Emma's alarm started ringing and she was quick to reach out and silence her phone before the sound could cause a disturbance. It was seven fifteen in the morning, and Emma had a little bit of a drive ahead of her. She had a photo-job. A huge sixtieth birthday. The person turning sixty was loaded and it was a huge job, so Emma actually didn't mind getting out of bed early. The sooner she got started, the sooner she could be on her way home again.
"¿Ya es de mañana?"
"Yep, morning already," Emma confirmed. "They always come too fucking early, don't they?"
Regina gave a gravel-y chuckle in response.
"Just stay in bed, beautiful girl," Emma said as she swung her legs out of bed. "It's way too early for you."
"No, no, I'll get up with you," said Regina. "I can't sleep in every day."
"Why the hell not?" as far as Emma was concerned, Regina needed all the sleep she could possibly get, and she turned her head to look at Regina. So she could lift an eyebrow at her.
"Because I have planned to go for a walk with your mom and my dad," Regina explained as she swung her legs out of bed. "I like mornings in Storybrooke," she continued, now frowning in concentration as she placed one hand on her belly for support.
"So do I, but that doesn't mean I jump out of bed to go for a walk."
"Okay, firstly, I am not jumping out of bed," Regina said flatly. "And secondly-" the rest of the sentence drowned in a sharp gasp. Then she gave a yowl of pain and folded over her large belly.
"Regina?" Emma was immediately alarmed. "What happened?"
"No sé," Regina groaned. "Something just really hurts all the sudden!"
"Something?" Emma echoed. She needed more details than that. "Like… birth related stuff?"
"I don't know, I don't think so, but… it just really hurts," Regina groaned again, and Emma literally climbed over the bed to get to her faster.
"Where does it hurt?" she asked, gently holding Regina's shoulders and thoughts spiking all over the place. Regina couldn't be in labor, right? It was too early!
"I don't know, like… here?" Regina vaguely pointed to a spot near her pubic bone. "It feels like its spreading to my thighs too, but I don't know what it means!"
Neither did Emma. She had never heard of labor pains spreading to the thighs. She was by no means an expert, but it didn't sound like Regina was in labor.
Still, one couldn't be sure. And if Regina was in labor, it wouldn't necessarily mean that the baby would be in distress.
"Okay, just lie back down again, I'll get my mom and ask her opinion!" Her mom was a goldmine of information when it came to all the little secrets regarding pregnancy.
"I can't," Regina groaned. "I need to use the bathroom."
Of course. Emma could have kicked herself. Regina always needed the bathroom first thing in the morning. "Alright. I'll help you then."
Regina gave another groan and didn't protest when Emma took her arm and gently slipped it over her shoulder. She then draped her own arm around Regina's waist. "Ready?"
"No," said Regina and gave another yowl of pain when she slowly shifted forward to stand.
"Are you sure you're not in labor?"
"¡¿Cómo diablos debería saberlo?!" Regina snarled. "I've never experienced labor pains before, Emma! I don't have a manual for what does and does not happen!"
"Of course not," Emma said and felt stupid. "I'm sorry!"
Regina didn't answer. She was much too concentrated on standing up.
With Emma's help, she managed, but her face was white and her breath heavy. And it had nothing to do with her being out of breath. It was out of pain, Emma could see that. And she was fucking worried. Something was definitely going on, but she had no idea what. Pain in the pubic area radiating to the thighs didn't sound like labor pains, and Emma was struggling to come up with a reason as she helped Regina walk towards the door.
"I think it's in my lower back too," Regina whimpered as they reached the hallway. "Can we take a break, it really hurts!"
Emma automatically stopped and asked if there was anything she could do.
Regina shook her head no.
"Did you do something during yoga yesterday? I'm not saying its your fault or anything, I'm just looking for a reason."
"I was only s-stretching," Regina groaned and leaned heavily against the wall. "Doing the exercises Doctor Whale told me to do."
"And did you feel anything? Any clicking or popping, or…?"
"No."
"Okay." This was getting more and more mysterious. "Did you feel anything when you sat up this morning? Clicking? Popping?"
"No, the only thing I felt was this sharp, shooting pain in my pelvis," Regina said, breathing heavily. "It happened as soon as I was about to get out of bed!"
"Hm." Emma frowned. Regina could have pulled something, she definitely could. But that type of thing was typically only located in the lower back, wasn't it? Not in the pelvis.
"Oh god, I really need the bathroom," Regina huffed and inched her way closer to the bathroom door with one hand on the wall. "Ow, ow, ow, ow!"
Two things happened at once. Emma rushed forward to help her struggling girlfriend, and Emma's mother came running up the stairs, surprisingly fast for a woman her age.
"What's going on?" she demanded. "I heard Regina saying ow!"
"Tengo que ir al baño," Regina whispered. She looked to be on the verge of tears now. "But it hurts so badly!"
Emma's mom didn't waste time on asking why and where. She simply stepped forward and took Regina's arm.
Emma took Regina's other arm, and they joined forces as they helped Regina walk the rest of the way to the bathroom.
"Knock when you're done," Emma's mother instructed. "And don't lock the door, alright?"
"Alright," Regina murmured.
Emma's mom gently closed the bathroom door behind Regina so she could do her business in private, and then she turned to Emma. "What is going on?"
"I don't know." Emma's voice was perhaps a bit sharper than intended, but she couldn't help it. She was worried about Regina, and it frustrated her that she couldn't help.
"Where is she in pain?" her mom asked patiently.
"Pelvic area. But it's also radiating to her thighs and lower back, and I have no idea what that means! Is it…" Emma nearly choked on the word. "Birth related?" oh god, she was not ready to have a baby today!
"I don't think so," her mom said, now frowning softly. "I have a suspicion of what's going on, but I am not a doctor, and in order to be certain, I believe it would be a good idea to have Regina checked out by a professional."
"But we can't load her into the car when she's like this!" Emma hissed. "No way! She's barely able to walk…"
"She won't," her mom said, still patient. "I'll phone Doctor Whale and ask him to do a house call."
"Oh." Emma relaxed slightly. "Yeah, that's… a good idea."
Her mom patted her shoulder. "Regina will be alright, honey. Try not to worry. She's not in labor."
"How can you be so sure?" Emma grunted.
"Because labor pains doesn't come like in the movies." Her mother chuckled softly. "It comes gradually. Not all at once."
Emma mumbled under her breath. She was paranoid. Regina being in any kind of pain at this stage, immediately made her think of labor.
She heard the water run. Then a very weak little knock.
"May we open the door?" her mother asked.
"Sí," came the answer from the bathroom.
Emma opened the door and found Regina leaning heavily against the sink. The pain was clearly persisting.
"Alright, let's get you back to bed, dear," Emma's mom said briskly and walked over to Regina.
Emma did the same, and together they helped Regina back to bed. It was a slow process. Regina winced at each step she took, and Emma was relieved when they reached the bedroom. But only for a brief moment. Because now came the next hurdle. Getting Regina back to bed.
Regina clenched her jaw and mumbled under her breath in Spanish. Most likely cuss words that were too garbled to be fully audible. She bit her lip and blinked very rapidly as Emma and her mom helped her get back in bed.
"Almost there," Emma promised as she carefully lifted Regina's legs.
Regina muttered something again. Then let out a huge breath.
So did Emma. Regina was back in bed. Where she needed to be. She tenderly covered Regina with the duvet and took her hand.
"Regina, I'm going to call the doctor so he can come and examine you, alright?" Emma's mom said. "We have to get to the bottom of this."
"Sí." Regina nodded and looked at Mary Margaret with wide eyes. "Do you think I'm in labor? Or is there something wrong with the baby?"
"No," Mary Margaret said quickly and smiled reassuringly at Regina. "I don't think this is related to the baby at all. I'll be back in a moment."
She left Emma's old bedroom in a hurry, and Emma settled down on the bedside with Regina's hand in her own.
"How are you feeling now?"
"It is better when I'm laying down," Regina said and gave a meek little smile. "I'm sorry that I snapped."
"I'm sorry I asked you stupid questions when you were in pain and couldn't focus." Emma kissed her hand. "We'll fix this, beautiful girl. No matter what it is, we'll fix it."
"If it is labor pains, I suppose the baby will fix it," Regina tried to joke.
Emma didn't smile. She hoped that wasn't what was going on. Even though Blueberry most likely would be okay, it was still four weeks too early.
"Shouldn't you be getting ready for work, querida?"
Emma huffed. "Yeah, right. I'm not going anywhere until I know what's going on with you!"
"But-"
"No buts." Emma squeezed her hand. "You and the baby comes first. Always. All the time. No matter what."
Regina smiled. "I hope it's nothing bad."
"It's not," Emma said automatically.
"I feel like I've had my fair share of accidents already."
"It'll be okay," Emma soothed. "How is the pain now?"
"Much better. I can barely feel it, actually. Maybe it is silly to call the doctor out here. I probably just pulled something. Or got out of bed too quickly."
"Maybe. But I think Doctor Whale should examine you. Just to be sure."
"Mmm." Regina's eyes widened a little. "Oh dios, imagine if he tells us that I'm in labor? We haven't even packed a hospital bag yet!"
"We will. I'll pack one for you today if you like."
"You have to go to work."
Emma ignored that and concentrated on holding Regina's hand. No way she would be going to work until she knew exactly what was going on with Regina. And all depending on the diagnosis, she was more than prepared to cancel work today. Regina and the baby was her first priority.
The door to the bedroom was opened, and Emma's mom poked her head in. "I've phoned the doctor, Regina. He should be here in about ten minutes. I've also phoned your father. He's on his way too."
"Oh." Regina cringed. "I hope he wasn't too worried?"
"He was worried, but not too worried. He'll be happy to see you."
"I hope he's not rushing to get here. That's not good for his health."
Emma smiled. Regina sounded much more like herself now. The pain clearly wasn't so bad when she was laying down, thank god. That was a relief. That the pain was manageable. But it was still a mystery why Regina had experienced the pain. It was too early to rule out anything, but Emma didn't think that this was labor pains. Her mom was probably right, it wouldn't start like this. Wouldn't be so intense right from the get-go.
"Can you help me convince your daughter to go to work?" Regina asked Mary Margaret.
"Absolutely not," Mary Margaret said shortly and chuckled. "My daughter won't be going anywhere anytime soon."
She was entirely correct about that.
Henry arrived first, and he of course had a myriad of concerned questions for Regina. What was going on? Where was the pain located?
"Are you in labor, Mija?" he asked in one breath.
"No, I don't think so," Regina said patiently. "The pain is barely there now. I think we might have overreacted…"
"It is still better to be safe than sorry," Emma's mother said.
"I quite agree," said Henry and nodded.
"Me, too," Emma said.
"I'm outnumbered." Regina clicked her tongue.
"Sweetheart, you were in so much pain only moments ago," Emma reminded her. "Nobody is overreacting."
"She's right," Mary Margaret said kindly. "It may seem like paranoia, but it is better to get these things checked out."
"You're right," Regina agreed. "Of course."
It didn't take long before Doctor Whale arrived with his little bag and his usual professionalism. "Good morning, Regina. What seems to be the problem here?"
"Well, she was about to get out of bed when she suddenly got these really intense pains that-"
"Emma." Her mom put a hand on her shoulder. "He asked Regina. Not you."
"Oh," Emma said sheepishly, rightfully scolded. She didn't want to throttle Regina. "Sorry."
Regina flashed her a little smile. "You just can't help yourself, can you?" she turned her attention to Doctor Whale. "As Emma so kindly has explained, I was indeed getting out of bed when I experienced some pretty bad pain."
"I see. And where was the pain located?" Doctor Whale asked.
"In my pelvic area."
"Okay. And did it radiate anywhere?"
"Thighs and a little bit in my lower back." Regina frowned. "It was very strange."
"Is it related to the birth?" Emma asked. That didn't qualify as 'throttling'. It was just a simple question.
"No, I don't believe so," the doctor said. "How is the pain now, Regina?"
"Better."
"On a scale of one to ten, one being no pain at all and ten the worst pain you've ever felt."
"I'd say like a three," Regina answered.
"Hmm." Doctor Whale settled down on her bedside. "Do you mind if I just have a feel?"
"Sure, go ahead."
Doctor Whale pushed the blanket out of the way and moved his hand to just below Regina's enormous belly.
Regina hissed at the first touch.
"Be careful!" Emma snapped, immediately protective and fighting the urge to shove Doctor Whale away.
Doctor Whale cleverly ignored her. "Can you move your legs for me, Regina?"
Regina moved her legs. It didn't appear to be one bit comfortable.
"Is that painful?"
"Sí, a little."
"Alright. I promise I won't put you through too much, but I need you to sit up for me."
"Does she really have to?" Emma complained.
Regina flashed her a little smile. "It'll be alright, querida. Don't worry."
"Yeah, right." Emma huffed. As if.
Regina chuckled and rolled her eyes. Then she slowly sat up. The movement was clearly painful for her.
Doctor Whale touched her lower back carefully, earned himself another quiet hiss from Regina and a warning glare from Emma.
"Hmm," said Doctor Whale again. "Try and carefully swing your legs out of bed, Regina. Like you're about to stand."
Regina did as instructed and groaned. "You're not going to ask me to stand, are you?"
"No, I think I've seen enough," Doctor Whale said. "You just lie down and relax."
"Gracías." Regina looked very relieved as she settled back in bed again.
Gracías indeed, Emma thought to herself and said out loud: "so? What's the verdict?"
"I believe that Regina has what we call 'pelvic girdle pain'."
"Pelvic girdle what?" Emma frowned. She had never heard about that before.
"Pelvic girdle pain," Doctor Whale patiently repeated. "It is fairly common during pregnancy. One in five women experiences pelvic girdle pain. It often starts out as mild back pains and then peaks in the third trimester. It is of course caused by increased strain on the back and pelvis muscles. It is also very normal that the pain radiates to the thighs."
"Oh." Emma was relieved that it wasn't birth related, but she was obviously still concerned. "What can be done about it?"
"Well, for right now, I'm putting you on bedrest, Regina. With the way you responded to touch, I'd say you suffer with severe pelvic girdle pain, so right now it is essential that you get rest."
"Okay." Regina didn't look overly satisfied with that. "For how long?"
"One week."
"One week?" Regina's voice went a bit high pitched. "¡Por favor dime que estás bromeando!"
"It'll be okay," Emma said quickly and took Regina's hand.
Regina didn't look convinced and frowned as she asked Doctor Whale: "and after one week? What then?"
"Well, you have to avoid lifting heavy things. Don't sit or stand for too long. Avoid pushing heavy things. No vacuum cleaning. Keep your knees together during sidewise movements. You're to avoid all strenuous activities. If the pain still persists after the week of bedrest, I can recommend a variation of things acupuncture. Heat packs. Massage. Physiotherapy. Warm baths. And pelvic support belts. Should the pain worsen, mobility aids such as crutches or walking frames may be necessary, but I doubt it'll go that far. I think a week of bedrest will be enough to cure the pain you're experiencing. But it is essential that you stay in bed as much as possible. Meaning, don't get out of bed unless you have a very, very good reason for doing so."
Now Regina was most definitely pouting. Which would have looked adorable had the situation been any different, but right now, Emma wasn't amused. She only felt sorry for her girlfriend.
"Nosotras nos encargaremos de ti, mijah," Henry said softly.
"Lo sé. Eso es lo que temía," Regina said glumly. "I don't want to be taken care of. At least not like this."
"I understand that this is a huge inconvenience," Emma's mother said kindly. "But it is not forever, Regina."
Regina let out a puff of air but mustered a smile for Doctor Whale. "Thank you for coming so quickly, Doctor Whale."
"It's what I'm here for," Doctor Whale smiled and stood from Regina's bedside. "You take care of yourself, Regina. And if the pain gets worse, call me immediately, alright?"
"Alright."
There seemed to be some kind of silent agreement that Emma's mother and Henry walked Doctor Whale out while Emma stayed with Regina.
As soon as the bedroom door had closed behind them, Regina let out an aggravated, frustrated sigh. "Perfecta."
"I'm sorry, honey," Emma said tenderly and kissed the side of Regina's head. "I know this is less than ideal."
"I suppose this means no sex," Regina said dully.
Emma was slightly taken aback but also deeply flattered that that was the first thing on Regina's mind. "I- yeah, I guess it does."
"Fuck."
"No… apparently not." Emma had no idea whether her joke would land well or not, but she was relieved when she saw Regina smile.
"Clearly not," she agreed, huffing and leaning back against the pillows. "This is so annoying!"
"I know, I know. I'm so sorry, beautiful girl."
"'Pelvic girdle pain'," Regina said sardonically and huffed. "It sounds like an ailment from the eighteen hundreds."
"It does actually." Emma chuckled a bit. Even though this definitely was not funny.
"I don't wanna be stuck up here for an entire week," Regina complained. She was starting to look genuinely miserable, and Emma wanted to comfort her.
"It'll be alright," she assured. "I'll be here to entertain you."
"What are you gonna do?" Regina snarked. "Perform a circus number for me?"
Emma didn't take the snark personally. She understood why Regina was frustrated. "Yes. If it would make you smile, then definitely."
That coaxed a little smile out of Regina. And a sheepish: "lo siento, querida. I don't mean to sound like a complete perra, but-"
"Don't call yourself that," Emma firmly interrupted. "And don't apologize. I get. You're frustrated. I'd be too right now if I were you. Bedrest sucks."
"It does!" Regina wholeheartedly agreed with that. She brought a hand up and pushed a lock of hair away from her face. Then she adjusted a bit in bed. The movement was so slow and careful, but Emma still saw her face contort in pain.
"Thighs? Lower back?" she asked worriedly.
"Actually, that one went right up my crotch," Regina said flatly.
"Oh. Ouch!"
"Sí. Ouch is right."
"Is there anything I can do?"
Regina tilted her head and quirked an eyebrow. "Is this the part where you offer me a massage, querida?"
"Well…" Emma laughed a bit. "I would have said yes, but I'm pretty sure you're not after an innocent massage."
"I can be perfectly innocent during it."
"Like hell you can," Emma chuckled and kissed the side of Regina's head again. "Thank god you haven't lost your sense of humor, beautiful girl."
"Considering that Doctor Whale just walked off with my sex life, I think I'm doing pretty well."
"That was a rather disturbing way to put it."
"I know." Regina cracked a smile.
Emma heard a sound indicating that Doctor Whale had left, and she stood from the bed. "Now… What would you like for breakfast?"
"Breakfast?" Regina echoed, lifting an eyebrow. "You're supposed to go to work."
"Work?" Emma scoffed. "No way, I'm not going anywhere when you're unwell!"
"I'm not unwell."
"You're in pain," Emma pointed out.
"Sí, when I move. Which is why I'll stop doing that. And you're going to work."
"No, I'm not. I'm not leaving you all alone here!" absolutely not. It was a weekday. Meaning that her mom would be going to work in less than an hour. And knowing Regina, she would probably reject help from her father. Insist that he shouldn't be straining himself even though Henry was doing perfectly well after his operation.
"Actually…"
Emma turned her head in the direction of her father's voice and found him poking his head into the bedroom.
"Knock, knock," he said. "May I come in?"
"Sí," Regina said and smiled.
Emma's dad came into the bedroom. "I heard what happened. I'm really sorry, Regina."
"Gracías, David."
"How are you feeling?"
"Pretty good. As long as I don't move around too much. I've been put on bedrest."
"Yes, I heard," he nodded.
"And she can't get out of bed," Emma said through gritted teeth. "If she does, the pain will come back, and she can't be here all by herself, so I'm staying home from work!"
"You can't," Regina said firmly. "This is an important job, querida. And either way, it is too late to cancel now!"
"Well, that's too bad." Emma huffed and curled her hands into fists. "'Cause I'm not going! No way in hell am I going to-"
"Actually, I have the day off from working at the station," her father interrupted. "I'll be here all day, and I would be more than happy to help out."
"Oh." Emma felt relief settle in her chest.
Regina didn't look too convinced though. "That is incredibly kind of you, David, but I cannot ask you to do that."
"Then it's a good thing that you didn't," David chuckled. "I offered. I'll be right downstairs, and you have my number, so you just text me whenever you need something. I'll keep my phone by my side all the time. And your dad is planning on spending the day here as well. He had to pop over to Granny's to cancel an appointment, but he told me that he would be right back."
"Hm." Regina tilted her head and grinned a bit. "Had to cancel an appointment at Granny's, did he?"
"Yes," Emma's dad said. He seemed confused, but Emma knew what Regina was hinting at, and she too grinned. Henry's romance with Eugenia was getting more and more obvious. It was a wonder that he hadn't picked up on it already.
"Now, what would you like for breakfast, Regina?" Emma's dad asked kindly. "I can whip up just about anything."
"Oatmeal is fine. Or perhaps some toast."
He frowned. "No, no, no, that is not nearly good enough for my daughter-in-law. Mary Margaret brought a box of pancake mix last night. How does pancakes sound?"
"It sounds… Very nice. But really, you don't need to make me a big breakfast."
He ignored that. "Pancakes it is. I'll go make that right now. I'll be right back."
"Are you making some for me too?" Emma called after him.
"Yes, Princess," came the response from somewhere on the stairs.
Regina sniggered, but Emma rolled her eyes. "He just had to throw in the 'princess', didn't he?"
"Sí, and it was adorable."
Emma huffed. For several reasons. "I guess I'm going to work today."
"Yes, querida. You're going to work."
"Urgh. I don't wanna."
"You gotta. I won't be good company. I'll just be grumpy all the time."
"You're cute when you're grumpy, though."
"It's dangerous to tease a pregnant woman, mi amor," Regina warned.
Emma immediately stopped teasing. But she silently stood her ground. Regina was cute when she was grumpy.
"I guess I better hop in the shower then," she said instead.
"Can I go with you?" Regina joked.
"No," Emma said strictly. "Absolutely not."
"Maldición."
"I won't be long," Emma promised as she stood from the bedside and very reluctantly left the bedroom.
She was indeed fast. So fast, the pancakes weren't even done when she returned to the bedroom now cozy in her big, fluffy bathrobe.
Regina hadn't moved much. She was still in bed, of course. But now she had pushed the duvet away from her legs and was currently brushing out her long hair. She was cringing, but that was most likely only because her hair was tangled.
"Have I missed anything?" Emma asked as she settled down in front of the little vanity so she could do her makeup. The birthday party she was photographing at, was a formal affair, and Emma had to look the part.
"A few almighty kicks, but apart from that, nothing. I'm already bored, though," Regina joked.
"Before I leave, I'll bring my laptop up here so you can watch a movie or a series," Emma promised. "But don't watch Game of Thrones without me, though." She and Regina had been watching Game Of Thrones at night for the past week. It had been their little bedtime ritual, and it was very nice.
"I promise I won't," Regina vowed, sitting up a bit more properly and smiling at Emma in the mirror.
Emma returned the smile. "Are you creeping on me while I put on makeup?"
"Sí," Regina said shamelessly. "It's fascinating to watch you put on your work-face."
"My work-face," Emma chuckled. "I like that term."
She went to war and began applying her 'work-face'. Foundation, eyeliner, mascara, lipstick, all that jazz. She could see in the mirror that Regina was watching her, and there was something incredibly nice about it. Regina looked so utterly fascinated. Enthralled.
Had she not been in a little bit of a hurry, she definitely would have made a point of applying her makeup slower so Regina could get the full experience, so to speak.
She was in the middle of covering the worst pimples when there was a knock on the bedroom door.
"Come in," Regina said.
The door was opened, and Emma's father stepped in. Carrying a lavish breakfast tray with a plate of golden pancakes sprinkled with chocolate sauce and not one but two cups of hot chocolate.
"Breakfast is served," he said with a rather horrible French accent.
Emma had a sneaking suspicion he was trying to imitate Lumiére from Beauty and the Beast, but failed miserably. She sighed gravely and wondered if she was too old to get teenage embarrassed about her dear old dad.
"¡Dios mío, eso se ve increíble!" Regina exclaimed, clapping her hands. "David, this is too much!"
"Anything for my daughter-in-law," David said.
"Hey," Emma piped up, reminding her dear old dad of her existence.
"And my daughter," he amended, winking at her. "There's enough for two, Princess."
"Dad…" Emma groaned.
He just laughed and left the room.
Regina dug into the stack of pancakes, but she couldn't have eaten much more than a mouthful before her phone started ringing.
"Oh, look at that," she said after having glanced at the screen. "It's Cora. She's…. Facetiming me. That's new."
"Are you gonna answer her?"
"Claro," Regina said lightly. In the mirror, Emma saw her swipe a finger across the phone screen and lifting a hand to wave. "Hola, Cora."
"Good morning, Regina," came Cora's voice. "Oh. You're still in bed. I apologize. I should have texted before calling."
"No, no, that's perfectly fine. I'll be stuck in bed for a while." Her voice was full of complaints again, and Emma fully sympathized with her.
"What do you mean?" she heard Cora asked.
"Well, this morning I experienced some pretty bad pains when getting out of bed," Regina explained. "It hurt to walk, so Mary Margaret send for a doctor for me."
"Oh, goodness. Are you alright?!"
Cora was concerned. Emma could hear it in her voice. And it was fascinating to discover that Cora's voice got the same slightly high pitched edge as Regina's. Perhaps there was similarities between them after all.
"Sí, sí, I'm fine. But I apparently have something called pelvic girdle pain. I had no idea that even existed until today."
There was muttering in the background. Well, in Cora's background. Even Emma could here that it came from there.
"Is that Malaina?" Regina asked. "Is she close by?"
"Yes," Cora answered. "She is right here."
"Well, she's welcome to come say hi if she wants to," Regina said lightly and chuckled. "The more the merrier."
As Emma applied a bit of lipstick, she heard some shuffling. Then Malaina's voice: "Hello Regina."
"Hey, Malaina," Regina said calmly. "Good morning."
"Good morning. I heard about the pelvic girdle pain. I am sorry. Has the doctor put you on bedrest?"
"Sí, he has. For a full week." Regina sounded a bit bitter again.
"Well, I'm sure that'll help. I was experiencing pelvic girdle pain too when I was pregnant with Lily."
"Oh yes?" Regina was intrigued now. "And were you put on bedrest too?"
"I was, yes," Malaina confirmed. "For two weeks. By the time I was allowed out of bed, I felt much better."
"And it didn't complicate the birth or anything?"
"No, not at all. Well, I had to stay in bed a little longer afterwards, but honestly, that wasn't a problem at all."
"It won't be either here," Emma blurted out.
"Good morning, Emma," said Cora.
"'Morning, Cora," Emma said politely. "Good morning, Malaina." She hadn't expected herself to participate in this conversation, but oh well.
"Was your pain very bad?" Regina asked Malaina.
"It was, yes."
"Malaina," Cora scolded from somewhere.
"Darling, I'm sure Regina isn't interested in hearing some watered down version of it."
"That's right," Regina confirmed and exchanged a look with Emma.
Emma understood why. It had to be quite unusual for Regina to hear someone refer to Cora as 'darling'.
"I'm back, Mija! Is everything- oh."
Henry's voice had Emma putting down her mascara and turning her head. She saw him standing in the doorway. His gaze flickered to Regina's phone screen, and Emma realized that this was the first time he saw Malaina. Oh.
"I am sorry," Henry said, sounding only a bit awkward. "I did not realize you were on the phone, Reggie." He looked at the screen again. "Good morning, Cora."
"Good morning, Henry," said Cora. She too looked a bit awkward.
But Regina took it all in strides. "Daddy, this is Malaina. Malaina, this is my father. Henry."
"Hello, Henry," said Malaina. "It is good to meet you."
"Likewise," Henry said, and he was even smiling a little.
"I was just giving Cora and Malaina the latest update," Regina explained.
"Oh. May I join in?" Henry asked.
"Claro. The more the merrier," Regina repeated and chuckled.
He sat down on her bedside, and Emma noticed that a new scent had just entered the bedroom. There was a distinct smell of cinnamon. That particular cinnamon they had at Granny's Diner. The cinnamon Granny always smelled of. So if Henry was smelling of the same kind of cinnamon as Granny, he had to have been quite close to Granny. Like right next to her. Or kissing her.
Emma tried to hide her grin, but when she looked at Regina, she saw that her girlfriend was wearing her own grin to match. She had definitely noticed it too.
'Aaaw,' Emma mouthed to her.
'lo sé,' Regina mouthed back.
"I have a distinct feeling that I am missing out on something," Cora said.
This caused Henry to look at Regina. "Mijah?"
"Oh, sorry, just a little inside joke between me and Emma," Regina said lightly and cleared her throat. "Anyway, shall I tell you about the kick Blueberry just gave me?"
Naturally, everyone was interested in hearing about that. Emma included. She wished that she didn't have to go to work.
To Be Continued….