This is dedicated to the troll that told me that Snowing should've used IVF rather than adopting in this verse. Takes place during the summer before Emma's freshman year. Trigger warning for mentions of self-harm, depression and infertility.

Emma hadn't ever been on a vacation. Helen used to joke when she'd go to a new home at least an hour away that it was like one and she'd fake laugh along. The truth was, she didn't ever expect to be able to go on one. Then she was adopted and suddenly, her parents were planning a trip. Obviously, Mary didn't have to work summers and David had some vacation time saved up. So, they loaded up the car and drove 5 hours down to Rhode Island. Mary was estranged from her father's side of the family, but Eva had left her a summer home there.

It was beautiful, right on the beach. That one seemed a lot different than the one in Storybrooke to Emma. She was in shock at how much lighter and happier she felt there. The memories of the year before still laid harshly on her, it had only been a few months prior when her parents had discovered she was using self-harm again. She was doing a lot better, but there were still times when the depression fell over her.

They spent some time on the beach, but they could go to that at home, so they did do a lot of traveling around the small towns. They went to museums and shops, finding tiny carnivals to go to. One afternoon, though, they decided to just take it easy. They had been out late the night before and had slept it. Emma could tell her parents were trying to make the vacation memorable and try to pack so much in. She convinced them that she was fine with just hanging out by the house that day. Honestly, she was just so thankful to be on a vacation at all.

David got the idea to start a sandcastle building contest. Emma got totally into it, running back from the ocean to get the best sand, determined to beat her father. Mary leaned back on the towel, laughing. Her husband was acting like a bigger child than their teenager, he and Emma were truly a lot alike.

Nearby, there was another woman, who Mary had noticed was staying in the house next to her. She seemed to have a daughter around Emma's age, who was also running around with her father.

"I swear husbands are just as childish as the kids," Mary mused, trying to be friendly.

The woman chuckled. "Definitely. I swear I have three kids most days, including him." She smiled over at Mary. "I'm Belinda, but most of my friends call me Blue."

"Mary Margaret. That's my daughter, Emma."

"Is she your only?"

Mary nodded. "Yes, you have two other children?"

"Yes. That's Bell, I don't know where Astrid is." She looked from Emma back to Mary, looking a bit confused. "I don't mean to be pry…how old is Emma?"

"14."

"And you're…"

Mary laughed, she had to by this point. Many people didn't know what to make of their family, they assumed she and David had been teens when they had her. Everyone meant well, they were just curious.

"I'm almost 30. We adopted Emma a few months ago, started fostering her last year."

"Oh." Blue paused. "That's…interesting."

Mary raised an eyebrow. Somehow, Blue didn't seem so well meaning anymore. "Interesting?"

"I'm just wondering what drove you to adoption."

"My husband and I tried for a long time to have children," Mary explained, slowly. "Finally we decided we should give a home to a child who really needed one."

"Why not just try IVF?"

The blood began to boil under Mary's skin. How could this woman say something to her like that without knowing her? How could someone say that period to an adoptive mother? It was none of their business to begin with, but also, IVF was complicated. Not only was it expensive, it also had a slim chance of working. She didn't want to try to get pregnant anymore, she just wanted a child. She had Emma and wouldn't want it any other way.

"IVF isn't the be all, end all of starting a family," Mary said, her voice changing, quickly shifting from polite to angry. "Blood isn't what makes a family, it's love that does."

"I'm not sure that I could ever love a child that wasn't mine…."

"Emma is mine," She interrupted. "She has been my child since the moment she was placed in my care. No, she didn't grow in my stomach, she grew in my heart, instantly." Mary pushed herself up, brushing the sand off her legs. "No amount of DNA we could share would change that. I would warn you from saying such ignorant statements to others, especially strangers."

At that moment, Emma started calling from down by the water where she and David had finished their sandcastles. "Mom!" She called out. "You have to judge them! Who has the better one?"

Mary looked over at her daughter and smiled. "I'll be right there, baby." She turned back to Blue. "Enjoy your vacation, stay away from my family."

She walked over to her husband and daughter, feeling Blue's mouth-dropped stare following her the entire time.