It was a matter of convenience, that was all. No matter how many times Mary Margaret insisted that they had waited decades to be together, the fact of the matter was that a one-bedroom apartment was far too small for the entire Charming family. Emma hadn't been the roommate type before coming to Storybrooke, and living in cramped quarters with her same-age parents was getting on her last nerve. Which was why, on a hot day in summer, Mary Margaret and David were helping her lug her things up the steps to108 Mifflin Street.
It all started a few weeks ago, when Emma had complained about her cramped living space to Regina over lunch. The other woman had smirked and made a sarcastic jab at the "un-Charmings" before cautiously mentioning that if Emma wanted to move out, she did have plenty of extra room at her house.
"Seriously?" Emma had asked. "You'd let me just … move in?"
"Well, things have changed between us, Ms. Swan," Regina had replied. "I wouldn't mind the company, and …"
"And what?"
"Well, I suppose it might be good for Henry."
Emma wasn't quite sure that was what had made Regina hesitate. After all, they had been working together for Henry's sake long before there was anything resembling a friendship between them. But whatever Regina had left unspoken, Emma didn't push.
Thankfully, moving wasn't too difficult. Emma had never allowed herself to be sentimental. When you were always on the move, as she had been for most of her life, it helped to be able to pick up and go quickly. Not to mention that her parents' apartment hadn't had room for her to collect a bunch of stuff, even if she had wanted to. Still, unloading boxes of clothes out the back of a U-Haul was exhausting work on a hot summer day, and she was glad to have David and Mary Margaret there to help.
Afterwards, when her things were all dragged into the house, the five of them sat out on Regina's back porch, drinking lemonade and cooling down. Emma felt her parents' eyes on her and fidgeted awkwardly. But eventually, she had to say something to break this awkward silence.
"Hey, I wanted to thank you," she said, turning to David and Mary Margaret. "I know you didn't want me to do this, but thanks for helping anyway."
They flashed her bittersweet smiles and nodded.
"Well, you know your father and I will always support you, even if your decisions aren't what we would have chosen for you," said Mary Margaret.
"Thanks," Emma said again. "That means a lot to me."
"I would never have imagined," David said. "Our daughter and our worst enemy … well, former worst enemy," he added quickly as Regina rolled her eyes.
"Wait …" Henry looked up in confusion. "What's going on here?"
Emma and Regina exchanged a glance.
"Mom, Dad …" Emma began awkwardly. "You do know that Regina and I aren't dating, right?"
Mary Margaret laughed. "It's all right, Emma. You don't have to pretend."
"We'll support you, whoever you choose to be with," said David. "We want you to be happy."
"Both of you," Snow added, glancing at Regina. "It's not what we would have expected, but sometimes, happy endings aren't what you expect. We're happy for you both."
"Wow, um … that's really sweet, but … I don't know how to say this …"
Regina cut in. "What she's trying to say is, we really aren't together."
Snow and Charming exchanged a surprised glance.
"Really?"
"Really," Emma said.
"Then why …?"
"Why are we moving in together?" Regina asked.
"Well, yes."
"What I told you is true," said Emma. "Your place is kind of crowded, four of us in a one bedroom apartment, you know? And Regina has plenty of room. It just makes sense."
"And for Henry," Regina added.
"Yes, of course. For Henry."
Mary Margaret and David nodded, but Emma wasn't sure how convinced they were.
Later, when they had gone and Henry had disappeared upstairs, Emma and Regina sat together in the living room, sipping apple cider.
"So … kind of crazy what my parents thought, huh?" Emma said, trying to sound casual.
"Not so crazy," Regina told her. "Given the circumstances, I'd say it's a logical conclusion. Although I have to admit, I wasn't expecting them to be so enthusiastic about the idea."
"I guess times really have changed," Emma said.
"And yet here we are, right back where it all began," Regina added, and Emma found herself thinking of another evening, another glass of apple cider, right here in this same room, on this same couch.
Emma thought she could see a hint of sadness in Regina's eyes, but she wasn't sure. After all, what would Regina have to be sad about right now? Then she remembered the hesitation, the "and" that the other woman had never quite finished, the "for Henry" that she had thought must be something more because of how damn nervous Regina had looked, and all of a sudden it hit her.
Oh.
She took another swig of apple cider and marveled at how blind she had been. A thousand lingering looks came rushing back to the forefront of her mind, and she remembered sitting here years ago, drinking apple cider and feeling with an inexplicable certainty that this woman she had never met before was more than just a stranger to her. And she had been right. Their lives had been intertwined since long before they first met. She knew that they weren't enemies anymore, although friends seemed barely adequate to describe what they had become. She knew that she cared very deeply for Regina. But were her feelings purely those of a friend and co-parent? Or could there be more to the irresistible pull that she had always felt towards Regina?
Well, there was only one way to find out. Swallowing another mouthful of cider, she gathered her courage and spoke:
"You know … I know my parents were just being … well, them, with their True Love obsession and all that," she began.
"Of course," Regina said, and there was definitely some sadness in her tone, maybe even bitterness.
"But if you wanted to …"
Her voice caught in her throat. Regina's eyes were upon her, suddenly gleaming with excitement.
"If I wanted to, what?" she asked.
"How would you like to go out to dinner with me?" Emma suggested nervously.
"You mean …"
"Like a date. We can get my parents to watch Henry. I'm sure they wouldn't object, seeing as they already gave us their blessing."
Regina's smile lit up the whole room.
"I'd like that," she said. Then, in a mock-serious tone, she added: "Assuming we're not going to Granny's."
Emma laughed. "I'm sure we can find something better than that."
As they planned out their date, Emma thought about the smug expressions she knew she would see on her parents' faces when she let them know that she and Regina were in fact dating. But maybe that was what she had needed. If it hadn't been for their mistaken assumptions – ones that she could now see were quite well-founded – she wasn't sure if she would ever have seen what was right in front of her.
With a grimace, she pulled out her cell phone and dialed Mary Margaret's number.
"Hey, Mom?" she said. "I need you to watch Henry tomorrow night, okay? Regina and I are … well, we're going on a date."