Bluest of Grey Skies

Chapter Three

All she had in the kitchen was some milk that was about to go bad and a box of Cheerios. It wasn't enough for both her and Henry and since Henry came first, she washed him up and sat him down at the kitchen table and made him a bowl of Cheerios for dinner. He ate without complaint and she just sipped on a glass of water and leaned against the sink, watching him as he babbled to his blanket in his lap and ate slowly.

It was a quiet evening, one spent with both of them on the couch in the warm living room listening to the sounds of the city traffic in the streets below. Emma read a few books to Henry, not moving him from where he lay on her chest when she felt too warm. Every time her stomach rumbled, Henry placed his small, chubby hand on the side of her stomach and rubbed it gently, just as she had done to him many times.

It was a restless night and Mrs. Green showed up at seven in the morning with a plate of bacon, eggs, and toast for both her and Henry. Emma was about to refuse, but her stomach growled and reminded her it'd been two days since she'd had anything to eat last. The day was spent packing the rest of the apartment up and when Mrs. Green invited them over for dinner, Emma didn't decline the offer as she was tired and hungry and needed to sleep before the movers came first thing the next morning.

Robert Gold called at promptly six in the morning the very next day, reminding her of the time the movers were expected to show up and that he had sent a car down to drive her and Henry up to Storybrooke ahead of the movers. The man driving was none other than Neal's younger brother Bobby and someone Emma had only met once before. When he knocked on the door half an hour after Gold's phone call, the nervous butterflies in Emma's stomach took flight.

"Emma?" Bobby said with a boyish smile when she opened the door for him. "It's been a long time. You haven't changed at all."

"Hello, Bobby. Come in," Emma said and stepped aside to allow Bobby to enter. "I wasn't expecting you so early."

He just laughed and went straight into the kitchen where a sleepy Henry was eating the last of the Cheerios dry. "Hey kiddo," he said as he knelt on the floor beside Henry's chair. "Do you remember me? I met you once when you were just a tiny little baby."

"No," Henry said with a mouth full of cereal. "Mama?"

"It's okay, Henry. This is Bobby, your daddy's little brother."

"He no little."

Bobby laughed and stroked over his moustache and ruffled Henry's hair. "I'm younger than your daddy, kiddo. Say, are you ready for a very long car ride?"

Henry looked past him and up at Emma. When she nodded her head, he did as well. Bobby laughed again and rose to his feet. Emma felt uncomfortable with the way his eyes roamed over her body and she none too subtly crossed her arms over her chest. With a glare cast his way, he rolled his eyes and took a look around the apartment.

"You got everything packed up?"

"Yes. Our bags are in my bedroom."

"What about Neal's stuff?" Bobby asked, scratching over the stubble on his cheek. "Did you pack his stuff up too or did you toss it?"

"I didn't toss it," Emma said through clenched teeth. "It's packed up. I was going to give it all to you and your father when we got to Storybrooke. I did want to keep a few things for Henry."

"Of course, can't have the little man forgetting who his daddy was," Bobby replied and he slapped his hands together and it caused Emma to jump slightly. "How have you been holding up?"

"I'm fine, Bobby."

"Your husband was just killed in battle a month ago and you're fine?" Bobby narrowed his eyes at her and she ignored him, moving to tend to Henry and wipe the cereal bits from his chin.