The Divorce

Chapter 5

Emma hugged her children tightly after breakfast. They looked somber, but she hoped their mood would lighten once they'd see their other mother and grandparents.

"I'm sorry," Emma said. "For everything your mother and I have put you through." Both Hope and Henry shrugged as they stirred their cereal and milk, lost in thought.

"Grandma and grandpa are going to take you to Regina's house and you'll have to take my cats. You know they can't go outside on their own, yet, because they're too young," Emma explained.

Her kids hummed in response and Emma hated seeing them like this. She didn't know what was going on inside their heads and she vowed to herself that she'd do anything she could to make the situation better.

Someone knocked on the door and Emma hoped it was Cora, so that she wouldn't have to be alone with Regina for the remaining time, but her hopes weren't answered, because it was the stunning brunette at the door.

She looked amazing, Regina always looked amazing. She was wearing pantsuits, like usual, and a white blouse that wasn't fully buttoned to the top, allowing Emma to peek at her cleavage. Something that Emma tried to avoid as well as she could.

"Come in," Emma said as she opened the door further to let Regina and her two suitcases in. She had to bite her tongue to prevent herself from making a snarky comment about the many things the woman had brought along with her, because a week really wasn't that long.

Her children didn't even look up to acknowledge her presence and she looked confused at Emma. "I think you will have a wonderful time with grandma and grandpa," Regina said, once she'd sat down at the table.

Emma took place beside her and forced herself to smile. "I think so too," she agreed. She turned to the children. "Oh, before I forget. You know where I keep the cat food, right? You can just take that and make sure that if it's empty, you buy new food for kittens. I've texted Cora everything as well, but in case she'd forget."

Regina cleared her throat. "You're bringing the cats into my home?" Her tone was neutral, but Emma knew she wasn't happy in the slightest to hear this. The children sighed in sync and looked down at their cereal.

"Well, they need to be taken care of," Emma said and gestured with her head at the children. They weren't going to leave to the beach house in a fight, in front of the children.

It stayed quiet for a moment, but Regina eventually nodded. "You are right. I hope they don't make too much of a mess of it," she said and managed to chuckle as she averted her eyes from Emma.

Hope and Henry looked up in sync and eyed their mothers in confusion. They'd expected a fight, or at least a discussion, and they hadn't seen this coming.

"They're really sweet, mom," Hope said and she tilted Mrs. Whiskerson, who was just passing by, from the floor on her lap. The red cat immediately started purring as its eyes roamed the table, looking for something to eat.

"I bet," Regina replied. "Which one is Rocinante?" she asked interested and looked around to see if she could find the remaining cats.

"That one," Henry replied and pointed at the cat that was making use of the couch to sharpen its nails. "She's the toughest one of all."

Henry and Hope hadn't had a conversation like this in a long time, with both their mothers present and both seemingly happy.

Someone knocked on the door for the second time that morning and Emma got up to open it. Henry and Cora appeared and greeted their grandchildren in ecstasy, meanwhile making clear that they were still disappointed in both Emma and Regina.