Chapter Text
The clock on the kitchen wall ticked louder with each passing minute, or at least it felt that way to Regina. She paced across the living room, glancing at her phone again. No new messages, no missed calls. It was already fifteen minutes past the latest agreed upon time, and Emma still hadn’t shown up with the kids.
The late afternoon sun filtered through the windows, casting long shadows across the floor. Their two children, Olivia and Henry, were supposed to be back an hour ago. Regina had made dinner and tidied up the house, hoping for an easy transition into the evening routine. She checked her phone one more time, trying to ignore the gnawing pit of frustration building in her stomach.
Finally, headlights flashed across the driveway. Regina crossed her arms, taking a deep breath as she heard the car doors slam. The sound of Henry’s laughter filtered through the door, and for a moment, it soothed Regina’s nerves. But it wasn’t enough to completely calm her.
Emma walked in, balancing a sleeping Olivia on her hip, their son trailing behind her. She didn’t look hurried or apologetic, which only made Regina’s irritation spike.
“You’re late,” Regina said as soon as Emma stepped inside, keeping her voice low for the kids’ sake.
Emma shot her a tired glance, adjusting Olivia’s weight in her arms. “I know. Sorry. Things ran late.”
Regina uncrossed her arms, her jaw tightening. “That’s it? No call, no text?”
Emma gently laid Olivia down on the couch, her movements slow and deliberate, as if she was trying to avoid the confrontation. “Regina, it was an extra fifteen minutes. I got here as fast as I could.”
“An extra forty-five minutes,” Regina corrected, her voice sharper than she intended. “And you didn’t even bother to call.”
Henry had already wandered off to his room, leaving just the two of them in the living room. Emma straightened up, finally meeting Regina’s gaze. “I didn’t think I needed to call for a few minutes.”
Regina’s frustration flared. “It’s not about the time, Emma. It’s about communication. You said you'd be here by 6, and you didn’t even send a text. Do you know how worried I was?”
Emma’s eyes flashed, her tone hardening. “Worried? Regina, I’m their mother. I’m not some stranger who’s going to disappear with them. You know they’re safe with me.”
“That’s not the point,” Regina countered, her voice rising slightly. “The point is that we agreed to a time, and you just... ignored it. You’re always late, and you never tell me why. It’s disrespectful, Emma.”
Emma’s hands clenched at her sides, the exhaustion of the day clearly getting to her. “You think I’m trying to be disrespectful? Regina, I’m juggling work, the kids, and everything else. Sometimes things don’t go as planned.”
“And I’m not?” Regina shot back, her voice tinged with disbelief. “You think I don’t have a million things going on too? But I still make sure to be on time. Or at least let you know if I’m running late.”
Emma ran a hand through her hair, clearly exasperated. “It was a busy day, okay? I lost track of time.”
“That’s your excuse?” Regina said, her voice thick with sarcasm. “You lost track of time? God, Emma, this isn’t the first time. It’s like you don’t even care about these schedules.”
Emma’s face flushed with anger. “I care more than you give me credit for. But I don’t have to justify every second of my day to you. We’re divorced, Regina. We’re not accountable to each other like that anymore.”
Regina’s heart pounded in her chest, and she shook her head, her emotions running wild. “But we are accountable to our kids. And if you can’t respect that, how am I supposed to trust you with them?” The room fell into an uneasy silence. Regina immediately regretted her words, but it was too late to take them back. Emma’s face shifted, her eyes hardening in a way Regina hadn’t seen in a long time.
“You don’t trust me?” Emma’s voice was low and dangerous now. “After everything I’ve done for them, after all the sacrifices I’ve made, you have the nerve to question whether I’m trustworthy with our own kids?” Regina bit her lip, struggling to find the right response. She hadn’t meant it like that, not really. But the damage was done. Emma grabbed her bag, throwing it over her shoulder as she moved toward the door. “Fine. You want to question me? Do it. But don’t forget that I’ve always been there for them. Just because I’m late once in a while doesn’t mean I’m a bad mother.”
Regina’s anger deflated as quickly as it had come. “Emma, wait—”
But Emma was already halfway out the door. She turned back, her eyes still fiery. “I’ll see you on Wednesday. And don’t worry—I’ll be on time.”
The door closed behind her with a quiet click, leaving Regina standing in the middle of the living room, feeling the weight of her words settle in. She sank onto the couch next to Olivia, her heart heavy. She hadn’t meant for the argument to go that far. And now, all she could do was wait for the tension to simmer down before they had to face each other again. The clock ticked on, louder than ever, filling the quiet house as Regina sat there, wondering when—or if—they’d ever find an easy rhythm in this new version of their lives.