Reset

“Well, yes, but not necessarily that kind of space,” Mary Margaret commented, “we’ll talk to her,” then she looked at the two men who surrounded her and shook her head, “no, I’ll talk to her. You two are to remain absolutely silent on the matter, okay?”

David and Henry looked at her in surprise as she stood up, “I may not have been there for her when she was a baby but I’m here for her now,” she announced as she left the diner and rushed back to the apartment. Mary Margaret was very worried for Emma, it was so unlike the blonde to wear her heart on her sleeve at all never mind have a breakdown of sorts with Henry around. She desperately wanted to help her daughter but she had no idea where to begin, Emma was a strong and independent adult and Mary Margaret had only known her a relatively short amount of time and therefore didn’t really know her.

She climbed the stairs to the apartment and began to think about how she was going to speak with Emma about the idea of moving out. She knew that Emma had often mentioned how cramped it was, even before David and Henry moved in she was reticent about Ruby temporarily living with them when she left her job with Granny. Emma was a young woman who needed her space and really didn’t need to hear her parents making out and more in the room downstairs. It all made a lot of sense but the timing couldn’t have been worse.

She opened the door to the apartment and just as she was about to turn and walk upstairs she noticed Emma making a drink in the kitchen. Mary Margaret frowned at the sudden transformation, Emma was dressed and with no signs of having been crying, her hair and makeup had been fixed and she smiled up at Mary Margaret as she greeted her, “hey..”

“Hey,” Mary Margaret commented with a frown, “is.. everything okay?”

“Yep, sorry about that, I think I was low blood sugar or something,” Emma commented, “I’ve eaten now and I feel so much better. Sorry if I worried you.”

Mary Margaret carefully examined the blonde’s face for any hint of untruth but she knew this was not her strong suit as she slowly nodded, “that’s okay, but if anything is ever bothering you.. you will speak to me, won’t you?”

Emma nodded brightly, “of course..” she looked up and added, “Mom.”

Mary Margaret smiled brightly at that.

“So, what’s up?” Emma asked as she took a sip of her drink and looked at the brunette with knowing eyes.

“Oh, well, it’s,” Mary Margaret stammered, “it’s just something I wanted to talk to you about. You know we love having you here but I know it’s crowded and David heard from Gold that there’s an apartment available, it’s literally across the street..”

Emma looked at her unwaveringly and nodded with a smile, “it certainly is crowded!”

Mary Margaret chuckled, “yes! Exactly! So.. I wondered if you wanted to have a look at the other apartment? But only if you want to! I don’t want you to think we’re kicking you out, I love having you here.. if we could find a bigger apartment or a house for all of us I would! It’s just that Henry is a growing boy and needs his own space and you need your own space and.. well.. sleeping in the kitchen was fine when I was alone but now it’s..”

“I get it,” Emma smiled, “really, you don’t have to worry about it, I get it. You’re totally right and if you say it’s just across the street then we’ll still see each other all the time, won’t we?”

“Absolutely!” Mary Margaret nodded happily.

“Great,” Emma grinned, “when can we view the new place?”

Chapter 17

“I’m not sure about this, David,” Mary Margaret sighed. She rested the book she had been reading on her blanket-covered lap and looked at her husband and waited for him to pause the game he was playing and give her his full attention.

They had been enjoying a quiet evening in, courtesy of Emma who had arranged for Henry to go to a sleep over at a friend’s house while she worked the night shift. The night shift was a relatively new thing to the Storybrooke Sheriff’s department, before Emma arrived it was just Graham on his own and he worked standard daytime hours.

Once Emma started as Deputy some shift work was introduced which meant that the office was open from slightly earlier in the morning through until around midnight. But Emma had recently decided that a round-the-clock presence was required and had hired two deputies, David and Sean Herman who had quit his job at the cannery.

However Emma had thrown herself into her work and was often working partial day and nightshifts. In between all the hours she was working at the Sheriff’s office she was spending as much time as possible with Henry which meant the little time she spent in the apartment she spent sleeping.

David looked at his concerned wife with a confident smile, “it will all be fine,” he reassured her, “Emma and Henry have seen the apartment and they both think it’s great, everyone agrees that it’s for the best.”

Mary Margaret shook her head, “I just don’t think Emma’s okay with it all.”