This Is Me Trying

Chapter Four

She can feel a migraine thumping in her temples. Maybe she is simply dehydrated and didn't drink enough water today but she could have sworn she was guzzling down as much as possible. She was constantly shoving water bottles into her children's faces to make sure this didn't happen to them. And sure, they had a blast spending the day on the beach but she is whooped.

"Oh my god! Oh my god! She's here!" She hears the shrieking from Henry's tablet, irritating her brain all the more.

She presses the heels of her palms to her eyes and breathes slowly. "Henry," Emma whimpers but those damn screaming fans won't quit. "Henry, please," she begs again.

"But mom..." he trails off, so she peels her eyes apart and ignores the throbbing in her head.

She's agitated and she doesn't mean to take it out on him but she thinks she might actually be sick from how severe this headache is. "Kid, I know you love your mom but please, you have got to turn it..." the words are swept right off her tongue when she discovers who is on her son's screen this evening.

In one swift motion, she snatches the tablet away.

"Mommy!" Izzy whines. "We wanna see momma!" And bless her heart for attempting to steal the device back from her mom's clutches but Emma is too shocked to allow anyone to take this image away.

All because there is a circle of men escorting none other than Cora Mills into a private booth at Regina's show in Vegas this evening. Her heart stops beating and free falls down to her feet because what in the actual fuck is that woman doing there? After all she put Regina through? And not once did she ever reach out after Regina cut her off. She never even checked in while Regina was pregnant with Izzy or asked if everything went alright during delivery. They haven't heard a peep from that miserable bitch since the day Regina finally stood up to her and vowed to never hand over another penny.

"What the f-"

"Mom," Henry cuts her off but she's already on a mission, running off with the tablet into the next room.

"Henry, watch your sister," she orders, her thumb already scrolling to call Ruby. "Rubes-"

"You know she's about to go on, why are you calling right now? What's wrong?" Her best friend is already interrogating her and sounding just as worried because Emma wouldn't be calling to interrupt if it wasn't something important.

"Cora's there."

"What? What the fuck? Are you sure?"

"Positive. There are videos all over already. She has a private booth. I'm not sure...I can't really tell where but she's there," she frantically says, her fingers already jumping across the device to google Cora Mills.

Sure enough, an overwhelming amount of videos and pictures pop up of Cora in Vegas tonight at Regina's show. Her stomach revolts and this time she has to swallow down the bitter acid slithering in the back of her throat.

"Dammit, what the hell does that devil want?"

"Don't tell Regina. Not yet, it will just make her anxious and more nervous. But you need to tell Jefferson...like now," she demands as an image expands on her screen of Cora with a fan. "Fucking Cora," she mumbles under her breath.

"Dude, Regina is going to lose it. What if Cora tries to talk to her after?"

Emma releases a frustrated groan. "I should be there with her. Maybe I can hop on a flight, be there tonight for her."

"Ems, what are you talking about? You can't just pick up and go, you have the kids."

"I know but I should be there. She needs me."