A few weeks later,
Emma tried to make everything go back to normal but every once in a while Regina would bring it up or Lily would make a snide comment towards Emma's parents. She didn't blame them, she was just tired of feeling so angry all the time.
What bothered her the most was that Regina wouldn't leave her alone when she was mad, even if she snapped at the brunette; Regina would just stand there and take it. Towards the end, she always felt guilty because everyone was right she did take her anger out on Regina and it's because Regina is the one that hurt her the most.
With her parents forgetting her birthday it wasn't a big deal, she expected it. Since the curse was broken she never once assumed that Snow and Charming were going to be good parents to her. She thought it would be nice to somehow wake up one morning and feel like they were her parents but that never happened and she accepted that. She started a new family, she has Henry and Regina and now Lily who has stayed a lot longer than she normally does.
Today was going to be the first time in a while that everyone is going to be under the same roof for a celebration. It's Henry's birthday, he's officially turning 18 and Emma was both thrilled and terrified about the concept at the same time.
Regina and Emma have been getting along a lot more lately, it's almost back to the old ways of jokes and flirting without the fake smiles. The blonde, of course, isn't completely over the entire situation along with the fact that she has always been scared when someone gets too close. Emma knows that if she lets Regina get close to her like they used to be then the mayor will see it as an opening to be something more. She's healed but she isn't that healed. The blonde had a fucked up life, it'll take more than getting through one major fight to show Emma that Regina isn't just going to metaphorically send her to jail again.
It's been nice for Emma having Lily around, she's been staying with the blonde so that she doesn't have to pay rent and Emma is more than happy to have her as company for as long as she decides to stay. There is a small part of Emma that hopes her foster sister/best friend might stay permanently. Lily doesn't like to stay in one place for long though. So she doesn't get her hopes up.
There is one person that still feels extremely guilty to the point of avoidance, not Emma avoiding her but the other way around. Ruby hasn't had a full conversation with the blonde since she remembered she missed Emma's birthday. It wasn't that Emma was really trying to start a conversation whenever she sees her but that hasn't stopped the lanky brunette before from chatting her ear off. Emma told herself that if for some reason they still hadn't put it behind them by tonight she was going to fix it because she honestly misses Ruby. She is one of Emma's closest friends here besides the few everyone already knows about. The one downside of Ruby as a friend is that she is also Snow's best friend and that loyalty is so much deeper than anything her and Emma could get to. What Emma didn't know is that Ruby hasn't really been able to talk with Snow much lately, since she heard what the pixie cut woman was saying to her daughter Ruby had lost major respect for her. She couldn't just drop that long of a friendship though so she's trying to make it work, from where Ruby is standing the friendship is basically dead.
Regina Mills: When are you heading to your parent's house?
Emma Swan: When I'm done getting ready, why?
Regina Mills: Henry went over there early to help and I was not going to go with him.
Regina Mills: Is it alright if I come over and then we could ride there together?
Emma Swan: I guess, I don't see why that would be a problem.
Emma was up in her room, she just set her phone down and was smoothing out the dress she's wearing. Her mother as well as pretty much anyone she asked told her that she has to dress up, shes the mother of the birthday boy. The blonde hates wearing dresses, they make her feel uncomfortable until the moment she takes them off. That being said her legs look hot as hell in a dress. She put on a short black leather dress with black wedges and her hair was half up half down in waves. To add to the elegance of her outfit, Emma's lips are a red color and her eyes are lined with black to make her green eyes pop. Not even a few moments after she finished getting ready she heard her front door open and close which made her roll her eyes. Only Regina would ask permission to come over and then the next minute barge in without a knock.
"Emma?" She called out which Emma heard through the walls, the blonde could hear every single click of the mayor's shoes.
"Upstairs! I'll be down in a sec."
Regina decides to go make herself comfortable in Emma's living room to wait for her to come downstairs. She was happy that Emma was finally talking to her again and that they didn't have too many arguments- well they still had arguments but not the ones that left either of them personal stressed. When she finally heard Emma walking down the stairs and into the room she turned to see her, what she wasn't expecting was to be speechless.
Emma hadn't noticed right away that Regina saw her and wasn't speaking she was fixing one of her heels and then started walking towards the living room as she was fixing her earring. When she finally saw the brunette she noticed that she was staring and she started to feel a bit self-conscious. "What? Is it too much? Everyone was telling me I had to dress up!"
That shook Regina out of her head and allowed her to speak, "No! You look fine- actually more than fine, you look beautiful Emma." Her voice is so soft, softer than the blonde had ever heard before.
"Oh," she says taken aback by the sincere compliment. "Thanks, you look amazing too but you always do so it's not a difference."
Regina rolls her eyes and chuckles, "such a charmer I see."
Emma shrugs as she takes a step closer to Regina, "must run in the family."
"He is not that charming, your mother gives him way too much credit- although I prefer him to her any day."
"And choosing between him and me?" she smirks as she crosses her arms.
Regina lets out a dramatic sigh before she pretends to think about it, "I don't know dear, that's a tough one but I think I'm going to have to go with... you." She smiles softly at the idiot who was beaming right back at her 100% more. Some days Regina doesn't understand why she is in love with this woman, then she has days like this.
"Good answer," Emma moves to grab her keys and her jacket-
"You are not putting that thing on over that!"
Emma looked offended as she continues to hold the jacket in her hands, "what? Yes, I am, it's kinda chilly out- besides I happen to love this jacket."
"Oh believe me I know, dear, but you have this elegant outfit on I am not letting you ruin it with that idiotic jacket."
"Letting?" Emma raises her eyebrows as she slowly begins putting the jacket on never breaking eye contact with the brunette as she glares at her.
Regina sighs and rolls her eyes as Emma turns towards the door to head to it, "you're an idiot."
"Then I match my jacket, perfect." She sasses before holding the door open for Regina to walk out and then turns around locks it and follows the brunette. "I would ask if we are taking your car or mine but you think mine it junk so I'll save us both the conversation and just get in yours."
"She can be trained," Regina smirks and gets in the driver's seat.
All that could be heard through the closed door as Emma walked around to get in the passenger seat was mumblings of Emma saying 'she shouldn't have been the evil queen she should have just been the sassy queen.'
