Prologue: The number Twelve
Twelve is a unique number to us. Always was, always has been.
I was twelve years old when I met Killian. It was the 12th December at precisely 12:12 that we had met. It had been a beautiful 12 years together. I never met anyone like him before. He was a natural in the subject 'Emma Swan'. It seemed that remembering knowledge about me was the best thing he did. He would remember every single detail I mentioned, and he would make me feel like the most special woman in the world. He made me laugh more than anything. And he understood where I came from.
Like me, Killian came from a broken home. His parents had died in a car crash when he was very young, after that he had been brought up by his grandparents. I had been abandoned by my parents when I was tiny. It had taken 12 years before I had found the perfect family. Little did I know I would find true love in this home. It wasn't true love at first sight; I was distrustful and afraid that he would leave me. And he didn't feel attacked by my fear; he took it as a chance to prove himself.
Like when he won me that big bear on the spring fair. There was nothing Killian wouldn't do for me. He never blamed me for anything. Not even when I got pregnant at the age of 17, he told me we could do this that we were mature enough to start a family. Little did I know that he had the same fears I did.
Henry was born on 12th December 2018. Exactly eleven years after we had met. I was eighteen; he was nineteen.
What happened next, I couldn't have expected. Parenthood was the most natural thing I had ever experienced. Taking care of Henry happened to be the most natural thing I had ever done. I didn't mind the dreams of college I was giving up for this child. There was a part of me that wanted to give children no one wanted a home. To my surprise, Killian agreed with it.
And on 14th of February, Belle French, entered our home. Belle French had known pain in her sixteen years. Her mother had died, and her father had committed suicide not much later. She also had come with a long family history of depression. Adopting her didn't seem the obvious choice, but we took the challenge. In my fantasies, the life of the girl would turn around right away. However Belle French proved to be more difficult than that. And somehow we thought what Belle needed was siblings.
Things went fast after that.
Two months later the foster system contacted us with an urgent matter. They had tried to find a home for a twin. They had both been sixteen years old. There was not a single family that was willing to take them in. So we did. We showed them the closeness our family knew. Ruby and Aurora were happy children. And somehow they brought sunshine in our lives. Bit by bit Belle's life became more bright.
Somehow after that point, foster care found our address first. The next ones that came were Mary Margaret, Regina and Zelina. Killian's small fortune made it possible for me to stay home, follow my dreams. Raise kids and make videos about it. Killian went to work, and I did what was necessary. With five teenagers and a bay things in the Jones-Swan household were never quiet and that's what we liked about it. I loved the constant sound of laughter and the sound of feet on the floor. I don't think Henry would even live inside a home with no five children.
Around Christmas, we would take in Elsa. Elsa was a rebellious child. Followed by a history of abandonment. Somehow down the road, she had lost her sister Anna. I promised her I would do everything in my power to find Anna and bring her home. After that, I gave a home to Neal, James and August. The months past and I couldn't imagine saying goodbye to any of them. It took a lot of effort, but I adopted all of them.
They were my family, not by nature, but by choice. And I wouldn't miss any of them. Ever.