tension from her mother's earlier disapproval. Although, Mary Margaret, not one to be an amateur for she had a few shares of rebelliousness back in her day, can sense her daughter pouting through the phone and did not reply. Instead, she shakes her head and scoffs through the other line. "Don't you want me to come back in one piece?"

"Don't push it, Emma. I need that car more than I need you right now."

Click. The other line disconnects. Emma lets out a lengthy sigh. What a great mom. As harsh as Mary Margaret had sounded, Emma knew her mother's sarcasm comes into fruition when she least needed to hear the nagging, because to her mother, it was always the best time to do it. She knew that her mother loved her more than she cared to admit or show it, so instead, brushes it aside with a laugh whenever her mother says mean things to get even.

-Grocery Store (parking lot)-

A moment later, Emma arrives at the grocery store. She parks the car in a parking space under a maple tree where the leaves had already changed colors to beautiful tinges of yellow and orange, adorning the dull gray cement. As the leaves crunch under her boots, Emma looks up at the sky. She closes her eyes for a moment and inhales as the soft breeze brushes past her. Emma had only one thing in thought, Regina... She takes another deep breath, let the air draw out slowly, savoring each moment with each thought circling through her mind of the recent events with her beautiful queen.