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The first time
In the first time, Norman was five and in the infirmary.
And he was lonely.
In the first time, Emma snuck up on him, and gave him a string telephone so that he wouldn't be so lonely, and then had to be dragged out of the infirmary by Mama.
Because Emma.
And suddenly, he wasn't so lonely anymore.
All of his siblings took turns talking to him through it, and Norman felt happy. Even though he was sick and in the bed, even though he had sworn off snowball fights forever, he felt like he wan't alone. He felt warm and fuzzy.
Once again, because Emma. Because she was her.
If a person was like the sun, he had thought, Emma would be that person.
And he fell asleep with a smile.
The second time
"You're going to escape tomorrow."
Norman looked at Emma, who was right in front of him. She met his gaze fiercely, and spoke into the telephone again.
"You have to."
...
"You're right in front -" he began, but she shushed him.
"Into the telephone," she said.
Norman looked at Ray for help.
"It's meaningless to argue with her," Ray shrugged.
Norman smiled, but he felt himself wilt, just a little, inside.
Both of them thought that he would escape.
But he couldn't. He remembered his nightmare, and the feeling of despair that he had felt when he had held Emma's lifeless body in his arms.
No.
Better that he died instead of her. Better that anyone died instead of her.
"Promise me that you will escape, Norman."
Her voice came through the telephone again, and Norman could feel the intensity of her gaze on him.
How could he promise this?
But...
He had to, hadn't he? Better that he broke a promise instead of his family dying.
And so he lifted up the telephone, and said one word.
"Okay."
The third time
The other cup rolled on the floor.
Norman didn't care.
He took a deep breath, and lifted the one that he was holding to his mouth.
"Hi Emma," he began.
"I -"
"Boss!" Cislo burst into his office, Barbara, Vincent, and Zazie on his heels, Vincent saying, "He's busy -". Then he stopped, spotting Norman with cup in one hand, a string connecting it to the other cup on the floor.
"Mwgh?" Zazie seemed confused. Norman couldn't tell, because of the paper bag and all.
"Oh, uh -" Cislo began.
"What happened, Cislo?" Norman said, trying to hide the cup. They noticed.
"Oh, nothing! If you're busy we can come back later, Boss." Barbara chirped, stuffing some demon meat in her mouth.
"No, I'm not busy."
"The poison is almost ready," Vincent called.
"Good. What are the results?"
As everyone talked, Norman felt his shell come up again. Just a few seconds ago, he had been Norman, a thirteen-year-old boy.
But now he was Minerva.
And he had never felt more alone in his life.
The fourth time
"Hello?"
"Hi Norman."
He could hear her grin from the other side of the door. He could feel one on his face too.
Because she was here.
Because Ray was here.
Because his family was here and alive and he was happy.
So, so happy.
"I don't know why you insist I do this -" he began, but was cut off.
"It's tradition!"
"Tradition?"
Norman heard Emma's squeal, and Ray's voice filled the cup.
"What she means," he said. "Is that she missed this and being Emma she was insistent that it happened."
"Well yeah," Emma's muffled voice sounded from the other side of the door, "But you missed it too!"
Norman closed his eyes, listening to the sound of his two best friends bickering.
He could have said something, he supposed.
But there was something almost comforting about saying nothing, just observing for once with his family.
So he said nothing.
And smiled.
The fifth time
They had escaped to the human world.
It had been eleven years, and Norman was 24. He hoped that this plan of his worked.
Ray had said that he would bring Emma to the other building. So as Norman stood there, cup in one hand, and ring in the other, he was reminded about how nervous he felt.
And then -
She was there.
In the opposite window, holding up the cup with a perplexed expression. Ray had retreated with the rest of their family, to where they were hiding.
She caught Norman's gaze, and tilted her head playfully.
"Can you hear me, Emma?" he said into the cup.
Emma's face brightened. "What is this?" her voice came through the cup.
Norman tried to hide his small smile. "Remember the first time we did this?"
Emma's laugh made the string vibrate. "I was so stubborn," she smirked. "And so mad at Mama for making me leave."
"Remember when I confessed?"
"You were so red! I thought you were going to explode," she teased. But her voice had taken a suspicious edge. "Norman... where are you going with this?"
He took a deep breath.
"When you agreed to date me, I felt so lucky, Emma. Even before that, whenever you were with me, I was always so lucky. I love you, Emma. And I intend to love you for the rest of our lives."
He held up the ring, and it caught in the sunlight. His entire family had agreed that it was the best one there, and they had all pooled their money together for it.
Emma's breath caught.
"Will you marry me?"
There was silence. Terrifying silence. Enough to make Norman sure that he had messed up.
And then Emma's voice came through the cup, loud and clear.
"Yes."
And everything let loose.
With a cry of "attack the couple!" Their family flooded the room where Emma was, and everyone else flooded his. The string telephone dropped to the floor, as Norman was lifted into the air and he was laughing, beet red, and Emma was too.
And everything, in that moment, felt right.