Forever Yours

Chapter Twenty Six

Regina Mills

After everything Emma confessed in front of the Tilt-a-Whirl, I'm having a hard time staying angry with the insufferable woman. I want to be furious with the blonde, but when you love someone that much, it's very easy to forgive them without a second thought.

I know our time has passed now. I am with Robin, but I noticed she doesn't seem to acknowledge him when he's around. Emma looks right through him as if he doesn't even exist.

The other night at the fireworks, Henry devoted all his time to playing with Emma. My son followed the blonde everywhere she went, constantly seeking her attention. He even ignored Roland which was very unlike him, those two boys are inseparable.

Emma purchased glow sticks for Henry and the two of them chased each other around pretending to have an epic battle of sword fighting. They danced around together swinging the glow sticks in the air, Emma even pretending she was wounded by my son. The beautiful scene warmed my heart because that was a moment I always hoped to see when Emma told me she was keeping him.

I always dreamed about what our lives would be like together, the three of us, walking hand in hand, laughing, playing, cuddling on the couch together...but she left. I still enjoyed all those precious moments with Henry, even though she was gone. Now she's here again and I'm watching all my dreams come true.

My fork aimlessly brushes my food back and forth across my plate, while my mind plays an intense game of chess with itself. Constantly moving pieces in my head to figure out my best options to win this battle for my future.

After I picked Henry up from the ice cream parlor, I allowed my son and Roland to play upstairs while Robin and I ate dinner together. I knew my boyfriend had to work late this evening, so I waited to eat with him.

My phone vibrates loudly against the dinner table, breaking me from my inner turmoil as the device skids across the marble surface. I peek over at the screen to find Emma's name shining brightly. I scoff, roll my eyes and reach for my glass of red wine.

"Who was that?" Robin mutters around a forkful of lasagna.

"Emma," I roll my eyes yet again and gulp down more than a sip of my wine.

I met Robin two years ago. Henry and Roland attended the same preschool and I always saw the ruggedly handsome man whenever I dropped my son off. I knew he was recently divorce, so I never engaged in any sort of conversation, except for the casual hello.

About a year ago, he began striking up polite but slightly flirtatious conversations with me on our walks back to our cars. Eventually, he asked me out for coffee. With his deep blue eyes, resembling the tranquil waves of an ocean, I found myself sputtering yes, fairly quickly. His sandy blonde hair is always groomed to perfection, but his strong jawline and toned body express his masculine demeanor.

I found myself stumbling rather quickly into a relationship with the man. He's always very polite and putting my needs and concerns first but I still find myself keeping him at a safe distance.

"Was there more to the story than what you originally told me?" My boyfriend questions with his face scrunched tightly, expressing his confusion.

"What do you mean, dear?"

"It just seems like there's a lot more tension there than just a friend leaving her baby behind. I don't see Emma looking at Ruby or Belle the way she looks at you."

Robin straightens his posture and shifts in his seat until he's sitting just a little taller. He's never been the jealous type in the past year we've been dating but I'm wondering if Emma has lit the match that will soon start a fire, awakening his green-eyed monster.