Cursed Hearts

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Emma never knew how to properly handle rejection. It stemmed from her early years, the constant need to be a part of something that made her forget about being alone in the world. She hadn't felt the certain pain that rejection brought in years, not with how great her life had been going. Killian was everything she could ever want in a partner, and her son had grown into the perfect young man. Still, despite how far she had come, all it took was one failure to bring that familiar feeling back- Regina's demeanor of absolute hopelessness seemed to knock the confidence from within her.

What continued to stir the discomfort was the fact that even after her mother saved Regina from her curse, the same demeanor remained. The Regina she had grown to know surprisingly well was replaced by a lifeless imitation, one impossible of any true connection. That's why, on an average Wednesday morning, Emma found herself knocking on the Mills-Locksley front door, completely unsure about what her plan was.

"She's not going to want to talk- you know that," Snow whispered, contemplating whether or not she had time to bolt before her daughter knocked on the door.

"We just have to act casual. Multiple decades of friendship doesn't just disappear overnight."

Three hard knocks were then placed on the door, and the two women waited in a tense anticipation. Snow just about jumped when the door whipped open, revealing a half asleep Roland in basketball shorts.

"Hey kid!" Emma began, "it's been forever since we've seen any of you guys. Last time I was here half of your family was in a whole other realm."

"It has been a long time," he said, widening the door to invite them in. "Dad's trying to fix the air conditioning and Caroline's upstairs doing something."

Emma and Snow followed the fifteen year old into the kitchen.

"I bet it's been different having Henry gone- he left so quickly!" Snow chimed in, not daring to ask where Regina was.

The three of them took a seat on the couch, each one trying to figure out what their next move will be. Faint thudding could be heard from the garage, Robin attempting to fix the air conditioner.

"The house is definitely more quiet," Roland said, easing into the couch. "And I have my room back. Henry always brings a lot of stuff when he comes to visit."

Emma was trying to formulate some remark about how they used to play video games every Sunday afternoon for months on end to ease the oncoming silence, but she couldn't focus on such mundane things at that moment. Before the quietness became too awkward, the garage door opened, revealing a flustered Regina with a sheen of sweat covering her skin. Her eyes widened with surprise at the two familiar guests in her living room.

"Oh, hey!" Emma and Snow said, almost in unison. "Sorry for dropping in without warning- it's been a slow day."

Regina instantly felt aware of how flustered she probably looked, standing clumsily by the door and absorbing the cooler air. "Hey yourselves," she replied warily, "I was out there talking to Robin, but it's so hot in that garage."

"It's so hot today," Snow said, taking the easy conversation route, "Emma and I both realized that we haven't seen any of you guys in ages."

"I came along because I missed beating Roland at Just Dance," Emma followed, earning an excited glance from the teenager.

Realizing that she had to make her move quick, Snow swallowed her fear and took her chance. "Do you want to go on a drive with me? It's a beautiful day, and we can't let it go to waste."

Regina appreciated her sincerity, but she knew what she was trying to do. Still, despite being in her own home, she felt like she had to agree no matter how strongly she wanted to head back into the stuffy garage.