Not alone anymore

Chapter 52

After Zelena left I asked Regina what she wanted for dinner. "Oh I don't know my love. I'm so indecisive sometimes".   "What about Mexican?"   "No Emma your not going to that restaurant to bother my sister. She hardly ever goes on a date because she works so much. Please don't ruin her night".   "Babe I promise if we decide to get Mexican I will not bother your sister. If I see her I will not go up to her table and pretend it's all a coincidence that I bumped into her. I will just pay for our food and leave".  "Do you really promise not to bother Zelena?"   "Yes babe. I will just get our food and come right home to you".  She gives me a look like she's thinking of not believing me but I'm not that stupid to promise my wife something and then do the opposite. I still have to come home to her and Zelena will also be back here to sleep. I definitely do not need to deal with both Mills sisters yelling at me at the same time. "Ok fine Emma. I believe you but I swear if you even glance around that restaurant you will be sleeping at Granny's for the next month".  I made another promise to her and then we looked at the menu together. We decided what we wanted and Regina called up to make the order. I waited about 10 minutes before I left to pick up our order. I walked into the Mexican restaurant to get our food and I did as promised. I did not look around the place. I just walked to the hostess desk and waited for someone to help me. A young woman walked up and asked if she could help me. "Hi yes. I'm picking up an order for Swan-Mills".  "Yes. I was just checking on that in the kitchen. I was told it would just be a few more minutes. Sorry about that".   "Not a problem I'll just sit here and wait".  She smiles and nods and I sit off to the left of the desk. It was about 10 minutes before someone walked over with a togo bag. "Your order is ready ma'am".  I jump up and pull my wallet out to pay for the food. As I'm signing the receipt I hear heals on the floor and I get a punch to my arm. "Ahhh. What the hell?"   I look and it's Zelena standing next to me. "You just couldn't resist could you blondie?  You can't let me have one night out for a date. I knew you were going to do this to me. Damn you".   "Zelena relax. I swear I never went looking for you. I walked in and stayed right here the whole time".  I look at the hostess. "Right? Didn't I stay here the whole time and not even move?"  The poor girl has no idea what's going on but she says yes, that I never moved till it was time to pay for the food.  "Well I don't care. You just ruined my night. So thank you for that, and tell my sister when you get home I'll be leaving tomorrow and staying at Granny's for the rest of my time here".  She made a huff sound and walked away. I apologized to the young hostess. She gave me my receipt and told me to have a nice night. I smiled and said thank you. I took the food and left. When I got home Regina was right there looking at me as I walked through the door. "You just had to do it. You promised me but that meant nothing".  "Babe I didn't do anything. When I got there the food wasn't ready so I just sat there and played a game on my phone. I swear. I didn't look for Zelena at all".   "Here. Take this bag and I'll take this bag".  She takes the food bag out of my hand and gives me a small duffel bag.  "I packed you some clothes, your toiletries as well as your uniform since you have to go back to work in a few days. Eat dinner at Granny's. Good night Miss Swan".  She turns and walks into the kitchen and I follow her. "Regina come on. I promised you I wouldn't do anything and I didn't. I swear".  "Then why did I get a call from my sister saying she saw you?"   "As I was paying for the food she walked up to me and was pissed off. I never left the front desk".  "Please just go to Granny's Emma.  I'll talk to my sister when she gets back here".  "So that's it?  You want me to leave you and our newborn son just because you think I broke a promise?  Which I didn't by the way, but fine Regina if this is what you want I'll go but I'll be back tomorrow to see our son".  She's not looking at me as she's taking food out of the bag so I turn to leave. Before I walk through the kitchen door I turn back and say. "Is this how it's always gonna be Regina, you not believing me and kicking me out whenever you feel like it?  I've never been married before but I'm pretty sure that a marriage can't survive if it's gonna be like this. I know we both screwed up in the past but I thought that's where it all was, in the past but I guess maybe once someone thinks something of you they will always think of you that way".  I just walked away, got in my car and drove over to Granny's but I didn't go in. I decided to stay at the little motel just over the town line. If I went to Granny's and ask for a room I'd have to explain and I really don't want to do that right now. I checked into my room at the Thunderbird Motel and just laid in the bed looking at the ceiling. About an hour later my phone began to ring but I didn't answer it. I didn't even look at the caller ID. I just figured it was someone calling to yell at me and I'm not in the mood for that. My phone kept going off and I kept getting text messages but I ignored them all. I finally couldn't take it anymore so I left my room and went across the street to the bar. I stayed there till closing time but I only had 2 beers and 2 shots. I wasn't in the mood to have a hangover in the morning. I payed the tab and left to walk back to my room.  When I get there I see Regina standing by the office door.  "I've been trying to call you Emma".  "Yes I figured that. I never looked at my phone. I didn't want to keep getting yelled at for something that I didn't do. I had that enough as a kid. So what can I do for you?"   "I was calling you to ask you to come home. Zelena also wanted to apologize to you. Before she left the Mexican restaurant the hostess told her that you didn't do anything. I'm really sorry Emma. Please come home".   "So just like that, a stranger tells you the truth, just like I did but you believe them. Nice thanks".  I start walking to my room and Regina follows me. I open the door and hold it open for her.  I sit on the bed and she sits next to me. "Please come home my love. You should be with us and not at this motel".  "Fine Regina. I'll come home for our son but I'll be sleeping in a guest room".  "If that's what you'd like Emma that's fine but I would really like you to sleep in our room tonight".  I pick up my phone and duffle bag and walk to the door. I open the door and Regina walks through it and we both walk out and I go to the lobby to turn in my room key. Regina and I get into our cars and we drive home. When we walk in Zelena comes walking over to the front door. "Emma I'm so sorry for the way I acted earlier".   She was about to say more but I cut her off. "It's fine Zelena just forget it. Where is Lucas?"  Regina says. "He woke up before I went to find you. I fed him and changed him and he was back asleep so I put him back in the crib".   "Ok good. I'll go look in on him before I go to the guest room. Goodnight ladies".  They both try to speak at the same time but I hold my hand out. "It's fine. I don't want to talk anymore tonight".  I continue walking up the stairs and go into my sons nursery. He's sleeping so peacefully. I whisper.  "I love you my boy. I'll see you when you wake up".   I leave the nursery and go into a guest room. I get changed into some sweatpants and a t-shirt and lay down. A few hours later I'm still awake and I hate that I can't hear if my son wakes up so I leave my room and go check on him. He's still sleeping so I just sit on the loveseat in his room. I end up falling asleep for a little while till I hear him starting to whimper and eventually cry. So I go over and pick him up. "Hey there kid. You ready for something to eat?"  I kiss his head and change him, then I take him downstairs to heat up his bottle. When it's ready I start feeding him and walk us into the living room. I sit on the couch and feed him. He's so beautiful. I love him so much. "Emma is everything ok?"   "Yes he's fine. I'm just feeding him. You can take him if you think that's what's best".  "Emma please".  She lets out a sign.  "I made a big mistake last night. Can we please talk about that?"  "Go ahead".   "I'm sorry I hurt you and that I didn't believe you. That was so wrong of me and I hope you can forgive me".   "Ok".   "Ok, that's all you have to say Emma?"  I spoke quietly.  "What do you want me to say Regina?  Was I disappointed that you didn't believe me? Yes I was. Did what you say to me hurt?  Yes it did".  Lucas finished his bottle and I burped him and I got up to hand him to Regina. She smiles as she takes him in her arms and I start walking upstairs. "Emma wait. Where are you going?"   I'm going back up to the guest room. Did you need something else before I go?"   "Yes. I'd like to talk about what happened yesterday".   I turn around and take Lucas back and put him in the little bassinet that we have in the living room. I walk back to Regina and say. "Let's go into the kitchen".  We get in there and as Regina starts making her coffee I say. "So what do you what from me Regina. I'm your wife, the mother of our child, the one you say you love but when it came down to it you believed everyone except me and all I'm thinking is why? Is it because I'm younger than you are and all you've known about me was how I screw up all the time, or is it that you'll probably never be able to trust me?"   "Emma you can't believe that to be true of my feelings for you. I love you so much".  "But not enough to believe that I'd keep a promise to you.  It's fine. It's probably better that we know this now before to many years go by".   I start walking upstairs again and Regina stops me again. "Emma what the hell are you saying. This isn't over between us. I love you and I know you love me".  I sit down on the stairs. "I do love you Regina with everything I am but what kind of relationship can we have if every time something happens you take someone else's words over mine. Fuck I'm your my wife Regina. You should always have my back but all you did was throw me out till you finally realized the truth. Why couldn't you just get all the facts before you jumped to conclusions?  That's what hurts Regina, it hurts so damn much and I don't know what to do or what can be said to make this better".  She walks over and sits next to me on the stairs.  "I'll do anything Emma. I screwed up. This was all my fault and I will wait as long as you need to try and find it in your heart to forgive me".   She wipes the tears from her eyes as she cautiously reaches for my hand and I let her hold it. I gently squeeze her hand as I look at her. "I love you Regina and there are so many feelings running through me right now. I'm so angry and hurt but I'm not going to shut you out. We have a son we need to think about and no matter what we feel he needs us. His whole life right now is depending on us, so what we are going through needs to take a backseat and we need to focus on him. We can still talk and try to work through this but only after Lucas is taken care of. Is that ok with you?"   "Yes. I absolutely agree with you on all of that. Thank you Emma".  I nod and we continue to sit on the stairs. She puts her head on my shoulder and I softly put my head on hers. We were still holding hands and I give hers a gentle squeeze. We sit like this for, I'm not sure how long and then we hear a door upstairs open meaning that Zelena is wake.