Zelena snapped her fingers at her sister's face. Regina finally jumped when her thoughts ended and looked up at the emerald eyes. She swallowed a lump in her throat. The redhead woman briskly nodded and continued.
"You drifted away. So, I assume that you remembered."
"Yes, dear. You accidentally opened my door and saw the awful scene. Why did you do that?"
"Well, mom told me to unlock your door! Ask her and it's not my fault. Stop blaming on me. It's her!" Zelena complied with a gasp. The brunette mayor waved her hand as she nodded. In her words, she was like 'yeah, right.' The redhead woman growled at her sister and nodded with a reply.
"So, are you planning to tell her that?"
"I don't know, sis. It's been years since she left after Neal's graduation. I don't know why she didn't say goodbye." Regina explained while tilting her head backward and stared at the ceiling. Zelena scratched her forehead and looked at her free hand then continued.
"I hope everything goes well between you both. I'm actually rooting for you both to get together since our parents bet on your love life."
"They did what!?" The brown-haired woman hissed while whipping her head at her oldest sister who was nervously cackling.
"Oh hi." The redhead woman said. Regina got up and decided to haul her sister out of the study room then led them to the front door. Other was confused for few minutes and heard her voice.
"Get out. And, I love you. But I need some time to myself."
"Oh of course, you do. Take your time. By the way, I would like that if you and Emma resolve this one and get together. Well, a bonus point if I could spend my time with little Henry Jr!"
"We shall see." Regina hid her smile and shoved her away out of her front door. Zelena waved her hand while walking away. She shook her head at her oldest sister and knew it was time to resolve between them but she didn't know how to reach her by this time.
The brunette woman sighed and watched the rain pouring outside. She didn't see Emma coming to her from her driveway until the voice startled her out of the blue. The blonde superstar waved her hand.
"Hi Regina."
"Emma." Regina retorted while amusing herself. Emma nodded while standing under the roof and continued.
"Can we talk?"
The brunette mayor hesitated nodded, stepped aside by the door to let her come in the foyer then closed the door behind her. The golden-haired diva turned around and smiled. Regina could feel her heartbeat inside her chest when she saw two beautiful dimples. She smiled back and gestured them to the study room.
Few minutes later, the ladies sat down on the couch facing the fireplace and they had offered the drinks from the small bar. Regina didn't know how to start the conversation but Emma beat her to it.
"So, I just saw Zelena out there."
"Yes, dear. She came to check up on me since I was working overtime. I shouldn't have been doing that lately. Forgive me."
"That's all right. I was surprised that you became a mayor since I got here."
Then it was a silence between them and one of them was sipping a cider. The blonde woman took a look around in the room and saw the tacky frame that she made for Regina when they were in their junior year then continued.
"That tacky frame I made for you. You kept it all the times."
"Well, I kept those gifts you gave for all the years. I cherished them as I put them in a right place. Included the jewelry box in my bedroom. I swear that I never got them to throw it away since you left."
"What about that? Just listen. I came to say 'I'm really sorry for what I did and leave without words'. And, I know that you have everything wrapping around in your head since I told you a truth about Henry. Right now, I am here to make it up and reunite with you if you allow me."
Regina stared at the jaded eyes once she knew her best friend all back in her time when they were younger. She sighed and tilted her neck then continued.
"I don't know if I could allow you to do that but I have few conditions."
"Name it." Emma complied. It left other to concur with her and her shoulders pulled back when she sat upright like a true regal. Her words carried out toward the blonde actress' ears. To herself, she didn't know if Emma could do that with her terms.
"We could disagree on my terms and negotiate few things between you and me. I couldn't guarantee you that it would reunite us again. First, I want to spend my time with Henry and to get to know him well. Second, I need your explanation related to the reason why you left this town. Third, I could consider this debt as your forgiveness."
It whipped the blonde actress to be surprised twice when she heard the third condition as her mouth opened to blurt it out. Regina raised her eyebrow at her while forming a poker face and sipped her cider in a glass cup. Emma felt like she was out of her words to say something back but her mind kept reeling back in her memory.
"Debt? Forgiveness? I should need more than just a debt to my forgiveness. As you see that way, I returned for ten years to not come back in this town as I considered myself to depart everything I owned. I'm not 24 anymore and I'm already 33, well soon to be 34 next year. But what should I earn your forgiveness than just a debt?"
"I know you left this town as I left too. But you came back after ten years with our son which I didn't understand why it would be a secret after all. I just wanted to know if you agree on this terms as I tell you. Do you want me to say in front of you? I wanted you to stay here more than just leaving then come back for another ten years? Do you think I want that one? NO." Regina complained as she stared at the emerald eyes in front of her. Emma gulped after drinking a cider and listened to her complaint about her departure.
"I understand that you are angry with me but – "
"I'm not angry with you. I'm crazy mad AT you because of everything you abandoned me out of your life. I just wanted to know how you are doing out there. And for Henry too. All that I want is be a part of your family and life. I couldn't bear this argument between you and I. You fucking left me for ten years without a goodbye after Neal's graduation. I couldn't bear. I can't bear." It left the brunette mayor crying with her confession.
The golden-haired superstar widened her eyes when she heard a passionate confession and felt regretful that she did it because of her selfish reasons. It caused her to frown and got up then stepped into the mayor's personal space. All she had to do was embrace her into her long arms and let Regina wail on her blue knitted sweater.
Regina closed her eyes while sobbing on Emma's clothes. She slowly enclosed her arms around the blonde woman's waist tightly. They swayed altogether in the study room. The brunette mayor sniffled and continued.
"I couldn't bear to see you leave like that."
"I know, Regina. Let it out."
"After you left, I realized that I've been falling too hard to be in love with you. When the morning came, I tried to search for you and called your name on the phone until I reached your home. I found out that you left in an early morning and your mom told me that you couldn't have a chance to stay here. You left me after all."
"When did you realize that you had fallen in love with me?"
"Since that night after Neal's graduation, it began until just now. I am still falling in love with you. I never stopped loving you until I came to find you here when you returned home for Christmas."
"You still do?" Emma said while pulling Regina away to look at her beautiful smudged face with tears. Regina sighed with a nod then moved her head to nuzzle into Emma's pulse point and continued.
"I still do." The blonde woman merely smiled while looking at the window. It was still snowing outside. The brunette mayor embraced Emma's waist more tightly as she didn't want to let it go but felt a squeeze from her. It caused her to smile again but hearing the actress' voice.
"I do too. Since that night. The reason why I left is you. I couldn't bear that I'm going to be rejected by you if you are not interested in me. Well, we grew up together since our preschool. I just wanted you to be happy if you deserve someone better than me."
"Ridiculous!" Regina chortled before they laughed freely in their embrace. Emma unconsciously kissed her forehead and whispered.
"I agree to your terms. But for me, one condition."
"What is it, Emma?"
"May we start over and see what we have from there?"
"I concur but I hope if we make this one as our first date?" The brunette mayor asked with a hope in her eyes when she looked up at the jaded eyes. Emma slowly grinned with a nod. It's just a start. The ladies decided to move on to forgive each other. The golden-haired diva decided to have a conversation about her life as an actress back in New York City. Regina cackled at the bloopers Emma made with her castmate in the backstage and asked some questions about Los Angeles.
They made it out in an amicably conversation with the drinks and late lunch together. Emma told many stories about Henry's childhood in New York City and Los Angeles. Regina felt happier when she heard her son's life but went disappointed that she missed his first ten years. The blonde woman understood Regina's disappointed face and asked.
"Why not, you and Henry Jr. have an ice cream together at this late afternoon? I'm going out with Amy and Julie to help them out with the fashion choices for New Year's Eve's party. I'm their fashion advisor because I know a lot of designers out there."
"What? You will let me?" Regina raised her eyebrows at Emma who was laughing with a nod. She winked at her and nudged her out of the mansion. The caramel eyed woman got excited to spend her time with her son and gathered herself to perfect her makeup. It caused the blonde woman to roll her eyes and took them out to the Nolans' residence.
Several minutes later, Henry came out from the living room and yelled when the ladies came in from the front door. Neal and Everett chased him out with their splattered cake faces. Mary Margaret scolded her children, halted herself to say hi to the mayor then chased after them. David walked in a perfect condition with no cakes on him and ate some of cake on his bowl. He looked back at his oldest daughter then Regina with a reply.
"Howdy, Emma and Regina. It's nice to see you together. So, I better go to make your mom to shut up." He left to find his wife. It left the ladies to stare at the chaos scene then laughed harder. Amy and Julie came downstairs from their room and signed toward her oldest sister.
'This chaos'.
'Yes.' Julie replied with her rolling eyes. Amy chuckled when she saw Brad coming out from the kitchen with his cake hair. Emma was surprised that her future brother-in-law was happy but annoyed when it came to her young brothers and continued to sign.
'What happened?'
'That happened H-E-N-R-Y dare your baby brothers start cake fight front your mom.' Brad angrily signed.
'My H-E-N-R-Y!?' The blonde diva was slacked-jawed while spelling his name.
'YEP' Brad signed with a sigh. He decided to take a long shower after kissing Amy's pink lips. Julie laughed while she searched for her husband. Emma shook her head and waited for others to come out from their fight scene. David came out with a growl because he got a splatter on his favorite sweater and ran upstairs to get a shower. Regina covered her mouth by holding back a laugh. Amy and Emma burst into laughter when they saw their dad in an awful scene.
A/N: Hah! Cake! Cake! Please review. I'm still working on this story as long as I have my lazy days.