In The Depths Of Her Soul

Chapter Two

The loud buzz around the schoolyard is far too loud due to the warmer weather this morning. Evie, being the angel that she is, stands near both of her mothers with her best friend, Violet, chatting away, waiting patiently for the first bell to ring.

"So," Ruby draws out the simple word catching Regina's full attention. "Are you sure you'll be alright tonight with just Tilly?"

"Yes, she's been training all week and I think she is more than capable of handling the floor with two hosts. I will be in the kitchen window and making my rounds. We will be fine. Besides, she has to learn somehow, what better way than throwing her right in."

"Sometimes, I swear you set people up for failure just for a good laugh."

She shoves the lanky brunette and rolls her eyes as they both chuckle softly. However, out of the corner of her eye, a bright shining mane of golden locks steals her attention away from her ex-wife.

"Regina, Ruby, good morning."

"Hey, Emma," she and Ruby happily greet the other woman together as she quickly approaches.

"Good morning, Henry," Regina addresses the small boy who peers up at her with a wide goofy grin that she's come to associate with his mother.

"Good morning, Miss Mills."

"I told you, dear, please call me, Regina," she sweetly encourages and Henry nods along before turning his attention to the two girls beside him, avoiding the adults. "You're on time, Miss Swan," she sasses with a mischievous smirk creeping across her red painted lips.

"I know, I'm even impressing myself," Emma teases right back, grinning from ear to ear, "and I don't have to rush out of here because I'm off work today," she adds on, rocking lightly from her heels to her tip toes as she stuffs her hands into her back pockets.

"I have to get going, I'll see you this afternoon," Ruby reiterates their new schedule in which Regina happily nods along.

"Yes, I will see around two o'clock," she confirms just as Ruby's lips press against her cheek for their routine goodbye kiss.

Ruby then bends down to kiss their daughter goodbye as well before she makes her way back to her car.

The refreshing aroma of coconuts swarms through the air, demanding Regina's full attention. She turns her head slightly to find the blonde lingering awfully close, forcing her heart to stutter in her chest.

"Have I met the other little girl before?" Emma whispers sending a puff of her minty breath into Regina's space, momentarily disabling her thoughts.

She shakes her head mindlessly and mumbles, "That's Violet," still trying to understand why she feels so off balanced from Emma's close proximity.

Yes, she has dated since her divorce, but never anything too serious or ever worth mentioning. Evie has never been introduced to anyone that she's even deemed worthy enough to accept a date from. She finds it quite difficult to find time to date anyone when she works every weekend at the restaurant. Hopefully, that will all change now that Tilly, their new assistant started working for them.

She's only known Emma Swan for two weeks, but she's finding the woman rather adorable. She knows the feeling she's experiencing is just a simple infatuation and soon enough she will be over the silly crush because in the back of her mind she keeps reminding herself that Emma has a husband. She casually mentioned him at the baseball game, but she hasn't spoken about the man again during the past week. Come to think of it, she has never seen the man and Henry has never mentioned his father either.