Roni

Chapter Five

"My stepmother doesn't know you're here. So can we please keep this between us?" Jacinda asks with concern lacing her tone as Emma steps inside her tiny apartment.

"Of course. Everything we talk about is completely confidential anyways," the child psychologist impostor confirms, following the worrisome mother into the living room.

"Great, thanks. Victoria had a meeting this evening so luckily she asked me to pick Lucy up from school. This way I can spend a little time with my daughter."

"Why does Victoria have Lucy right now anyways?" Emma prods for more information as they both take a seat on the couch.

"Well my stepmother sees me as unfit. I don't want her to take me to court and drag Lucy through something like that. If I lost, then it would be a lot more difficult to get her back. I rather play along for right now and not fight her until I can get my daughter back without any problems."

"Understandable. Just remember people are going to push you around your whole life, there comes a time when you have to push back."

"I know," the mother sighs heavily with dread washing over her frail body. "Lucy? Can you come out here please?" Jacinda's voice booms throughout the small apartment, encouraging Lucy to come barreling out of her room in a matter of seconds.

Emma's heart swells at the action, thinking that maybe this little girl knew she would be coming to visit today.

"Hi Emma!" Lucy beams with so much excitement sparkling in her big brown eyes.

"Hi Lucy. How are you?"

"Good thanks!"

"I'll be in my room so that way you two can...get to know one another," Jacinda politely excuses herself through a smile as she rises from the couch.

The woman runs her fingers through Lucy's hair and gently kisses the top of her head, expressing exactly what kind of loving mother she truly is. Lucy smiles up at her mother like she is her whole world and Emma longs for those moments when Henry was that age again. Jacinda then glances at the blonde and offers one last smile before she exits the room.

Lucy runs to the couch and leaps onto the cushion beside Emma, already grinning from ear to ear. The sheriff laughs lightly at the young girl's enthusiasm and again she is missing when both her kids were this young and vibrant.

"Emma! You came, you really came!"

"I did sweetie," she chuckles, watching through amused eyes as Lucy sits upon her knees so she can make direct eye contact with her.

"So you believe?" The little girl questions full of hope, yet still a little bit skeptical.

"Of course I do. I broke the Evil Queen's curse, I fought a dragon, Peter Pan, the Wicked Witch of the West, Cruella deVil, Ursula, Maleficent, Hades, The Black Fairy!" With each name that tumbles from Emma's mouth, her voice increases with excitement for the little girl in front of her and that does the trick because Lucy is laughing and nodding along.

"Oh I know! I know your whole story by heart. I was raised listening to every operation, every night before bed," she confesses.

"Operation?" That word strikes a nerve in Emma because she knows in her heart that only one person uses that word which would mean... "Lucy...who is your father?" She slowly inquires, equally elated and terrified to hear the answer.

"I'm not sure if you're ready..." she trails off as her eyes shift nervously down to her lap. Her fingers fumble together with anxiety and Emma's heart breaks for this little girl that has so much pressure weighing down on her because of another stupid curse.