The first time when Emma Swan baked something, she was eight years old and her brother, David, was thirteen. It was their mother's birthday and they wanted to make a cake for her. They woke up much earlier than usual and baked a cake made from pancakes in two colors. They woke up much earlier than usual to bake a cake made from pancakes. And not just plain pancakes but they made pancakes in two colors, some with chocolate and nutella. It was simple but for their mother it was a lot and she loved the cake and Emma realized that she can try and bake more.
After a few years of helping her mother and her brother in the kitchen, Emma received three books about cakes on her fifteenth birthday, each with different recipes for cupcakes, cheesecakes and tarts. She started with the cupcakes because they were the easiest for her and after many burned cupcakes she started to master them. After she made more than 50 different kinds of cupcakes she moved to the tarts and in the end to the cheesecakes since they were the hardest to make.
Emma began making cakes whenever she had free time from school, when it was someone's birthday, or when she was angry. With each attempt Emma was better at making cakes, and quickly baking became her favorite thing and her new dream was to be a baker; to make cakes for people or even celebrities .
Still, life had other plans for her and when she met Neal everything changed. She spent almost all her time with him so she didn't have much time to bake and when she had some free time she couldn't bake because Neal hated everything that was sweet and with chocolate and he couldn't eat want she made. At first she couldn't believe it, how can someone hate chocolate? But she was nineteen, he was the first person who loved her or that was what she thought and she was willing to do everything for him for him; even stop baking and change her dream.
A year later, when Neal left her, after she found out that she was pregnant, she closed herself to everyone and to love and she opened herself to baking again. Baking was the only thing that made her a little happier while she was pregnant and had cravings. She didn't want to give up her child, she couldn't do it, even if she was twenty and had a life full of adventure in front of her. She kept the baby, she wanted him in her life even if his father wasn't even curious if it was a girl or a boy, let alone help her with anything. After her baby boy was born she moved to Boston with him for a new start. David followed her shortly after that, because he wanted to be sure that his sister was okay in Boston with a newborn.
In Boston she continued to bake, although much less since she had to take care of little Henry, but she did it when it was Easter or Christmas, when it was Henry's birthday or simply when one of them wanted to eat something sweet and she did it with pleasure and much love every time.
She found a job , although not the one she really wanted . She was a waitress now, it wasn't much but she made enough money for her and Henry and that was good. She met Ruby there, another waitress who was the granddaughter of the owner of the dinner and she and Ruby became quickly friends.
After a few years, when Henry was five, Emma decided, encouraged by Ruby and David, to take a course about baking. She found one that worked well with her schedule at the dinner and her full time job as a mother and after four months of the course, and a few more lessons and a few youtube videos, Emma knew more about baking that she thought it was possible. She tried over and over again to find a job where she could make cakes and yet, no one was willing to hire someone who hadn't gone to college , that only took a course on "How to Bake Like a Pro".
On her 27th birthday Ruby and Granny gave her the best gift she could get. They made a new section in their diner, only for cakes and Emma was the main chef.
Finally, finally , Emma had what she wanted in her life. She had a best friend, her brother, her sweet child and she had to do what she wanted. What could she want more than this?
Killian Jones starting baking when he was fifteen, alone in London and waiting for his big brother, Liam, to come back from the Navy. The books his mother gave him helped him when he missed his brother and after he worked a little at home, he took a six-month course on how to make cakes. He was the best in his class and when he finished he was offered a job in a bakery and of course he took it. It was a chance to establish himself and build on what he already knew about baking and he was a fool to refuse it.
Six months later a letter from Liam came. His brother was in New York where the Navy needed him on land and he wished Killian would move with him. He had to quit his job in London but his brother was worth it, in no time at all, his name started to appear in newspapers , people talked about him and this talent in the kitchen.
Fortunately for him, shortly after Killian moved to New York Liam met a girl named Elsa. Elsa and her sister Anna had one of the most known bakeries in New York and when Elsa heard about Killian's time in London she offered him a job instantly. There, Killian had the opportunity to bake for many people, most of them celebrities and this is how, quickly, his name started to appear in news papers, people were talking about him and this talent in the kitchen.
One day, Regina Mills come to the bakery. Killian knew her from the TV where she had a tv show called "Bake Off". Regina offered Killian an position on her show, with Mary Margaret Blanchard and Robert Gold, some of the best bakers from New York. The show had to be about amateurs who could bake desserts and they needed three experts in desserts to be the jury.
"I want you to be one of them, Mr. Jones," Regina Mills told him after she explained the show.
"I'm not an expert Mrs. Mills."
"You are, Mr. Jones, even if you don't believe it . People are talking about your work here and in London, they love your cakes and the way you make them look. You make art with your cakes and we really want you on the show."
Killian didn't know what to say in that moment. He appreciated that Regina gave him a few days to think about the offer.
When Liam and Elsa found out about Regina's offer they were excited. Liam talk with him that he would be a "bloody fool" if he declined the offer. Regina Mills was famous for her show and not many people had the occasion to work with Robert Gold himself AND maybe Killian could find a partner to work with him. And of course Elsa had to mention that he could meet someone to be his partner in more ways than one.
The next day Killian called Regina and accepted her offer. Three weeks later he found himself on the road, with Mary Margaret Blanchard, expert in decorating cakes especially wedding cakes, Robert Gold expert in everything that was sweet and had sugar, Regina Mills and an entire team of people who ran the rest. He was the only one who wasn't an expert in something and didn't know what to do, but deep down he was excited for what was in front of him.