Hi, guys.

Things have been very complicated in my life. And my interest in fanfiction really dropped very low. I stopped working on my fanfictions for a long time and even stopped reading others. But I want to get back on my feet for those who are so patient for me. I hate to be so unfair so I decided to start with this. I actually started on this rewrite months and months ago. But something happened to my computer so I had to start from scratch and it wasn't very easy. I'm here now though to start and end this story well. It's not perfect but a hell a lot better than the first time I wrote it.

There are a lot of changes but I had to in order to make this work. I always read your reviews and keep in mind of your opinion. One review really pushed me to make a rewrite. It said how my original story seemed like Emma was forced to be Killian. In my defense, I was really young and wasn't prepared for that story and didn't know where I was going with it. I still lack in a lot of ways as a writer but I am determined to make things right on this one for the sake of that reader and for the rest of you. So yes, this will be a Captain Swan love story. And the ship will sail sooner than you think. The story may be different but I just hope you all will enjoy it.

P.S. Don't know if you guys remember, but my health is going..well, ok physically and mentally. I recently discovered I have a mild thyroid problem. But my friends and my family definitely have been making my life so happy. I couldn't ask for more. We fight. We laugh. We love. Three things that keeps my life going. Stay strong all of you who are going through a worst time that is incomparable to mine.

NEW TRAILER FOR THIS STORY:

- old trailer: type in "The Motherly Love Heal Lee"

- new trailer for this story: type in "The Motherly Love 2 Heal Lee" (the editing is the same as the old one but it's better)

Emma

I looked down at Henry with a smile. Still sound asleep in bed. I kneeled and kissed his forehead.

"Wake up, kiddo. Time for school."

He furrowed his brows tightly. "I'm already dressed, mom. Five more minutes," he whispered groggily.

"Your food will grow cold if you don't wake up now. Come on. You can't afford to be tardy again."

"…ffffiiinnneee."

I took his hands and pulled him up to get his back off the bed. He opened his eyes slowly. He sat still with a yawn. Miserably he remained in place with his shoulders drooped and his head bowed low, looking tired just as ever.

For most mornings, we both took turns waking each other up. Like mother like son, we were both night owls and sleeping on time wasn't so easy. Waking up in the morning was not our favorite thing to do.

Here, our home was just one giant room for everything. The bed was our favorite island where we spend most of our times together. It was a place to sleep, eat, chill, and chat. All four things we enjoy doing after a long day.

I picked up our warm breakfast – heated leftovers again from the diner – from the kitchen and returned to the bed. Henry scooted over for me to sit and took his plate. We ate in haste but always thought of just little things that we could think of to start a good conversation before leaving the house.

"I have an open house coming up soon. My teacher really wants to see you. She calls me her golden student."

I padded him on the back proudly. "My kid the golden student? Well, I can't miss this. When is it?"

He shrugged his shoulders, chewing rather too quickly on some baked potatoes and scrambled eggs. "Forgot. I'll find out today though. Man, these potatoes are amazing."

"Alright. I'll try to make the time. Tell me tomorrow. And of course they're amazing. They're leftovers from the diner. Anything from there tastes delicious."

"True. Do you have to go through another night shift?"

"Yeah. It sucks but a girl had an emergency and I couldn't turn away."

Henry rolled his eyes at me. "You're too much of a saint, mom. Do you forget sometimes you have a life of your own?"

"Of course, I do. And that life is living for you. Without you, what kind of person would I be?"

I coyly stole a quick peck on his little cheek. He pulled away and cleaned his cheek with his sleeve. I chuckled by the way he wrinkled his nose.

"Mom! I'm twelve. I'm not a baby anymore."

"Hey, I will kiss you until you're old and gray. No matter how old you get, you're always going to be my kid."

"Oh brother…"

I nudged him on the shoulder with a wide grin. "Remember to get to bed by ten. I don't want any excuses. I'll be home past midnight."

"I'll try. You just don't forget to skip a meal again."

My biggest fear was how much my son grew up to be. The older children grew the harder it was to hide things from them.

It was so easy living around him with secrets when he was just a baby. It was always hard to feed myself, hide from the landlord over unpaid rent, and evidence on my body from occasional assaults in the streets. But he was no longer my baby instead a boy.

I tried my best to never let my son leave the house hungry and feel left out. But still I was so behind on doing much more that most mothers were so capable of.

My smile vanished for a moment. But I forced one on a little too weakly. "I'll remember. I will."

~ It was a twenty minutes process to get on the bus and take Henry to school. During daytime, my work begins in a bed and breakfast before heading to the diner to begin my night shift. I consider the day better because the streets were a lot safer, walking in ease with little fear of getting my purse stolen. Unfortunately, nighttime was the biggest risk when women like me have high chances to be victims of assault.

I entered the bed and breakfast and found Granny reviewing the booking record behind the front desk. I quietly tiptoed to her and quietly surprised her with an embrace from behind. She gasped and chuckled loudly to see that it was just me.

Everyone calls her Granny. She was old and gray like one. And far too kind and wise like one too. I see very little resemblance this conservative and good-natured woman has with her wild child of a granddaughter named Ruby, but they do strangely both have good hearts for the sake of others. Ruby was my friend before Henry even existed. She helped me get this job and together we've been working here ever since.

"Good morning, Granny. Checking that book again, huh?"

"You know it's just the usual, dear. Did you eat before you got here?"

"Plenty. Henry really liked those potatoes. It's a keeper. Don't remove that from the menu."

To think all those years ago men didn't think women were so equally capable. Well, I consider Granny to be proof enough for those men to bend over and kiss their sweet asses goodbye. At the age of sixty-five, she owns both a bed and breakfast and a diner that I work for. Bless her.

Granny craned her neck and leaned the crown of her head on my cheek. "Oh, I will, dear. How could I disappoint your little Henry? Is he doing well in school?"

"So far so good from what he tells me. Oh gosh this morning he told me about how one of his teachers specially calls him her golden student. How about that?"

She chuckled on how I emphasized his little title with a little exaggeration of the tongue. "Well, I'm not surprised. Henry is such a good boy. Here, he's my golden boy."

"And he loves you for that." I proudly kissed her cheek. "And I'll be at the diner a little longer too."

Granny pushed in her round spectacles and frowned. "Why do you say that? You're leaving after nine. Oh don't tell me you're filling in for Belle again."

"She's in college and juggles two jobs. I just wanted to help. Besides, she has my back too."

"It's very nice of you to help, Emma. But you're a mother and have other responsibilities to deal with. If Belle is struggling with the time, she best go through with me."

"I guess I'm just not strong-hearted like you, Granny. You're too awesome." I kissed her again on the cheek. "Too awesome."

Granny chuckled aloud and padded my arm. "Oh my good girl. Stop."

"By the way, where's Ruby?"

The smile on her chaste lips disappeared when I said that name. I bit my lower lip, wishing I didn't ask.

"I don't know. Last I saw her was at lunch yesterday. I stayed up all night for her and she never came. Now, Emma, I know you two are friends but do you know anything that she's hiding from me? This has been going on for four months."

"I really don't know, Granny. You know I can't lie. I don't really talk with Ruby as much anymore. We occasionally do. But I'm just as a victim as you are. I promise when she finally opens her mouth to me about it I'll tell you. I hate to see you so worried."

"Thank you, dear." She padded my arm again. "I hate worrying myself."

~ My duties are straightforward but…hard and my back is not a big fan of it. Unlike working as a waitress in the diner, I have more cleaning up to do here as a maid. Not many people stop by here to book a room. But no matter how the day goes, there's plenty of work for me to do till noon.

I pushed the dining cart down to the kitchen to have the dirty dishes washed. I parked it near the sink. I picked up the leftover bin and dumped it out into the garbage. Giving it a violent hit on the edge to get few bits and pieces of food that are attached to the bottom of the bin. I stepped back a little as a few drops of brown juice flew out from each hit.

I returned the bin back on the cart and moved on to the dirty dishes. I suddenly yelped when I felt arms around my waist.

"Jesus!"

"Missed you!" Ruby's voice squealed with excitement.

I gasped and placed a hand on my chest to steady my heartbeat. "What the hell, Ruby? You scared me."

"Didn't you miss me, Em?"

"Of course, but you got some explaining to do."

She squeezed me tighter, pressing my back close to her chest. "Come on, friend. Can't we just enjoy this moment?"

"Not when my hands smell like shit and you're keeping a secret from me."

She huffed a sigh and loosened her arms around me. "Why do you have to be like Gran? You're my friend."

I craned my neck to look at her. "You're right. I'm you're friend who gives a fuck when something is wrong with you. What's your secret, Rubes?"

"..Huh. Emma, Emma, you never changed. Still the same Emma Swan I always knew. Oh what the hell? I am too excited to keep this any longer from you anyway, so I'll tell you."

"First please tell me this secret of yours is legal."

"I'll tell you everything if you step outside just for two minutes. It won't take long. I promise."

I blew a loose tendril that got in the way of my eyes. With a sigh I looked at her Bambi-like eyes just ready to hear me say yes to this request. A hypocrite she was. I was not the only one who hasn't changed at all.

"Alright. Let me wash my hands first."

I walked over to the sink and turned on the faucet. Ruby tagged along with me, staring at me with that wide smile. Every time I made a quick glance at her she bit her glossy lower lip as if she couldn't hold this secret of hers any longer. Once I was finished, she didn't give me a chance to dry them. She snatched my hand and dragged me to the back door. Outside the back door was an alleyway guarded between the side of the diner and a brick wall of a building.

Once the door was closed, I watched Ruby's lips open. I knew moments like this when those lips open that trouble was coming. This was one of those moments for sure.

"I'm in a fashion show. God! That feels so good to get that off my chest. I've been wanting to tell you this for so long but I knew you wouldn't be able to keep this from Granny."

"You're right. I can't. Fuck, why did I ask for this?" I slapped a hand to my forehead in a cringe. "Oh man I wish I didn't know about this at all."

She took my hand and lowered it down away from my face. "Too late. You can't tell her about anything about this just for one day."

"It's tomorrow?"

"Yup. And I got a ticket for you. I was only able to get one but it was free. I had to pull a lot of strings to get it."

I bit my lower lip. "You want me to go that bad?"

Ruby can only be described as the girl next door. Slim. Sexy. Flirtatious. Confident. All the qualities of what a model needed. Her 5'11 height was only a plus. Out of everything that she does well, persuasion was her specialty. She had a certain technique to turn the head the other way to decide on what she wanted. But it was more effective on men than women. First the eager look with her eyes unblinking and her words repetitive with pleads. It only left the person to turn away or not. Lastly, she responded to touch by grabbing the hand or pulling the person into her arms with more pleads. No surprise that that was more effective on men.

I still happen to be one of her victims still because of my reputation as her dear, understanding friend.

She batted those lashes and took my hands, playfully wiggling my arms in light waves. "Come on, Em. Don't let me down. I don't know anyone out there. I'll feel a little bit of the weight off my shoulders if you were there rooting for me. Pleaseeeee?"

"Ruby, what about Henry?"

"Just tell Granny you have somewhere important to go to and you need her to babysit Henry for awhile. She never rejects when you ask her to babysit him."

"…The things I do for you. Granny will hate me when she finds out I know about this."

Ruby rolled those brown eyes of hers and again tried to persuade me with the wave of our arms. "Granny will never hate you. Definitely me, but not you."

"You don't know that. I haven't been on Granny's bad side for a long time and I don't want to start now."

"Emma, come on, this is my biggest break yet. I got everything prepared. And all I need is my best friend to attend and be there for me. I only need a few hours of your time. After the show, you can sneak into the changing room from behind the stage. My guy will be there to guide you. We can go home early together and break the news to Granny then."

I rarely go out. But it wasn't uncommon for me to search for babysitters. Granny was always the best candidate for this situation.

I looked deep into those eager brown eyes. The way they sparkled without blinking told me how confident she was that my answer will be yes.

"...Ok. You owe me big, Ruby."

"Eek! I'm so happy. I'll tell you all the information later. But oh my God I am so happy you said yes."

"Like you would give me a choice to say no."

She winked at me with that wide smile curved so proudly on those glossy red lips. "Good point, friend. The word 'no' does not exist in my vocabulary."