Regina refrained from licking her lips as she watched Briella chat with Ruby at the counter of Granny's. She was wearing a floral patterned skirt landing mid thigh that kept delisously shifting as she leaned forward on her stool. With her long hair swept up in a high bun and the racer-back cut of the black tank, Regina had a wonderful view of the girl's back. Regina was forced to order an out-of-character third cup of coffee to disguise her elongated stay.
Briella has been venturing out more and more lately ever since the curse broke and she found out Snow was her mother. Regina has always been forced to admire Briella's beauty from afar, since the girl remained hidden away in her one bedroom where she edited the town's newspaper weekly for the past 28 years. Briella-spottings were always spontaneous and, sadly, exciting to Regina's years of stifling routine. How seeing Briella on her way into the grocery store, or glances of her walking her dog along the water, safely far enough away where she was sure not to have to run into anyone, became the highlight of Regina's weeks shamed her to no end.
Now that the curse has been broken, Snow has been struggling to get closer to the daughter she didn't know was living under her nose. Snow is still distressed that she has been living in the same town as her daughter and knows nothing about her. Sometimes it seems like Snow's natural social demeanor has been good for Briella, like now, when she is actually out in pubic having a cup of coffee. Other times it has become too much for the anxiety ridden girl and she has locked herself back into her tiny apartment by the water for a week without answering the door or picking up the phone.
Snow and Regina have reconciled, at first in the name of the good of the town, but eventually it has turned into mutual understanding. Regina has recently been finding it difficult to hold up her end of the conversation since all Snow wants to talk about is how to help her daughter break free of her self imposed prison, forcing Regina to remember what she had done to young girls in her dark prison cells, and then thinking about what she would do to Briella if she ever ran into her in one of those cells.
"So how long have you had feelings for my daughter?" Snow quietly slid onto the bench opposite Regina, startling her from her private staring.
Regina fixed her face with a scowl before rolling off her tongue, "Whatever are you talking about, dear?"
"Oh please Regina, it is written, plain as day, on your face every time you look at her. This is not the first time I have noticed it, but it is the first time I have been comfortable enough to talk to you about it." Snow folded her hands together on the table and smiled warmly.
Regina blinked once, twice and then curled her lip up. "Perhaps you should worry more about why your daughter wants nothing to do with you then pathetically trying to create fictional fantasies to distract yourself." She rose as gracefully from the diner booth as she would a throne, fixed Snow with one last scowl and then marched out of the diner.
Regina was pushing a cart down the isle of the grocery store when she saw a familiar mane of wavy blonde hair ahead of her in the produce section. Briella was examining the tomato section thoroughy. Regina watched as Mr. Almacher walked up to make his tomato selection, which caused Briella to quickly step away. This was the first time that Regina has ever seen Briella out, attempting to shop herself.
In the past it was clear that Briella always made her grocery shopping orders online from the safety of her home and simply stopped in the store to pick up her preselected and bagged items.
Perhaps Snow really was helping the girl break away from her hermit tendencies.
Now Briella was making her way around the other areas of the produce section, while keeping a watchful eye over Mr. Almacher, who simply grabbed the first decent looking tomato in front of him, bagged the item and walked away. Once Briella was certain that he was not coming back, she again made her way back to the tomatoes to continue staring at the selections. Regina chuckled a bit at how skittish the girl still was, but still understood the progress she has made by not only coming to the market to complete her own shopping, but by returning to her not yet accomplished task, instead of abandoning it all together.
Before she knew it, Regina was pushing her own cart towards the tomatoes hoping to relieve the girl of this daunting task.
She made sure to stand far enough away from Briella that she wouldn't feel imposed upon, but close enough that no one else would hear their conversation and gently asked, "tomatoes troubling you, dear?" Regina was ashamed to admit to herself that her heart was slightly overworking itself for the first time she has had the opportunity to even talk to the girl that has captivated her for all these years.
Startled, Briella started to back away with her head down but seemed to be fighting the urge to run rather well, as she stopped herself only a few feet away. Slowly Briella raised her eyes and Regina could see the beginning of panic swirling in those rich emerald eyes.
"I….I need a tomato." And then it was all desperation all over her face. Like Regina was sent from the heavens themselves to save her from this awful challenge life has thrown at her.
And all Regina wanted to do in that very moment was save her. Her normal judgmental and critical retort, that would have had any average person running with their tale between their legs, was no where to be found.
"Yes well, may I be of assistance?" Regina smiled as invitingly as she knew how and waited patiently for the girl to reply. She seemed to be debating whether she should actually run now, or just let Regina help her so that she could run after.
"My mom is coming for dinner. There's to be a salad and I need a tomato." And shockingly Briella took a step closer. A step closer to the tomatoes and, to her delight, a step closer to Regina.
"Well in that case let us make sure we can get the best tomato here, shall we?" Regina held out her arm, inviting the girl to take the last step that would bring her back in front of the tomatoes and right next to her.
But Briella remained where she was, looking Regina up and down as if deciding whether she was capable of murdering her in the produce section of the market or not. Finally, "I like your dress."
Regina stopped breathing momentarily and her eyebrow shot up in delightful shock. She had to actually look down because she could not remember which one she was wearing at the moment. If she was being honest, she couldn't remember a lot about anything at this moment. But it was her grey tweed sleeveless dress that hugged her in all the right places she was wearing and a skinny black belt to break up the long curved column of grey.
Pleased that Briella was appraising her appearance at all, Regina took the time to appreciate Briella's attire. It was never the designer labels that Regina proudly adorned, but Briella had always managed to look more individualized then most others in town, which always intrigued Regina, since it was clear Briella mostly dressed for herself.
Today was no different, with Briella in a nice pair of skinny black jeans, a simple white T-shirt that had the words 'Rock, Paper, Scissors' in bold across the front. Her hair was left down in their natural waves that Regina has come to enjoy watching sway at her waist.
Regina smirked slightly and leaned ever so slightly in toward the girl to reply, "Thank you dear, and I approve of the fit of those jeans you are wearing." She knew she was certainly pushing her luck but conversations with Briella were not easily come by, and she just had to test those enticing waters.
Briella stood stock still for a few moments, if it was the lack of distance between Regina and herself or the comment that had her on edge, Regina could not tell. Finally Briella turned her head to face Regina, bringing their faces far closer then Regina ever thought would happen, looked her straight in the eye and said, "well the fit certainly isn't for my benefit," and then busied herself with the tomatoes immediately in front of her.
Regina's eyes widen almost comically and she faltered in any possible reply. Instead, she simply proceeded to help Briella pick out a tomato.
"So I hear you helped my daughter pick out a tomato?" Regina sighed as Snow once again slid onto the bench of her solo occupied booth.
"She looked like she had never seen a tomato before. I was slightly embarrassed for her really." Regina took a sip of her coffee to busy her mouth and hands and hopefully help escape what she was worried was about to come out of this conversation.
Snow took a few minutes to just watch the former queen, demonstrating that Regina was not the only royal taught on how to allow well timed pauses to intimidate others. Which only allowed Regina time to relive, for the one millionth time, the fractional flirting she shared with Briella.
"And that face, right there," she was actually pointing across the table at Regina causing her to sigh in annoyance, "is how I know I am right about your feelings for my daughter, regardless of what you ever say to me. I am not going to drop this, so you might as well just talk to me about this."
Regina considered Snow for about twenty seconds before she replied, "You are delusional." And went back to busying herself with her coffee.
Leaning across the table, Snow rushed on in an hushed voice, "She told me what you two talked about." And now it was Snow's turn to smirk while Regina looked dumb struck for the first time in years.