And Then There Was You

VII. The Morning After

Continuing...

[Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from ABC's hit show, ONCE UPON A TIME.]

Emma found herself behind the wheel well past two in the morning, driving home. "Mom's gonna kill me for sure. Damn it..." she muttered under her breath, feeling the weight of impending consequences settling in.

Emma's mother, who often worked graveyard shifts during the week, typically allowed her to borrow the car under three conditions: when she was at home resting during the day, on her days off, or in emergencies. Tonight didn't fall under any of those categories. Quietly rolling onto the driveway, Emma turned off the ignition and gathered her belongings from the passenger seat. With practiced finesse, she opened the car door noiselessly, closed it with a gentle click, and began the silent ascent up to their third-floor apartment.

As she approached their unit door, her breath grew heavier, and the pounding in her chest became more pronounced. Clad in all black except for her red leather jacket, Emma felt like a thief in the night. Inserting the key into the lock, she turned it slowly, synchronizing the motion with the door knob to minimize any noise. However, her efforts were in vain against the creak of the old wooden door. With each push, the sound echoed longer and louder.

Regret flooded Emma's mind. She wished she had stayed in the car, waited until her mother went to shower in the early morning. She even entertained the idea of scaling the wall or climbing the tree next to her bedroom window, but the apartment was three stories high, making it an impractical endeavor without risking injury. So instead, she resigned herself to plan D.

As the door finally swung fully open, the kitchen light flickered on, followed by the illumination of the other lights in the room. Emma squinted, her eyes struggling to adjust to the sudden brightness. Despite having had a few drinks, she knew in that moment that plan D had failed.

A few seconds later, she hears a familiar voice booming with a harsh, nagging tone. "What in God's name are you still doing up at this hour, young lady?!"

"I, uh, lost track of time?" Emma quips, her voice strained through clenched teeth.

Emma's mother, Mary Margaret Swan, previously known as Mary Margaret Nolan before reclaiming her maiden name in the aftermath of a difficult divorce from Emma's father, fought in court to change both of her children's surnames due to the unfortunate circumstances. The divorce had taken its toll on Mary Margaret, who had been young when she had Emma and, later, Neal. Despite the challenges, Mary Margaret took on the responsibility of being a good mother, balancing her parental duties with her schooling. This upbringing shaped Mary Margaret's character profoundly.

Standing by the doorway in her long nightgown, with her pixie-cut hair tousled from lying on the bed, Mary Margaret confronts Emma with a mix of frustration and concern. "Lost track of...? Oh, Emma, what am I gonna do with you! This has gone on long enough. You are not allowed to use the car anymore. Am I clear?"

Despite the constant nagging, Mary Margaret remains young at heart and deeply loves her children. In the past, she could even be considered hip, but in this moment, her tone is more authoritarian, a result of the toll the divorce has taken on her.

Emma struggles to maintain her calm composure, fully aware that she's in a predicament with no convincing her mother otherwise in this state. Despite her efforts to go with the flow, the slow creep of alcohol is beginning to take its effect. "Uh..."

Emma winces as her mother continues to nag at her. "Have you been drinking? Oh, for the love of... When are you gonna grow up, Emma? Neal looks up to you, you know? You have to set a good example. Not just for you, but for him too."