The music changed. To Yiruma's 'Fairy Tale'. That was Emma's cue. The moment was right here. Right now. Emma took another deep breath, clutched the bouquet, and tried not to wobble on her feet as she walked over to the front door. Ruby and Ella had thoughtfully left it open for her, so she didn't have to struggle with that or risk her dress or cloak getting caught on the way out. Bless them.
Henry, who just so happened to be in charge over the gramophone as well as being the ring bearer, turned the volume up exactly as Emma sat foot on the porch. Immediately, everyone turned their heads, and Emma was sure she heard a gasp or two. And unabashed sniffing. That was probably Zelena. She had warned that she would cry.
A huge grin spread across Emma's face as she began the walk down the aisle. She saw all her friends and family stand from their chairs and look at her. They smiled back at her, each and everyone. Zelena was in a green dress and crying unabashedly into a tissue even before the ceremony had begun. Malena looked like she could have bursted with happiness right then and there, and David looked utterly proud. So did Kathryn. She was squeezing David's hand. Chad had an arm around Zelena, and Ursula leaned in and touched Mal's cheek with two fingers. The garden was so full of love and happiness, and a huge lump formed in Emma's throat. Ridiculous. Regina wasn't even here yet.
She did her best not to sprint up the aisle. Did her best to really soak up the atmosphere in their winter wonderland, but all she wanted was to see Regina coming towards her. So she walked slowly, appropriately, without tripping in the snow. Or stumbling on her high heels. And without clutching the wedding bouquet too tightly.
Finally, she made it to the apple tree. The minister smiled at her and bowed his head lightly in greeting. Emma returned the greeting and smile. Then she turned her head and looked at all her friends.
David was still beaming, Zelena still crying. So did Jennie. Malena looked like she wasn't sure what emotion would be appropriate for the occasion. She looked to be somewhere between tears and happiness.
But August was definitely not in doubt. He grinned at Emma and even winked at her. Emma quelled a laugh. That guy would never ever change. But at least he was still with Ivy. That was a good thing.
She made eye contact with David. His smile was warm and open and proud, and Emma took a moment to silently acknowledge how important it was for her to have him there. Maybe she called him 'David', but he was her father. Absolutely. It had taken a long, long time, both of them had worked hard to improve their relationship, but it had paid off. Today Emma and David spoke every single day.
She couldn't imagine not having him in her life. He was a great dad and a wonderful grandpa to the little boy sitting in his lap.
Emma smiled. Neal was wearing the tiniest suit in human history. His blonde hair had been wetted and combed down on either side of his head. He looked absolutely adorable. And he would probably tear his bowtie off before the ceremony was over. But that was completely okay.
You couldn't really expect a two year old to wear a bowtie, could you?
Emma took another breath and tried not to square her shoulders. It would look odd in the dress and cloak and everything. Brides did not square their shoulders. Did they?
Ella made eye contact with her and flashed her a thumbs up. Emma returned the gesture. Brides probably didn't make thumbs up either, but what the hell. Emma was no traditional bride. Maybe she was dressed as one, but she was still the old Emma underneath all the fancy clothes. A few of the guests, including Kitty Prim chuckled at Emma's little gesture. But they were laughing with her, not AT her.
That made the whole difference.
Neal squirmed a bit on David's lap, mumbled 'mom-mom-mommy!'. Maybe he was trying to get to her. Emma chuckled again. If that was the case, she and Regina would just have to get married with Neal between them. Which none of them would mind.
'Fairy Tale' stopped playing, and Emma's breath hitched. Henry was changing the music. Which could only mean one thing... her bride was coming. Regina would walk down the aisle in a moment. God.
She closed her eyes. She was about to see Regina as a bride. The one thing she had been dreaming of for so long now.
Another classical song flowed out of the gramophone's funnel. Emma immediately recognized it. Because of Regina's love for classical music. Emma was immensely grateful for that. And her eyes
immediately welled up when hearing the first few tunes of the music Regina had chosen. 'Ode To Joy' by Ludwig van Beethoven. Perfect. Absolutely perfect.
Everyone rose from their seats once more. Turned their heads in expectation over tonight's bride number two. Emma tried to stay calm. Tried to prevent herself from sprint back down the aisle to get Regina. She had to stay calm. Had to stay here and wait for her bride to join her under the apple tree.
The volume was switched up a little as the music intensified. Regina appeared around the corner.
Emma took one look at her and started crying. She couldn't help it. God, Regina looked absolutely stunning! The sight of her coming up the aisle completely took Emma's breath away. Regina in her wedding dress was a sight she would never ever forget. A vision in ivory white. The fitted bodice and the long sleeves were made of lace so delicate and exquisite. Looking closely, Emma could see that there was in fact little snowflakes on the sleeves, the perfect testament to their winter wedding. The neckline dipped to a perfect V-shape that left Regina's beautiful throat on display. She was not wearing a necklace. She didn't need to.
Emma felt a rush of pride. The same woman who once had covered her throat with scarves was now coming down the aisle in a V-neck wedding dress. She wasn't hiding her throat anymore. Hadn't done in a very long time. Emma's heart started beating a little faster in her chest upon looking at all that olive skin on display for her. Regina couldn't have chosen a more flattering neckline than this one. It was sexy, yet classy. Playful, yet decent. She was a vision. The skirt of the dress was actually pretty simple. Ivory white without any ruffles or embellishment. No train fanning out behind Regina either as she walked. She had chosen an A-line silhouette, and it suited her oh, so beautifully. Emma swallowed thickly as she looked at the stunning woman who would be her wife in a moment. Regina's long hair had most likely been braided before rolled into a soft bun sitting low on her head. Two loose strands of hair had left curled and bounced on either side on her face as she walked. And then of course there was the veil. The beautiful, lace veil fastened just above the bun. A fairly short veil, but very traditional. One of those veils that covered the face and had to be gently pulled away. Emma knew how much this veil meant to Regina. This was the veil Cora Mills had worn when she married Henry Sr. Regina's parents wasn't here today, and Emma knew that Regina was thinking a lot about that. Wearing her mother's veil was only a small consolation, but nevertheless a consolation.
Emma's vision blurred and she had to look down for a moment. She looked at Regina's hands. Looked at the bouquet in Regina's hands. That one was fairly traditional too. Red and white roses. And pinecones. Regina had taken the fairytale aspect to heart. One flower did not match the other. The single, brightly yellow tulip. The same shade as Emma's hair. Of course. It did not matter that the yellow clashed with the other flowers. Everyone present here knew why she had chosen to add a tulip to the wedding bouquet.
Finally, Regina was standing opposite her. Emma's only wish was to take her in her arms and kiss her, but she knew she couldn't do that. Not yet. She had to settle for gently lifting the veil and uncover Regina's beautiful face like she was supposed to. Regina's cheeks were glowing. Her dark eyes were sparkling. Her eye makeup was light and natural, but her lips had been painted a deep shade of red. Of course. Her trademark color.
"Hi," Emma murmured quietly as 'Ode To The Joy' stopped. She only wanted to kiss Regina's beautiful lips.
Regina smiled back. She didn't say anything, but her lips moved.
Emma was very, very good at lipreading, and she had absolutely no problem with understanding what Regina had just said. 'You look so beautiful'. Emma smiled, mouthed back 'so do you.' She couldn't stop looking at Regina. Her heart was overflowing with tenderness.
The intensity of Emma's gaze made Regina blush, and Emma felt very satisfied. Of course Regina was supposed to be the blushing bride. It couldn't be any different.
The guests sat down. Neal babbled on David's lap. Said something that sounded like 'Mama looks like a pwincess!', and Emma silently and fully agreed with that statement. Almost. Regina was more queen than princess. A beautiful, strong queen who also happened to be the kindest woman in the world.
Regina turned her head for a second. Emma saw her smile at Henry. He smiled back, mouthed 'love you, mom', and once again, Emma felt tempted to weep when Regina mouthed 'love you too' at him.
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here tonight to join together Emma Swan and Regina Maria Mills in holy matrimony," the minister began, speaking the age old words that had been said to a million different couples throughout the years. The words were brand new to Emma's ears.
"Regina, if you could begin your vows," the minister softly continued and smiled at Regina.
Regina nodded and cleared her throat. Took a deep breath. Then she began speaking: "when I was younger and felt particularly lost and confused, my father always used to say this to me... 'Como un bote en el océan, encontrarás tu puerto.' It means... 'Like a boat on the ocean, you will find your harbor'. There have been many times in my life where I have been thinking about that saying." She took another breath. "Especially during my more difficult moments. There have been... more than a few of them. My calm ocean once turned into dangerous waters. The waves were high and roaring. I could not find my harbor. The horizon was too foggy, and I was drowning. Constantly being knocked against the sharp rocks and pulled under the water..."
Emma sniffled. And she wasn't the only one. Regina's metaphorical description of what she had endured was hitting everyone like a sucker punch to the chest.
"...Until something happened. Something appeared in the water," Regina softly continued. "Someone. Emma, you pulled me out of the water. Onto your own ship. You saved me from drowning. But not only that. You lead me to calmer water. You became what my father always wanted me to find. A harbor. On your ship, I found calm. Peace. When I am with you, fear does not exist. When I am with you, I can do anything. You make me stronger because you love me. You show me what I am capable of. You remind me that when you truly love someone, you do not raise your voice to them or present them with a twisted image of affection. You've replaced every toxic experience, every bad touch in my life with something beautiful... the word 'toxic' doesn't even exist when I am with you."
Emma sniffled again. Her vision was blurry.
"Our first meeting was unexpected to say the least," Regina said softly, but very clearly. "We stepped onto the same train, ended up sitting across each other through a train ride back to Vancouver. You gave me a post-it note and encouraged me to communicate. You encouraged me to speak at a time where I couldn't use my voice to do so. You weren't the least bit thrown off by the fact that I could not talk. Instead you were kind and chatty. We discussed books during that train ride, and even though I was afraid to fully acknowledge it at the time, you touched something in me. Your optimism. Your kindness. You too had been enduring terribly hard stuff, and yet you found it in you to be kind and optimistic and hopeful about the future. All of it made me intrigued. First you offered me your friendship. That alone was something. I was afraid to form any type of connection because I thought everyone would try to hurt me eventually. Later you offered me your love. And I was afraid to take it. You didn't push me. Instead you waited for me. Waited until I was ready, and when I finally was..."
Regina blinked rapidly. "We created the most beautiful love story. You became a part of my family. Our family." She turned her head and glanced at Henry. "Because you weren't only good for me, my love. You were good for Henry. He went from being a concerned little boy with a lot of adult responsibility on his young shoulders, to the happy little boy he once had been. You reminded my son- our son that he was still a child. That he should embrace his childhood without worrying. And he did. My heart bursts every time I see you and he play video games or share a bear claw. Every time you create new jokes and laugh at them, no matter how abysmal they are." She chuckled. "Your love is a healing balm for both of us, and I will always be grateful for what you've given Henry. Every time I see you be a mother for both our sons, I fall a little more in love with you." She took a deep breath and cleared her throat.
Emma did the same. Tears were dripping onto her cheeks.
"Through you," Regina continued softly. " I learned to embrace things I had been too scared to embrace. Through you, I started to rebuild myself and my life. Through you, I started to remember the woman I once was. You showed me the woman I could be, and with your help, I found my way back to her. I learned that not all form of touch are bad. You gave me something I had never dreamed of finding again. Love. You brought the light back to my life. You taught me to love. To dare to love. To open my heart once more. You were and are the glue in my life, Emma Swan. You are my calm ocean. Our love can whether any storm. Our ship can take on any waves that might be out there."
Regina smiled fondly at Emma. Her dark eyes bored into Emma's green ones. "Right from the start when I started to write my wedding vows, I knew that I had to include this saying. I can't think of two people it fits better." She took another deep breath and began quoting another age old verse: "'Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily a-angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perceives."
Another shuddering breath. Regina did not cry. She smiled softly at Emma before continuing: "Emma, you are patient. You are kind. You do not envy nor boast. You do not dishonor, you are not easily angered, and you most certainly don't keep any record of wrongs. There isn't an evil bone in your body. You always protect me from harm, you trust me with your whole being. And here on our wedding day, I promise to do the same. To always be patient and kind with you. If you ever find yourself thrown into dangerous water, know that I will be right there to guide you back to calmer waters exactly like you did with me. I will rescue you from the waves. I will always be your safe harbor no matter what. I will support you in any plan you might have. I will encourage you. I will love you like you love me. And I will never forget what you once did for me. You saw me. Not an abused woman, not a victim, but me. Where I saw flaws, you saw strength, where I saw the dark, you saw the light. Where I saw a broken woman, you saw something else. A woman who had indeed been torn down over and over again, but also a woman who could be brought back to life. And that's what you did, Emma. You made me a stronger woman because you searched for one. There is this phrase saying... 'loving someone back to life'. I didn't believe that until I fell in love with you. That's exactly what you did. Our love will always perceive no matter what. But that is not a promise. That is something I already know in my heart. As I know that there is nobody as kind and gentle and wonderful as you, Emma Swan, the woman I'm about to marry. You are my greatest strength and the foundation in my life. Today my vow to you is to promise to be the same for you. Together we can face anything. I love you."
Emma took a ragged breath. She was crying. A lot. Thank god her makeup was water proof. She had a feeling that she would be crying a lot today. Once again, she wanted to kiss Regina. And kiss her. And again.
"Emma, if you could say your vows?" the minister said kindly.
"Oh, wow, I'm not even sure what to say now," Emma said vaguely, and their guests chuckled a bit. "That was really... wow."
Zelena's soft laughter could easily be heard amongst the other guests. She was also the one who had been crying the loudest during Regina's vows.
Emma took a deep breath. It was time for her to say her own vows: "once upon a time, there was a little girl who believed in fairytales and happy endings. She was not a princess. She was a lost little girl. An ugly duckling who sought solace in her books. Books encouraged her to never stop dreaming no matter how hard things were. Things happened to the lost little girl. Things that made her grow bitter. Life wasn't the rosy dream her fairytales had promised her and as she grew older, she almost forgot to dream and believe. She had built walls around her. The words in her books did not matter as much as they once had done. They were just silly stories. The girl grew into a woman, but even though she grew up, she still felt lost. Rootless. Homeless, in a sense. She was searching for something without knowing what that something was. So she ran away. She won a ticket to a train ride through Canada, and she took a chance. Packed her few belongings and stepped on the train. She had no plan whatsoever, she simply followed an impulse. The only thing she knew was that she wanted to get as far away from her old life as possible.."
Emma swallowed thickly. She wasn't even halfway through her vows, and she was already tearing up. Man. "But something happened when the lost duckling stepped onto that train. She met someone. A tap on her shoulder became the best thing that has ever happened to her. When the duckling opened her eyes, she saw someone standing there. A queen. A beautiful, stunning queen who had the most beautiful smile the duckling had ever seen. Of course she had to talk to the queen. When she found out that the queen couldn't answer her, it did not phase her. Instead she provided the queen with a stack of post-it notes..."
Emma chuckled hoarsely. "Communication has never been an issue for us, has it? I've learned so much about body language because of you. And eye contact." Another soft chuckle. "The lost duckling immediately felt a connection to the queen. A connection that surprised her because the duckling rarely formed connections with anyone. She was too scared to be hurt like she already had been. But she felt so drawn to this beautiful, silent queen who was such a mystery. The duckling just had to know more. Because, you see, the queen awoke the duckling's childlike curiosity once more. But of course, curiosity wasn't the only reason why the duckling wanted to spend time with the queen. The queen was gentle. Kind. Smart. Bookish. Honestly, the duckling thought that it was a dream. That the queen couldn't possibly be real."
Regina blinked rapidly and chuckled softly.
"But she was," Emma continued, only a little bit distracted when she saw Regina move her lips and wordlessly form the words 'I love you'. God, Emma wanted to kiss her! More than anything! But still, she continued saying her vows: "The queen was very real. And the more they communicated on the train, the more the duckling wanted to know. The idea of parting ways with the queen never to see her again, terrified her. She couldn't let that happen. And fortunately enough, it did not. Once they arrived at the station, the duckling discovered that there was a little prince in the queen's life," Emma continued. "And although that sort of intimidated the duckling, it didn't scare her away. She wanted to spend more time with both the queen and the little prince. And she surprised herself by asking the queen to do so. I believe the queen was just as surprised. However..."
Now she was the one to blink rapidly.
"The duckling learned that there had been a terrible darkness in the queen's life. That she had been through a nightmare. A horrible tale in which the villain almost won. Almost. Despite everything that had happened, the queen was still standing tall. That's when the duckling learned just how incredibly strong the queen truly was. She had been through a nightmare, and yet she refused to give up. Still, the duckling got terribly angry. The queen was the kindest, most gentle person she had ever met, and to think that anyone would have treated her so badly truthfully made the duckling want to break stuff."
Emma sniffled slightly. Sometimes it still did. "The queen and the duckling had to fight side by side to brave another monster. And they won. With the monster gone, the duckling and queen could finally start anew." Emma bit the inside of her cheek harshly not to cry. "And today is about that. Not the past or it's monsters. It's about how the duckling slowly gained a new family. With the queen's help, the duckling transformed into a swan. She learned that there are people who cares about her and that there are still droplets of magic in this world. She learned that you should never stop dreaming or give up on your fairytale. Because if you do that, you never find it. If the swan hadn't decided to go on that trip, she would never have found hers."
Emma reached out and took Regina's hand even though she wasn't supposed to do so yet. But she needed to feel Regina's touch as she spoke. "Falling in love does not come with a manuscript. There are no way to ensure that the words coming out of your mouth are the right ones..." she gave Regina's hand a little squeeze. "I think, when most people start dating and fall in love, they're determined to fill the little pauses out with words to make sure that it doesn't get awkward. I believed that too. Until I met you. You taught me something else. That sometimes words aren't important. That it is more important to just sit and look into the other person's eyes and instinctively know what they're thinking. You've taught me the importance of listening. Really listening. Not to your voice, but to the things that sometimes doesn't need saying. Words aren't always required. There are a million other ways to express yourself. That being a post it, a smile, a squeeze of a hand, a kiss. Or writing on someone's back..."
Emma took a quick breather and was sure she heard one or two aww's. She couldn't blame the guests. She too went 'aww' when Regina wrote on her back. That was still a very steady part of their bedtime routine. Just laying together in bed. Regina writing on her naked back. It was still the best feeling in the whole wide world.
"And you've taught me the importance of seeing," she continued. "Sometimes it doesn't take more than a look to know what someone is thinking. That was something I had ever thought about being meeting you. You've changed my way of viewing relationships. You've taught me that tears are not a sign of weakness. You've taught me that it is okay to ask for help. You've taught me the importance of family. Of belong somewhere. You've taught me to appreciate how important it is to see a tiny something blossom into something beautiful. And you've taught me the importance of patience. Wonderful things comes to those who wait. You and I truly made that saying come true, didn't we? We gave each other the space we needed to grow. And oh, how we grew! You watched me stretch my wings and fly, and I watched you blossom and grow confident. And I swear on my life, I have never seen anything more beautiful than that. I hope that in the future, we will continue to grow together."
She felt so utterly tempted to kiss Regina's hand. Or her lips. But again, she couldn't. Not yet. She had to settle for squeezing her-soon-to-be-wife's hand tightly. "But the most important lesson of all I've been taught by you is... Home is not a place. It's a person. And when you find that person, you are not a lost little girl or a duckling with broken wings anymore. You're allowed to dream and have hope for the future no matter what you've endured in the past." She looked into Regina's dark eyes and found them overflowing with love and tenderness. "Today I vow to you that you will never find yourself in dangerous water again. I will pull you onto my ship every time. No matter what, I will find you, I promise. I will always find you. I will guide you home, like you guided me home. I will be your harbor when you cannot find it. You gave a lost girl a family, a future. You gave me hope. You proved that fairytales does exist. You just have to look for them. We've been through the most, you and I. We've been on the same ship, facing those waves. But we overcame it. We braved the waves. Together we found a new course. We steered our ship back in calm water. And we always will. Because this is life, and there will always be new challenges out there. That's how life works. But you and I are strong enough to face them. When life throws us a curveball, we'll overcome it. No matter how bleak the horizon looks, we will find that one stream of sunlight like we found each other in the most unexpected of ways. Today by marrying me, you are making a fairytale-loving girl's dream come true. But this is not the happily ever after, because that would imply that the story is over, and our story is so very far from being that."
Emma squeezed Regina's hand again and looked at her beautiful, tear-stained face again. "Today is not an ending to a fairytale in which the heroines braved monsters and fought demons to be together. Today is merely the beginning to a whole new story. Regina, you are my greatest adventure, my next chapter." Emma sniffled and swallowed. Blinked rapidly through her tears. She had a feeling that she looked like a complete mess. But she didn't care about it. No, she only cared about saying the words that so desperately needed to be said: "And today I promise to be the same to you. The person who gives you strength when you need it, who helps you seeing what a wonderful, beautiful person you are when you cannot see it yourself. I vow to you to show you the same tenderness you've shown me, and I vow to continue to fill your life with good experiences. I vow to continuously show you how special and wonderful and precious you are. I vow to remember to look into your eyes and see you. I vow to remember that words aren't always required when talking. I vow to appreciate our quiet moments. The moments were we just sit in front of the fireplace and communicate without words. I vow to show you that you are loved every single day of my life. And I vow to add to our list of kisses every single day. You still have about ten billions you still haven't cashed in, by the way..."
Everyone chuckled wetly. Regina included.
"But we have so much time to work on that," Emma said softly. "We have time for it all. Today I've told you the story of how a lost girl found her home. I've talked about the past and its monsters, and I came to think about this quote... 'Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten'. And you and I... we will beat whatever dragons there might be out there. Our love is strong enough to conquer everything." She squeezed Regina's hand once more and felt it tremble in her grasp. "The lost girl finding her way home is only the beginning. The next chapter starts right now. And it begins with four very familiar words. 'Once upon a time'. And that is exactly what you are. You are my once upon a time, and I vow to be the same to you. I cannot wait to start our next fairytale with our boys. I know it's gonna be a beautiful one. I love you more than words can express."
Every last wedding guest was reduced to a blubbering mess. Even the minister looked quite affected by the vows said by both Regina and Emma. He took a moment to collect himself before he turned to Emma and proceeded with the ceremony: "do you, Emma Swan, take Regina to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, in good times and woe, for richer or for poorer, do you promise to love, honor and cherish her for as long as you both shall live?"
"I do!" Emma said almost a bit too loudly. The guests chuckled slightly.
The minister turned to Regina. "And do you, Regina Maria Mills, take Emma to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, in good times and woe, for richer or for poorer, do you promise to love, honor and cherish her for as long as you both shall live?"
"I do," Regina softly promised and flashed Emma a smile radiating with joy.
Emma returned the smile and immediately forgot all around her. Forgot the guests and the minister. Had this overwhelming urge to kiss Regina again. To think that she actually would be allowed to in a moment. That made Emma's heart thump in her chest. Made her feel giddy with excitement and joy.
Henry rose from his chair and came up to them with the rings. He kissed Emma on the cheek.
Emma smiled at her boy. That was a very sweet gesture indeed. She lifted her free hand and gave his shoulder a little squeeze. Henry returned the smile before fulfilling his task as the ring bearer and giving her one of the golden wedding bands. Then he stepped aside.
Emma gently took Regina's right hand in hers and carefully placed the golden wedding band on her ring finger. Seeing the golden ring slide down Regina's finger was definitely a magic moment. She looked up and smiled at Regina.
Regina returned the smile, and then Henry stepped forward once more. He kissed Regina on the cheek as well. Mother and son exchanged a warm smile. Regina gave his nose a little boop with her finger, causing the guests and Henry to laugh before he handed her the second wedding ring and returned to his seat next to Zelena.
More cheeks spilled onto Emma's cheeks as Regina took her right hand in hers and then oh so gently placed the wedding ring on her finger. Emma looked at the ring on her finger. That ring would never leave her finger again. She was Regina's wife now. She was Emma Swan-Mills. Regina was Regina Swan-Mills. No longer were they just girlfriends or fiancés. They were married. Actually married. For better or worse. For richer or for poorer. This was it. The next chapter. The start of their once upon a time.
"It is my great pleasure to pronounce you to be married," the minister announced. "You may kiss each on another other."
Emma did not need to be told twice. As the guests laughed and cheered and applauded, Emma stepped forward and kissed her wife softly and tenderly. After a moment, she wrapped her arms around Regina, completely ignoring the cloak and all. And being every bit traditional and focused on giving Regina the full wedding experience, Emma of course couldn't resist dipping Regina as they kissed. A new round of cheers erupted at that, and Regina made a little gasping sound. She had not expected that. But the following slight chuckle told Emma that she definitely did not mind the silly yet sweet gesture.
Emma was sure she could hear flashes going off. No doubt she and Regina's first kiss as a married couple was being immortalized. Good. If this moment shouldn't be immortalized, Emma did not know which moment should.
She pulled Regina up from the dipped position without breaking the kiss, and she was certain she heard Regina chuckle softly into the kiss. One of her arms looped around Emma's neck, but the other one did not, and Emma grew curious as to why that was. She opened one eye and immediately chuckled into the kiss at what she was seeing. Regina had stretched her other arm out high above her head. Her hand had curled into a fist. That was a fucking victory gesture. An 'I did it'-gesture. The childlike joy and giddy excitement only made Emma kiss her new wife a little harder. If anyone was allowed to make a victory gesture after getting married, it definitely had to be Regina. No doubt about it. Regina was proud of herself. Of what she had achieved. Of how far she had come. Emma felt new tears spill onto her cheeks. Her gorgeous, strong, sexy, confident wife was proud of herself! Emma hoped to hell that camera's were flashing. Regina's victory gesture deserved to be immortalized too.
Then Regina's hands were gently cupping her cheeks. Now she was laughing into the kiss. Softly and quietly and only for Emma to hear. The most beautiful sound in the whole wide world. A sound that still made Emma want to fall out of bed every so often. She could not stop kissing Regina. Didn't want to stop kissing Regina. Not now. Not ever! She tightened her grip around her wife just a little.
And as they kissed, the first flakes of snow started falling. Exactly like in a fairytale. Emma could feel the snowflakes land on her hair, and she thought to herself that the timing couldn't have been better.
Their winter wedding had officially turned into a fairytale one, completely with a little dash of magic added.
Emma broke the kiss and lifted Regina's hand. The hand that now carried her wedding ring. Emma kissed Regina's hand gently once. Another flash from a camera. Another moment immortalized.
"I love you," she whispered and looked at her wife.
"I love you too, my darling," Regina breathed. "So very, very much."
Emma leaned in to kiss her wife in the snow one more time, but before she could, Zelena was there with them. She came sweeping up the apple tree in her lavish, green dress and matching furry coat over it. She hugged Regina tightly whilst sobbing.
Regina laughed as she returned the hug. "There now. There's absolutely no reason to blubber, Zelena."
"No, no other reason than you just got married," Zelena said wetly. "No reason whatsoever!" she kissed Regina on the cheek and then hugged her once more for good measurement.
While Regina attempted to free herself from Zelena's long arms, Emma turned her attention to Henry who had come up there too. "Congratulations, Ma!" he said and hugged her tightly.
"Thanks, kid," Emma laughed as she held him close and kissed the top of his head.
"I'm so happy mom is a Swan-Mills too now," Henry whispered.
"Me, too, kid. Me, too." Emma looked at Regina who was still being hugged by Zelena.
But Zelena was forced to let go when Malena came trotting up there and demanded to hug 'the blushing bride'. Emma chuckled and so did Zelena as she at last let Regina go.
"My dear," Malena said simply as she hugged Regina. "You know I take pride in not crying very often, but what I've just witnessed might just have done a number on me."
"Happy to see that you are in contact with your emotions, Mal," Regina chuckled as she hugged her oldest and best friend tightly.
Malena grumbled something about Regina and Emma turning her into a mess.
"I swear, we didn't mean to," Emma claimed as she was drowned in Zelena's hug. Henry hugged Regina tightly and said something that was lost to Emma's ears because of Zelena's sniffling.
It seemed as though everyone was hugging them. Ruby and Ella both nearly attacked Emma. Granny gave Regina a very grandmotherly hug and a pat on the cheek. Kitty Prim, Jennie and a bunch of
Regina's colleagues were next, and Emma didn't feel the least bit cold as she stood here in the snow surrounded by her friends and family. Her heart was overflowing with love and affection for each and everyone present, and she laughed heartedly when Neal came wobbling through the snow and hugged her knees. Emma couldn't crouch down because of the snow, but Kathryn swiftly lifted the little boy up so Emma could kiss his chubby cheeks and little nose.
"Mama is a pwincess," Neal said plainly as he flailed his arms towards Regina. "And mommy too."
"That's right, kid," Emma confirmed and chuckle. "Your mommies are goddamn princesses!"
Leroy came over to hug Regina one more time. Emma was sure she heard a 'Congratulations, sister', and that made her smile. It was no secret that Leroy took every opportunity to gush over Regina. And Emma found that to be the most adorable thing ever.
"Congratulations, Emma," David said as it became his turn for a hug.
"Thanks, dad." The word came so easily to Emma. Slipped right out of her mouth. She hadn't planned on saying it, but this moment felt like such a father-daughter-moment. She felt David stiffen for a moment with his arms around her. But then he hugged a bit tighter as a response. Over his shoulder, Emma saw Regina smile fondly at them. She had heard what Emma just called David, and she looked very happy about it.
So was Emma. Because that was who David was. Her dad. You didn't become a dad the moment your child came into the world. 'Dad' was a title you earned, and that was exactly what David had done.
Emma hugged him a little tighter for just a moment.
"I'm very happy for you, Emma," he said a bit gruffly as he let go of her.
"Thank you. Dad."
He smiled beamingly and leaned in. He kissed her cheek lightly and gave her hand a soft squeeze. Then he stepped aside so Graham could give Emma a hug.
Meanwhile, little Robin was hugging Regina, and Emma couldn't help but silently gush about it. All the kids loved Regina.
After Graham came Belle. She too hugged Emma tightly, and Robert even smiled at Emma while bouncing his young son in his arms. Emma suffocated a chuckle. Being a father had indeed softened Robert Gold considerably. He never scowled or frowned or sneered at people anymore.
"You better write about this," Belle said almost warningly whilst she was still hugging Emma.
"I might," Emma chuckled and patted Belle on the back. She was wearing a yellow dress and looked very pretty.
"I agree with Belle," Elsa grinned as she unabashedly looped her arms around both Emma and Belle and squeezed. She was wearing an ice blue dress under her big coat.
"I'll think about it," Emma wheezed. Elsa had a very strong grip.
After a moment, Elsa released both Emma and Belle, and Anna, Elsa's younger sister rolled her eyes in mock dismay over Elsa's actions. Emma grinned and then observed that her wife was all out of hugs.
Time to rectify that. She gathered her skirt and cloak with one hand and walked over to the spot where Regina was standing.
"Hi, baby," Emma said softly and wrapped an arm around her wife.
"Hello, my darling," Regina hummed in response.
"All these hugs makes it difficult for me to spend any time with my wife," Emma mock complained.
"Your wife," Regina echoed, smile blossoming on her pretty lips.
"Mmm. My wife. Does that sound good?" Emma chuckled.
"It sounds absolutely wonderful," Regina gushed.
"Good. Happy to hear it," Emma said and looked carefully at Regina as she stood there in her beautiful dress. No doubt her wedding dress took Emma's breath away, but being the concerned individual Emma was, especially when it came to her wife, she immediately took notice of Regina's thin lace sleeves. While the sleeves might be long, they definitely didn't provide much shelter from the cold weather. It was still snowing.
To Be Continued...