The rest of that evening was nice. Very nice, actually. After another nap (that left them completely disorientated when waking up), Regina ordered a large pizza with extra cheese, and Emma wished that she'd had her camera nearby so she could have captured the way Regina's eyes shone when she looked at the pizza. Emma joked a little and claimed that Regina plus pizza equaled true love. Regina had threatened to throw the pizza at her.
After stuffing their face with too much pizza, they went to bed. Properly, this time. Regina slipped into the tanktop she'd stolen from Emma and the little silk shorts she always paraded around in, and Emma just shrugged on a long t-shirt. But because of their nap earlier, none of them were very tired, so instead of sleeping they ended up laying awake for hours and talking. About everything and nothing. Eventually they reached the infamous stage where everything was funny, and Emma's jokes had Regina in stiches. Until the round ligament pains but an effective stop to that. Emma vowed not to make Regina laugh.
It took a long while before either of them felt tired that night. Emma was the first one to surrender to sleep. When she woke up again, Regina was very much awake. And playing with her hair. She made a little joke about being able to make Emma fall back to sleep just by running her fingers through her hair, and it turned out to be anything but a joke. Emma did indeed fall asleep again. Her jetlagged mind allowed her two hours of sleep this time. Then she woke up again, and this time around, Regina was fast asleep. With one hand cradling her growing baby bump. Which Emma found to be extremely adorable. And rather curious too. She wondered whether Regina had fallen asleep like that, with one hand on her belly, or if she perhaps was dreaming something that had made her cradle her belly like that. Emma was sure she had read somewhere that pregnant women dreamed a lot, and she reminded herself to ask Regina about it when she woke up again, but then she had ended up going right back to sleep, and when she woke again, the sunshine was streaming through Regina's thin, white curtains. Emma was warm and snug in Regina's bed. With her arms safely wrapped around Regina. Of all the ways she could have woken up, Emma most certainly preferred this one. So did Regina. She groggily asked if she was dreaming some sort of wonderful dream or if Emma by chance was real and in her bed. Emma teasingly blew air onto the back of her neck and told her that she was very real. Morning breath and all. That had made Regina laugh. And then state that she was hungry. Which had made Emma laugh because Regina sounded positively sheepish when admitting to being hungry. Emma had hopped out of bed and rummaged through Regina's fridge until she had found a pack of bacon. She'd made toast and bacon, and by the time she had put it all onto a tray and carried it into the bedroom, Regina had been fast asleep again. She had been VERY surprised and a little touched when discovering that Emma had made breakfast for her. Obviously, she had started going on about how Emma "shouldn't have" and that she "wasn't an invalid".
Emma had shushed her by stuffing a piece of bacon inside her mouth.
Their first morning back in Spain was wonderful too. They did absolutely nothing. Didn't even get out of bed for hours. Well, Regina did because her bladder ordered her to, but she almost immediately came back to bed and complained over how lazy she felt. Emma told her that she loved being lazy with her, but Regina had insisted that they should at least do something. So they had agreed to go to El Rastro. Tomorrow. None of them had the energy to do anything today.
"I don't even have the energy to see my parents tonight," Regina stated matter of factly and made a face. "You sure you don't wanna stay here while I-"
"I'm going with you, and that subject is closed."
"You're pretty sexy when you go all firm," Regina teased.
"Oh, you have no idea just how firm I can be," Emma said and growled lowly.
Regina laughed and adjusted herself a little better, so she was laying with her head on Emma's chest. "This is nice."
"It is," Emma agreed and busied herself with running her fingers through Regina's hair.
"You sure you don't wanna go out and explore?" Regina asked lazily.
"No," Emma laughed. "At least not today. Today your apartment is the most interesting attraction. And you, obviously."
Regina chuckled lightly at that.
"So, where does your dad live anyway?" Emma asked curiously.
Regina frowned. "I haven't told you that?"
"Nope."
"Oh. Well. He lives in Alcobendas."
"Huh?"
Regina laughed a little. "Eight miles north of Madrid."
"Oh."
"An area called La Moraleja," Regina continued and had to hide a yawn behind her hand.
"La Moraleja," Emma continued and frowned when the words seemed familiar in her mind. "Wait a minute, I think I've heard Ruby talk about that place at some point."
"You have?" Regina said and craned her neck slightly to look up at Emma.
"Yeah, and I think she called it "the Spanish version of Beverly Hills" or something like that."
Regina chuckled. "Well, I suppose that isn't so far off."
"Seriously? How scared should I be to visit your dad's place?"
Regina chuckled again. "You've met my dad, querida. You know that he isn't snobbish in anyway. He doesn't even like to live there."
"He doesn't?"
"No, no, no. He bought the to please my mother," Regina sneered. "But who knows maybe he'll find some place else now that she's leaving..."
Emma swallowed something. "Ruby said that it was this really posh place crammed with mansions and golf clubs and private schools..."
"That's true," Regina half-laughed.
"Did you go to private school?"
"Sure did."
"No!" Emma exclaimed and looked down at her girlfriend. "Seriously?"
"Sí. I went to an all-girls private school from the age of six and until I turned seventeen. Imagine being a closeted bisexual teenager in such a place..."
"Shit," Emma said plainly.
"Yeah," Regina agreed, laughing again. "My childhood home is my mother's twisted version of a castle, and she rules there..."
"Hmm," Emma stroked her girlfriend's hair again. "Does that make you the wayward princess then?"
Regina snorted at the joke. "Maybe it does. The unruly princess. The rowdy princess who tossed away the crown or some shit..." she puffed out air. "That place is terrible. At least it was when my mother lived there and ruled as "the queen". Her frowning and sneering... her haughty friends always popping by and interrogating me about my "plans for the future". This..." she gestured towards her growing belly. "Isn't just an unplanned pregnancy to her. It's a disaster. It'll turn her "kingdom" upside down."
"Oh, boo-fucking-hoo," Emma sneered.
"She'll be furious," Regina stated matter of factly. "I don't think my visit is her idea."
"You don't?"
"God no," Regina laughed without humor. "Think of the neighbors, querida. What wouldn't they think if they saw queen Cora Mills' daughter parade around with a belly? It'll bring shame upon the family name. Everyone will gossip about it. Well, at least that's what she thinks. I'm pretty sure the neighbors are busier gossiping about how the wicked Cora could leave her devoted husband in such a brutal manner... God, sometimes I wonder why they choose to marry in the first place. A wrong match if there ever was one."
"There had to be something right about it, though," Emma said gently. "They created you. And I'm pretty grateful for that."
She earned herself a soft smile at that.
But come evening, Regina's mood turned less jokey and more somber. That little wrinkle between her eyebrows refused to smoothen out, and more than once, Emma caught her looking at nothing. Lost in thoughts. Emma didn't comment on it. She just wrapped her arms around Regina and asked if there was anything, she could do for her.
"Make sure my mother undergoes a personality transformation before I arrive," Regina said gruffly.
Emma didn't laugh. Just held Regina close. "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."
Regina let out a little bubbly laugh. "Eleanor Roosevelt said that."
"She sure did. You didn't think I was making up fancy quotes all on my own, did you?"
That prompted Regina to chuckle again. "A woman is like a tea bag. You can't tell how strong she is-"
"...Until you put her in hot water," Emma softly finished the quote.
"'You must do the things you think you cannot do,'" Regina said a bit thoughtfully and looked out of the window.
"Good old Eleanor Roosevelt," Emma smiled. "Smart lady. I think I did a project on her once."
"Of course you did," Regina half-chuckled. "And scored the best grade for it, right?"
"I did actually," Emma said with faux modestly.
"My smart girlfriend," said Regina affectionately and turned around. She stood on her tippy toes, so she was exactly tall enough to be able to kiss Emma on the cheek.
"MY smart girlfriend," Emma said firmly and cupped Regina's cheek.
"Keep that in mind when my mother continuously tells me how dumb I am tonight."
Emma hissed under her breath. "Your dad isn't gonna let her say that!"
"Let her?" Regina chuckled meekly. "Querida, she'll simply DO it. She doesn't wait around for a go ahead signal. You've met her. And that was on a good day."
"THAT was on a good day?!" Emma exclaimed. She had no problem with remembering how Cora had been basically in Regina's face that evening. How she had sneered at her daughter and expressed her disdain over basically everything Regina said and did. It had been extreme. And according to Regina, tonight would be even more extreme. And Emma was planning on being every bit a bulldog. She wasn't scared of Cora Mills. Nor was she afraid of standing up to Regina. Not even in the slightest. From her time with Milah Gold, she had great experience with putting her foot down when it came to wicked mothers. It had been a while since she last flexed those abilities, though, but tonight would be a perfect opportunity to show her teeth.
A little later, Regina changed out of the "pajama" she had been wearing all day. She traded the little silk shorts for a black midi-skirt and a short-sleeved red shirt with a V-neck. She brushed her long dark hair and tied it back in a ponytail with a red scarf. She put on her big, golden hoop earrings again, and Emma smiled and told her she looked beautiful.
"Thank you," Regina said and brushed a hand over her skirt. "Skirt's a little too conservative for my taste, but why arm my mother with more reasons to be unsatisfied with me?"
"Not funny," Emma half-growled. "Not even in the slightest."
Regina ignored that and shamelessly licked her lips as she looked at Emma. "You look really good tonight. That dress is..."
"My battle dress," Emma snickered as she did a little spin. "You like it?"
"I love it," Regina assured. "Pink is a great color on you."
"Thank you. Any chance your mom likes pink?"
"No."
"Figures."
They both laughed, and Regina shook her head a little. Then she frowned softly in sheer concentration as she began to apply her trademark red lipstick. A perfect cat eye quickly followed suit and then she pursed her lips slightly as she turned to stand sideways in front of the mirror. She straightened her posture, smoothened a hand over the red shirt she was wearing and then trailed two fingertips up and down her growing belly. "You know, pretty soon I won't be able to see my feet anymore," she stated matter of factly.
"I'll just have to carry you around then, won't I?" Emma joked as she walked over to Regina and slipped an arm around her expanding waist.
"Muy divertida, querida," Regina said flatly.
"I am hella funny!" Emma insisted. "You think so too."
"You are so dumb," Regina snickered.
"Hey!" Emma growled in warning and slid a hand down to Regina's ass. "Be careful."
"Or what?" Regina challenged amusedly.
In response, Emma gave her ass a slight pinch and shamelessly enjoyed the way Regina yelped and squirmed. "Is that warning enough, beautiful girl?"
Now Regina chuckled. "You're terrible." She elegantly wiggled out of Emma's grasp. "Are you ready to go? We better get a move on. A lady never misses tea time."
Emma made a sound that was half a laugh, half a sigh.
Soon Emma found herself back in Regina's car. Regina was sitting behind the wheel. She had switched the radio on, but the volume was so low, Emma doubted she could actually hear anything. Emma shifted a bit and smoothened the pink dress over her thighs. She felt pretty fancy actually. Ready for battle. Her hair had been pulled back in a high ponytail. Her eyes had been framed by thick, dark lashes. She felt sharp. Ready to face Cora Mills.
"I don't think we'll stay past one cup of tea," Regina said a bit out of nowhere. "I don't normally stick around for long when Mother is home."
"And tomorrow we'll go to El Rastro and pretend your mom doesn't exist. Sound good?"
"Sounds very good," Regina smiled.
"Maybe I'll even buy you an ice cream," Emma continued and acted goofy on purpose. Regina's smile hadn't been completely genuine, and Emma would like to rectify that. And soon her wish came true when Regina smiled. A real, genuine smile that reached her eyes.
"I'll still have you when this evening is over," she said softly.
"Hell yeah," Emma said firmly, reaching out so she could give Regina's knee a light squeeze. "And you have my parents too. There'll always be room for one more at their table, so if you ever need a little break from Spain..."
"I know," Regina smiled. "I know. But you know what? I'm actually sort of relieved my parents know. Obviously, I would have preferred that the circumstances had been better, but hiding it and having to wear big shirts every time I saw my dad has been pretty terrible. And keeping the pregnancy a secret-" she shook her head. "It would have been better if I had just been honest with them from the start. I've been quite the immature idiot."
"Hey now," Emma protested and patted Regina's knee. "You haven't been an idiot. You did what you found best."
"Thanks, querida, but I don't agree with you," Regina said and chuckled dryly. "Right now I wish that I had picked up the phone and called my dad as soon as I had taken that first pregnancy test."
"You were scared," Emma gently reminded her. "And overwhelmed."
"Still not an excuse to keep something so important from the person I trust most on this earth," Regina said matter of factly. "I won't be surprised if my dad turns out to be really disappointed in me. He's more than entitled to."
"He'll be able to understand why you didn't tell him," Emma said softly.
Regina said nothing and rummaged around in the glovebox and found her sunglasses. She slipped them on, but Emma was pretty fucking sure it had more to do with hiding her emotions rather than hiding from the sun. Emma patted her knee again.
Keeping her jaw in place became increasingly difficult for Emma when they reached La Moraleja. Ruby had been right, this really was the fucking Spanish version of Beverly Hills. Colossal houses in various shades of cream, off-white, pearly white, ivory and snow-white that looked more like mansions than anything else met Emma's eyes. Enormous lawns that were ridiculously neatly trimmed and too-big-for-words swimming pools which were lit up and most likely warmed up as well. Three-storied buildings, four-storied buildings. Sometimes up to three cars parked in front of the lavish "castles". Houses that appeared to have rooftop terraces. Houses that had rooftop pools. And houses with the biggest balconies Emma had ever seen in her life.
"Holy crap," she said simply and tried to close her mouth.
"Bienvenida al infierno," Regina said just as plainly.
"Which means...?"
Regina cackled unamused. "Welcome to hell, my darling."
"Oh. Right. Thank you," Emma said and struggled to comprehend what she was seeing when looking out of the window. This made her parents mayoral "mansion" back in Storybrooke seem almost laughable. Emma suspected that her parents' house easily could have fitted twice inside one of the enormous "villas" here. She knew that Regina's father had "earned well" on his restaurant, but holy shit, this was a bit overwhelming. Okay, more than a bit overwhelming. She was starting to understand why Regina had been so nervous about meeting her parents. She had thought "mayor" and had naturally assumed that Emma came from something that was similar to what she came from. But really, there was no comparison at all. This was extreme. That was the only word for it. Emma could easily imagine the haughty Cora Mills ruling this neighborhood and being the queen reigning in one of these ridiculously big houses. But Henry? No. Emma couldn't imagine that kind, gentle man living in one of these houses. He wasn't the type at all. He had to have acted solely on his wife's demands when buying this place.
"We moved here when I was eight," Regina said more to the window than to Emma. "And I don't recall playing much with any of the other children living here. I think I was scared of the big houses at first."
"That sounds like a pretty fair reaction," Emma said. She was an adult, and she too was "scared" of the big houses.
Regina abruptly pulled over and narrowly avoided bumping the front wheel against the pavement. "You don't mind hanging out here for a second, do you?"
"Not at all," Emma said. "Are you alright?"
"I feel sick, but I'm pretty sure that's all in my head," Regina said jokingly and did her best to laugh.
"Just take your time, sweetheart," Emma said softly. "No rush."
But unfortunately their moment of peace was interrupted when an elderly lady crossed the street and stopped to stare at Regina's car.
"That's señora Fernández," Regina told her. "She used to babysit me a lot when I was a kid. She always fed me carrot sticks instead of chocolate. At the time I hated her for it, but now I'm actually sort of grateful."
Emma chuckled quietly.
"Anyway," Regina continued with feigned briskness. "Onwards we go. Sitting here won't exactly make this any easier." She started the car again, and onwards they went. Until they reached the end of the street. And an enormous, three-storied white mansion with an iron fence and a medieval looking iron gate. Behind the gate and fence, Emma could see an enormous swimming pool that was lit up. For a moment she focused on that instead of looking at the actual house. No doubt that place was intimidating. Of all the houses on this street, 'the Mills Manor' appeared to be the biggest one. Even had a tower room and everything.
"Wow," Emma said plainly.
Regina followed her gaze to the tower room and chuckled humorlessly. "That's my old room."
"Of course it is," Emma said and tried once again to put a humorous spin on the conversation. "And did you also happen to have really long hair, Rapunzel?"
"No, but Mother Gothel did sometimes throw away the key," Regina said, going along on the joke and clearly not thinking much about her words.
But Emma sure did. "Excuse me, what did you say?!"
"Never mind."
"What do you mean, never mind?!" Emma hissed. "Are you saying that your mom LOCKED you in your room?"
"No, that's not at all what I'm saying. I said, 'never mind'," Regina said, chuckling humorlessly again.
Emma accepted that Regina didn't want to talk about it anymore, but she was still fuming. If what Regina had just said was true and she had been locked in by her mother...
"Up we go," Regina jokingly interrupted Emma's train of thoughts, and she actually had a point with the joke. The street was a bit hilly here, Emma noted. If you squinted, it could definitely seem like this house was overlooking all the other properties. Regina hadn't been exaggerating. Cora Mills really was the queen here. The queen of this house, the queen of this street. Or, she had been. One could almost wonder why the wicked woman hadn't made any attempts to keep the house and get Regina's father to leave. Emma knew that Cora was materialistic, and now as she looked at the "mansion", she couldn't quite believe that Regina's mother was willing to give up this luxury for the waiter she had been cheating with. Despite not knowing Cora Mills that well, Emma knew that it was out of character for her. She knew because Regina had wondered about the same thing. Why her mother so willingly wanted to leave this place. And with a waiter. Below her standard, Regina had once sneered and then rolled her eyes at her mother's snobbery.
Emma was brought out of her speculations about Cora and her mysterious motives when Regina stretched her hand out through the open window and pressed a buzzer on the handy-dandy and most likely expensive intercom that was on the gate. Taking a closer look at the house, Emma could see all the security cameras that was spread out on almost every surface. Yeah, this was definitely a place for thieves. And probably a place where you got hung for stealing as well, she jokingly thought to herself and snorted out a laughter.
"Mija," came Henry's soft voice over the intercom. "Come on in."
The metal gate opened without a sound, and Regina drove through it and onto the enormous driveway where two other cars were parked. A silver grey Aston Martin and a vintage looking black Mercedes. Emma recognized that car as belonging to Henry, and she immediately deduced that the Aston Martin belonged to Cora Mills. Jesus Christ. An Aston Martin, really? Was that seriously necessary? Emma doubted it.
"There we are," Regina announced as she unbuckled her seatbelt. "Wanna go into the lion's den with me, querida?"
"I'd walk through freaking fire if that's what you needed me to do," Emma said simply, unbuckling her own seatbelt.
"Well, hold that thought," Regina snickered. "Because in a moment you'll be facing off against a dragon. How's that?"
"Ready or not, here I come," Emma went along on the joke. But she quickly grew somber when she looked at the way Regina's eyes had clouded over with concern. Emma released her grip on the car door and leaned in so she could brush her lips against Regina's cheek. "Hey. I love you. You know that, right?"
"Sí. I love you too, querida."
Emma smiled and went in to kiss Regina on the cheek a second time, but Regina sneakily turned her head, so the kiss landed on her lips instead. Emma laughed softly. "Sneaky little minx."
"Kiss me again," Regina murmured. "I could use a bit of extra courage. And I'm here to make scandal anyway."
"Well, in that case, have all the courage you want. And scandal," Emma said. Then she brushed her lips against Regina's again. Regina hummed into the kiss and her soft, warm hands came up to cup Emma's cheeks.
Emma momentarily forgot why they were there. For a brief moment, the only plan with this car ride had been to pull over somewhere and kiss Regina senseless. But then she remembered that they were actually here for a reason, and after another minute or so of kissing, she brushed her nose against Regina's, pulled back and then smiled at the younger woman.
"Now I can do anything," Regina said simply and opened the car door. "Come on. Let's go inside."
Emma followed her girlfriend outside and while gently slamming the car door behind her, she noted that Regina's old babysitter was still standing on the pavement. And judging by the look on her face, she had seen them kiss each other in the car. Emma felt so utterly tempted to march right over there and asked if she had a problem or something, but then again, confronting a neighbor probably wasn't the best way to start this little "confrontation". She bit her tongue and focused on following Regina as she went up the lavish cobblestone pathway towards the little steps leading up to the front door.
Regina's posture was stiff as she went up the little steps. She took a breath and then used her fist to knock on the door rather than using the doorbell or the golden lion door knocker. Emma glanced at it for a second and thought to herself that it probably was made of actual gold. God, what a place.
Approximately ten seconds went by before Regina's father opened the door. And to Emma's relief, the elderly man still looked every bit as kind. His brown eyes radiated warmth as he looked at his daughter. He smiled, but the smile quickly turned into wonder as his gaze set on Regina's curved stomach. "Oh, Mija." Not an ounce of disappointment. Not a hint of judgement. Surprise, yes definitely. But no anger whatsoever. Emma breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
"Hola, papi," Regina greeted and flashed her dad a nervous little smile.
"Oh cariño ¡Ven aca!" Henry said as he engulfed Regina in what could only be described as a bear-hug. "¿Cómo te sientes querida?"
"Estoy bien, papi," Regina chuckled. "¿Y cómo estás?"
"Bien, bien," Henry assured. He gave Regina two kisses, one on each cheek, and then turned his attention to Emma. "Ahh, Emma," he smiled. "It is wonderful to see you again, my dear."
"Hi, Henry," Emma said warmly. "It's nice to see you too." to her surprise and delight, she too was engulfed in a hug. And given a kiss on each cheek. She hadn't expected that, but she definitely wasn't unhappy about it either. Robert and Milah Gold had wrinkled their ugly noses in disdain and only tolerated her because she was the mayor's daughter and "appropriate company" for their son status-vise. It meant a lot that Henry's dad accepted her for who she was rather than what she was.
"Come in, come in," Henry said warmly. "The tea is ready!"
"And I bet Mother is too," Regina said lowly.
"Sí, your mother is here too," Henry said seriously. "But I've asked her to bear in mind that this is supposed to be a pleasant family get together without accusations or harsh words."
Regina chuckled. "You are sweet, daddy, but I don't think she'll bear that in mind at all."
Henry said nothing, but his smile faltered a tad as he stepped aside to let them in. Emma looked around in the enormous hallway. There was a large oak staircase, thick, expensive looking carpets on the floor, a large chandelier with actual candles dangling from the ceiling, and beautiful landscape pictures on the wall. Once again, Emma had to keep her jaw in place.
"I will go and put the cake on the table," Henry announced, smiling as he patted Regina's cheek again. "I made cheesecake."
"You did?" Regina said. Her eyes sparkled. "That sounds good, daddy."
"I knew you'd be happy," he said and chuckled as he went into what Emma guessed was the living room. She heard muffled voices coming from in there. One gentle and warm, one cold and snappy. No doubt Regina's mother was waiting for her daughter. Emma squared her shoulders and tried to distract herself from her murderous thoughts by looking around in the hallway one more time. It wasn't just fancy art there was hanging on the wall. Emma was immediately drawn to a large framed photo of an adorable, chubby cheeked and dark eyed one year old. Emma shuffled a bit closer and smiled when she examined the image of the curly haired baby wearing a white dress and a big white bow in her dark curls. The baby was smiling widely for the camera, and Emma aww'ed to herself. She had definitely seen that smile before.
Next to her, Regina groaned quietly.
But Emma chuckled. "Is that you?"
"Sí, unfortunately," Regina said, wrinkling her nose. "I've asked daddy to take it down a number of times, but he refuses."
"Of course he does. You look so adorable! Just look at you!" Emma gushed.
"I look like a stupid little doll," Regina mumbled.
"You do not! You look absolutely perfect! Cutest kid ever!"
"Urgh," Regina just said, prompting Emma to chuckle softly. Maybe her own mom had lots of photo albums filled with pictures of her, but Regina's father had a large gold-framed picture of baby Regina. That was even better. And Henry clearly also had a picture of a woman who appeared to have been a carbon copy of Regina. Same dark hair and eyes. Same smile. And in the picture she had even tied her hair back with a red scarf exactly like Regina had tonight.
"Mi abuela," Regina said softly. "Elena."
"You look just like her, babe."
"Sí, so I've been told," Regina quipped. "Ready to continue into the living room?"
"Yeah," Emma said a bit sheepishly when realizing that she was the reason they were still lingering in the hallway. Lowering her voice to a whisper, she asked: "do I take off my shoes, or...?"
"No-no," Regina half-laughed. "There's no need for that at all."
"Alright then," Emma said and couldn't help but feel a bit bad for wearing shoes on the thick, Persian rug.
They headed through the French doors and into the living room. Which just so happened to be as large as a ballroom. And very, very white too. White walls. White curtains. White carpets (once again Emma felt bad because of her shoes), white furniture's, white plasma flatscreen on the wall, and an impressive white fireplace that appeared to have been carved out in some kind of stone. White bookshelves crammed with Spanish titles Emma couldn't read, but there were also a few English titles here and there. Even the knickknack on the bookshelves and mantelpiece were white, and Emma thought to herself that if the living room hadn't changed style since Regina was little, being a child in this room must have been awful. Imagine spilling something on the couch or the carpet. That would have to have been an absolute nightmare. The room would have been incredibly colorless if it hadn't been for all the framed photographs on the white walls. All of them framed in gold and with the exact year and date. All of them of Regina in various stages. There were baby Regina in her father's arms. She was nothing more but a bundle with tufts of dark hair and she couldn't be much older than a day or maybe even a couple of hours. Henry's hair were thicker and darker, and his eyes were shining with love for the tiny bundle in his arms. Emma tried to not aww out loud as she let her gaze roam over the pictures. One year old Regina sitting on a high chair and grinning. Two year old Regina picking flowers. Three year old Regina on her father's lap. Four year old Regina with braids standing on a stool and watching as her father cooked. Five year old Regina on a bicycle. Six year old Regina with something that looked like her first schoolbag. Then followed pictures of seven, eight, nine, ten and eleven year old Regina. Seven year old Regina were holding up a pair of tiny dancing shoes and grinning broadly at the camera. Eight year old Regina's hair was longer and separated into two long plaids. Nine year old Regina was wearing a kid-version of her now recognizable flamenco dress and smiling proudly at the camera. The picture of ten year old Regina were clearly taken on her birthday. She was blowing out candles on a lavish cake. Eleven year old Regina looked well on her way to puberty. Her attitude was a bit defiant. Twelve year old Regina had braces on her teeth. Thirteen year old Regina plain refused to smile at the camera. Same rule applied for fourteen and fifteen year old Regina. Sixteen year old Regina had a sadness in her eyes, and seventeen year old Regina looked extremely guarded. The most recent picture were taken on Regina's twentieth birthday, Emma could see from the date. She and her dad were standing closely together and smiling widely at the camera, and Emma suddenly realized that there weren't any pictures of Cora and Regina together. Not even from when Regina was a baby. How fucking odd was that?
"Reggie thinks I have too many pictures," Henry said warmly when he noticed Emma looking at the pictures.
"I think it's perfect," Emma smiled. The pictures were the center of the living room. Exactly like Regina undoubtedly was the center of her father's life.
Henry chuckled, but a slight sound behind him finally made Emma focus on the woman sitting on the couch. She was the only other thing breaking the white surface in this room. And definitely the person whose attire fitted the room best. Where Henry was dressed casually in a flannel button up and blue velvet pants, Cora was wearing a black pantsuit. Black, wide-legged trousers, black blazer with golden cufflinks, a Bordeaux blouse peeking out from underneath, and black, high heeled boots. Her dark brown hair had been elegantly coiffed, and her lips painted red. Her brown eyes (almost the exact same shade as Regina's) only showed very slight signs of crow's feet in the corners and were framed by dark lashes, and Emma thought to herself that Cora Mills was exactly as she remembered her. The quintessential "business woman" who did her best to come off as intimidating. Emma refused to be intimidated.
"Good evening, Mother," Regina said politely as she stepped forward and bowed her head in greeting. No hugs or kisses here.
"Oh, Regina," said Cora and shook her head as her gaze landed on her daughter's swelling belly. Where Henry's voice had radiated surprise and wonder, Cora's only radiated one thing. Sheer disappointment.
"How are you doing, Mother?" Regina continued. Still making no attempt to hug or kiss her mother.
"I am shocked," Cora said tightlipped and squinted slightly as she looked at Emma. "Good evening, miss Swan."
"Hi, Cora. Great to see you again," Emma said simply. She refused to be "miss Swan". She refused to let Cora Mills dictate how this night would progress.
Cora's mouth became a thin line as she eyed Emma. The blonde suspected that some sort of haughty retort was already laying on her tongue, but before Cora could say anything, Henry cut in:
"Let's sit down," he said, eying his ex-wife warningly. "I'll cut the cake and pour us some tea."
"Yes, Henry. Because tea and cake will undoubtedly solve everything," Cora sneered.
Henry ignored that and Emma and Regina sat down in the white armchairs. Henry served tea and cake, and pretending that this was just a normal, cozy family night was almost painful. The tension in the living room was already pretty palpable. Regina and Cora kept stealing glances at each other, clearly waiting for the other to throw the first barb.
"So, how are things in the restaurant, daddy?" Regina asked and took a sip of her tea.
"Very good," Henry replied eagerly. He too was pretending. "Felicidad, Paula's replacement is an excellent waitress."
"That's good," Regina said, smiling slightly. "I wouldn't want you to strain yourself. Now, what is this California business you talked about the last time? You want to expand business?"
"Sí, and if all goes well, I will open a restaurant in Malibu."
"How terrific," Regina said. "You'll let me know if you need any help, right?"
"Of course, Cielo," Henry said warmly, reaching forward and patting his daughter's hand. "But we'll see. There are lots of things that needs to fall into place first."
"Of course. I didn't think that you would just-"
"How far along are you?" Cora interrupted icily.
Emma saw how Regina immediately tensed and withdrew her hand from underneath her father's. "I am fourteen weeks plus a day," she said.
"Four months pregnant," Cora sneered. "And you've been keeping it from us for such a long time!"
Emma's head whipped around, and she had every intention of saying something to Cora, but Regina gently put a hand on her arm to stop her. "That was a mistake, Mother," she said calmly. "I should have told you sooner, I know. But I needed time to figure things out."
"Figure WHAT out?" Cora sneered and tipped up her chin.
"Everything," Regina replied. "What'll happen in the future."
"It looks to me that the future is fairly written in stone," Cora snapped and took a sip of her tea. There was a slice of the delicious cheesecake laying on her plate, but she hadn't touched it, and Emma suspected that she wasn't planning on either. Cora Mills did not look like the type to enjoy cake. Or anything else for that matter.
"The future is never written in stone, Mother," Regina said patiently and took a sip of her own tea. The strangest passive aggressive gesture Emma ever had seen in her life.
Cora adjusted herself in the couch. Emma noticed that Henry had chosen the armchair next to Regina instead of sitting on the couch with his ex-wife. Cora really was the queen of this place, Emma thought to herself, but then her train of thoughts were interrupted when Cora elegantly crossed her ankles and leaned forward. Most likely to seem intimidating and stare her daughter down. "And the father of this... child?" she asked almost sweetly. "I assume it's the man with whom you had a short dalliance with shortly before miss Swan came to Spain?"
Regina visibly recoiled at that, but her voice was every bit steady when she said: "sí. It is."
"And has he been informed of your... condition?" Cora continued.
"No, he has not," Regina said tightly. "As you know from when you listened in the other room while I talked to daddy in confident-"
Now it was Cora's turn to look tightlipped.
"-He wasn't the most honest man," Regina continued. "And I don't think a man who has no qualms about tricking me and lying to his family deserves to be a father. I'm sure you agree with that. His wife is still harassing me, by the way. Thank you for asking."
"So you're planning on keeping his child from him?" Cora asked, now crossing her arms tightly over her chest.
"I'm planning on never seeing him again," Regina hissed. "Being a father takes a hell of a lot more than just..." she didn't finish the sentence and instead continued: "and what sort of father is a man who conveniently enough forgets all about his family to carry on with a woman he meets in a bar?"
Emma squeezed Regina's arm gently. Just to let her know that she was still there.
"He doesn't deserve anything!" Henry growled like an old bear. "And certainly not this baby!"
"Ever the supporting father," Cora said almost silkily. "No matter the situation."
"Cora..." Henry sighed and shook his head, but that didn't stop his ex-wife. She sneered in disdain as she turned her attention back to her daughter: "so, what is the plan, Regina, darling? Are you gonna raise this baby all on your own at the age of twenty? That's very brave of you."
"I agree," Emma cut in and glared at Cora. "Your daughter IS very brave. But rest assure she'll never be all on her own, as you put it."
"How touching. Committing yourself to someone you haven't even known for six months and raise another man's baby like a little family?" Cora scoffed. "That's very admirable of you, miss Swan. Playing the hero. Swooping in saving my daughter from... Well, I suppose you aren't really doing that. That family name will be stained no matter what." She clicked her tongue in disdain as she looked at Regina. "No ring on your finger and an illegitimate child."
"That is not what is going to happen!" Regina snapped. "There are options beyond that, Mother!"
"Options?" Cora echoed and raised an eyebrow. "Tell me, dear, what other options exactly is it that you're talking about? You're too far along to have the child removed."
Regina flinched, and Henry growled: "Cora!" again. He reached out and took Regina's hand. "I'm sure Reggie has a plan. Don't you, Reggie?"
"Sí," Regina nodded, quickly collecting herself. "I've found a family. A very nice family who-"
"A family." Cora interrupted dully and Emma saw her eyes darken. "You've found a 'family'?"
"Yes," Regina said defiantly. "I have. They're good people and they want a baby more than anything."
"Oh, I see," Cora said, voice honey-sweet. "And how much are they paying you?"
"Hey!" Emma hissed.
"It's nothing like that, Mother," Regina said tightly. "It's a very official adoption agency with paperwork and everything. Nobody is selling anything."
"How wonderful," Cora said sarcastically. "So you've found a family who 'desperately' wants a child and saw an easy way out of our little pickle. Well, I suppose there are many ways one can run away from your responsibility."
"I am NOT running away from my responsibility!" Regina protested. "I'm doing the right thing."
"The RIGHT thing," Cora sneered. "You think-"
"Yes, the right thing, Mother," Regina interrupted. "You always go on and on about how irresponsible and immature I am. How terrible my way of living is. Now I'm doing the mature thing and admitting that I am not that. Isn't it better that the baby gets a family who can give it a proper home? A family with stable jobs. Trust me, this baby won't miss anything. It'll grow up safe and loved and cared for in any way possible. Isn't that the best thing for a child?"
Emma squeezed her arm again. God, Regina was so brave.
"Nevertheless, you are still sending my grandchild away to live with strangers!" Cora hissed. Her voice was rising in volume and going slightly pitchy as well.
"Well, what else do you want me to do, Mother?" Regina said tiredly. "You want the baby to grow up in my tiny apartment, hmm? Coming to work with me at the bar on the nights where I can't get a sitter?"
"You have other options!" Cora snapped. "Poor girls in trouble doesn't, but you are nothing like them, and you have options that doesn't include sending your child away to live with strangers!"
Regina glanced very briefly at her dad. Then turned her attention back to her mother and said dully: "daddy has his restaurants which craves more of him than any child ever could. You can't expect him to take care of a baby as well, Mother."
"Stupid girl!" Cora sneered. "I am not talking about your father!"
There was a beat of silence where Regina looked at her mother. And then she started laughing.
"For heavens sake, Regina!" Cora spat. "Are you incapable of taking anything seriously?!"
"I'm sorry, Mother, but for a moment it sounded like you were suggesting that you took the baby," Regina said, she was still chuckling without any real amusement.
"Well, why wouldn't I?" Cora said, folding her arms tightly across her chest again. "I am if any, this baby's next of kin. Regardless of your marital status- or lack of- this baby will be a Mills. And Mills children doesn't live with strangers. You'll give birth and then leave the baby with me. There will be no shame in it for you. You'll be free to do whatever you want, and your child will grow up well provided for." she leaned back triumphantly, smiling as though this surely would make Regina forget her previous plan.
But Regina shook her head once. "No," she said quietly.
The triumphant smile on Cora Mills' lips turned into a frightening grimace. "What did you say?"
"I said no," Regina replied. "I'm not gonna give the baby to you, Mother."
"And for what reasons exactly, young lady?!" Cora hissed. "Avoiding seeing the result of your actions every time you come home, perhaps?"
If it hadn't been for Regina's hand on her arm, Emma surely would have jumped to her feet and shook Cora roughly.
"That's how ashamed you are?!" Cora relentlessly continued. "You'd rather send your child away to live with strangers than to face the facts?"
"No," Regina said again. "I'd rather send the baby to live with a loving family than letting it live with YOU."
"Mija," Henry said softly, but Regina nor Cora didn't seem to notice it.
"And what's that supposed to mean?" Cora snapped.
"It means that I want this baby to grow up safe and happy and have an amazing childhood."
"You had a wonderful childhood!"
"Did I?" Regina asked quietly.
"Of course you had," Cora huffed. "You always got everything you could possibly have wished for! What could you possibly have missed?!"
Regina laughed bitterly again. "I'm not gonna answer that, Mother. Instead I'm gonna ask you a question. Purely rhetorical, of course. Let's say that your grandchild is... oh, I don't know, seven years old and comes to you to apologize for having broken a vase by accident. How are you gonna react do that, Mother? Are you gonna accept the apology or are you gonna send your grandchild to bed without supper as punishment?"
Emma felt slightly sick.
"Or let's say that your grandchild is now ten years old and tells you that they want to be, I don't know, an artist instead of joining the family business," Regina continued. "Are you gonna cheer he or she on and encourage your grandchild to keep exploring their creativity, or are you gonna crush their dream and tell them that they'll never make anything of themselves?"
Cora's lips were turning white with anger. Henry said something in Spanish, but Regina didn't react to it. Her gaze was fixed on her mother's face as she continued: "And here's another scenario for you, Mother. Your grandchild is now sixteen year old. A teenager with hopes and dreams for the future. Let's say he or she came to you and told you that they think they might be bisexual. Or gay. Or pansexual. Or transgender. Or anything in between that doesn't fit into your little box of normalcy. How would you react to that? Would you give your grandchild a hug and tell him or her not to worry? Would you say to him or her that you would love them no matter who they were and who they l-loved? Or would you start yelling instead? Would you shame your grandchild for having kissed someone of the same gender as them? Would you tell them that it's sinful and won't be tolerated under your roof? Would you tell your PRECIOUS grandchild that something is wrong with them, because loving someone of the same gender is wrong?" Regina finished her speech and angrily wiped a stray tear away from her cheek.
Cora glared at her daughter. Her lips remained white and she didn't say anything. Didn't protest.
"Yeah, that's what I thought," Regina said quietly. "THAT'S why I'm choosing to send the baby away to "live with strangers". Because I grew up with you. With all of that. And I'm not gonna put another kid through that. Not ever. No one deserves to have their dreams crushed or be shamed for being anything but straight. It isn't for you to decide how anyone should live their life."
Cora sneered. "So this is about the Colinas girl again."
Regina sighed exasperated. "Mother, as long as you don't realize what you did back then was wrong, it'll ALWAYS be about Dani." She shot Emma a sideway glance. "I don't love Dani anymore, but I'll always resent you for what you did to us back then."
"She was nothing!" Cora yelled, suddenly loosing her temper completely. "She was just an insipid little maid who took advantage of her position here! She came from nothing and couldn't have given you anything!"
"Cora!" Henry shouted, jumping to his feet. "¡Eso es suficiente!"
"She was one of the few things who made living in this house just a little more bearable!" Regina yelled back. "And you took her from me! You made yourself the judge over who I should love, and I'm never gonna forgive you for that! Not ever!"
But Cora wasn't done. She didn't stand from the couch, but she did lean forward and jabbed a finger in Regina's face. "If you send your child away, you're going to regret it! You'll lie awake night after night and wish that you had chosen differently!"
"No, I won't!" Regina spat. She was trembling now. "I'll sleep peacefully knowing that the baby is growing up safe and loved and far, far away from YOU!"
"If you're going through with this," Cora said lowly. "If you insist upon making the wrong decision, I will not be a part of it, is that clear?! If you let strangers take my grandchild away, tonight will be the last time you've seen me!"
"CORA! Tú estás siendo-"
"So, you're saying that after tonight I won't have a mother anymore?" Regina interrupted. "Is that what you're saying?"
"Yes! That's exactly what I'm saying!"
"Fine!" Regina said, abruptly standing from her chair and shaking from top to toe as she looked at her mother. "So be it! It's not like that would make much of a difference for me anyway!" then she spun around and stormed out of the living room as fast as her legs could carry her.
Henry breathed heavily like an angry bull as he looked at his ex-wife. "Eres terrible."
Cora didn't react to that in anyway.
"You are moving out." Henry continued. Quietly and deadly. "Tonight. This is the last time you're setting foot in this house, do you hear me? If I loose her over this, I am never going to forgive you." Then he followed Regina's example and sprinted out of the room. Most likely to console his daughter.
Left in the living room was only Cora and Emma. The blonde leaned back in the armchair and looked at the older woman sitting across from her. "Wow," she said plainly.
Cora actually flinched a little. Almost like she had forgotten that Emma was there too.
"You really think you have your reasons, don't you?" Emma continued and raised an eyebrow.
"Don't pretend to know anything about my reasons, miss Swan," Cora snapped. "Or my daughter, for that matter. You two barely know each other. Exactly like she didn't know Daniela Colinas. But that didn't stop her."
"There isn't a limit on how fast or slowly people fall in love," Emma pointed out.
Cora pursed her lips. "It's a sin. What she did with Daniela Colinas then was a sin, and what she's doing with you now is a sin."
"And why is it for you to decide what's a sin and what isn't?" Emma asked. "Isn't it more important that your daughter is with someone who cares for her?"
"I'm only trying to do what's best for her. Making sure she won't be shamed and ensuring she won't get hurt."
"Making her this upset isn't doing her any good. And certainly not in her condition."
Cora said nothing.
"And you're right, Regina and I haven't known each other for that long," Emma agreed, leaning forward and looking Cora dead in the eye. "But I do know enough about her to know that I love her. That I'll do anything in my power to support her no matter what."
Cora scoffed. "You've got nothing to offer her, miss Swan."
"Let me guess... Because I'm a woman?"
Again, Cora said nothing.
"You know, I'm puzzled," Emma said, scoffing too.
"What is it you find to be so puzzling, miss Swan?!" Cora had found her voice again.
"That someone as good and kind and pure as your daughter can sprout from someone like you," Emma said as she stood from the armchair. She crossed the floor, but when she was standing with one hand on the doorknob, she turned her head and looked back at Cora Mills who hadn't moved an inch. "You ought to be ashamed of yourself," she said simply. Then she left the Mills' manor to find Regina who was standing on the street. She was in tears and Henry had his arms around her. He was clearly trying his best to comfort her. Emma walked over to them and whispered soothing words until Regina's tears had dissolved into hiccupping. She nearly stumbled into Emma's arms, and as Emma held her tight, she glanced back at the Mills' Mansion. She felt nothing but anger and resentment towards the woman still inside the house.
To Be Continued...
Spanish translations:
Muy divertida, querida= very funny, darling.
Hola, papi= hey, daddy.
Oh cariño ¡Ven aca!= Oh, honey! Come here!
¿Cómo te sientes querida?= How do you feel, dear?
Estoy bien, papi= I'm fine, daddy.
Mi abuela= my grandmother.
Cielo= Sky
¡Eso es suficiente!= That's enough!
Tú estás siendo-= You are being-
Eres terrible= You are terrible.