"Hey! Lazy pants," Emma calls out as she enters their private area, hastily kick off her boots. She allows the door to fall closed on its own and quickly removes her tank top that's soaked in sweat and clinging to her body. "What's going on with you today? We have two days left before you leave...wait is this your way of hinting that we are going to spend them in bed?" She cheerfully questions, wiggling her eyebrows playfully and crossing the small room.
"You stink," Regina mutters as she curls further into the fetal position in their bed.
"We have officially reached marriage status," she announces, crawling onto the bed. She hovers over the tiny body hiding away from the world and leans over for a better view of her face. Regina's eyes are closed, but she knows she's not sleeping, so she takes a moment to adore her flawless beauty. "Seriously, what's wrong? You sick?"
"No, I just got my period this morning and it's a bitch. I'm cramping really bad and I usually don't get cramps, but apparently they have found me out and have come with vengeance," she groans and squirms beneath the sheet to express the discomfort torturing this evening.
Emma chuckles softly and bends down to place a sweet kiss to her cheek. "You're adorable," she gushes into her ear before she pulls away and hops off the bed. "I'm gonna shower, but is there anything you crave when you're on your period? I can grab it after I'm done showering."
"Chocolate, obviously. Isn't that what you crave when you have yours?" She questions over her shoulder, but never turns around to meet Emma's concerned gaze. "Emma?"
"Yes, of course, chocolate." She steps inside the bathroom and begins stripping away her bra. "What form of chocolate though?" She slowly shimmies out of her shorts and thong. "Do you want chocolate ice cream? Rocky road is my personal favorite. Or do you want candy bars? Or a double chocolate chip muffin?" She offers, quickly turning on the shower.
"Rocky road sounds orgasmic right now," Regina moans from across the room, generating an instant smile upon Emma's lips as her hand tests the temperature of the water.
"Better than my orgasms?" She teases and jumps into the hot water to soothe her aching muscles.
"Right now? Yes."
"I can't hear you! The shower is too loud. I'll just assume you said nothing can ever top my orgasms," she calls out playfully even though she clearly heard the teasing woman.
XXXXX
Emma and Regina have their backs against the headboard, diving brutally into a pint of Rocky Road, talking about anything and everything before they are separated in two short days.
Absorbing, memorizing, relishing in all the other has to offer.
"You did not," Emma mocks and dips her spoon into the ice cream once again. "You are such a goodie two-shoes."
Regina laughs and snatches the pint away from her utensil even though Emma still manages to snake a bite in time. "Don't be mean! I did, I packed a backpack full of granola bars and ran away," she defends with the most serious facial expression she can manage, because she is definitely trying to hide a smile.
"Where did you run away to?" She questions before sliding the spoon into her mouth and smiling from ear to ear.
"The park. I climbed to the top, where the slide was, and the canopy from above was to keep me hidden. I set my backpack down and unpacked a granola bar," she proudly states.
Emma leans in dangerously close, but her girlfriend chooses to pretend like she's not there, breathing down her neck while she happily scoops more ice cream into her mouth.
"And how long did you stay away from your house?" Emma slowly questions while she tries her best to keep a straight face.
"I ate my granola bar and when the sun began to set, I got the hell out of there."
She barks out an obnoxious chuckle and plants a rough, sloppy kiss to her cheek. "That's exactly what I thought."
Regina nudges her shoulder playfully and laughs along with her. Green eyes study this carefree moment between them unfold as a small twinge of guilt flickers in her gut. It's not fair that this woman is so open and honest while she's still guarded. She takes a deep breath and attempts to act as casual as possible.
"On my first day of school, I cried. Now, most kids cry because they don't want their parents to leave them behind. That wasn't me. I was fine, my mom dropped me off and kissed my forehead goodbye and it didn't even phase me," she begins to explain her story and notices how Regina stiffens beside her, but she keeps pushing through her story, knowing this is the first time she has shared a memory with her mom since her passing. This needs to happen. Regina slowly turns to face her, but she doesn't utter one word, most likely in fear that Emma will clam up. "So, my day was great. Alphabet, counting, playing with a fake kitchen, good times," she lightly mocks, and Regina's eyes instantly soften. "But then it was time to go home."
"You cried because you had to go home?"
"Not exactly, I cried because they tried to put me on a bus. I kept telling them that my mommy was coming to pick me up." Her heart clenches painfully tight just thinking about her mom being so young and so full of life at the time. "They kept insisting that I belonged on the bus and that's when I broke into tears and balled for my mom. Luckily, my mom showed up just in time and I just remember holding on to her so tight. I was terrified I would never see her again..." her words slowly trail off as she thinks about the reality she just confessed.
Regina tucks a loose strand of golden hair behind her ear, her fingers falling from her ear and following the path of her jawline until she reaches her chin. Gently, she guides her chin up, silently requesting for green eyes to meet hers. Emma resists at first because she swears if she sees pity in those enchanting eyes, she will burst into tears.
"Thank you for sharing," Regina whispers so tenderly and delicately presses their lips together.
"I can still smell her sweet floral scent," she murmurs as her mind becomes clouded with thoughts and memories that only contain her mother.
"That's good though," Regina whispers, her thumb carefully caressing her chin. "That way you know she's still in your heart. Do you believe that she is still with you?"
Emma swallows thickly as un-shed tears sting her eyes and she fights so hard to keep them from falling. She slowly nods and finally her eyes drift to meet those beautiful brown eyes.
"This may sound silly, but sometimes, when I think I need her most, I swear I can feel her presence. It's like a gentle breeze brushes passed me and wraps me up like a hug," she pauses for a moment because the way Regina is staring into her eyes is far too intense. "I know it's stupid-"
"No, no it's not. I'm sure she is still with you. You're an amazing person Emma and I'm sure she is here because who wouldn't want to hang around you?" She smiles sweetly, convincing Emma's lips that they need to touch hers right this second.
Emma leans forward and captures her lips in a delicate kiss as a thank you, or maybe it's just the overwhelming sensation of emotions washing through her body. She carefully breaks away from her mouth and rests her forehead against her girlfriend's, inhaling her calming lavender scent.
"She was the kindest person with a gentle soul. I think our moms would have gotten along really well," she murmurs as one tear finally breaks through and rolls down her cheek.
"Well, I already adore the woman because she gave me, you."
XXXXX
Green eyes watch through the window as the sky turns from pitched black to a light midnight blue. The time is ticking closer to the sunrise, highlighting the sky into a brighter color. She checks the clock glowing through their room to find it's four in the morning.
The only sound in the room is the steady breathing coming from the brunette wrapped tightly in her arms. She lightly presses her lips to the back of her girlfriend's neck and slowly slides her arm out from under her. Regina's in a deep slumber and doesn't even notice her absence.
She quietly lifts herself from the bed, careful not to make one single noise. She tiptoes around the bed and at a snail like pace, opens the dresser drawer to pull out a zip-up. She slips her arms inside and heads for the door. She slides into her boots and very carefully opens the door, sneaking through the small crack and softly closing the door behind her.
There's a chill in the air nipping at her face the moment she steps outside. She shoves her hands into her pockets and lightly treks toward the barn. As quietly as possible she enters the barn and prepares Rocinante.
"Hey bud," she sleepily greets the horse while her hand grazes the white patch upon his nose. "How about you and I go for a ride?" She takes his reigns and guides Regina's horse out of the barn, walking him away from the addition and the Mills' home before she climbs onto his back. "Alright Rocinante, let's go," she firmly states and pats his back.
She directs Rocinante toward the open field above the town that Regina brought her to when she first rode the horse. They travel at a slow, calming pace toward the morning sky, her goal to watch the sunrise over the town this morning.
When they arrive, Rocinante knows exactly where to head to. She stays rooted on top of him, her hand absentmindedly petting the animal as she watches the sun awaken from the long night. The town below is dusted with a soft pink tint as the sun slowly stretches into the sky.
Her eyes flutter closed, and she inhales sharply. This place has been her home for two and a half months now and she's dreading the thought of going home. Even though last night was a breakthrough for her, finally opening up about her mother, she just doesn't think of the states anymore as her home.
She and Regina had laid in bed all night talking, and after her first story of her mother, she found herself spilling more. She wishes her mother could meet Regina and it breaks her heart that they will never have a chance to meet. Her mother always told her bedtime stories filled with fairytales of love and happily ever afters and she never really believed in true love until she met Regina, but all of that is about to be ripped apart and she doesn't even know how to begin fixing it.
As her mind weathers an internal storm, the town before her is slowly turning from pink into a warm orange glow. Catania is absolutely beautiful and a part of her wishes that she could stay there forever, but she knows her father needs her.
Her father.
She swallows thickly and lightly taps her feet against Rocinante to end the torment in her head. The horse understands and slowly turns around to head back into town with her head an even bigger mess than before she left that morning.