You and Tequila

Chapter Seventeen

The weekend had flown by in a blink of an eye, a very heavy, sleep deprived blink and soon Emma was kissing her son goodbye and hugging her mother with all her might. She continued waving goodbye like a lunatic as she sat down on the tour bus while her mother and son climbed in the back of a limo, that Regina insisted on paying for, until they drove away.

It was harder this time saying goodbye than the very first time she left to start this tour. Now, they are halfway through the summer, just three weeks left of travel and Emma will be back at home. The next stop on the Regina Mills tour is New Jersey before they head toward Chicago.

"How you holding up, buttercup?" Ruby cheerfully asks as she stands on the bottom bunk to peek inside of Emma's.

She sighs her anguish and slowly rests her book on her chest so she doesn't lose her page. "I miss him," she confesses, her head slowly falling to the side to meet glowing green eyes and a wolfish grin.

"I know." Ruby leans forward and presses a loving kiss to the tip of her nose. "But we are almost done here." Emma nods along feeling numb from the ache in her heart, not to mention the exhaustion weighing down her limbs. "How about a game of Backgammon. I'll let you go first," her friend happily sings-songs to coax her into playing and just stop moping around the bus.

"Nah, I'm really tired and honestly, I just want to catch up on some sleep."

"Are you sure you're just not depressed?" Ruby skeptically questions with one perfectly sculpted eyebrow climbing high upon her forehead.

Emma laughs through her nose at Ruby's comical facial expression and shakes her head. "No, I'm good. I really am just tired."

"I know," Ruby concedes, hopping down from the bunk and smiling, "the tours get easier, the first one is always the hardest," she reminds her and skips away, light as ever on her feet, back toward Jefferson and Kathryn.

Emma slowly releases a long breath and places her bookmark where it belongs. She doesn't even have the energy to read at this point. So, she turns over on her side, faces the window, and it's not even a full minute before she passes out.

~~~~~~~

The world around her is for once peaceful and quiet. The only sound to be heard is the rhythmic humming of the engine when her eyes flutter open. She is greeted by the tranquil night, the stars dimly lit just outside her window and the light posts flashing by as they guide the bus's way to the next destination.

She stretches out her aching limbs and comes to the realization that she must have slept hard because she stayed in the exact same position, all night. Her hand moves to its own accord, blindly searching for her phone, so she can check the time.

One-thirty a.m.

She stuffs her phone beneath her pillow and forces her eyes closed in hopes the Sandman will sweep her right back under. Yet, her mind flashes images of her son's exuberant smile, beaming at his new best friend, Gina. She tries not to think about the ache in her heart longing for her son. She ignores the itch to feel Regina's presence just anywhere near her again. It's not long before memories of her deep conversation with her mother rudely invade her mind and she's up.

Wide fucking awake.

She tears the blanket off as if it's planning to murder her in her sleep and slowly climbs down from the bunk. She doesn't even think, she maybe wide awake, but her brain is still a little fuzzy from the deep sleep and soon she finds herself knocking lightly on Regina's door. She peeks over her shoulder, paranoid that she might wake one of the lifeless bodies behind her, but when she finds them all fast asleep she exhales slowly.