Some Days

It was within a week of everything settling down after the curse broke that it started to happen. Emma would regress, mentally, not physically, thankfully, for a day or two back into her childhood. Some days it wasn't by much, she just turned into a teenager, being moody and sullen and all the other things that came with being a teenager and then other days...

Snow could hear Emma crying in the other room. Baby Day, she thought with a groan as she rolled out of the bed. The two of them had come to a compromise, since adult Emma had emphatically refused to sleep in a crib, even though when she was a baby, she fell out of bed a lot and taking her to the hospital never really ended well. Snow carefully pulled down the bars they'd set up on the side of Emma's bed and smiled sleepily, daring a quick glance at the clock.

"Baby next time do you think you can let Mommy sleep in past five AM?" She asked, scooping up her daughter and carrying her through into the nursery they'd built once this started. Emma continued to cry, wriggling her hips and kicking her legs. Snow could feel that she was wet and tried to soothe her, humming quietly as she lay her on the changing table and removed her wet PJ bottoms. Emma continued to cry and whine unhappily as Snow went about cleaning and applying talcum powder before putting on a diaper and dressing Emma in a onesie.

Finally, Emma was settled and burbling happily, sucking her thumb into her mouth.

"So how old are you today huh sweetie?" Snow asked in her baby voice, lifting Emma. When Emma offered up no reply but babble Snow sighed. Wonderful, another day of practically talking to herself.

Emma was in a content enough mood, thankfully for the tired mother, so she was able to convince her to go back to sleep in Snow's bed with her for a few hours.

A knock on the front door woke them both a few hours later, Emma beginning to cry with the shock. Snow lifted her, humming quietly and bouncing her as she made her way towards the door. Most of the town knew about Emma's days, so Snow was safe to bring her sleepy, crying daughter to the door with her.

"Snow? Emma? You home?" Red's voice sounded through the door. Emma seemed to recognise the voice and settle a little, whimpering quietly with her head resting on Snow's shoulder as she swung the door open to reveal Red stood there with a bag full of breakfast.

"Hey... oh... Morning Emma." Red greeted, instantly shifting into her baby voice and reaching out to chuck under the girls chin. Emma eyed her warily from her position on Snow's shoulder and Red raised an eyebrow.

"What, not happy with me this morning?" She asked with a mock pout. Snow smiled at her friend and stepped aside to let her in. She was thankful for the company as she seated Emma in the High chair, ignoring the unhappy whimpers that came from her daughter once she was left alone.

Snow and Red settled down to a reasonably normal breakfast, both on occasion, checking Emma and talking to her quietly. Emma kept up her quiet, unhappy whining throughout all of breakfast but they fastidiously ignored her. Emma was a clingy baby and it wasn't good for her.

Red left after breakfast, kissing the top of Emma's head and ignoring the crying that came with the action.

"Alright, alright I'm coming." Snow said with a sigh as she padded back to the high chair to lift Emma out, carrying her through to the nursery and seating herself in the rocking chair, pulling down her shirt and starting to breast feed, stroking Emma's head gently as she fed.

Today was going to be a looong day.