"That's awesome, little man," Emma cheered just as the doorbell rang at Mifflin and Regina excused herself. "I bet you're gonna be the best singer at the whole concert."
"Yeah," he agreed. "Mommy says I'm the best."
"Mommy's right. So do I get to hear the other song?"
Henry giggled, Emma imagining him shake his head adorably. "Nooo, it's a surprise."
"But I want to hear it now."
"At the concert," he insisted. "You have to wait."
Emma frowned and did her best not to sound too disappointed as she reminded the three-year old of her absence. "I won't be able to go to your concert, buddy. I have to work, but Mommy's gonna show me a video when I get back, and when I visit you again you can put on another show. Is that okay?"
"Yes!" He agreed readily. "You coming to the fair?"
"What fair?"
"The fireworks fair." If Henry had been older, Emma was sure the 'duh' would have followed soon after.
"The fireworks fair," the blonde repeated. "Does that happen to be on the Fourth of July?"
"Iunno," the boy shrugged, "but there's popcorn, and games, and, and rides, and popcorn, and cotton candy, and games, and, and-"
"And fireworks?" She asked holding back her laughter at his excitement.
"Yeah! How did you know?" He asked amazed.
"I can read minds," the blonde whispered covertly.
"Noo," he insisted. "What's in my mind?"
"Hmmm." Emma took a minute to contemplate. "Popcorn and games?"
Henry gasped obnoxiously. "How did you know?!"
"Okay, my turn." Regina's voice sounded further away though increased in volume like she was walking back into the living room.
"It's my turn, Mommy," Henry said, and judging by the shuffling of the mouth piece the kid was hogging the phone to his chest.
Regina must have set him with one of her signature warning stares that the boy was slowly becoming immune to for the line shuffled again and with a "fiiine, Mommy" Regina was in possession of the phone.
"Kid's determined," Emma noted knowingly. "Wonder where he gets that from."
"And he's only three," Regina added wryly.
"Just wait until he reaches double digits and starts talking back to you."
"I'll have you know I'm raising a fine, young gentleman," Regina said pointedly.
"Mommy!" Henry yelled so loudly he may as well have been in the same room. "I have to poo-poo!"
"Fine, young gentleman indeed," the blonde snorted.
Regina scoffed, and Emma could basically see the eye roll from the brunette as she turned to speak with Henry. "Go ahead, sweetie. You're a big boy. Call me when you're done."
"'Kay."
A sudden memory overtook the blonde as she remembered a story from Henry's baby years that Regina had written to her about, and she started to laugh. "Hey, remember when he tried to go to the bathroom by himself, and he ended up falling in the toilet?"
Regina inhaled swiftly trying with no avail to hold in her own laughter. She had been terrified when it happened, of course, but looking back on it now, she realized how ridiculously hilarious it was. "He wouldn't use the big boy potty for a month after that."
"Oh god, I wish you got pictures."
"I'm all for embarrassing my child, but I'm not that evil," Regina said wryly.
"Sure," the blonde conceded dryly. "So what have you been up to?"
"Well that was Ms. Bell at the door just now," Regina began. "She made treats for the class the other day and Henry came home raving about them, so I asked for the recipe."
"Hold up. You're close enough with Tina that she can just drop by and hand you stuff?"
"You make me sound like a hermit."
"And you're cooking someone else's recipe?" Emma asked amazed. "Geez, I've been gone for all of two months, you're already replacing me."
"Well a woman does have needs," Regina quipped throatily.
For a moment, Emma felt the bile rise to her throat from panic because it was true, and Regina was in Storybrooke and Emma was at Benning. It wasn't completely unheard of that couples broke up while one of them was in service, the distance being too much or the eye wandering too far for those left at home. She knew it was a possibility, and she knew Regina could have her pick at anyone she wanted, so the tightness grew in the blonde's throat. Regina must have heard the stifled hitch because she was quick to add on to her statement. "But don't worry, dear. Only you know my secret apple turnover recipe."
Emma snorted, the tension seeping away from her throat slowly. "Here I thought you gave all the nice blondes that recipe."
"Just you."
Emma had to turn her head toward the window to hide the impending blush that painted her cheeks. She cleared her throat, trying to seem like this brunette wasn't having an effect on her despite how light and fluffy she felt inside. "So are you guys best friends forever?"
Regina scoffed, a dismissal on her lips before she toyed. "Why? Are you jealous?"
"Completely." And it was mostly true, and even Emma could verify that.
"Not quite. I'm saving that position for someone special."
"Henry got the job, didn't he?"
"Now you make me sound like I have no friends."
"I still think you're awesome."
"And if you think so, then damn everyone else," she retorted with enough sarcasm that it didn't sound overly cheesy. "Oh, have you talked to August lately?" Regina asked suddenly.
"August?" The blonde questioned, her face scrunched up in confusion. She had written letters to him since her return, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary that raised a red flag to the blonde. "Why? What did he do?"
"I'm fairly certain he and Ms. Lucas have been communicating."
"Communicating how?" She asked curiously.
"The telephone, I believe. I overhead the beginnings of a conversation from Ms. Lucas the other day."
"I meant in what way."
"In exactly the way you are thinking," Regina said with a knowing smug tone in her voice.
"No," the blonde gasped. Ruby and August? She never really gave much thought to it, but now that it was out there, she found herself acquiescently nodding. "Ruby and August, huh. Can't believe he didn't tell me. What a dick, he kept pestering me about you."
"Oh, did he?" Regina said coyly.
"Yeah, yeah. Eat it up," the younger woman grouched.
"Also, Mr. Booth may have sprouted an admirer in Henry. The other day he asked to see Un-ca August," Regina said.
"Oh my gosh. Uncle August. He's gonna love that," the blonde laughed.
"Yes, well Henry has clearly gotten over his cyborg aversion," Regina said dryly. "Though he may be more intent on becoming Jim Hawkins if August will be his Long John Silver."
"I can be Captain Amelia and you can be the dog professor," added the blonde.
"Dr. Doppler," Regina corrected nearly sounding offended that Emma didn't know. Emma wondered who really loved the movie more, but she supposed it would grow on her too if a three-year old made her watch it four times a week. "I'm more like Captain Amelia, in fact."
"Uh, she's a sea captain and badass, and you like learning and stuff."
"Learning and stuff," Regina repeated with a laugh, "well you certainly aren't Dr. Doppler."
"Yeah, yeah. Hey, you gotta take pictures of this fair thing Henry was talking about."
"I will," Regina promised. "Do you do anything for the holiday?"
"Are you kidding? Fourth of the July? That's when we get our most patriotic. We brighten up the sky with some NRA-approved gunfire."
Regina snorted despite herself. "Are you allowed to speak like that?"
"Probably not," the blonde smirked. "But it is a big deal around here. A lot of soldiers go home for that time to celebrate with their families, but this weekend we do our big Independence Day celebration with everyone's families coming down. There's bounce houses for the kids and face painting and live shows and this giant cookout. It's actually a good time."