"How is David?" Regina asked, not quite used to small talk that held no greater purpose than to catch up.
"Fine," Kathryn noted with a tight-lipped smile that Regina had an inkling about the reason behind it.
"Well, he is keeping our streets safe."
Kathryn half-snorted half-chuckled. "Not quite like your Emma though."
"I'm sorry?" Regina spat out blindsided by the blonde's bluntness. Then again, Kathryn had always been like that, so Regina really shouldn't have been surprised.
"Emma, she's military, right? I never got the chance to officially meet her, but everyone says she's great."
"Yes," Regina nodded what would be bashfully if her mayoral mask hadn't been in place. "She's. . ."
"Awesome!" Henry piped up, throwing his hands in the air.
Regina laughed out loud, forgetting her company and shaking her head at her sometimes too adorable son. He was like a sponge most times, and clearly he had picked up some of Emma's catch phrases. There was a twinkle in Kathryn's eye when Regina's laughter died down and they had made eye contact again. One she hadn't seen in thirteen years that typically meant mischief and knowledge.
"What?"
Kathryn shook her head. "It's really great to see you two getting out more often. I heard you're riding again."
Regina scoffed. "This town is too small."
"Well you did come back to it."
"Yes, well, I'm starting to regret that."
Kathryn smiled that knowing smile again, glancing briefly at Henry and more intently at Regina. "I really think you aren't."
"Look," Henry announced, his juice and crumby bag deposited beside him as he held up the marshmallow bag that Regina had no idea how he had gotten. She swore her son had magic of some sort since he was so stealthy with his movements when he wanted to be. "These for Emma. Mommy said they not for me, right Mommy?"
"Right," Regina agreed, not falling for his attempt at a guilt trip in front of company. "We'll rot Emma's teeth so that Henry can have the best smile."
Regina once again confiscated the bag of confections and this time buried it under the sunflower seeds and granola bars. She began pushing the cart to head to the tea aisle and didn't mind the slightest when Kathryn walked alongside her.
"Are you making a care package?" Kathryn asked, eyeing the cart of mismatched items.
Regina nodded. "We tend to send one every couple months and on her birthday and Christmas. I believe her brother will be sending her a Discman for her birthday, though that's supposed to be a surprise.
"I'll be sure not to mention anything in my next conversation with her," Kathryn quipped. They turned into Regina's desired aisle where she immediately picked up a fresh can of raspberry mint tea and placed it in the cart. Just in case the cocoa fell through, Regina was certain that the tea would reach Emma.
"I don't know how you do it," Kathryn commented cautiously as they made their way to the check out. At Regina's raised eyebrow, Kathryn explained. "I get so worried whenever David gets called in for whatever disturbance. He seems to get called in a lot, and we live in Storybrooke. I just can't imagine what it must feel like. . ."
Regina kept her head forward, deeming this conversation too personal too soon, but Kathryn continued on, either oblivious or ignoring Regina's closed off behaviour.
"Aren't you scared something's going to happen to her?" Kathryn asked suddenly, stopping to face her old friend.
"Emma is a good soldier," Regina insisted though the statement was like a mantra, a reaffirming cause that Regina told herself every day.
"I don't doubt it," Kathryn rushed to explain. "You just, never know–"
"I know that whatever happens in the field, she's going to come back," Regina insisted with finality. "Now if you'll excuse me."
With a determined push, Regina steered the cart into a free cash and began unloading her groceries onto the belt, keeping her back to Kathryn.
"Regina," Kathryn pleaded, but instead he brunette turned her attention to Henry who had started using his empty juice container as a makeshift rocketship.
Sighing, Kathryn mustered a smile for Henry and departed from the family with a quiet 'goodbye' she was sure Regina heard and only acknowledged with the tiniest dip of her chin.
Regina wouldn't let Kathryn's words affect her despite them taking turns being the voice of reason in their youth, but this time Kathryn was wrong. Regina was a worrier, and though she knew the risks and the realities of Emma's life, for once she was having faith.
Regina had done well, all things considering, keeping that faith promise she had made to herself, but reality slapped her in the face on the first day of August when she and Henry had returned to town from their morning at the stables. She had signed Henry up for junior riding lessons shortly after Emma's departure, and Henry had successfully finished his fourth lesson of the program with Regina beside his pony, a protective hand on his back while a determined look adorned his face.
It had been a good day since Henry's form had improved from the previous week's lesson most likely due to the fact that Henry had started to use the arm rest of nearly every couch as his makeshift horse to practice. When Regina had caught him doing that she yelled out in fear making Henry jump and fall over, thankfully onto the cushioned couch and not her hardwood flooring.
With Henry sufficiently riled, Regina thought they could make a quick stop at Granny's for a strawberry milkshake reward before swinging back home to get some swimming gear. At eleven in the morning, it was already proving to be a scorcher that day, and with tourist season gradually coming to a close, the beach wouldn't be as populated as the previous weeks.
Entering the diner, Henry raced to the counter and immediately started to climb up on a barstool, getting that final nudge from his mother as she gave his bottom a light push to get his legs up onto the chair. Eagerly grabbing the triangular dessert menu Granny kept by every salt and pepper shaker holder, Henry mulled over which shake he wanted as Regina stood beside him, an arm wrapped around him and resting on the counter to keep him from falling off.
"Good morning, Madam Mayor," Ruby greeted before leaning on her elbows to catch Henry's eyes under his bangs. "Good morning to you too, handsome."
"Morning, Miss Ruby," Henry replied in a sing-song voice.
"How are the Millses today?" The waitress asked, straightening her back.
"Mommy letting me get a milkshake 'cause I'm the best," Henry announced smugly.
"Well if that's the reason, you should be having a milkshake every day," Ruby said pointedly.
"Yeah!" Henry nodded his agreement and looked to his mother who was glaring at Ruby, though it was with less hostility and more annoyance.
"Henry has been doing well in his horse riding lessons," Regina affirmed to both the smirking waitress and hopeful son.
"Atta boy," Ruby held up her hand, and Henry reared up onto his knees to connect with a resounding smack. "One strawberry milkshake with a cherry on top coming right up. Anything for you, Madam Mayor?"
"No, thank you, that will be all."
When the waitress left, Henry had busied himself with a paper place mat and a few crayons Ruby had left in her stead while Regina took the seat next to him, hand still on his back as she focused on the television in the upper corner of the diner repeating the 6 AM news.
It was then she felt her heart drop to the pit of her stomach as the ruins of a desert plain smoked on the screen before minimizing to a small rectangle and moved to the corner background of the coverage as the anchorwoman spoke mutely.