And here is my entry for day 7 of the Swan Queen Week, prompt "Parent Trap". I can't believe SQW is already over! I had a great time writing and I hope you had at least some fun reading my entries. I'd like to thank all of you who took time to read and react to my writing in any way, be it through follows, favorites or reviews; I've deeply appreciated it. You are all awesome and you make writing even better for me. Keep rocking, Swen, you're more than awesome 3
The usual disclaimer applies for today's story: I don't own the characters (if I did we'd probably all be suffering a little less lol) and I'm just taking them for a spin. Today's entry is AU for very obvious reasons. Thanks for reading me and I hope you'll enjoy it!
"Girlfriend wanted! Help me find my mom a girlfriend. She's 30 years old, pretty, athletic and funny. She loves comic books, sports and good food, as well as gardening and playing the guitar. She's a very enthusiastic and outgoing person; she can put anyone in a good mood. We're looking for someone about her age, with a lot of personality (my mom hates pushovers) and a nice smile (it helps), ideally someone who can share some hobbies with her or introduce her to new activities. Only serious candidates must apply, we're looking for something long-term. Must be okay with children (12 year-old boy, aka me). Of course, applicants with children are more than welcome. Contact: Henry Swan, 7th grade. Come find me before homeroom (room B11), at lunch or text my number below."
Arabella Mills had first laughed when she'd seen this ad in the school's newspaper. She'd thought it was a pretty desperate move, but now that she'd thought about it some more, it wasn't as silly as she once thought. She didn't really know Henry Swan - they'd only shared an English class the previous year and she'd barely spoken to him – but she had to admit it was sort of courageous to put himself out there like that. And she would be lying if she said her mom wasn't getting lonely. So she'd given it some thought, and she'd come to the conclusion that maybe her mom could get along with Henry's mom, or at least they could give it a try. That's why she'd texted Henry and they'd set up a meeting after class to discuss it.
Arabella spotted Henry from afar. She waved at him and he waved back. They greeted each other by the bike rack and quickly got to the heart of the matter.
"So, why do you think your mom would be a good match for mine?" Henry asked. He was still dumbfounded that someone had answered his ad.
"My mom hates boring people, and your mom seemed the exact opposite of that."
"What's your mom like?"
"She's beautiful and very clever. She likes reading and cooking… Swimming… Horseback riding, too, she won many championships when she was young… She loves music, too; I think she's a great singer, but she's a bit shy about it. Here, I brought a picture." Arabella shuffled a bit through her backpack before taking out a small picture of her mom and herself. "It was taken in our garden, in front of mom's apple tree. Mom's really proud of that tree, she's been growing it since she moved into our house, before I was born. She makes delicious pies and cider with our apples." Arabella handed the picture to Henry so he could look at it in greater detail. Arabella hadn't lied; her mom was really beautiful and – Henry was very pleased by that – she had a gorgeous smile.
"Do you have a picture of your mom, maybe?" Arabella asked. Henry dug out a picture from his book bag and handed it to her without a word, still studying the features of Arabella's mom.
Arabella studied the picture in great detail too. Henry and his mother were both laughing and holding each other tight. Henry's mom looked young and carefree, and she had this little something that made her look adventurous – something Arabella's mom would like. After a few more minutes of staring in silence, Henry and Arabella eventually exchanged back the pictures.
"Your mom looks nice, yeah." Henry finally said. Arabella arched an eyebrow and he knew he'd made a mistake. "I mean, she looks great, and she sounds great too. I think she could get along well with my mom. Her name's Emma, by the way."
"My mom's name is Regina."
"And are you sure your mom is looking for someone?" Henry wanted to be sure Arabella was really serious about all of this before they got even further.
"Are you?"
Henry smiled at Arabella's answer.
"I'm pretty sure, yeah. She's been alone for a while and I think she'd like to have an adult to talk to. Not that I'm not awesome in my own way, but I have the feeling she'd like to date again. She broke up with my dad before I was born, and she's never had any real girlfriend ever since. She's been on a few dates but nothing more."
"It's basically the same story with my mom, except my dad died and I'm not even sure she's even gone to more than one date with the same person. I know she's lonely, and I'm almost certain she's moved on. Don't get me wrong, I guess I love my dad, but… it's been over 12 years and my mom deserves better."
Henry nodded at that. If someone could understand what it was like to wish their parent would meet someone amazing to fill the void in their heart, it was him.
"Alright. So, when do we organize the meeting?"
A week later, Henry and Arabella had pretexted a study date to get their moms together. Regina had agreed that Henry could come over and Emma had even insisted to drive him. Their plan to get them to meet had worked perfectly and they couldn't wait to see the rest of their plan unfold: they would go to the kitchen to "work" while Regina would almost certainly offer Emma something to drink and they would start talking; then, they'd only have to wait for the sparks to fly between them. It was almost foul-proof and both youngsters were quite proud of themselves.
When Henry and Emma arrived, Arabella made sure to let her mom answer the door. Regina greeted mother and son with a large smile and invited Emma in as well as Henry. Regina and Emma made small talk for a few moments, each of them smiling from ear to ear. While the two kids went to the kitchen, Regina invited Emma to taste their apple cider and Emma accepted without hesitation – the plan had worked! The kids sneaked a look through the kitchen door that they'd left ajar on purpose. Regina and Emma were discussing the blossoming friendship between their children and laughing every once in a while. It had to be a good thing.
"I think it's great they became friends on their own. It makes everything much easier." Emma said, gratefully accepting the glass Regina was handing her.
"Oh, I think they have something in mind. At least Arabella does. She's been very keen on having Henry over and having the two of us meet, and she kept talking about what Henry had told her about you."
"Oh, they are definitely trying to parent trap us! Henry wasn't exactly subtle about it either. He came home from school talking about this study date and insisting you were a great cook without even catching his breath in between."
Both women laughed and the youngsters looked at each other dejectedly.
"We should tell them soon, don't you think? Before they try setting us up with someone else?" Regina asked.
"I think you're right; it's probably time." As she answered, Emma took a step forward and came to gently kiss Regina on the lips.
Astonished, Henry and Arabella went to sit at the kitchen table.
"How were we so wrong? How did we not see it? How could we fail so miserably?" Henry asked, laying his head on the table in despair.
"We certainly didn't fail!" Arabella sounded indignant. She straightened up in her chair. "We saw they were a great match for each other, didn't we? We just didn't know they'd already… matched?"
They looked at each other for a split second before bursting in laughter.
"Well, anyway, I'm glad it's working out between them. Your mom seems nice, and I think you and I should get along just fine. And your right, we did see their potential." Henry winked as he finished his sentence.
"Oh, Henry, we're visionaries!" Arabella exclaimed, sending both of them into another fit of giggles.
