Emma, the now princess of the Enchanted Forest had given birth to an angel. Curled in her mummy's arms, Hope was the most popular baby in Mistaven now. She was absolutely gorgeous. With her little hands and feet, with her small belly and the sweet and kind eyes of her father, Hope was definitely an angel. Everyone in Mistaven was cheering for the infant, the news of her arrival spreading in all parts of the Enchanted Forest. After giving birth, Emma could now understand the meaning of the word happiness. Dressed up in her regular pink gown embellished with pink roses on the skirt and the bulging sleeves on her shoulders, Emma really felt like a real princess now and her crown on the top of her braided wisp was the proof of that. Her curly blonde hair rested down to her shoulders as she was sitting on the right side of their bed. Her infant inside her arms. Inside her arms was existing a world no one could understand fully, a world, a connection between her and her baby girl which had brewed from the first time she held her. Suddenly, and as she and the baby were lost in their own world, Emma heard a knock at the door. The door opened. It was her mother.
"Emma, how are feeling, honey?" Snow said as she sat right beside her daughter.
"Relieved" She said
"And happy" She finished her sentence and looked down at her baby.
"Emma, you don't know what treasure you're holding in your arms right now" She sobbed as she was staring at her granddaughter.
"She looks like you, you know. When you were a baby" Snow said and Emma looked at her.
"So beautiful, tiny and pure" Snow said as a tear fell from her chick. Emma touched her mother's shoulder with her free hand.
"Mum" She said
"And then you were taken from me" She said crying. Emma hugged her mother.
"And then you found me, mum. It's okay. We're together now. Forever." She said with an encouraging look.
"Together, my girl. Forever" Snow said and caressing Emma's chick. Emma put her head on her mother's chest, her baby girl still curled in her arms as tears fell the mother's and daughter's faces. This was an unforgettable moment. Three generations curled in the same hug. In that moment, their hearts could feel this unconditional love that flows through mothers. Emma for a moment could actually feel her mother's feelings, her mother's fear and grief when she was putting her into that wardrobe. What would happen to her if she lost Hope? She felt an incredible pain and sorrow in the thought of it. But deep down she knew that she and her loved one would do everything for her. A few hours after her birth, and they were already sure that they would give anything for this baby, she wouldn't miss a thing, they wanted her to be happy. And she also knew deep down, that that's what her parents always wanted too. Snow White an idol of hope and lightness, was also her mother. And she couldn't love her more…
"Enough with all the tears now" She said as she was trying to sweep the tears from her daughter face.
"We have a celebration to prepare. As a matter of fact, where's Killian?" She asked.
"He is at the Jolly to pick up some things and bring her baby basket" Emma smiled as her mother put a kiss on the baby's little hand and her daughter's forehead saying with that goodbye.
Killian Jones was never the sentimental type. He never believed in true love and the love at first sight. All changed when he met her. He changed his whole world by giving him a new one. The one they would now share with their baby girl. Earlier that day they had welcomed her in the world. This was so new to him. Being a prince, having a baby. With his prince's clothes he wore in their adventure at the past, he went to his ship to take her little basket. Emma and he had passed months preparing it, decorating it with little roses and pink ships. His ship. His old home. He took a minute to stare it and then his eyes fell on the basket which was on his bed. He took it in his arms, but suddenly the basket made one of the books on the self near the bed fall on the floor. He put the basket on the table for a bit to put the book in its place, when he realized what that book was. It was his album. The album of his old photos, his childhood, his pirate days and the photos with his loved one, his Emma were totally his favorites. He leafed through the album of her photos. The one was her smiling at the sheriff station pretending to work, the other was when she agreed to marry him, she was crying and her ring was visible at this photo, the other portrayed her as a bride, her beauty along with her shining white gown and the white roses she held in her hands made this picture shine. In the end of the last page, it was them holding Emma's bump in some royal dinner Snow had organized, and obviously she had taken that photo. When he saw them all, he smiled as he gently closed it and put it back to its place. By bending over he noticed something was under the bed. A box was visible. He opened it and then he smiled surprised. This had appeared magically. He took the basket in his arms and continued his way to the castle.
When he arrived and entered his royal chamber, he saw his true love putting the baby to her nursery to sleep. Emma put slowly Hope in the little bed as she was smiling at her along the way. Then, she covered her gently with her little blanket Granny had made for her. At last, she caressed her little hand a bit before putting a gentle kiss on her little bulging chick and then saw him.
"Killian" She said surprised.
"Hi, love. Sorry I've been staring you. I brought the basket" He hummed as he put the basket on their bed.
Emma smiled and put her arms around his neck and kissed him.
"Killian, do you have something on your mind troubling you?" She asked
"No, love. It's just it is customized here in the Enchanted Forest when a man's wife has given birth to their child, the man gives a gift to the woman he loves" He said
"Oh, Killian. You don't have to…" She said but he interrupted her.
"I want to, love. You passed all those months in pain and I couldn't do anything about it and when this was all over, you gave me this beautiful creature. Our daughter. I love you and thank you" He said as a tear fell from his face. Emma put her hand to caress his chick and his black hair.
"I love you too. But I thought it was a team work" She said with a tease
"Well, I don't see it that way. Men give their women this gift because they want to honor their wives for their love. And I love you with every fiber of my being. Anyway, I think you're going to like your gift. It appeared magically on my ship and I added something on it" He said as he pulled a box from inside the basket. And as she was ready to open it her father entered the room.
"Hook, I've been looking for you. The first guests have come and I need some help with them" David said. Killian looked Emma and gave her one last kiss.
"Open it and tell me later" He said as her father looked at her ,smiling as she watched her husband and her father leaving.
Suddenly, she heard Hope waking up. Her sweet baby sounds filled the air. Emma took her then in her arms. She giggled and then her nose started playing with hers.
"Come on, Hope. Let's see what daddy brought us" She said and put Hope in her little basket to open his gift.
She gave one last stare at her and then…
"Emma, Killian came! Oh, great he brought the basket, do you want to go downstairs the party will soon start!" Snow said laughing, then she saw her daughter looking that box.
"What is this?" She asked.
"It's a gift from Killian. He said it's a tradition of the Enchanted Forest for a man to give the mother of his child a present" She looked her.
"Oh, yes. Your father had given me one as well. Well, open it!" She said excited.
"Okay" Emma said and finally uncovered the box.
What she saw was beyond any of her expectations. She felt her heart narrowing, and her eyes going wet. Her mind couldn't believe it. It was her wedding dress. She thought it had disappeared after the Blank Fairy's curse, but it was here magically appeared at Killian's ship and now in front of her eyes. She took a moment, to caress with her thumb it's silk material and then saw a card on the edge of the box. She read it.
"My love, this is for you. To remind you the most amazing moment of my life. When I saw you entering the alter with that dress I felt my feet go weak. You were so beautiful. And to remind you the day, you became my wife and you made me the happiest person in the world. To remind you that when our wedding was crushed, we still believed in our love and at last we found each other. Today, you gave birth to our duckling and when I noticed this by accident on my ship, these feelings got back to me. From how much beautiful you were a few months ago, to at last how I got captivated by our daughter's beauty today. Our product of true love who was nesting inside you all this months, providing her safe shelter. In the end, I give you this to remind you that our love at least from my point of view had always been unconditional, passing all the obstacles life put it through, life- changing and it can certainly can break the chains of death. I will spend the rest of my life proving you that"
I love you forever,
Your dashing husband.
Emma tried to sweep the tears from her face. Her mother hugged her.
"Mum, it's my wedding dress" She sobbed.
"I know, honey. I know" She said as Emma hugged Snow more tight sobbing along the way.
"He always shows his love and I…" Emma sobbed
"Shh, he knows how much you love him" Snow tried to calmed her down.
"Yes, but I am not good with words. I never was and this…" She said sobbing.
"You have the rest of your lives, to show him that. Today, you gave him a child" She said and Emma nodded.
"And that's exactly what I am going to do. Mum, can you take care of Hope for a bit, I'll be back" She said and hand over the basket to her mother. Snow took the baby from inside and started to smile at her granddaughter making her funny faces.
Emma took her bulging skirt of her dress in her hands and starting running looking for Killian. When she found him, he was with her father and the other princes.
"Dad, can I take him for a bit?" She said and interrupted the men's discussion.
"Of course" David said. When they were alone, they went to the balcony. Emma's tears were still on her face.
"So, you opened it" He said and Emma hummed
"Yes, I did" She said
"Killian, you know I am not good at this but I wanted to tell you that I love you so much and that thank you too for everything. For believing in me when no one did, for trusting me with your heart. For everything" She said as her hand brushed over his shoulder. When their nosed touched, they kissed passionately. He put his hand on her chick and the kiss deepened. This was something to remember forever. This kiss. The arrival of their duckling. Their own memories.
