Emma felt a tingle spreading from the top of her head and to the tips of her toes. It was time. It was finally time! Oh god, she couldn't believe this! Nor was she even ready! It still felt like there was a million things she had to learn. Did she remember enough of the Lamaze classes? Would she truly be able to support Regina in the way she needed to be supported?
But Regina's concerns seemed much more earthly and practical. "Oh, your rug! Look at this mess! Mary Margaret, I'm so sorry! I'll fix it, I'll pay for a new-"
"Forget about the rug, dear," Emma's mom gently interrupted and walked over to her. "It's about you now."
"Okay." Regina easily surrendered. "Do I need to go to the hospital or anything?"
"I'll call Doctor Whale and tell him that your water has broken, and I think he'll want to see you and check that everything is okay, but he'll most likely send you home again."
"Fine by me," Regina said lightly. "I'll just change my clothes. And call my dad. He's on high alert these days, and it wouldn't be fair to keep him waiting." She glanced down at the wet spot on the rug and cringed. "I really am sorry, Mary Margaret."
"Nonsense," Emma's mom brushed her off and smiled. "You go on and call your dad and change your clothes. I'll phone Doctor Whale and give him an update."
"Gracías." Regina returned the smile and turned around. She headed towards the hallway and the stairs, and Emma was immediately right behind her.
"Wait for me," she said softly. "I'd like to go with you."
"But of course, mi amor." Regina stopped and gave Emma a chance to catch up with her.
Emma followed her up the stairs. She still felt that prickling sensation on her scalp. The excitement mixed with anxiety made her skin pull tight and feel funny all over.
Regina was the first one to make it up the stairs, and she didn't slow down when she reached the hallway.
Emma was right behind her. When they reached the door to her bedroom, Emma stepped in front of her and opened the door for her.
"Oh. Gracías, querida."
"You're welcome. How are you feeling?" Emma asked as they headed inside the bedroom.
"Quite well."
"Any contractions?"
"Not at the moment, no. I just really want to change my clothes."
"Yeah, I can understand that. That was.. an intense amount of liquid."
"Tell me about it," Regina sighed. "I had expected it to be a slow trickle, but that was a literal gush. And the sound it made was so strange. Like a pop from inside me. That was weird."
"I can imagine so."
"Quiero bañarme," Regina said. "But I don't know if I'm supposed to shower before I've been examined…"
Emma didn't know either.
"Oh well. I'll at least change my clothes," Regina decided. "I feel warm anyways…"
She began peeling her grey pajamas and underwear off. She winced slightly as she slipped into a fresh pair of panties and put on a pair of sweatpants and a soft, blue t-shirt with long sleeves. Then she tied her hair back in a low ponytail. "There. That's better. But god, I'm craving a shower!"
"I'm sure you can take one after Doctor Whale has examined you," Emma soothed.
"I really hope so. Well, I better call my dad. I hope the phone is close to his bed. I'd hate for him to rush out of bed. That's not good for his heart."
Emma knew for a fact that Henry was sleeping with his phone under his pillow. He had told her that. And had furthermore revealed that he had done so for the past week.
Regina picked up her phone and tapped at the screen for a second. Then she sat down on the edge of Emma's bed and lifted the phone to her ear. She cradled her belly with one hand as she waited. Then she smiled a little. "Hola papi. Perdón por despertarte en medio de la noche, pero acabo de romper fuente."
Emma could clearly hear Henry's voice in the other end. Obviously, he wasn't yelling, but he was definitely talking rather loudly. And he sounded excited.
"No, I don't think that's necessary yet. Mary Margaret's just called Doctor Whale, so I'm guessing he'll want to examine me, but nothing major is going to happen for the next long while, so you might as well-" Regina's eyes widened slightly, and judging by the look on her face, Henry had just cut her off. He was talking loudly again.
"Alright, tú también puedes hacer eso. Por supuesto. Sí. Te veo pronto. Adiós."
With that, she hung up and chuckled. "Silly old man. I told him that nothing's gonna happen for a while, but he still insisted to meet me at the hospital."
"Well, duh," Emma said plainly. "Can't blame him."
"It'll just be a waiting game, though," Regina insisted.
"A waiting game we all want to be present for, beautiful girl."
"Sí, looks like it," Regina chuckled.
"How are you feeling?"
"Perfectly fine. Nothing to report. As I said, waiting game."
"I don't mind a good waiting game." Emma sat down next to Regina and took her hand.
There was a gentle knock on the door, and as soon as Regina had said 'come in', Emma's mom poked her head in. "I just talked to Doctor Whale, Regina. He says that we don't have to come to the hospital. He'll come here and examine you instead."
"Oh, perfect!" Regina said happily. "I think I would fall asleep in the car if we had to drive anywhere." She lifted a hand and hid a yawn behind it.
Emma chuckled softly and asked her mom. "So when's he coming?"
"He should be here in about five minutes or so."
"No time for a shower then." Regina rolled her eyes the littlest bit.
"Unfortunately not, dear. But if everything looks a-okay- which we are expecting- you can take a bath afterwards."
"Oooh," Regina cooed. "That sounds perfect!" she then reached for her phone and said that she would alert her dad that the plans had changed.
While she did that, Emma's mom went back downstairs, and Emma made herself useful by unzipping the hospital bag and checking that they had in fact packed everything. Comfortable clothes that were soft and loose fitting. A nursing bra. The soft bathrobe she had purchased for Regina a few weeks ago. Toiletries including hairbrush, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, lip balm, hair ties and dry shampoo.
The birth plan. An extra long cell phone charging cord. There were people Regina would need to call afterwards, and Emma had heard rumors that hospital beds were notoriously far away from the electrical outlets.
Snacks. And drinks. Extra salted chips. Crackers. A protein bar. Carrot sticks. Bottles of water. A pack of cookies. Several cream soda. Emma had been determined to pack just a little bit of everything for Regina. There was no way of telling what Regina would be in the mood for, so Emma preferred to cover all areas.
Pillows. And a bath towel. Henry had told her that the hospital towels weren't all that good, and Emma would be damned if Regina's first post-delivery shower should end in her using a horrible scratchy towel. No way.
Diapers. Body stockings. The tiny little bear suit Emma's mom had bought for the baby. That would be the official 'going home'-outfit for the little one.
Car seat. Important too. Very important.
There were also a few items for Emma in the bag. A book. Her headphones. A sleeping bag and a pillow just in case. But she wasn't counting on sleeping at all.
And last but not least, a postpartum recovery kit. Which included a delivery and nursing gown. A pair of socks. Some kind of healing foam Emma wasn't quite sure was exactly. Special pads with cooling effect and 'disposable postpartum underwear'.
Regina had wrinkled her nose at all that. Had called it 'terribly humiliating' and claimed that the underwear looked like a 'giant diaper'.
But Emma had of course taken it all in strides. She knew that there were all kinds of things going on down there after giving birth, and she much preferred that Regina had the remedies for any situation. She couldn't see anything humiliating about it. Not at all.
"I have a distinct feeling that my dad is gonna ask his chauffeur to speed all the way here," Regina said, pulling Emma out of her manic checking of the hospital bag. "And if I find out that the feeling is correct, he and I are going to have words."
Emma laughed. "I take it he was excited?"
"Much too excited given that nothing much is going on yet." Regina hid another yawn behind her hand. "Goodness me, I'm already tired."
"Maybe you should lie down?" Emma suggested.
Regina lifted an eyebrow.
"At least while you're waiting for the doctor," Emma added.
"Very well," Regina surrendered. She elegantly lied down on Emma's back. Stretched her arms above her head. Like a careless cat in the sun.
Emma chuckled. Was silently impressed at how remarkably calm Regina was. She didn't seem nervous at all. Of course it was possible that it was a façade, but Emma's gut feeling was telling her that it wasn't.
"I wonder who will be here first," Regina mused out loud. "The doctor or my dad.."
"Well…" Emma grinned. "I'll bet five dollars that your dad will be here first."
"You're on. Then I'll put five dollars on the doctor being here first."
"Bold."
"I know. I like living boldly," Regina joked. She elegantly crossed her ankles and rubbed her belly.
Emma bit her tongue not to ask if Regina could feel anything. She could tell by the look on Regina's face that there still was nothing to report.
Shortly after, they heard the sound of a car in the driveway. The gravel crunched, and Emma walked over to the window to see who it was.
"Oh, bad luck, honey," she joked. "It's your dad. Which means you owe me five dollars."
"Hmm," Regina drawled. "I'm not sure I have five dollars in my wallet. Can't I give you something else?"
"I'm open for suggestions, beautiful girl. Do you have something special in mind?"
"Well, how about a baby?" Regina bared her teeth in a grin. "That I can deliver to you. In a while."
"Hmm, let's see… Five dollars or a baby?" Emma pretended to think long and hard about it. "I think I'll go with the baby."
"Buena elección," Regina praised. "I think you're going to be happy about that decision, mi amor."
"I think so too," Emma said softly. "I really, really do."
Now they could hear voices from downstairs. Emma recognized her dad's voice. So the hustle and bustle had roused him from his slumber. She also heard Henry's voice. It was half-loud and tight with what Emma suspected was a mixture of excitement and anxiety.
Her dad muttered lowly, and Emma noted that he didn't sound overly calm either. It was quite cute that David was so worried about his daughter-in-law.
"Reggie?!" Henry called up the stairs.
"Up here," Regina called. "And it's Regina, dad. Not Reggie. It is never Reggie."
Emma snickered quietly.
It didn't take long before they heard Henry coming up the stairs. Soon he was standing in the doorway, red faced and panting slightly. "Reggie!" he exclaimed, clearly unaware, or perhaps ignoring what Regina had just said. "Mija, ¿cómo estás? ¿Estás adolorido?"
"Estoy bien," Regina answered as her dad came over to her and kissed her forehead. "There's no serious pain yet. I think it'll be a while."
"Finalmente es hora," Henry breathed and took Regina's hand. "My little girl is having a baby! ¡Voy a ser abuelo!"
"Sí, soon," Regina chuckled. "Did Eugenia give you a ride?"
"She did. She sends her love."
"That was nice of her. You make sure to tell her that I'm- oh my god!" Regina's eyes widened.
"What is it?" Emma was immediately alarmed. "Are you in pain?"
"No, but I have forgotten to call Cora! Dios, how could something like that slip my mind?" Regina huffed and quietly blamed herself in Spanish as she reached for her phone.
Emma watched her tap on the screen and then lift the phone to her ear.
"Let's hope the phone isn't too far away from her bed either," Regina murmured. "She's probably asleep, but- Cora!"
Not asleep then, Emma thought to herself.
"I know it's late," Regina said into the phone. "But I've had the first contractions, and my water has just broken, so…" she fell silent and listened.
Emma could clearly hear Cora's voice through the phone. Like Henry, she was asking how Regina was feeling.
"So far, so good," Regina said lightly. "Just mild contractions that doesn't hurt. They're just a bit irritating. The doctor is coming to check me out in a moment, and I think we're just going to be staying here. Yes, I'm definitely hoping to take a nap later. If I can sleep through at least a little bit of this, I'll be grateful. Sí, Emma is right here. Yes, daddy too. They're both here. And I doubt either of them will want to leave my side anytime soon." She laughed softly. "Sí, I'll make sure to give updates. Well, me or Emma or daddy. Depending on whether I'm in a position to talk or not. Alright. Thank you. Bye, Cora."
She put the phone down and folded her hands behind her head again.
"What did Cora say, Cielo?" Henry asked.
"She asked how I was feeling and advised me to get as much rest as I possibly can. And she requested updates. I trust either of you will be in charge of that as things progress…"
"Of course," Emma and Henry said in unison.
"And she wished me good luck," Regina continued and smiled. "Malaina too. I heard her in the background."
"That's nice," Emma said.
"Cora actually sounded excited," Regina said softly. "It was nice to hear. I think she was asleep before, but I don't think she'll go back to sleep."
"No, I don't think so either," Emma said. "She'll be way too excited."
"Mmm." Regina nodded absentmindedly, and Emma was sure she could see the conflict in her eyes.
"Honey?" she asked softly.
"It's nothing," Regina said quickly. "Cora is in New York, and I will call her when it's over. It's better."
Emma frowned.
"If that is what you really want, Cielo," Henry said gently. "Es tu decisión."
"Sí, it is. And my mind has been made up," Regina said firmly in that tone she always used when she was done discussing something.
Emma didn't dare arguing with her.
And then the sound of car tyres in the gravel outside had Regina turning her head. "Oh, it looks like Doctor Whale is here."
Her prediction was indeed correct. It did not take long before Doctor Whale arrived on the scene. He smiled politely at all three of them and greeted Regina. "Good evening, Regina. I hear that things are getting started.
"Sí, that's right," Regina confirmed.
"Your water has broken, correct?"
"Sí, that is correct."
"And according to our Mayor, everything looked alright with that," Doctor Whale noted. "No odd colors or anything."
"Nope, just clear liquid."
"Excellent. I'll just check your blood pressure real quickly."
He sat down on the edge of the bed and wrapped a blood pressure cuff around Regina's right arm. He inflated the cuff and brought the stethoscope to the crook of Regina's arm.
They didn't speak while Doctor Whale did her thing, but Emma made sure to make eye contact with Regina every so often and smile.
Regina smiled back and even tossed a wink in Emma's direction.
Henry chuckled softly. Clearly amused by them.
"That is all coming up lovely," Doctor Whale said as he removed the blood pressure cuff. "Your blood pressure is completely normal, Regina."
"Well done!" Emma praised.
"Estoy tan orgullosa de ti," Henry added.
"I haven't done anything yet," Regina pointed out with a little grin. "There's no reason to be proud of me yet."
Doctor Whale was the one to be amused now. Emma saw him smile as he put the blood pressure cuff away. But then he turned professional again as he asked Regina: "and you're experiencing mild contractions?"
"Yeah. They last about fifty seconds and are what…. Thirty minutes apart or so?"
"That is absolutely normal too. Would you mind if I give you a quick examination?"
"I suppose not…" Regina sighed. Wasn't at all in the mood to be poked and prodded and examined.
Henry stepped outside for a moment. Regina got partially undressed and kept her eyes firmly rooted to the ceiling while Doctor Whale examined her.
Emma stood by Regina's side and held her hand. Gave comforting squeezes now and then. She was well aware that having your personal space invaded like this couldn't be very fun.
"Well, everything looks completely fine. You're not dilating yet, but as your contractions gets stronger, that will obviously start to happen as well."
"Great," Regina said a bit sardonically. "Can't wait."
Emma squeezed her hand again. Tried to silently communicate that everything was going to be just fine. But believing that just squeezing Regina's hand, probably was a tad naïve. Regina was quite literally about to enter unknown territory.
"Should we listen to baby's heartbeat?" Doctor Whale asked. "I brought the doppler."
"Yes!" Both of them said at the same time. Regina perked up and some of that excitement flickered in her eyes again.
Doctor Whale slicked Regina's belly with gel and brought the doppler to her skin. It didn't take long before Emma heard the familiar swooshing sound of their baby's heartbeat. She felt a surge of warmth. That was their baby's heartbeat. Their baby, who they were going to meet so very soon.
Fuck. She was actually going to hold him or her in her arms soon! God, that was… Emma nearly clutched at Regina's hand. Now to comfort herself.
"That sounds perfectly normal," Doctor Whale said. "I'll just have a feel of your belly, Regina."
Regina observed quietly and frowned once or twice as Doctor Whale felt her stomach.
"Does it hurt?" Emma asked worriedly.
"Not really. But it's not comfortable either."
"I apologize," said Doctor Whale. "I'm done now. And I'm happy to report that the baby is still in the correct position. The head is down. Nothing to worry about."
"Oh, that's awesome!" Emma beamed. "Does she need to go into hospital or anything?"
"No, not for the time being," Doctor Whale said and slipped off his gloves. Then he handed Regina a tissue so she could wipe the gel off her stomach.
"Everything was okay with the amniotic fluid, and the baby's heartbeat is good and strong. There's no reason to go to the hospital now. It will be much more comfortable for Regina to rest at home and then leave when the contractions starts to get stronger and closer together."
"At least every five minutes for more than two hours," Emma said. She had this all memorized. There was that tingling sensation on her scalp again. She was nervous, but she tried her very best not to show it. Letting it be known how jittery she was, wasn't gonna benefit Regina in anyway.
"Exactly," Doctor Whale confirmed. "You can get dressed now, Regina."
Regina didn't need to be told twice. Once again she moved with surprising speed for someone who was that pregnant as she put on her pants. Looking a smidge more comfortable, she asked: "can I take a bath?"
"Of course you can take a bath. You can do whatever to make yourself feel comfortable, Regina. That is the most important thing right now. Do nice things for yourself. And try not to stress. The baby is doing just fine, and so are you. Everything is going accordingly to plan."
"Sí, I know."
"Remember your breath," the doctor continued. "And do whatever your body needs. If you want to take a bath, take a bath, if you need to go for a walk, go for a walk. And don't hesitate to call me if something doesn't feel right. I'll send Nova over in the morning." Nova was Regina's midwife here in Storybrooke.
"Thank you, doctor," Regina said and flashed him a smile.
"You're very welcome. I'll see you all later at the hospital for little one's arrival."
"Sí."
With that, Doctor Whale packed up his little hospital bag and left the bedroom. Emma heard him tell Henry that everything was going according to plan and that all they could do now was waiting.
"Waiting, waiting, waiting," Regina muttered and sighed. "But I don't want to wait. I have already waited for nine months!"
"I know, I know." Emma kissed the top of her head.
"Well, at least I can take a shower. That is something." Regina stood from the bed and adjusted her clothes slightly.
Emma followed her as she left the bedroom.
In the hallway, they found Henry who smiled when Regina approached.
"¿Cómo estás, Reggie?"
"Perfectly fine," Regina answered and rolled her eyes slightly. Probably at the 'Reggie'. "But I think I'll take a bath. The doctor said that it was okay."
"That is a good idea," Henry said. "I will go downstairs then." He kissed Regina's forehead and then disappeared down the stairs.
Regina and Emma continued into the bathroom where Emma filled the tub for Regina.
"Bubbles or no bubbles?" she asked over her shoulder as Regina took off her clothes.
"Bubbles. Definitely bubbles."
"Bubbles for the lady. Coming up!"
Regina sniggered. "Gracías, mi amor."
"Anytime." Emma poured a gracious amount of soap into the water. It didn't take long before the bubbles started well… bubbling.
"That looks very nice." Regina had finished taken off her clothes and was now standing next to Emma.
"Anything for you," Emma said sweetly and patted Regina's belly without thinking. But it didn't take long before her brain caught up with her actions. "Oh, sorry, did that hurt?"
"No, of course not," Regina chuckled. "Nothing's hurting. Yet."
"Yet," Emma repeated and tried not to cringe. "Need a hand?"
"I might need two," Regina joked.
Emma carefully helped Regina into the tub, and once in, Regina leaned back and sighed. "Aaah. This is really good."
"Happy to hear it." she remembered her mom's wise words and continued: "is the water warm enough?"
"Sí, the water is perfect. Thank you, mi amor." Regina closed her eyes and ran her fingers lightly over her big belly. "I'm glad he- or she!- is still laying correctly. A last minute c-section would have been…" she wrinkled her nose. "I mean, not that I'm exactly jumping for joy at the idea of being in pain and all that, but it's nice that we can follow the plan, don't you think?"
"Yeah, that's really nice." Emma settled down on the floor next to the tub. "How do you feel?"
"Querida, you just asked me that."
"I meant emotionally," Emma explained. "Many things are going on right now, and I wouldn't blame you if your mind can't keep up."
"It is quite overwhelming, I'll admit that. But I am very much ready to give birth, you know? The last month has been dragging out forever, and these past two days… Well, to be honest, they have been a bit hellish. I've been so uncomfortable all the time, and I just want to meet our baby."
"Me too," Emma smiled. "Definitely."
"I hope these early labors won't drag out forever. Suppose I'll be one of those women who are in labors for days? Dios, I'll go mad!"
"We'll cross that bridge once we get there, beautiful girl," Emma did her best to soothe. She couldn't very well tell Regina that that wouldn't happen. Because she had no idea. Labor was unknown land for both of them.
Regina skated a finger up and down her belly. Adjusted slightly in the tub.
Emma watched her like a hawk.
"That was just my back calling the quits," Regina explained when she noticed that Emma was observing her. "Just that, querida."
"Oh. Right. Sorry for being… too much."
Regina patted her hand gently and left a trace of bubbles in her wake. "You are not being too much. You are being very sweet and observant."
"Are you sure?"
"Sí." Regina closed her eyes again. Her face was relaxed, but she never stopped running a finger up and down her large belly.
Emma sat quietly next to the tub. Didn't say anything. There wasn't any need for words right now. It was enough to sit quietly and just process everything.
"Querida?" Regina said after a moment.
"Sí," Emma softly teased.
"Could you maybe make me a sandwich? That'd be really nice. I'm getting hungry."
"I can definitely make you a sandwich," Emma said. She wasn't a fan of the prospect of leaving Regina, but she kinda had to if she was to make her a sandwich.
And it was entirely possible that Regina had made this exact request to get a few moments to herself. Emma could respect that.
"One sandwich coming up," she said. "Want me to bring it up here when it's done?"
"No, that's okay. I'll come and get it in a moment."
Okay, Regina definitely wanted a moment to herself. That was totally fair. Emma obviously didn't feel hurt by this.
She kissed the top of Regina's head, instructed her to 'yell' if she needed anything and then she left the bathroom.
"Regina is taking a bath," she announced upon entering the living room where her parents and Henry were seated. "I think she needed a moment to herself. If I didn't know any better, I'd say she's meditating."
"And maybe she is," her mom said. "Good for her."
"She wants a sandwich. Do we have anymore peanut butter?"
"Yes, I bought a new jar yesterday."
"Awesome!" she ventured into the kitchen and found the bread and peanutbutter. While she prepared food for Regina, she heard Henry murmur from the living room:
"Dios mio, I am terribly nervous."
"Of course you are, Henry," Emma's mother said kindly. "I'd be just as nervous if it had been Emma. But everything will be alright. You'll soon have a grandchild."
"A grandchild," Henry murmured. "Sí."
Emma finished making the sandwich and left it on a plate in the fridge for Regina to grab later. She ventured back to the living room.
"How are you holding up, kiddo?" her dad asked.
"Ha, I'm a nervous wreck and it hasn't even begun properly yet," Emma said truthfully.
"Don't let Regina know that," her mom warned. "I'm sorry, sweetie, but you have to put on a brave face."
"I'll do my best." She glanced towards the ceiling as though she had x-ray vision and could see exactly what was going on in the bathroom.
"Sit down, honey," her mom said. "Walking back and forward isn't gonna help anything."
Emma obediently sat down. She crossed her ankles. Uncrossed them again. Couldn't find a comfortable position. Then she remembered that Ruby and Belle hadn't been informed of what was going on, and she hastily found her phone and dialed Ruby's number.
"Hello?" came the slightly sleepy answer in the other end.
"Regina's having contractions!" Emma blurted. "We're gonna have a baby soon!"
"Oh my god!" Ruby squealed. "Finally! Oh my god, this is so exciting! I want regular updates on how our girl is doing, is that understood? I want to know what's going on! Fucking hell, Emma, you're going to be a mom!"
"I know, I know," Emma laughed. "I can't fucking believe it either! Will you pass the message on to Belle?"
"Of course! Oh my god, I can't wait to finally meet baby!"
"Neither can I," Emma said earnestly. God, she had been waiting for that for so, so long. Now things were finally happening, and she could barely wrap her head around it….
Regina came downstairs a little later. Her wet hair had been pulled into a messy bun on top of her head, and she had changed into a pair of fresh sweatpants and another soft, long sleeved t-shirt.
"Hey there," Emma greeted. "Good bath?"
"Perfect bath," Regina smiled.
"Excellent. The sandwich is ready if you're still hungry."
"Oh, I sure am." She padded towards the kitchen, but stopped halfway and went: "Oh."
"Contraction?" Emma guessed.
"Sí, a little one." She shifted and continued towards the kitchen. Grabbed her sandwich and brought it with her into the living room. She sat down next to Emma on the couch and started eating the sandwich. "Perfect," she said in between bites. "Nobody makes a sandwich like you, querida."
"Now that's a compliment," Emma chuckled. "And I appreciate it a lot." She patted Regina's knee softly.
It had to be a very good sandwich. Regina certainly devoured the whole thing in four large bites, and when she was done eating, she yawned.
"If you want to take a nap, please feel free to do so, Regina, dear," said Emma's mother. "You can rest assure that we will be quiet."
"No-no, it's fine. If I want to nap, I can go upstairs," Regina assured.
But she seemed to sink more and more into the couch. A moment later, she laid her head down on one of the cushion pillows. Then she closed her eyes.
Emma, her parents and Henry automatically started speaking more softly.
"I'm not sleeping," Regina claimed. "I'm just resting my eyes, that's all."
Lies. Utter lies. It didn't even take a full minute before Regina's breath became slow and steady. She had indeed fallen asleep.
"Good," Emma's mom whispered. "The more sleep she gets, the better."
"Sí," Henry agreed. He still looked anxious, though. His gaze never left his sleeping daughter. He reached under the couch and found the blanket laying folded there. Emma's heart melted when she saw Henry unfold the blanket and gently lay it over Regina's sleeping form.
Regina made a little sound in her sleep and one of her arms came up and cradled her belly.
"Oh, goodness, look at that," Mary Margaret said softly.
Emma knew exactly what she meant. It was so extremely cute when Regina did that 'I'm protecting our baby in my sleep-thing.
"How long do you think she'll be asleep for?" she whispered and looked at her mom. She was the one who was the 'oracle' in this situation. Their walking birthing bible.
"That I don't know. But hopefully, for a long time."
Emma nodded and looked at Regina who was all curled up now. She was happy to see her girlfriend sleep so well. But oh, how she wished it had been possible for her to sleep her way through the real labors. Because she knew that this was just the beginning of things….
To Be Continued…..
