The next few months passed in a blur. David was determined to get the castle livable before the newest family member arrived so everyone had to be on hand at all times to help. Everyone but Snow, that is, because David had forbidden her from any kind of physical labor the moment her bump had started to pop. Emma preferred it that way. For some reason she had been uneasy around her mother for the past few weeks. She couldn't quite put her finger on the problem, but she felt guilty for not spending more time with her.

Apparently her avoidance of Snow had not gone unnoticed because her father pulled her aside late one morning.

"Okay, Em, what's up?"

"Nothing, I'm fine," Emma said, trying to keep her expression as blank as possible.

David crossed his arms and looked his daughter dead in the eye with that face that always made her think that he could read her mind. The truth was, they were so similar that he probably could read her mind, a notion that constantly crossed the line between endearing and terrifying.

"You've been avoiding your mother," he said bluntly.

"What? No I haven't! I've just been-"

"You've been avoiding your mother," he repeated. "I don't know what is going on between you two, but she is overly emotional as it is and I am bearing the brunt of it. You need to talk to her, work things out, whatever. Just do it quickly."

With that he walked away, leaving her alone with her thoughts. It wasn't often that David was so stern with her, yet when it did happen it always made her feel like she was five years old again and had been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. I'm not a child, she thought, knowing how childish she was behaving. With a heavy sigh she went off in search of her mother.

Emma found Snow sitting by the window in what would soon be the baby's nursery, the very same room that had once been meant for herself as a newborn.

"You know David would freak out if he saw you sitting that close to an open window."

Snow turned and smiled at her daughter, "Oh, I know. I used to sit here all the time when I was pregnant with you." She dropped her voice to a whisper as if she was sharing a special secret, "I have still yet to see his eyes bug further out of his head."

Emma laughed uneasily, trying to pretend this was just another lighthearted conversation, but her mother was not fooled.

"Ok, kiddo, what's wrong? Are you finally ready to talk?"

Emma jerked her head up, "What do you mean?"

Snow gave her daughter a knowing look, "Cut the crap, Emma. We both know you have been avoiding me for weeks."

Emma sighed and sat down next to her mother, pretending to be interested in something outside the window. "I don't know," she finally said. "I just feel weird around you-but not in a bad way," she added hastily, seeing the hurt expression on her mother's face.

"Is it about the baby?" Snow asked, rubbing her burgeoning belly.

"Yes...and no. I'm happy for you, I really am. I guess I am just a bit-"

"Jealous?" Snow finished.

"God, no! I'm not jealous of the baby."

"Ok, so are you jealous of me for having the baby?"

Emma gave her mother a confused expression. "Why would I be jealous of that?"

"Emma," Snow said sternly, "I was there, remember. I know how disappointed you were when you found out you weren't pregnant."

"I wasn't upset," Emma replied hurriedly, not fully meeting Snow in the eye. "I'm not ready, Neal and I aren't ready."

"Aren't you? Emma, you aren't kids anymore. You and Neal love each other, you are responsible, brave, and caring. You are amazing parents already, and you seem to be very committed to each other. Neal isn't going anywhere, and neither are you."

Emma mulled over her mother's words for a moment. "Oh my god," she said softly.

"What?"

"I love Neal!"

Snow laughed, "Well, of course you do!"

Emma shook her head, her mother wasn't quite understanding the seriousness of the situation. "I love Neal. I want to marry Neal. I want to have more kids with Neal!" With that she hopped up and dashed towards the door.

"Whoa, where are you going?" Snow asked, flabbergasted.

Emma stopped in the doorway and turned around, "I'm going to go ask Neal to marry me." And with that she was gone, leaving her mother gaping in shock.