Chapter 7

Emma got out of bed and thought to herself for a few minutes after reading Regina's text. Regina didn't seem like a mother. Emma was shocked that Regina even had a son, although Emma now knew that Regina had a son, she was still madly in love with her. Emma didn't care that Regina was a mother, though Emma was interested in knowing who the father of this child was. Emma figured she'd ask more questions at the fair when she was face to face with Regina. Emma decided she wanted to go; it was time to text Regina back.

"You have a son? May I ask how old is he and what his name is? I would love to go to the fair with you, and I would also love to meet your son. Thank you for inviting me. Though, would you please inform him of my hearing loss before meeting him tomorrow, so I don't disappoint him in any way. I wouldn't want him to think that I am ignoring him when in reality, I just can't hear him all that well to gather what was said?"

Emma figured asking for the boy's age and name was appropriate enough to ask through text. She thought she at least needed to know that much. So, as Emma waited for Regina to text her back, Emma grew very anxious. She didn't know what to do except just wait and stare blankly at her phone waiting for a text again. Maybe that was weird. Perhaps it was odd, but Emma didn't care. All Emma cared about was texting Regina and making sure exactly how all this is going to take place before falling asleep tonight. As Emma was lost in her thoughts, staring blankly at her phone, her phone finally buzzed with a text back from Regina. Emma immediately read it.

"His name is Henry, and he's ten years old. I named him after my father, who died of a heart attack before Henry was born. Although they never met, I figured the best way to honor him was giving my son his name. I will make sure he knows about your hearing loss tomorrow when he wakes up, and I inform him that I am bringing a friend with us to the fair. I'm pretty sure he will be extremely happy. I am going to need your address to where you live so I can pick you up. Unless you want to meet me at the fair instead?"

Emma's heart started racing fast in Emma's chest. She could literally hear it beating. That's how fast it was beating. She wondered if she maybe had the same effect on Regina. She desperately hoped she did. Once Emma gathered up her thoughts on how to properly reply, she began texting back.

"You can pick me up. I don't know my way around out of town. I only know about this area. I've lived in this area all my life. I don't wanna get lost with my GPS trying to find you or the fair. I'd be devastated if I couldn't find the fair, or you. My address is 781 W Maine St., Storybrooke Lane. I'm pretty sure you already know the zip code. Although, if you don't, I'll gladly give it to you. "

After Emma texted Regina back, she again stared blankly at her phone screen, waiting for Regina to text back. She already began to miss seeing Regina face to face, though now that she was going to see her tomorrow and also meet her son, who she knew nothing about until now; she felt so much happier. It felt almost as if the universe was pulling them together in some way. Emma believes that things happen for a reason. Her relationship with Belle didn't work out in the past, and at the time, she thought it would end her. Though, now she sees the light at the end of the tunnel. She sees her life with Regina. Maybe Emma is just thinking way too ahead of time. Regina never said this was an actual date or anything. So maybe Emma just needs to relax, but how? How can she relax when all she wishes to do is pull Regina into a deep passionate kiss and just make her the happiest woman on Earth. Now Emma feels she's probably taking things too far. "Get it together, Emma. Calm down; this isn't a date." Emma said to herself. Emma came back to reality when her phone buzzed. Emma quickly read the text.

"Yes, I know the zip code. I will pick you up tomorrow around 6 pm. Please be ready, Emma! My son will not let me hear the end of it if we get to the fair late. He loves going to the fair."

Emma smiled at that text and then imaged what tomorrow may be like. She wondered what Henry looked like. What was he like? Emma couldn't wait to find out. She then began texting Regina back.

"I will definitely be ready by 6 pm tomorrow. Don't worry about that! I won't let your son be late for the fair. I promise. I am going to get some sleep now, but I will text you tomorrow. I will see you tomorrow, Regina. Goodnight and sweet dreams."

Emma looked at the time, and it was now 7:45. It was still fairly early to go to bed, but Emma had nothing to do and she was still kinda tired from school. She hoped Regina wouldn't think she was weird for going to bed this early. Although, now thinking about it, she thinks it might have been a bad impression to set for Regina. Maybe she should just stay up and text Regina all night. Before Emma could gather more thoughts, her phone buzzed again, and Emma quickly read the text.

"You called me Regina instead of Miss Mills. Thank you for listening to me. Just remember not to ever call me Regina during my class time. I can't have any students pick up on the little relationship we've got going on, that wouldn't end well for either of us. But anyway, I understand your going to bed now. I think it's still too early for bed, but I understand if you're tired. I will see you tomorrow, Emma. Have good sweet dreams!"

After Emma read that, she began smiling even wider. She knew it was early, but she was tired, and she really wanted to get to sleep. Though, if Regina needed her to, she'd stay up being as tired as ever just for her. Just to make sure Regina knew she was there for her. Now Emma was overthinking again. Emma needed to try to stop thinking about Regina and get her speculations of what's going to happen tomorrow out of her head and just fall asleep. Though, that just wasn't going to happen. Emma drifted off to sleep, thinking about Regina. No matter what Emma did, she just couldn't help but think about Regina.

The next day Emma woke up. Her alarm went off at 10 am just like she set it to. Emma then began realizing what exactly was going to happen later that night. It all started to resurface in her memory. Emma immediately got up out of bed, grabbed a towel from the closet in the hallway and hopped in the shower. She didn't know what she wanted to wear yet, so she figured she'd pick out whatever it was she was going to wear for tonight and for today after she showered. As Emma washed her hair and her body in the shower, she thought about Regina the whole time. "What is this? Does Regina have some sort of spell on me or something? Why can't I get her out of my head for just a little while?" Emma thought to herself.

As Emma got done showering, she quickly dried off with the towel and wrapped her towel around herself to cover her body as she walked back into her bedroom to find clothes to wear. She looked in her closet and looked at everything she had. She mostly had pants and tank tops just hanging on hangers. She didn't have many dresses though she did have a few. She looked at each dress she had and debated on which one to wear. After some thinking, Emma chose a black dress. The dress came up to her thighs, just above her knees, and it was tight. Emma went into her drawer and grabbed black panties to match the dress, and then she quickly changed into the clothes. Once she was dressed, she put the towel from the shower into the dirty clothes basket and went back to the bathroom to put on her makeup. Emma wanted to look pretty for Regina and for her first meeting with her son. Emma put on black eyeliner and white eye shadow with red lipstick. She figured she looked good with just this makeup. She didn't need any blush or any other kind of makeup on her face. She hardly ever wore makeup on her face anyway.

After her makeup was finished and looked good, Emma knew she had to fix her hair next. She didn't know what she wanted to do with her hair yet. It was still wet from the shower. Should she let it dry and be curly golden locks of waviness, or should she put it in a ponytail like she usually would do? She didn't know. Though, she knew she had to think of something. After about 2 minutes of looking at her reflection in the mirror, Emma thought she should just put her hair up in a ponytail. She figured that if she was going to be on any kind of rides, she didn't want her hair blowing all out of proportion. So, Emma put her hair in a nice messy good looking ponytail and then went back into her bedroom. She got her hearing aids from the charger and put them in her ears.

Emma now looked at the time, and the time read 12:00pm. "Wow, it took me like 2 hours to get ready? My gosh. That time went by fast!" Emma thought to herself. Emma wondered if she should text Regina now, though she also needed to eat something. She already did all her homework for school yesterday, so Emma had nothing to do but just wait for the time Regina was supposed to pick her up. Emma figured she'd heat up a spaghetti can in the microwave for now. She seemed to do that a lot. She hardly ever cooked, and when she did, it was only when Ruby came over and ate dinner with her as best friends. Although that wasn't very often. Ruby had work, and Emma had school, but they always texted each other almost every day. Emma knew Ruby was the best friend she's ever had.

After Emma heated up her spaghetti can and started eating, she decided to go really fast to her bedroom and grab her phone from the charger to make sure Regina didn't text her already. She left her food on the mini table by the couch as she went to fetch her phone. Once she got her phone, she went back to the couch and turned the TV on and started eating a few more bites of her food before looking at her phone. Once Emma looked at her phone, she noticed Regina and Ruby had texted her. Ruby asked about how her time with Miss Mills went, since she had to cancel their lunch plans a few days ago so Emma could go with Regina and her deaf cousin Kathryn to lunch instead. Emma decided to text Ruby back and told her everything. Emma told Ruby about her lunch with Regina and her cousin that day, how it went, and how Regina invited her to go to the fair with her and her son tonight. Emma knew she could trust Ruby with was okay to tell all this to Ruby, although Emma didn't trust anyone else with this information. Just Ruby. Once Emma finished telling Ruby everything, she then went on and read Regina's text.

"Good morning or maybe afternoon, Emma, I hope you slept well last night knowing how early you went to bed. I told my son all about you, and he's so intrigued that he is looking up some sign language signs on the web just to be able to talk to you a little bit in your own language. He's a very motivated kid."

Emma made a small laugh with that text and then smiled. She was so pleased that Regina's son was this happy to meet her. She thought she'd really like her son.

Emma took a few more bites of her food and then texted Regina back.

"Good afternoon to you too, Regina. I woke up at 10 am and took a shower and got myself ready for tonight. Now I'm eating my lunch. I am happy that your son is this happy to meet me, although not every sign on the web is always accurate. Some signs change over time, and so some signs on the web are very old. Although, I am pretty sure I will understand him just fine with whatever he is trying to learn."

After Emma texted Regina back, she quickly finished up her food before her food became cold. She was pretty fast at eating spaghetti cans, so it didn't take her long to finish up her food. Once she was done eating, she put her bowl in the sink to soak. She had a few dishes she needed to get done, though; she defiantly wasn't doing them now. She figured she'd do them tomorrow after school. Today was Sunday; she had her two days to sleep in before she had to get up early for school again. Though, today was going to be one of the best Sundays of her life. Spending time with Regina and her son was way better than staying at home and doing nothing. Once Emma sat down on her couch watching TV, her phone buzzed, and she saw Regina texted her back. She quickly opened her phone to read the message.

"Oh, I see. You got ready early. You seem just as excited as my son for tonight. I'm glad. You won't make us late!"

Emma knew she got ready for tonight early, but she didn't care one bit. She only cared about being ready and on time when Regina picked her up. Emma knew she didn't want to keep Regina nor her son waiting once they arrived to pick her up tonight. So, after Emma waited a few minutes to think of a good reply, she then began texting Regina back.

"Yes, I got ready pretty early. I didn't want to keep you or your son waiting for me once you got here. I figured, why not get ready now? It's not like I'm doing a lot anyway. I already got all my homework done for school. Now, I'm just waiting for the appointed time to arrive. I might try writing a children's book for that job opening I have waiting for me after college this year, so I have something to get published. Either that or I might just write in general. I don't know what, just anything. Something to pass the time for when it's time for you and your son to be here."

After Emma texted Regina back, she got up from her couch and went to her room and grabbed her laptop. That's where she writes everything down. She figured she could do something to pass the time. She still had a few hours to go before Regina would be picking her up. As soon as Emma sat back down on her couch with her laptop in hand, her phone buzzed on the mini table where she left it. Emma immediately read it.

"That sounds like a good way to pass the time, Emma. Maybe one day, I can see what you write?"

Emma mainly writes what she's feeling or how her life is going, so everything was more on a personal level for her. She knew maybe one day she might just let Regina read what she wrote. Though, she didn't know when that was ever going to be. Once Emma thought about it for a few minutes, she then texted Regina back.

"Most of everything I write is about my life and how I feel, so it's more personal for me. Though, maybe one day, I will let you read my stuff. It's a lot of poetry. I love writing poetry. It's part of the main reason why I'm in college and signed up for your class. I am getting a degree in the art of writing, and doing so; I needed to take your class. Someone told me that if I truly wanted to become a good writer yours was the best class to take. I was however warned that you are very strict as a teacher, but the best no less. Now, I'm glad I did follow that advice and take the class."

After Emma texted Regina back, she opened up the laptop that was sitting on her lap and went into the Word document. She brought up a blank document and thought about what to write. As Emma thought about what she wanted to write about, her phone buzzed. Emma quickly read it.

"Oh, I see. I understand. I am certainly glad you took my class as well, Emma. I think you are an outstanding student, and I have also grown quite fond of you. Though, I will let you get to writing if that is what you feel like doing. I don't want to be a bother to you. Just text me when you're done?"

Emma immediately smiled widely at that text. Regina is fond of her. Emma could only think that meant one thing, and that thing was good. Emma figured that it meant Regina liked her in the same way Emma felt for her. Emma knew she couldn't be wrong because if she was, she would feel like she's dying inside. She definitely doesn't want to lose Regina in any way. She couldn't handle that. She's already too attached to Regina. Once Emma thought of what to say back, she began texting Regina.

"You're fond of me? That just made me smile so very wide. I am also very fond of you. I cannot wait for tonight. I will text you back as soon as I am done writing. I could sit here and text you all day until tonight, but then I'd feel like I'm waiting a lifetime for tonight to be here if you know what I mean."

Once Emma finished texting Regina back, she then put her phone down on her mini table next to the couch and focused on the blank Word document on the laptop. Emma knew exactly how she was feeling, so Emma just started writing and writing. The words just flowed out of her. By the time she was finally done writing, she read it thoroughly to make sure it had made sense.

This baby girl was just like us

until that day that she went deaf.

She never did make a big fuss, just took a deep breath.

People didn't know how to react,all because she couldn't hear.

But, deep down, she had nothing to fear.

She was sent from Heaven above.

She flies high as a dove.

She can do anything she puts her mind to.

She's just like you and me.

She speaks through her hands!

She always knows where to stand.

She can easily see your pain.

She won't leave you out in the rain.

Her hands are her voice.

This is all from God's choice.

She's perfect the way she is.

She's just so bliss.

She's just like you and me.

After Emma read her poem to herself, she thought it was good. She wrote about herself. She hasn't written about herself for a long time. So, Emma felt pretty proud of herself for writing about herself for the first time in a long time. Once she saved her poem on her Word document on her computer, she turned her laptop off and put it back in her bedroom, where she kept it and then went back to sit on the couch with the TV on. Emma figured she'd better look at the time and text Regina since she told Regina she'd text her as soon as she was done writing. Emma grabbed her phone from the mini-fridge and looked at the time. The time read 5:30 pm. Emma was amazed at how long it took her to write that poem about herself. She never fully understood why she was such a slow writer, but at least she knew she wasn't a bad one.

Emma had 30 minutes before Regina and her son came to pick her up. Emma was already ready, though she hoped Regina liked how she looked. She wondered what Regina was going to be wearing tonight. After a few minutes of thinking about Regina and what she may be wearing, Emma decided to text Regina.

"I am done writing. I wrote about myself. Maybe this one, I will show you one day. I'm not sure. Although, let me know when you're on your way to my place. I am still very anxious to meet your son."

After Emma texted Regina, she then begins watching some more TV. Emma felt hungry again, though she wasn't going to eat right now. She wanted to buy something to eat at the fair for herself, Regina and her son. She didn't know what, but she was determined to buy them some kind of food. As Emma waited and watched TV, her phone buzzed. Emma quickly read the message.

"I am on my way to your place now. I am glad you got done writing just in time for me to pick you up. I am also glad you wrote about yourself. My next assignment for tomorrow will be to write about yourself in my class. Maybe you can use the poem you just wrote? If not, then write a new one? Either way, that's going to be my class assignment for tomorrow. I figured I'd tell you since you wrote a poem about yourself."

Emma read that text and had an "oh" look on her face with her jaw wide open for a few seconds before gathering up her thoughts. Emma didn't know what to think. She wasn't sure if she wanted to use that poem. She just inadvertently wrote for Regina's assignment, although, she might just write something else entirely. She will figure out what she wants to do by tomorrow in class: to write a new poem about herself or use the one she just wrote. For right now, Emma only cared about texting Regina back and waiting anxiously for Regina to show up at her door with her son. As Emma tried to stop being as anxious as she was, she texted Regina back.

"Oh, wow, really? I might use the poem I just wrote, or I might just make a new one. I will decide tomorrow. I'll bring my laptop to school with me tomorrow in case I decide to use the poem. Though, I might just make a whole new one and make it almost the same but yet different. I already kinda have an idea of another poem I can write about myself. I might just write a new one. But anyway, let me know when you're here. I am all ready. Oh, and I forgot to mention one little detail last night. I am in apartment number 13."

As Emma waited for Regina to show up at her apartment with Henry, she became more and more anxious. She wanted so badly, so see Regina. Texting her was great, but seeing her face to face was a lot more pleasing. Lost in thought, thinking of Regina, Emma about jumped and almost fell off the couch when her phone buzzed with a text message again. Emma then took a deep breath and then looked at the text.

"Thank you for informing me, Emma. I will be there soon."

Emma quickly texted back.

"See you soon!"

Emma again went right back to watching TV, waiting for Regina and Henry to show up. She felt so happy. She just couldn't help it. Regina made her feel happy, and she hasn't felt happy in such a long time. She used to feel emptier in life. She was wondering why she was here. That's why Emma began writing, and her writing became her best friend. That's what lead Emma to college. As Emma thought about it, her love for writing was what brought her and Regina into each other's lives. Emma couldn't help but keep believing that things happen for a reason. After about 30 minutes had passed, Emma figured she'd text Regina and ask her where she was at, but right as she was just about to text Regina, flashing lights went off all around her apartment. Someone was at her door.