That One Second

Chapter 2

"Can I kiss you?" Regina hadn't said anything about the way Emma had rejected her kiss the day before, but Emma noticed it still bothered her. It made her feel horrible, but she hadn't told Regina that.

Her wife was standing in the doorway, shifting on her feet, because she really was supposed to leave for work now. Emma nodded briefly and let Regina connect their lips. It'd been a while since they'd last properly kissed and even this one seemed fueled by hurry. They didn't use their tongues, because Regina had to leave.

"I love you," Emma said softly, but Regina had already closed the front door before she could hear a reply.

"No, momma, wait!" Emma opened the front door and let her two children run after their mother. Regina was just settling into her car and kissed both their foreheads. She hugged them, before she told them to get back inside.

The children were often still sleeping when Regina had to leave for work, so they treasured these moments and Emma did too. She watched as Henry grabbed little Hope's hand and they both waved at their mother departing.

It was a Saturday and Regina worked in the weekends now, too. Even on Sundays, Regina was found leaving the house early in the morning. Emma and she used to spend all morning in bed, cuddling one another and gossiping about friends, work and the children, but the last time they'd done that was the last weekend of summer vacation. On her first day of work, Regina had this case assigned and since then, she'd started slipping away.

The sky was still dark and the air was chilly, so Emma called her children back inside. They were only wearing their thin pajamas. "Will momma ever stop working?" Hope asked and both she and Henry seemed upset.

"She has to fight for people, to show everyone they're good, but she'll be home more often, soon," Emma said. She'd said that countless times and both she and the children got more desperate for it to become truth. "Shall I make scrambled eggs for breakfast?"

Hope and Henry both showed a smile and nodded as they hurried toward the kitchen. Emma made their breakfast and smiled as she put down a plate on front of them. "We've got a free day, what shall we do?"

"I want a dog," Hope said. Henry's eyes lit up and he nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes, mom! Let's get a dog!"

Emma chuckled. They had this conversation at least once a month, but it amused her how they could still hope for a pet, even after she'd repeatedly told them it wasn't going to happen. She would enjoy a dog, but she wasn't ready to face Regina's outrage once she'd hear they'd added a new, furry family member to their home.

"No, that's not going to happen. But we can go to the zoo," Emma suggested, taking their mind of the dog. She wasn't prepared for the loud, enthusiastic yells from her children and she laughed softly.

They ate their breakfast and Emma packed lunch for them to eat at the zoo. Henry and Hope loved animals, so Emma got herself together and managed to pretend she liked staring at lions in cages way too small.

The zoo was quite far away, but during the ride, Henry and Hope kept naming all the animals they wanted to see and Emma's mood lightened. She missed the times Regina would join them on these trips, but she tried to push that thought aside and continued driving the car to the zoo.

When they arrived at the elephants, Emma felt her phone buzz and she smiled slightly when she saw her wife's name appear.

Regina: I think I'll manage to come home early, tonight. I've called my mother and she's willing to take care of the children. I thought we could get a drink at the Rabbit Hole and have a night just the two of us.