Only You

Chapter 24

Chapter 24

"Are you sure you have everything under control?" Regina asked Tilly as she looked down at her long checklist in front of her.

"I got this!" Tilly said, pushing Regina toward the door.

"Okay, but don't forget to place the orders before five o'clock on Wednesdays, that way the shipment will get here before the weekend," Regina said, reading her list one more time.

"I have everything under control," Tilly said, pushing her once more toward the door.

"Okay, but you'll call me if you need anything, right? Anything at all, you'll call?" Regina asked, checking to make sure she had her phone.

"Emma, will you please help me out?" Tilly asked, frustrated with Regina's obsession.

"Listen, I tried. This is what you get after I talked her off the ledge," Emma said, raising her hands in surrender.

"Regina! I have everything under control. Now, will you please get the hell out of here before it's too late?" Tilly said, trying to grab the clipboard out of Regina's hand, Regina holding onto it for dear life. "I'm going to be in my seventies before you walk out the door." Emma laughed behind them, gaining a rude glare from Regina.

"Okay, okay. I'm going...just please don't burn the place to the ground," Regina said, reluctantly relinquishing the clipboard over to Tilly.

"Everything is going to be fine. Have a great trip," Tilly said, successfully pushing Regina out of the door. Emma laughed as she followed them out.

Emma's yellow Bug was parked outside, already packed and ready to go. Regina looked up at the lighted sign on the front of the building, noticing how the "R" in "Roni's" flickered a little faster than the rest. Emma's hand in her own stopped her from obsessing.

"It's fine, my love, " she whispered, kissing Regina's cheek softly. "We'll get the sign fixed as soon as we get back," she added, knowing Regina would likely be fixated on the slight flicker the entire trip

"Okay, you're right. Let's go." Regina sighed, walking toward the Bug waiting at the curb. Emma opened the passenger side door for her, waiting as she climbed in, slamming the door closed once Regina was safely inside the car.

"I can't believe you talked me into allowing us to travel in this metal coffin on wheels," Regina said, half joking, half serious, as Emma climbed into the driver's seat next to her.

"It's kinda part of the journey." Emma laughed, starting the engine, sighing silently when the engine turned over. "Plus, I love this old car. She brought me back to you."

"Well, when you put it that way..." Regina smiled, leaning in for a kiss. A few minutes later, Emma put the car in gear and pulled away from the sidewalk, Regina's eyes locked on her bar as she watched it get smaller and smaller as they drove away. Emma laughed to herself as she continued to glance over at Regina in the passenger's seat, checking her phone every few minutes, knowing she was growing exceedingly more nervous about Roni's. Emma knew she would eventually relax so she didn't say anything.

They drove for a few hours before they reached their first stop, a motel on the border of Washington and Idaho where they would be stopping for the night. Regina spent the rest of the night texting Tilly and checking her phone before Emma eventually took it away from her so she could sleep.

Regina was much calmer the following night, only checking her phone a handful of times over the course of the night before they reached their second stop, another motel they would be spending the night, this time somewhere in North Dakota. They were making incredible time and were right on schedule to reach their first destination the following night.