"I really think you should expand your horizon. After all it is college." A perky blonde sipped on a diet coke, people watching while simultaneously offering advice to her best friend.
In response, her best friend rolled her eyes as she was putting her hair in a ponytail. The California heat was too much for her long, thick black hair to be clinging onto her neck. "Expanding my horizon means taking cultural and language immersion trips, not watching a 6'5 giant, chug gallons of beer before he passes out." She scoped the small café, searching for their waitress, desperately needing another cup of coffee.
"But its college!" The blonde had no other defense for forcing her best friend into tagging along to a fraternity party. It had been over two years, since they had arrived on campus and the only party the other girl ever attended was department mixers.
"Eliz, I'm here to learn and possibly become a very influential person, and that does not involve ridiculous parties."
"Regina, please! Just for an hour then we can leave. Your social life should not consist of drinking wine with faculty. It's not healthy; you should be hanging out with people that are not on a tenure." Elizabeth frowned when she realized she had slurped the last drop of her diet coke and allowed her eyes to roam for the waitress.
"Can we please drop this conversation? I would like to have an adult conversation before babysitting for the Nolans tonight." Regina tapped her nails against the table, becoming slightly more agitated by the second. All her body craved was a double shot of espresso with milk but their server was nowhere to be found. If it weren't for their prize-winning coffee, Regina would have longed forgotten about this little café. It always took over twenty minutes to be seated and an additional forty minutes before their orders arrived.
Elizabeth arched her eyebrow at Regina, not knowing her best friend to sound upset about babysitting for the Nolans. Henry Nolan, the son of Mary Margaret and David Nolan, was probably one of Regina's favourite people in the entire world and that meant something. Someone had to be an extraordinary person for Regina to even consider becoming friends with them. "Is that a bad thing? I thought you loved babysitting little Henry?"
Regina sighed and caught a glimpse of her waitress, quickly avoiding answering Elizabeth's question. She called out to the woman, drawing attention her, and smiled when she acknowledged Regina.
"I'm sorry. Have you been waiting long?" Her nametag read Ruby and Regina inwardly chuckled when she noticed the one faded red streak in Ruby's hair. She guessed it to be a statement or something and went on to place the order.
"It's fine. You've been keeping busy. A double shot of espresso with milk and another diet coke for my friend."
The waitress gave Regina a quick nod and headed towards the direction of the kitchen, leaving Elizabeth to confront her best friend. "Is something bothering you, love?"
"Just a bit stressed about midterms, is all. Nothing a good night's rest can't fix." Regina gave the blonde a half smile in attempt to justify her words. The brunette actually had more pressing matters than just midterms but she lacked the courage to come forth with what currently occupied her mind. Judging by the worried expression on Elizabeth's face, Regina knew her best friend did not buy her response. It was not the time nor place for a pouring of one's heart and crying over their drinks, so Regina shifted the conversation to partying something Elizabeth never stopped talking about.
"How long do you plan on staying out?" The brunette straightened her posture and pretended to be intrigued with whatever Elizabeth had to say.
"Why do you care? Are you going to bring a hot guy over? Or maybe that red-head babe from Spanish Lit?" Elizabeth knew Regina harbored feelings for the same gender and constantly found ways to mention it, but whenever she did, Regina would put up a defense wall ten feet tall and ten feet thick.
"She's a gin—I mean, will I have to worry about your safety or you obtaining alcohol poisoning tonight?"
"Well, if the party sucks, then I'll be back around one-ish. The latest will be around three or four." Elizabeth played with her straw, grimacing at the lip-gloss stain on the rim of it. She was tiptoeing around blatantly demanding Regina tell her the truth about her strange behavior but the blonde knew her best friend/roommate would find ways to avoid the subject. Instead, she settled on finding out about the brunette's intentions for the evening with little Henry. "What's the plan tonight? Are you going to read six of Henry's favorite books and hopes he knocks out before eight? Or do you plan on going full on sheriff mode and demand he behaves tonight?"
Regina chuckled softly, knowing that Elizabeth had heard on multiple occasions of the rendezvous; she's had with little Henry Nolan. "Hopefully, he'll be asleep before I get there. The Nolans are picking up his sister from the airport, her flight is suppose to land at ten and it's an hour drive to the airport."
"Excuse me but did you say his sister? Like the Nolans have another child who is old enough to fly on a plane? Ew, that's pretty gross." Elizabeth pretended to puke over the table and allowed Regina to explain herself.
"Apparently, this alleged sister is about our age and left for boarding school, at the age of sixteen. She's done a semester at UPENN but her parents wanted her closer to home or something like that. Anyway, she'll be here with us. From what I've gathered, Henry has never met his older sister or does not have a memory of her. But he's and I quote, 'uper excited', to meet her."
"And here I thought the Nolans were the perfect family. Goes to show you, every family has their secrets, no matter how put together they may look on the outside." Elizabeth did not bother for Regina to respond before continuing her thought. "Will you tell me all about her? It's just seems bizarre that the Nolans are old enough to procreate someone that old, ya know?"
Regina rolled her eyes and responded. "No, I don't know. And you know I'm not one for gossip. I'm sure there is nothing extraordinary about the girl. Fingers crossed, she did not catch the idiot gene from her parents."
"Well, what about Henry? He is an offspring of those so-called idiots." Elizabeth practically jumped off her seat when she saw the waitress walking towards them with their drinks.
"Yes, that may be true but I believe that gene has skipped a generation. He's only inherited their sense of hospitality and dire need to make everyone around him happy." Regina inhaled the overwhelming smell of her coffee before she indulged in what was undeniably the best taste in the entire world.
"Regina, thank you again for doing this on such short notice." Mary Margaret bustled around the living area, grabbing her coat whilst rummaging through her purse for her keys. "David! Do you have the keys?"
Regina rolled her eyes and made way to the front door, knowing the car keys were on the floor next to Henry's rain boots. The boy probably managed to sneak way into his mother's purse and decided to leave them wherever he pleased. "I've got them Mrs. Nolan. You should head on out, it's already 8:45."
"Right. David! What's taking you so long? Please, hurry or I will leave and then what would Emma think?" Mary Margaret yelled from the foot of the stairs, glancing apologetically at Regina.
Rushing down the stairs, David Nolan, buttoned the last button on his flannel, earning sighs from both women in the room. Regina, wondered if the professor's wardrobe consisted entirely of jeans and flannel shirts because even in class, the man wore the same boring attire. David acknowledged Regina's presence with a smile and answered his wife's question. "Mary Margaret, do you honestly think Emma would consider getting into the car, if it were only you and her? I'm here and ready to leave. Let's go."
It took all of Regina's willpower not to smile after that snarky remark and she decided the best option would be to check on Henry. "Is Henry awake or slowly drifting into sleep?"
David answered while helping Mary Margaret put on her coat. It bewildered Regina why the woman needed one in first place being that is was only in the high 60s. "He's listening to Mary Poppins and waiting for you to stuck him in. He's already brushed his teeth, so you barely have any work." David patted his wife on the butt indicating he was ready to leave and scooted her out of the door, as if he was herding sheep.
"Drive carefully." Regina yelled out before the door closed. She marched upstairs and listened carefully for sounds of activity coming for Henry's room. They always enjoyed surprising the other and so far the score was Henry 3, Regina 1. She had every intention of evening the score. Quietly waiting outside his door, Regina heard the audiotape reading of Mary Poppins and knew exactly what chapter she stumbled on. It was the only chapter Henry had the patience to listen to because he enjoyed hearing about the happy ending. Opening the door ever so slowly, Regina lurked in the shadows and counted to three before shouting boo. Henry, being the opposite of discreet, covered his head with the sheets, only allowing a small portion for his eyes.
"Henry, it's me. You can come out now." Regina laughed at the frown displayed on the little boy's face. He did not seem too content that the woman begot the best of him. Henry was a sore loser and had no shame in showing it.
"You scared me! Why you do that?" Henry crawled out of bed and waddled over to his desk to turn on his lamp. Perhaps not gracefully, because he had to climb on his chair, in order to reach the switch.
"Because you've scared me, too. On multiple occasions, I should add. So, I decided to get revenge. Don't you think that's fair?" Regina removed her ankle boots and placed them against Henry's closet and sat beside him on the bed. She knew it would have been only a matter of time before he dragged her into bed with him. It was a bad habit but the brunette never had the courage to resist that adorable face of his.
"No." Henry crossed his arms and lifted his chin up. He was determined to prove Regina wrong.
"It's not fair? Why not?" Regina was prepared to hear the three year olds rationalization and reasoning.
"I win cause I'm cute."
Regina could not contain the smile playing on her face because she knew the little boy to be blunt, at certain giving moments, but never has he taken it this far. "Really? You think you're cute? And why is that, may I ask?"
A tint of redness appeared on Henry's cheeks and hid his face in his hands for several seconds before answering Regina's questions. "A lady in the store said that to mommy. She said I was cute and adore… adore…" Henry stuttered trying to pronounce the word but his lips betrayed his mind every time.
"And that gives you the right to win, young man? I still don't think that's fair. What if I said someone told me I was cute, would I qualify?" Regina knew someone else would have dropped the topic and let Henry win but this is one of the reasons babysitting him was such a joy.
Henry simple shook his head and laughed. "But you not cute, Gina." He laughed softly again before continuing, "You is pretty." Another tint of redness appeared on his chubby cheeks and Regina knew the toddler genuinely meant what he had just said. She had no doubt, Henry would continue being a perfect gentleman, as the years went on.
"Thank you, Henry. That means a lot, especially coming from my favorite guy." She kissed the top of his forehead but did not bother to wipe the lipstick off. "Enough with the compliments, its way past your bedtime. Your parents are expecting you to be in bed, before they come back." Usually, Henry would put on a fight or give Regina the biggest puppy eyes possible, but tonight he quickly got under the covers without uttering a word. Happy with that, Regina walked over to the other side and slide under the covers, as well. Henry enjoyed having the brunette's company while falling asleep and refused to sleep, if she were not lying with him. Mary Margaret claims Henry never asks for them to lie with him and it's only something he demands of his babysitter.
This does not bother Regina, in the smallest way, because the boy stole her heart from the moment they first met. He introduced himself, as the prince of the castle; the castle representing the campus, and asked Regina to be one of his knights. The boy had no second thoughts of inviting a complete stranger, to play with him, while his parents mingled with other students or professors. At the time, Regina found this alarming and thought he should be safely guarded, but now she knows Henry has a great sense of telling whether a person is 'evil or good.' Since then, she's become the Nolans one and only babysitter, who is regularly called, and thinks of Henry like a son.
"Gina?" Henry had been watching Regina's features for a minute or two and patiently waited to ask her a question that had been bothering him for a while.
"Yes, sweetie?"
"You think Emma will like me?" A small yawn escaped his lips and Regina knew sleep would come sooner for him than she expected. She parted his bangs from his eyes and responded with as much reassurance, as possible.
"I think Emma will love you. She would be foolish not to love someone as special and wonderful as you are. You guys will become best friends before you know it."
Henry simply responded with a sleepy smile and broke the space between him and the brunette, crawling on partially on top of her, before sticking his thumb into mouth and falling asleep.
"Emma, you can see him in the morning, but for now just get some sleep. You've been travelling for twelve hours." Mary Margaret quietly responded to her daughter's request holding her hand preventing her from trotting up the stairs. She looked at her husband, who was carrying suitcases in the house, hoping he would back her up.
David never enjoyed being caught between daughter and mother quarrel but as usual he was stuck being the mediator. It happened from a young age when Emma realized her voice could do a lot more than ask for a Barbie on Christmas. Both of his girls would turn to him for help and either one or neither would be content with his rulings. No matter how may times he has protested his dislike for being monkey in the middle, they always drag him into their mess.
"Honey," turning to Mary Margaret, "Just let her say goodnight to Henry. The boy sleeps like a rock, anyways, he won't turn until the morning," facing Emma's direction, he continued, "Go ahead and notify Regina that she can leave." David heard his wife, hum a disapproving sound, but he could deal with consequences later. For now, he was excited that his entire family, at last, was finally together.
"Thanks, Dad. I'll be back in two minutes to help with my luggage." Emma brushed past her mother and climbed the stair, knowing exactly where to find Henry. Even though, her father notified her about Henry's sleeping patterns, she still opened the door with caution. Tip-toeing in the room, Emma eyes bounced upon the most heart-warming scene. Henry's legs and arms were thrown over, whom Emma assumed to be Regina, body and his thumb slowly falling from his mouth. One of the woman's arms were draped around Henry's small back and her other hand resting gently on her chest. Henry seemed content with his current position and Emma hated to be the one to pull him away from his comfort. Leaving the door open, allowing the hallway light to enter the room, Emma walked over to the sleeping woman's side and softly tapped her shoulders.
Emma waited several seconds before trying again, but this time she rubbed her hand on the woman's shoulders. It seemed to be working because the brunette muttered incoherent words and her began to slowly flutter open. Emma patiently waited; knowing of her own constant struggle to wake up in the morning, and quietly commended the woman for waking up on the second round. With only the light from the hallway, Emma examined the woman in bed with Henry. She had soft, delicate features and a contrasting strong jawline that defined her face, her long brunette hair appeared to be teased with curls and she had some pieces in her face. Emma was tempted to brush them away but reprimanded herself. The brunette seemed to be coming to her senses and Emma back several inches back, so that she was not hovering over the bed.
"Are you awake?" Emma asked quietly not wanting to alarm the woman.
"If being awake consist of having an unbearable thirst and desire to fall back asleep, then yes, I am awake." Regina groaned when the light hit her eyes and cursed herself for allowing Henry to manipulate her without saying a word.
"I'll get you a glass of water when we head back downstairs. For going back to sleep, I'll ask my parents to drive you home or call you a cab." Emma faded off and waited for the woman to respond.
"How very kind of you. I see the Nolan charm has also rubbed off on you, as well." Regina carefully removed Henry's limp limbs from her body and she intended for every word to sound sarcastic.
Emma awkwardly chuckled and stood still with her hands in her pants pockets. "I guess that's why we were the Charmings for every Halloween costume party."
Regina scoffed, at the idea of seeing Mary Margaret, dressed as Snow White showing off her love and kindness for the world. "Why am I not surprised? But I won't need a ride home; I live a ten-minute walk from your house."
Emma watched, as Regina gracefully got out of the bed and started making her towards the blonde. She swallowed a lump forming, when she realized just how beautiful and gorgeous this person was. Regina stopped several inches from Emma and coughed to catch her attention.
"You are blocking my shoes." Regina plainly said.
Looking behind of her, Emma noticed two pairs of shoes, a small pair of converse and women's ankle boots. Moving to the side, allowing Regina access, Emma glanced over to the sleeping boy and smiled to herself. Forgetting about the other presence, Emma sat on Henry's bed and rubbed the back of two fingers along his cheeks.
Regina, noticed the how silent the room became, and after zipping her last shoe, she glanced up at Henry's sister and found her stroking the boy's cheek. If it had been any other boy, Regina would have cooed at the intimacy the other girl was showing, but instead, she felt jealousy more than anything else.
"I think I'll take that glass of water." Regina purposely said with a rigid and harsh tone.
Emma, slightly snapped out of her trance and nodded her head, as a sign she heard Regina. She removed herself from the bed and allowed Regina to leave the room, first. Normally, Emma would have noticed the hostility Regina was directing towards her, but she was too caught up in her own thoughts. Hearing once again, Regina coughing to gather her attention, Emma walked towards the door but before she closed it, she glanced over her shoulders, at Henry and smiled.
It feels good to be home.