Day 5 of Winter 2015 Swan Queen Week. Although after reading it over it also, if not more, fits Day Ones First Meet. I hope that's ok :)
Regina slammed her purse on the dining room table and headed over to the wine rack to pour herself a hefty glass. She dialed Katherine's number, wine in hand as she flopped onto the couch and kicked her shoes across the room.
"No more," Regina announced as soon as Katherine picked up the phone.
"Oh man, what happened with this one?"
Regina sighed. "Nothing really."
"Then what's the problem?" Katherine shot back.
Regina shook her head as she swirled her wine glass around. "I don't know, it's just, after two failed marriages I need something more than a nice guy or gal with a decent job."
"What else are you looking for?" Her friend went on, never wanting Regina to give up on finding, "the one."
Regina took a large gulp of her wine then stood up and walked over to her wall length bookshelf. She gazed over her books and caught a dusty one in the bottom corner. It was her high school yearbook. "Do you remember that feeling you got when you had a crush on someone in high school, that high anxiety, sweaty palms, hanging up on your crush 200 hundred times before you finally said hi feeling."
"Yeah," Katherine drawled out.
"Something like that."
"Regina," Katherine laughed, "you had that with Daniel and look how that turned out."
"I know," she sighed again, "but we were teenage sweethearts with a lot of growing up to do. Daniel wasn't awful; we just found different paths in adulthood. Our divorce was very amicable. Isn't there an adult version of that teenage feeling?"
"I don't think so, and if there is, I haven't found it yet either."
"You make me sad," Regina half-joked, "ok, I think I'm going to call it the night, I'll talk to you more about this tomorrow, and please have some better advice prepared."
"Yes your highness," her friend responded with a sarcastic tongue.
"Katherine, it's your majesty," Regina replied as they both laughed some more before hanging up.
Regina downed the rest of her wine and set it next to the sink to wash in the morning. She didn't mind being alone for the most part, but every night when she rolled over to see an empty spot beside her, she craved another's touch, someone who was clear-headed, open-minded, yet independent as she was. She didn't need perfection, just someone who fit with her.
Regina didn't get any sleep that night. Her brain flooded her with thoughts of loneliness and dying alone. Why did her mind hate her so much? Just because she said she was ok with being alone? Regina decided to get up early and go for a run along the pier to help refocus after her night of torment. She loved the cool ocean breeze in the morning along with the soothing sounds of the waves. She became so relaxed she foolishly closed her eyes to inhale the air around her only to reopen them after colliding with another runner, both landing on their rears with a hard thud.
"Oh my god, I'm so sorry," they let out in unison. "You," they went on beginning to laugh at their twin like behavior. Regina bowed her hand to let the other woman speak first.
"I guess we both weren't paying attention," the blonde said, hopping up with ease then reaching out to help her. Regina's mouth glued up as she took in the woman before her. She had long blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail with a head band, black leggings to highlight her toned athletic shape, and dazzling jaded eyes. Her stomach flip flopped.
"I'm Emma by the way," the blonde stuttered and began to glance down slightly bashful herself.
"Regina," she breathed glad to have found the courage deep inside her nervous body to speak. "Are you all right?" She went on.
"Yeah," Emma answered as her one leg fidgeted about," are you?"
"I'll manage," Regina replied with a smirk, at least they were equally nervous.
"Are you sure?" Emma went on finding her own courage. "I can't afford a lawsuit."
Regina laughed, "I promise, I'll live."
"Still," Emma went on, "maybe I could buy you a cup of coffee, or smoothie or something to make sure. You know these things can creep up on you after some time passes."
There was no way Regina could hide her larger than life smile. Those young adult butterflies she thought after last night didn't exist were twirling about. She was just glad Emma asked her out, because she was about to turn and flee the other way, too nervous that this was another trick her mind was playing on her; a figment of her imagination. "You know, that might be our best option."
Regina didn't fully see it until a few months later. She wasn't sure if it was love at first sight or fate, but one night as Emma crawled into bed and curled up behind her, fitting together like two puzzles pieces, she realized she had found her soul mate. Two people, both out for a run debating their lives only to bump into each other. They may not have been perfect on their own, but together they made the perfect match. It was all she ever wanted.