The Divorce

Chapter 4

"Can I invite you in for a cup of tea?" Emma tried to use her nicest voice as she looked at her ex-wife. Henry and Hope were still standing beside Regina, though usually they'd run off by now.

Regina smiled through gritted teeth, showing how uncomfortable she was, but nodded. "I'd like that, yes." Regina sounded just as fake as Emma, and both women were aware of that.

"Kids, don't you have homework to do?" Emma asked confused as she watched her children sit down on the couch. They always ran off to their rooms as fast as possible, but apparently not this time.

"We do have time for a cup of tea," Henry said and tilted Rocinante off the floor. The cat was the fiercest of them all and highly objected to the human contact, but once she was nestled in Henry's lap, she calmed down and started purring softly.

Regina looked around the apartment. Though it was small and had five cats running around, she had to admit that she liked the way Emma had decorated it.

Cute pictures hang on the wall. Emma with Henry, Emma with Hope, Emma with her friends, and even one of Emma with her dad, but none of them showed Regina anymore. She knew that made sense, but for some unknown reason, a strange feeling erupted in her stomach. It was unpleasant.

"I like your place," Regina said, admiring the many clocks that Emma had stalled on a small table for absolutely no reason. It added something to the apartment, though, but most of them didn't give the correct time or were frozen.

"Thanks," Emma replied as she was pouring the hot water from the kettle in the four mugs. Her children barely drunk tea, but apparently they wanted to follow this conversation.

She wondered if they'd discussed this moment with Cora and her husband, Henry, on their trip. It was odd that Cora had never meddled in their divorce prior to this weekend, and suddenly gave them instructions on what to do.

Emma handed everyone their cup of tea and sat down on a chair, exactly opposite Regina's. She didn't know how to start the conversation, especially with her children nearby.

"Kids, why don't you go upstairs for a minute and start on your homework? I'll tell you when mom is leaving, okay? So, the two of us can catch up for a bit," Emma said and put on a smile for her children's sake.

Reluctantly, the children left the couch. They walked to their rooms, using the metal stairs in the middle of the hall. Fortunately, the upstairs was separated from the downstairs, allowing Emma and Regina some privacy. Though, they both were aware that the children would be listening to their conversation as well as they could.

The uncomfortable tension didn't leave the air and it stayed quiet for a moment. Neither knew how to start the conversation, but they were obliged to somehow start talking.

"Uh.. how are you?" Emma eventually questioned. She didn't know how else to begin and Regina seemed to dislike the question and much as she.

"I'm doing fine," she replied with a polite smile, from which Emma knew she was faking it. "Could be better, certainly."

Emma swallowed and tensed her shoulders. She hoped Regina would ask a question now, because she had no idea what else to ask her ex-wife. This was the first time they would hold a conversation between just the two of them, without fighting.

"How is work going?" Regina asked.

"Okay, I guess.." Emma replied softly. "We're having some trouble with a drunk hobo, who's broken into the library twice, now."

"I heard about that," Regina replied. Emma nodded slowly. Of course Regina had heard about that, she was the mayor. She knew everything that was going on in town and had an opinion about how things needed to be fixed, all the time.