Regina and Emma were the happiest they'd been in a long time. January flew by but the cold weather was still very much around. When February came, they celebrated Regina's 31st birthday together on February 1st. Regina didn't want anything big for the occasion but Emma planned a beautiful brunch for her. She even managed to get Regina's friend Ella and Vanessa to come.
It was still pretty cold outside, so Regina was dressed in a beautiful tan coat, a white longsleeve blouse some blue cuffed jeans and some white boots. Emma managed to make sure her outfit sort matched with Regina's. Regina was grateful to be surrounded by people who cared about her. They ended the brunch with Regina blowing out her candles.
"So Millsy, when were you going to tell me you had a girlfriend? And Emma Swan no less, shame of you for keeping her a secret." Ella teased.
"From us you mean. Imagine my surprise getting a call telling you your best friend had a girlfriend you knew nothing about." Vanessa added on.
"We just hadn't talked in a while." Regina shrugged.
"Yeah and who's fault is that." Vanessa poked her.
And Regina swatted her hand away. "Quit that."
Valentine's Day came around, Emma and Regina both agreed to 4 gifts maximum seeing as the whole be celebrating 4 months of being together soon. That morning when the kids woke up, they woke up to heart shaped pancakes and special notes Emma had hidden around the house. They had a little valentine's day scavenger hunt that lead to jars of candy.
Regina's doorbell rang that morning and she opened the door to find Maurice French on her doorstep.
"Good Morning, Regina! I have a delivery for you. It's pretty big."
Regina let him bring the hefty bouquet into the kitchen and he placed it on the counter. It was a Coral Rose bouquet, but it had like over 70 roses. Regina thanked him and leaned in to literally smell the roses. Maybe she could plant these in a section in the garden.
Emma got Kattie to come over after lunch and watch the kids for the afternoon while she was just next door with Regina. Emma came over with her gifts in hand and Regina pulled her inside and attacked her lips. Emma put everything down on the coffee table and saw the set up Regina had done to the house. There were candles and heart shaped balloons and rose petals all around.
Regina kissed her passionately and picked her up, taking Emma upstairs and showing her the room. On the bed there were rose petals on the bed that spelt "Te Amo", there was a white rose bear sitting in the middle of the heart and Regina put bags of gummy bears next to it. A box was there as well and she opened it and saw that it was a spa kit with all kinds of essential oils. Regina told her she'd gladly rub her down with them.
Emma had a bright smile on her lips and got onto her knees on the bed and leaned up to kiss her. Regina walked over to a canvas that was turned around and showed Emma what she had done. It was a painting of the night they went to see the lanterns. Regina must have recreated one of the photos Emma put into her reel viewer because she and Regina were both in the painting, standing and embracing each other.
"Regina, this is so beautiful." Emma starred at it in awe, running her finger tips over it.
"It's a beautiful moment." Regina grinned.
They went back down stairs and Regina showed her everything she'd made for dinner, and had a platter of bear claws keeping warm in oven. After eating the delicious meal and blowing out a few candles. Emma showed her the rest of gifts, a white box with a board in the that read "You are my Happily Ever After" with their names and the date of September 26th on it and it lit up too. It wasn't the day they went public with their relationship but Emma was hers that day for sure. Emma presented her with a little box that contained a house key, and Regina laughed as she pulled out a set of keys from her pocket.
They both laughed and kissed each other deeply, exchanging keys, apparently they had the same ideas. The last box Regina pulled to her and opened it, she saw that it was filled with lingerie in like 12 different colors.
"14 actually." Emma smiled and bit her bottom lip. "You pick which one you want to see me in and I will wear it for you."
"I rather see you completely naked." Regina looked up and smirked.
"Mmm I bet. Dig deeper there's something else in there." Emma leaned her elbows on the table.
Regina moved her hand around till she wrapped her fingers around something. She pulled it out and her eyes fell on a thick purple wand vibrator and hanging from it was a pair of handcuffs.
"7 intensive levels, waterproof and a heat setting for better experience." Emma stated and reached over to grab the handcuffs. "And these...are for me."
Regina starred at her with such a hungry look in her eyes, even though she just ate. She moved quick but Emma was quicker and squealed and laughed as she got up out of Regina's reach, making the woman chase her up the stairs.
"Emma! Get over here!"
Emma's giggles and laughter could be heard all the way downstairs.
Presidents Day, St. Patrciks Day, April Fools, Passover, Good Friday, Easter and everyday in between they spent together making beautiful memories together and with the kids.
Emma and Regina celebrated six months of being together, Regina gifted her with some new toys for them to play with. Regina was so glad to be getting sex on a regular basis and was so happy Emma allowable her to experiment and find out new things about themselves and what they liked.
Sex for Emma had been pretty, vanilla-ish before she started having sex with Regina. Regina was so proud, and reassured Emma she didn't think she was some kind of whore. She liked that Emma knew what she wanted.
In late April, Regina started receiving these phone calls where she would pick up but no one would speak, it was just dead silence on the other end. Regina just stopped answering and blocked the number with a Canadian area code.
One day in April, Regina's mother called and told her some current events.
"Oh! Dear I was in Vancouver this past weekend for work and I ran into Mallory Drake." Cora recalled. "Apparently she lives there now."
"Oh..." Regina commented disinterested.
"I thought you two were friends in college whatever happened between you?" Cora asked. "She said she hadn't spoken to you in years."
"It's just best not to have certain people in your life, Mother. She was one of those people." Regina sighed.
"She hadn't mentioned you to had a falling out. Oh Regina, I'm sorry she asked for your number and I-"
"You gave her my number." Regina knew where she was going with this.
"I did. If I had known I wouldn't have, Regina. I wouldn't even have spoken to her." Cora said regretfully.
"I-it fine mother, really...This number has been calling me for the last few days but every time I answered it was just silent, so I blocked it...If that was her it makes sense but I don't know." Regina twisted leisurely in her desk chair.
"Are you going to unblock the number now that you know or well may know who it is." Cora asked.
"I-...If she wanted to speak to me she would have said something. Spoken up." Regina huffed annoyed. "No I won't unblock the number."
Regina then received a phone call from Vanessa a few days later, on Saturday.
"You won't believe who I just got off the with." Vanessa blanched from her couch in her home in Boston.
"Who?" Regina asked.
"Mallory." Vanessa revealed, "She and havent spoken in over 5 years and suddenly she calls me."
"What did she want?" Regina winced.
"She was asking about you. Said how she had been trying to call after she got your number from you mother, but apparently she's blocked?...And why is she blocked, Millsy?" Vanessa pressed and Regina just gave her a short summary of why she cut the blonde woman off.
"Why is trying to talk to you then?" Vanessa asked.
"I have no clue, we haven't spoken in years." Regina shrugged.
"When I last spoke to her 5 years ago she was engaged to this man and had a little girl." Vanessa shrugged too. "Maybe she wants to apologize?"
"I don't care for apologies, my life is great! I just want to be left alone and spend my time with my fam-" Regina caught herself.
"Your family. Its ok to admit it, Millsy. I remember you pining over the little Swan in high school, believe me when I say I'm not surprised that you have fallen head first into her pond." Vanessa teased.
"I was not pining." Regina scrunched her nose.
"Mhmm whatever you say." Vanessa scuffed. "Well don't worry I won't speak of you to Mallory."
Regina thanked her and finishing cooking, Emma and kids were coming over for dinner tonight and then they were watching movies. They wound up sleeping over, the kids took a guest bed, and spent Saturday together as well.
Sunday, April 26, The kids and Emma went home that morning so Henry could do his assignments and Regina was in her office getting caught up on some work when the doorbell rang.
Regina sighed and got up, Emma had a key so it wasn't her. Walking to the door, Regina turned the nob and pulled the door back to reveal a demon standing on her porch.
Mallory Drake.
"Hello, Regina."
"What the hell are you doing here?" Regina looked annoyed already.
"I haven't seen you in 10 years I thought we could catch up." Mallory looked her up and down.
"I'm good thanks." Regina went to close the door.
"Regina I wouldn't have come if it wasn't important." Mallory scuffed, "We need to talk...please." she pushed.
Regina sighed and really thought about it. "Fine but make it quick." she moved back. "Come in."
"You've really switched this place around." Mallory looked around.
Regina didn't acknowledge her comment and walked over to the kitchen, pouring herself some cider. Even though she didn't want to she looked over her shoulder.
"Would you like a drink?" Regina asked.
"No, thank you. I'm sober over 8 years now." Mallory stated.
"It's non alcoholic." Regina revealed.
"In that case, sure why not." Mallory sighed and put her purse on the table. She would really need a drink for this conversation.
Regina brought the drinks over and they both sat down, Mallory rung her hands together and was too quiet.
"Mallory I was working before you showed up at my door. If we're just going to sit here in silence then i'm going to have to ask you to leave." Regina clenched her jaw.
"Did your mother tell you she saw me?" Mallory asked and bit the inside of her cheek.
"She did." Regina kept it quick and short.
"She gave me your number and...I was trying to call you but-"
"You called and the line was silent. How you expected me to know it was you is beyond me."
"You blocked the number, my number, again." Mallory scuffed. "You even managed to get our friends to shun me."
"Both times were warranted, I can guarantee you." Regina huffed.
"Regina I didn't come here to fight with you ok? I know I was a mess back then and I hurt you in my sloppiness. I was in such a bad place, I had no more money, and I had no where to go...I woke up after that night and instantly regretted my actions, Regina. You didn't deserve the way that, the way I spoke to you."
"No, no I did not." Regina looked away.
"I tried to call you but, you blocked my number and I tried coming by to see you but you where never there...I went to rehab though, that same week we fought and I got clean...I had to Regina because I was pregnant." Mallory sighed and her eyes were sad.
Regina's eyes snapped up to hers and she felt herself stop breathing.
"Pregnant?...Pregnant by who?" Regina whispered and Mallory scuffed and shook her head looking down.
"I checked myself into rehab and they did blood work and samples, every month to make sure we weren't cheating...my nurse came back with my chart one day and she...she told me I was 8 weeks pregnant."
Regina just starred at her, blinking and not saying anything. So she continued on.
"I tried to call you. I tried reaching out every way I possibly could. Your sister wouldn't hear anything I had to say. Hell I even sent you a letter." Mallory sat back and sighed.
"I changed my number." Regina blinked.
"Yeah...I spoke to someone at the University and they set me up in this apartment so that I had somewhere to stay...I was able to continue my classes throughout my pregnancy...I found support groups and managed to get another job." she explained.
"I think the last time I actually saw you was walking down a path on campus. I wanted to walk up to you and tell you how sorry I was. But...I didn't I was scared of you rejecting me right out there in public. Rejecting my baby." Mallory shuddered.
"I would have never-" Regina was chest was rising and falling a bit heavy, and her mouth was gaped open. "I never would have done that. Ever."
"Yeah your ice cold shoulder led me to believe otherwise." Mallory tsked.
It got quiet for a minute.
"And you had the baby?" Regina questioned.
"Yes. A little girl... She was born on February 16...she weighed 6 and half pounds and had a head full of hair...I named her Lilith, she prefers to go by Lily, less serious she says." Mallory smiled a little.
Regina sighed and her eyes fluttered, she was most definitely having a panic attack but she still looked ok. She was 31 now and the last timed she saw Mallory she was 21. She was 22 by the time the girl was born but that meant she was already 9 years old this year.
A 9 year old daughter...she had a 9 year old kid that she knew nothing about.
"Who else knew?" Regina huffed.
"No one knew that the baby was yours, Vanessa and Ella just knew that I'd had a baby. After a few years I met my ex-husband and married him, Vanessa and I stopped talking after a few years." Mallory explained.
"So why tell me now? Why come here and tell about her now Mallory?" Regina looked very upset.
"Lily was 5 when I married Zachary. When she was old enough to understand I told her about you. She's seen old photos I managed to save, but those didn't really satisfy her. She's older now and she asks me a lot of questions about you and about her grandparents. Most of which I don't have the answers to." Mallory sighed. "After seeing your mother I thought...I owe it to Lily...and to you to at least reach out. I called and each time I just couldn't get my mouth to start forming words. Then I realized you blocked the number, and I had to make the hard decision to come her and speak to you before Lily hopped on a plane to come find you herself and be rejected." She finished.
"I would never have done that, Mal..." Regina looked sad and defeated. "Gods...you should've...you should've told me!" She hissed. "Or told Vanessa. Or come back here and told my mother. Something!"
"Were you even listening?! I tried to reach out to you Regina!" Mallory yelled.
"Well you didn't try everything!" Regina growled.
"I couldn't hop on a plane with no money Regina."
"Well why not tell Vanessa! Or Ella?! Or someone! Maldición!" She cursed in spanish.
"Because you painted me out to them as this evil junkie. No one wanted to even speak to me Regina! I was alone." Mallory tapped the table.
"You didn't have to be!"
"You didn't make it exactly fucking easy for me Regina!"
"You robbed me of being in my daughters life, Mallory!" Regina stood up quickly and the chair scrapped against the floor. "9 years?! Are you fucking kidding me right now?!"
Looking down and Mallory she had a hard scowl on her face. But behind Mallory, Regina saw Emma standing there wide eyed and shocked. Regina stepped around the table but stopped herself, Emma looked her up and down and over at Mallory, her keys in her hand.
"I um...called your phone but you weren't picking up."