Regina sighed. She couldn't get what Emma had said out of her head. She looked at the sleeping blonde before climbing out of bed. She grabbed her phone and stepped out on the balcony.
It was a beautiful sight, even at night. The moon's reflection danced on the water. A few brave sailboats could be seen in the distance.
Regina dialed the number for the one person she was sure would be able to help.
"Why are you calling me from literal paradise in the middle of the night?" The woman's accent was thick with sleep.
"Emma said she loves me." She blurted out. It was the first time she had said it aloud, but it had been the only thing running through her mind since Emma's admission.
"And?" Zelena droned, clearly annoyed at the intrusion of her sleep.
"What do you mean and?"
"I don't see the problem."
She was stunned silent. She wasn't sure what she was expecting her sister to say, but that wasn't it. Zelena was always the voice of reason for Regina. Their entire lives, Regina would act before she thought, and Zelena was the one to pull her back from the edge.
"Do you still love her?"
Did she? "Yes."
"Then why are you calling me at 3 a.m.?"
She opened her mouth but shut it again when no words could form. She was acting like it was completely normal for your ex to say they still love you.
"Regina. Go to bed with your girlfriend and if you ever wake me up this early again I'll put the video of you singing Man! I Feel Like A Woman in your wedding slideshow." the line disconnected before she could reply.
Regina blinked a few times. What the hell just happened? She was no closer to an answer then she was when she called Zelena.
"Gina?" Emma's sleep filled voice came from the other side of the door. "Are you okay?"
Regina nodded, still unable to form words.
"Come on. Let's go to bed."
The morning light did nothing to ease Regina's mind, but the butterflies she felt when Emma handed her a fresh cup of coffee made her think.
The answer was so glaringly obvious now. Zelena was right. They were happy together. They had been for three years. Why was she fighting it so hard?
"Hey Em, can we talk?" her words were strained. She was nervous of being rejected. She hadn't taken Emma's admission very well. She didn't take it bad. She didn't know how to respond, so she didn't.
She had waited for Emma to back away before getting out of the pool. Emma had fallen asleep in a pool lounger almost immediately after saying she was going to read and Regina escaped back to their room. A shower and a nap later, both women were pretending it never happened.
"Sure. What's up?" She was putting her wild hair into a high ponytail.
The words refused to come. What was the right way to do this so she didn't mess it up? Emma's eyebrow raised in a silent question.
"I love you too." Straightforward and to the point. That's what she was best at.
Emma's eyes doubled in size. She remained silent, staring at Regina. She didn't know what to do. Regret started to seep in. She braced herself for Emma's rejection when suddenly, she smiled.
It was a big smile. One reserved for the happiest moments of Emma's life. Like when her little brother was born, when the Sox win, or any time she has a bear claw.
"I was honestly afraid when you didn't say it back yesterday." She was still smiling but her words held nervousness.
"I was too." She answered honestly. They sat on opposite sides of the bed. "I was afraid because we broke up for a reason. Work always got in the way. I realize now how trivial that was. I'm willing to try harder to be there for you if you are."
"We can talk about boundaries and things when we get home, Gina. Let's enjoy vacation together."
So that's what they did. It was almost lunch by the time they left the hotel room. They shared a meal and pleasant conversation. Regina was amazed how quickly things went back to normal. She made a mental note to thank Zelena as soon as possible.
Emma reminded Regina again of her sandcastle promise. Since they were back together now, the promise was still valid. Wait. We're they back together? Regina groaned, but when Emma grabbed her hand, she knew she couldn't say no.
She tried to have fun. As much fun as you can have when your castle falls immediately. "Try adding water." Emma would critique. "Pack it tighter." She tried each suggestion but none of them worked.
Her face was getting hot with anger. She couldn't do this. Nor did she want to because she wasn't a child. She laid back in the sand. Its warmth soothed her. She counted to five and took a deep breath.
"Are you having fun, babe?" She felt a twinge of guilt at hearing the nickname.
"Not really." She grumbled. Another wave of guilt crashed over her at the look on Emma's face.
"Oh. We can be done." She started gathering the sand tools.
"You can still build your sandcastles Emma."
"No it's okay. We can be done. We still have to get ready for the sea turtles." she said. Which perked Regina's attention. Swimming with sea turtles was the thing Regina was most excited for. She quickly packed up their things.
The turtles were everything Regina had hoped. She felt like a mermaid with them gracefully circling them. Emma's laugh rang out as a particularly ornery turtle continued to bump her. She smiled from ear to ear at Regina, making her heart tighten. She loved Emma so much, she wasn't sure why she ever denied it.
"Did you have fun?" Regina asked as they were leaving. Emma threw her arms around Regina and kissed her cheek.
"It was amazing. Kevin was my favorite." The brunette laughed at the turtle's name and pecked Emma's lips. Finally, everything felt right in the world.
"Why don't we go to dinner tonight? You know, enjoy our last night here?" Emma suggested as they climbed in a cab.
"That sounds great, my love." Regina smiled and leaned into her girlfriend.