A little girl standing in a pair of jeans, a baseball tee, and her blonde hair pulled back into a pony tail with a baby blanket clutched in her hands. Standing on another porch. Another family. Little Emma wonders why she can't find a home. Why nobody wants her. She hopes that this family wants her. This is her 5th home in the two years she has been in the system.
The door opens to the new home with a beautiful woman with long black hair, pale skin and rosy cheeks on the other side of the door. She has a kind warm smile. The woman looks down at Isabelle and smiles while Emma hides behind her social workers leg.
"Oh don't be scared. I'm Mary Margaret, what's your name?" Mary Margaret says.
Emma pops her head out to look at the kind woman, hoping that this home will be different. "My name is Emma, but my mommy called me Em." Emma replies while she blushes.
"Well Em, come in. I want you to meet my husband and I can show you to your room." Mary Margaret ushers them both inside.
Emma enters the new home while taking in the rather big home. She notices a man enter the room. He approaches them and smiles at her.
"Hi, I'm David and you are?" David says.
"I'm Emma but you can call me Em." She looks up to her social worker looking for approval and she receives a nod of encouragement.
David can't hide the smile on his face as he looks at her as he says, "Would you like to see your room?"
Emma nods her head and David offers his hand. She hesitates and looks at him and blushes while she takes his hand.
The social worker keeps Mary Margaret back and says, "I'm not sure if you know the full story but Emma's parents were killed in a fire," Mary Margaret's hand comes up to her mouth. "Her father got Isabelle out and went back in to find the mother. They never came back. Emma was only four. She has had a hard time adjusting to new homes but she is so sweet. She has also never told anyone that they can call her Em. I think she likes you."
Mary Margaret's can light up a room, "David and I want to adopt her, but first we want her to adjust and trust us before we bring it up to her. We want her in our family."
Upstairs David and Emma walk into her new room. Emma scrunches up her nose as she takes in the pink room. The very pink room. David laughs at her reaction.
"I agree with you Em. Mary loves pink. We can change it and do anything you want." Emma looks at him with her big green eyes, "Really?"
"Yes. Really. However you want. What do you like?"
"I like sports!" Emma shouts with a giggle. David looks at her with wide eyes and laughs. He pats her head, "We can do whatever you want. Come on lets go find Mary Margaret."
David and Emma walk back down stairs to find Mary Margaret and the social worker finishing up their conversation by the front door.
"Em come say goodbye," Mary Margaret says
Em runs to her social worker as her social worker kneels down to her height. Em hugs her tight and whispers a thank you Ms. Greene. Ms. Greene leaves as Mary Margaret closes the door. Mary turns to Em asking if she liked her room and David and Em giggle. David ushers Em to the kitchen for lunch while Mary Margaret is standing by the door looking rather confused.
For a week the new family falls into a routine of school, homework, bath time, play time, and story time. Today Em wanted to play in the front yard and Mary tells her not to leave the front yard while she makes lunch. The yard is gated and Em is kicking a soccer ball around.
"Who are you?" a voice calls out.
Em looks up and sees a little brunette girl standing by the gate. She walks over to the girl.
"I'm Em. Who are you?"
"My name is Regina. I've never seen you here before. Are you new?!" Regina asks excitedly, "I never have anyone to play with here!"
Em decides to open the gate, "Come in here and play with me. We can kick my soccer ball!"
Regina's face scrunches," But I'm a girl. Girls don't play sports."
Em's jaw drops, "Who said that!? Girls can too! It's fun!" Regina doesn't look convinced. With a sigh Em says, "What do you want to play?"
Regina's face lights up, "We can play fairytale! I can be the queen and you can be the knight who protects me!"
"Okay!" Em responds.
While the girls start their game neither one of them notice Mary standing on the porch watching them with a soft smile.
A year goes by with Em and Regina being glued to the hip. Doing everything together. Em comes into the kitchen and sits at the table to start her homework. As Mary and David are cooking dinner together.
"Where's Regina Em?" Mary asks. A blush spreads across Emma's face as Mary and David laugh quietly.
"Her mom said she had to finish her homework before we can play and Regina said I have to do mine too." Emma says looking down.
While Mary and David are cooking Em keeps looking up at them thinking that she wishes she has parents. Em looks up, "Mom, I mean Mary Margaret." Tears fill her eyes as she feels fear fill her of being rejected and sent back. Mary sheds a tear as she looks at David and she runs over to Emma.
"Honey, can you look at me?" she lifts up Em face and helps wipe the tears. "David and I have something to tell yo-"
Mary is cut off with a sob coming from Emma, "Please don't send me back. I won't do it again I swear."
"Oh honey. How would you feel if we wanted you to become our daughter?"
Emma looks up with the biggest smile and throws her arms around her mom, "Is it okay if I call you mom?"
"It's more than okay." Mary hugs her tight as David joins in the group hug. "Now let's wipe these tears and have some dinner! I don't like seeing my girls sad!" David says.
Em giggles, "Okay dad." and puts her homework away. As they are eating Em looks up and says, "Mom, dad, I think I'm going to marry Regina."
Mary smirks, "Oh really? Are you sure honey?"
Em nods, "Yes! I love her and I know she loves me. She makes my tummy feel funny when I'm with her. And as her knight it's my duty to always protect her."
"Well I think that's amazing honey. I'm very happy for you." Mary responds. Em continues to eat as Mary looks at David and whispers, "I told you so. Now pay up." She puts her hand out. David still looks shocked but pulls out his wallet and hands his wife a twenty.
The next day Regina and Emma are running around the front yard as Emma is battling a dragon to protect her queen. They are laughing as they run into each other and end up on the floor. They sit up and look at each other. "I'm being adopted." Em says.
"You are? Does that mean you can stay here forever?!" Regina exclaims.
"Yup! I have a mom and dad now. I have a home."
Regina leans over and kisses Emma on the cheek. Emma's face is a deep shade of red and Regina giggles at the blonde's reaction.
"That means you can always be my white knight." Regina says.
"I only want to be a white knight only if you're my queen." Emma says as she pushes a strand of dark hair behind the brunette's ear. Regina smiles and grabs hold of her hand and pulls her up as they start to chase each other.
Emma doesn't know it yet but she has found not only a family, love and a home with her parents but a family, love and a home in Regina.
