Reply To: Emma + Baelfire = Swanfire

Not only were they sitting side by side but she even looked at him and said, “you and I are on shadow duty.” She is fine just *being* with him. No awkwardness, no hesitation. He’s still her Neal.

*Sniff* That was just so beautifully put. No matter how many years have passed, how many misconceptions Emma had, or how many painful memories, Neal will always be her Neal. He’s not about to move on from her and Henry. As far as Neal is concerned, from his perspective, his heart is spoken for by Emma. His heart belongs to her, even though he knows he can’t claim Emma as his own at present.

I have a feeling that even *if* Emma chose to date Hook, Neal would never really move on from Emma or the dream of their Tallahassee. Sure, he could learn to accept a co-parenting arrangement over Henry and be cordial to Emma and Hook, but secretly, he would always carry a torch for the mother of his child. While he might learn to accept the status quo and would maintain a healthy boundary so as not to make Emma uncomfortable, Neal himself would find it downright impossible to find another woman who captures his heart as Emma does. Neal knows now what a huge mistake Tamara was, and she was his excuse for not going after Emma, which turned out to be the biggest regret of his life. I think Neal would end up spending his days alone rather than  try to find a second-place substitute for Emma.