Don't judge a book by its cover

by Jossasund

One cold night a 15 year old runaway foster kid named Emma, stumbled into Granny's diner. She meets Ruby and her Granny, Eugenia, who takes her in then adopts her. Emma finally gets a taste of what being in a real family feels like. Now she's hoping she can get an idea of what falling in love feels like.

39. Chapter 39

I'm so sorry this chapter has taken like.. A lifetime but I hope you guys will love it as much as I do.

And oh, there's only one chapter left after this!

Cora awoke with a start as her phone rang. She had ended up staying at the cottage in her and Henry's old room, and as she woke up, she quickly realized how much she actually missed waking up in her husband's arms, even though it had been so so many years since the last time.

"Cora Mills, speaking." she answered, immediately stepping into professional mode and snapping back to reality.

"Corna!" Lily exclaimed with excitement. "You still asleep? Come eat breakfast with us!" she said, and Cora could hear the pout, which made her chuckle.

"And where are we having breakfast today, dear?" she asked and smiled as Lily whisper-yelled to her mom.

"At da diner!" she finally answered. "We gonna go see Granny! She's coming back today! She's been gone so long! She was on cation wiff her family!" the girl rushed out and Cora gulped nervously, but smiled slightly.

She took a calming breath and looked around. Of course she wanted to see them, but did she want Eugenia to know?

"So, you comin or not? We gonna be there in a hour." Lily said, sounding impatient.

"Oh, I'm.." Cora started to speak, then suddenly fell quiet. Her mind was racing at the moment.

Deep down, she knew it wouldn't hurt for Eugenia to know about her and Mal, but then again, they were only friends. Right? Right?

Eugenia obviously knew Mal and Lily already….but she also knew Cora. Eugenia might warn Mal away… but as a soon as that thought had entered Cora's mind, she shook her head to clear it. Granny would never do such a thing!

"Earth to Corna! Hello?"

"Well.. Ok. I can be there in an hour." Cora finally answered and Lily giggled.

"Why'd you take so long to answer. You gotta do stuff today?" she asked and Cora chuckled once again.

"I just have an appointment at eleven. I'm sure I won't be late." she explained

"Ok! Yes! I'll be wearing a red sweater! That way you'll be able to see me!" she stated and Cora frowned.

"Thank you, but I'm sure I'll recognize you even without the sweater…"

"You didn't at da deli! So we just gotta make sure!" she explained.

"That's true, sweetheart. Thank you for being considerate. I'll be there in an hour."

"Ok! Bye Corna!"

"Goodbye." Cora said as she hung up, then stood from the big bed. She glanced around the room and stretched, before walking to the closet.

With a long yawn, Cora opened the big closet doors. On the right side was her leisure wear, the other side was Henry's.

It had been years since the last time she had glanced in this closet, and it brought back so many memories. She quickly shook her head though, because now wasn't the time to reminisce.

So instead, Cora got an idea as she ran her hand over Henry's hanging clothes, and landed on his favorite leather jacket.

Without further thought, she took it off the hanger and examined it, before putting it on, and selected a loose fitted pair of dark bootcut jeans. She also found a comfortable pair of boots and a plain navy blue t-shirt.

Once she was dressed, Cora stood in front of the mirror. She had left the jacket on the bed so that she could see how the outfit looked. Her boots had a high heel, but they went up to cover her calves, and her jeans laid over top.

She looked at herself, really looked, maybe for the first time in her whole life. She used to think she looked ridiculous when she wore things like this.

Henry would always encourage her to "Dress for the woods". She smiled when she realized she really did look ok. She was surprised though, by how comfortable she felt.

A smile spread across her lips, knowing Henry would have loved seeing her dressed like this. He would have probably walked up to her, laid his hands on each of her shoulders, and kissed her cheek. Suddenly there was a knock at the door and Cora snapped back to reality again.

"Come in." she called, and Regina stepped in.

"Good morning, Mother. We were going to eat breakfast before Emma and I headed back. Would you like…." Regina trailed off, when she noticed her mother was fully dressed, and already seemed to have plans, if her contorted face was any indication. "Or, perhaps another time." Regina finished with a small smile.

"I would love to." Cora stated as she grabbed her phone. "I was already invited to breakfast, but I'll call and ask if they would like to do lunch instead!" she explained and Regina laughed, feeling so happy that her mother wanted to be a part of her life… finally.

"No, Mother, just have a nice breakfast, and WE can do lunch." Regina then offered and Cora smiled.

"That's a great idea! I have an appointment today at eleven. So, does, one, sound like a good time?" she asked and Regina gasped.

"An appointment? Like with a doctor? Mother, are you ok?" She asked concerned and Cora smiled slightly

"It's with , dear. So, nothing to worry about." Cora explained and Regina looked surprised, but relieved. For a second she had almost thought her mother was sick.

"Um...oh. Ok." Regina looked at her mother's clothes again as the woman put the jacket on. The brunette gasped when she noticed it was her father's favorite leather jacket.

"Well, I better be off then. I'll see you at lunch though, right?" Cora asked and Regina nodded "Emma, as well?" She asked and Regina snapped out of it with a smile.

"Yes, I'm sure she would be glad to join. She has to work the late shift tonight though. So she'll go in at two."

"Ok, great!"

"Yes, I'll text you details later. My cravings have been taking me to odd places recently." Regina explained with a playful eye roll and Cora chuckled.

"How far along are you now? About 6 months, right?" she asked and Regina nodded in response. "You've been craving tuna haven't you?"

"Yes…" Regina answered with a sour face. "How did you know?"

"I hate it as well, but when I was pregnant, towards the end, it was all I wanted! Well, and that horrible hawaiian pizza. I don't know why, and I haven't eaten it since!" Cora explained with a smile. "I promise, after he's out, you'll never be subjected to such." she said and Regina laughed.

"Thank you for the reassurance, Mother."

Regina moved to walk her mother out of the house, but the two stopped at the door. There was an awkward moment, where it seemed like they had missed or forgotten something.

"Um, would you like a hug?" Cora asked timidly and Regina gave a small smile with a timid nod. They hugged awkwardly at first, but soon enough they were both comfortable in the embrace. Regina closed her eyes and her mind took her back to when she'd been a kid. Because the jacket her mother wore, smelled like her father. "I'll see you later than, dear." Cora said, as she made her way to her rental car and drove away.

Regina leaned against the door frame and watched her mother drive off. After her mother was gone, Regina finally noticed she was crying. She didn't even understand why.

She had been having trouble controlling her emotions for awhile now. It seemed like everything was triggering tears.

"Reg, what's wrong, babe?" Emma asked in concern as she walked up to her girlfriend. Regina laughed through her tears.

"Nothing. My mother is wearing jeans, and she just….hugged me.." she cried more as Emma pulled her into a hug.

"Like...she just hugged you, and you burst into tears? Did she hug you too hard?" Emma asked with a frown and Regina laughed again as she wiped her eyes.

"No, it was quite possibly, the best hug I've ever had." she explained and she and Emma shared a chuckle.

"Jeans, huh?" Emma asked and Regina fully laughed, as she tightened their embrace.

Cora was still happy as she walked into Granny's Diner. Ruby saw her immediately, and waved. The ex-mayor waved back carefully when she finally spotted the little girl she was there to see. In her red sweater, as promised.

Lily wasn't waving frantically this time. Instead, she looked a little upset. Cora made her way over, and the girl smiled when she noticed Cora, but then glanced back at her mom, and the smile dropped.

"Well, hello." Cora greeted. Mal looked aggravated as well, so Cora assumed it was something to do with her. Her happiness faded instantly.

"Hello, Mrs. Mills, please have a seat. We haven't ordered yet, but if you're ready to order, we are too." Mal said with a neutral voice.

"Ok…." Cora replied, as she awkwardly looked between the mother and daughter at the table "What's going on here? Am I in trouble?" she asked, and was met with small chuckles from Mal and Lily, which made her relax a little.

"No way, Corna! You're my favorite friend and you'll never be in trouble!" Lily promised. The mother and daughter were sitting on either side, so Cora decided to sit by Lily, and the little girl just smiled at her.

"Actually, Lily is upset because we checked her sugar this morning, and she really doesn't need pancakes or waffles today." Mal explained and the girl crossed her arms in aggravation.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't know you had sugar problems." Cora said to the girl, who uncrossed her arms.

"I have di-betes, but Mommy always says that. Even when my sugar is fine! She just doesn't want me eating sweets…"

"Lil, it was a little high yesterday, and I still let you have anything you wanted. This is the second day in a row. If it's still high tomorrow we're going to the doctor. If you really want pancakes today, we'll just go to the doctor today..."

"No thank you…" Lily grumbled "I'll just have eggs and toast. Can I least have salt and pepper?"

"Yes, honey. You can have a little on there." Mal answered with a small smile.

The girl sighed as she leaned over in the booster seat, to lay her head on Cora's jacketed shoulder. The older woman wrapped her arm around the small girl.

As if to protect her, or just reassure her, that she was there to comfort her. Cora noticed Mal, out of the corner of her eye. The protective move seemed to make her smile. Cora turned her full attention to the little girl again.

"You know...they make lots of sugar free sweets now…. Maybe one day we could all go to the ice cream shop! What's your favorite flavor?" Cora asked after a minute of thought and the girl beamed.

"I really like strawberry, and strawberry cheesecake, and strawberry shortcake. That one's my favorite!" Lily answered and Mal chuckled at the pair of brunettes sitting across from her.

"Great...another adult bribing my daughter with sugar free sweets.." Mal rolled her eyes, and Lily didn't understand the problem. It really wasn't a problem.

"That's why she's my favorite!" the girl exclaimed as Ruby approached the table.

"Hey! I thought I was your favorite!" Ruby exclaimed this time, and the girl giggled.

"I have lots of favorites!" she answered as she sat up and began coloring.

"Good morning, Ms. Lucas." Cora greeted with a smile and Ruby gave her a suspicious look.

"Well, good morning, Mrs. Mills. I didn't know you guys were all...you know, friends?"

"Yeah," Mal began "it's a funny story, actually. I hit Cora in my truck the other day….. So that's how we met." Mal answered and Ruby was shocked, and slightly confused, then an idea started to form.

"So...is this..like a date?" she whispered to Mal who swallowed, then smiled. She blushed hard and Cora chuckled before answering.

"Oh yes. Didn't you know? I bring all of my dates to this fine establishment." Cora said with a serious face, and Ruby just looked even more confused.

"She's...probably joking, Ruby." Mal answered with a grin. "If anything, I'm just the chaperone for the playdate." she joked and Ruby just nodded dumbly, before she took their orders and returned to the kitchen.

After ordering their food, Cora felt a little warm, so she took off Henry's jacket and placed it across the back of the booth. As she sat down again, Mal gestured towards it.

"I really like that jacket." she stated and Cora nodded politely.

"Oh, it's really not mine. It was Henry's." Cora shrugged. "I actually stayed at the cottage with the girls last night, and when I woke up this morning, I stumbled across some of our old clothes that I had almost forgotten about. It just….kind of called to me, I guess. Anyway, thank you. I like it as well."

"Well, it suits you. It's a little big, but you wear it pretty well. I think you should consider having it sized to fit, so that you can wear it more often. I have the number of a great tailor. He wouldn't even have to cut anything." she explained and Cora nodded with a smile, as Ruby came out with the food. She served everyone, then gave Cora a perplexed look.

"You have jeans? Did you borrow them from Regina or something?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No, they're mine actually. I just got so used to dressing professionally while I was Mayor, that I forgot what it was like to dress comfortably." Cora explained with a small smile. Ruby returned it and Cora noticed a gleam in Ruby's eye.

Something beautiful. Something like hope, and Cora hoped it was acceptance. Cora smiled fondly, and Ruby looked confused, but still smiled.

"Do I have something on my face?" she asked jokingly and Cora chuckled.

"No, dear. I've just never really noticed your eyes. They're beautiful." Cora stated and Ruby blushed deeply.

"Um, wow….thanks.." Ruby said awkwardly with a huge smile, then walked to the back.

"Granny!" Ruby whisper yelled as she approached her grandmother at the grill. "Cora Mills is wearing jeans!" she said quickly and the old woman nodded with a laugh.

"Noted Ruby, but get back to work, please?" Granny tried politely. She had seen Cora in jeans before, so she didn't really understand what all the fuss was about.

They were busy today, so they didn't have time for just standing around or small talk.

"Granny, that's not all. She said my eyes were beautiful!"

"Ruby, your eyes are beautiful." Granny stated, with annoyance in her voice now. She was sure Ruby was just avoiding work, because her behavior didn't make any sense at the moment.

"And she's on a date with Lily's mom! Granny! I have to call Regina. I think her mom might have a brain tumor or something!"

"Ruby, calm down, and listen to me. You will not call either Regina or Emma! Understood?"

"But…. Why not?" she asked deflating from her excitement.

"Because this is new territory for Cora, and we have to respect that. So let Cora tell them in her own time. She knew we would be here, and that means she somewhat trusts us. If you call to tattle on her, that would break her trust. So, just please don't do that." Granny said exasperated, and Ruby rolled her eyes.

It wasn't often that they had gossip around here, and now when they do, Ruby wasn't allowed to tell anyone about it..

"Yeah yeah... I won't." Ruby huffed, before she smiled mischievously. "But Maybe I should call Belle though… Just to let her know Cora might have a plus one...or two, you know at our wedding."

"Ruby, I'm sure Cora is expecting you to call everyone with the news, but it should really come from her. And besides that, aren't Mal and Lily already invited?" Granny explained, then asked with crossed arms, and Ruby sighed with a nod. "Plus, how do you even know they're actually on a date. We've known both Mal….and Cora for a while. Neither of them would bring a date here."

"Yeah, that's what I thought too, but when I joked about it, and I was joking, they both got really embarrassed, and then Cora said something sarcastic. Which is exactly what Regina does when she's embarrassed or is hiding something! So I figure, Cora has to do it too!"

"Huh." Granny breathed out. "Cora Mills is on a date...and they confirmed it. How about that… and she's obviously already met Mal's little princess, Lily."

"Met her? Oh no. Apparently her and Lily are already best friends!" Ruby over exaggerated and Granny laughed.

"Please get back to work, hun. You can freak out about this later. And you have thirty minutes till break. You can go crazy on your break."

"Ok." Ruby agreed with a sigh, and Granny laughed again as she gestured towards the front with a spatula. "I'm gonna go splash some cold water on my face real quick though." Granny rolled her eyes with a sigh as Ruby left.

Ruby walked to the bathroom and immediately pulled out her phone. She debated for half a second, before dialing Belle's number.

"Hello?"

"I have to talk fast, so listen up. Cora is here on a date with Mal Page. They also have Lily here and... I served them their food and Cora was just staring at me. So I asked if I had something on my face, and she said I had beautiful eyes!" Ruby explained all in one breath.

"Ok, wow." Belle said before she burst out into laughter. "Well, if you go over to their table again, I'm sure they'll tip pretty well." she stated, still laughing.

"Oh, and Cora Mills is wearing jeans!" Ruby added and Belle laughed more.

"I know! Right? They make her ass look freaking great!" Mal whisper yelled from behind Ruby, who jumped and dropped her phone.

"Oh fuck.. Mal! Don't...sneak up on people like that." Ruby admonished as she picked up her phone, and Mal laughed as she walked into a stall.

"You're the one in the wrong. I didn't embarrass you in front of a prospective….person, that I wouldn't mind spending more time with." she finished awkwardly and Ruby laughed as she sent Belle a short text about calling her later, before she put her back phone in her pocket.

"Yeah, Cora does seem different. I kind of like the new her… but… I just don't want to get sucked in, in case she changes and goes back to being… horrible." Ruby admitted, and Mal left the stall to wash her hands.

"I don't know what Cora may have done to you in the past, but you can't only think the negative. About anyone, really. That would make for a sad life." Mal began as she dried her hands with a small contemplative smile.

"I know you didn't know my Cru that well, but I thought she was a spoiled bitch when I first met her. I mean she totally was," Mal and Ruby shared a chuckle. "but she had a crazy life before we met. Sometimes all it takes is one thing to change someone, be it an experience, or a person. Hell, it could even be a look someone gives you, or a song that speaks to your heart." Mal explained and Ruby nodded.

"Yeah, I only remember bits and pieces about Cru, because I was so young, but I remember she was good friends with Granny. I know I really liked her tough, cause Cru agreed that the big bad wolf probably wasn't really bad. I always thought he just had a cold, and the pigs just always teased him. So he sneezed on their houses." Ruby said with a fond smile

"She also told me once, that bad people aren't born that way, anyways." Ruby chuckled now, realizing that Cru's words really applied to Cora. "I still don't really trust Regina's mom, but I think you guys would be cute together." she finished and Mal blushed again.

"Well, I don't know about that. I mean she probably doesn't even like women…" Mal shrugged.

"Psh…. I actually think that sarcastic defence said it all. I think you have a shot." Ruby said confidently, as they made their way out of the bathroom.

"You really think so?" Mal said with a twinkle in her eye.

"Oh yeah!" Ruby promised with a grin, as she left to refill drinks at a different table.

Mal went back to their table, and felt her heart burst with joy, when she realized Cora and Lily were discussing favorite colors again.

"Yeah, I think I like purple the most!"

"Well, that's a very good color, dear."

"Hey, do you think Gina will come to my birfday? Because I really want to meet her! I think she's Ruby's friend, and I'm friends with Ruby, so maybe we could all be friends!" the girl asked excitedly and Cora smiled.

"Maybe. When is it?" Cora asked and the girl looked at her mom, who smiled tightly.

"Next friday." Mal answered slowly as she sat down with them, as if trying to gauge Cora's reaction. They obviously weren't dating or anything, but meeting the family was usually done after a first date.

"I'll ask her if she's free, but I should warn you that her girlfriend is very protective, so she'll likely want to tag along. If that's ok?" she asked and the girl squinted.

"Hmm, what color does SHE like?" she asked and Cora looked stumped.

"Hm, she wears a lot of dark clothes, but she was wearing a yellow shirt the other day. So I suppose she likes yellow." she answered and the girl smiled.

"Ok, then yes! I would like for her to come too!" the girl was excited again, and Mal chuckled nervously.

"Lil, calm down, kiddo. Cora's daughter may not be able to come…."

"That's true," Cora began "but if she wanted to, could she?" Cora was trying to subtly ask if she was even really invited, and sincerely hoped Mal picked up on that. She sighed in relief once she answered.

"Well, we were planning to ask you today, but I guess Lily already covered that. Apparently, without even telling you when it was that is..." Mal chuckled and nodded. Lily smiled and shrugged.

"But yes, They are both, absolutely, invited. So long as, the party doesn't interfere with any plans they may have. I believe Eugenia and Ruby will both be there."

"And Belle! She's my favorite!" the girl exclaimed and both adults laughed.

"Why do you have so many favorites? Why don't you just love everyone equally?" Cora asked and Lily shrugged.

"I do love everybody! And everyone is my favorite!" she girl stated as Mal's eyes locked with Cora's. There was a few seconds of silence before Mal spoke up again.

"Lily just recently started saying that. She was pretty antisocial before she started school this year, believe it or not.." she turned to speak to Lily. "Actually, you may not know this, but "favorite" was the first word you ever really said." Mal began, and Cora raised an eyebrow.

"She had started to say short words like Ma and Nah Nah, but Ursula would always use that word around her. She would say stuff like "There's my favorite." or "Lil, tell mommy who's your favorite.". So favorite was her first actual word. She was ten months old, and she started walking shortly after that." Mal finished and Cora was amazed.

"Wow! So you're a baby genius!" Cora chuckled as she looked at the little girl.

"What was Gina's first words, Corna? " she asked curiously.

"Oh, well, Regina thinks her first word was Dada, but it was Mama. She doesn't remember it very well, but her father was working a lot when she was little, so it was just the two of us, most of the time. He finally slowed down after I was elected mayor….. Anyway, Regina loved him, he was a such a great father." Cora spoke fondly, and Lily wrapped her tiny arm around the woman, sensing the sadness in her voice when she'd mentioned Henry.

"It's ok, Corna." the girl spoke and both women's hearts melted. "My mommy died. I never met her, but I know she loved me. I'm sure he loved you lots!" the girl comforted her and Cora let a tear slip.

"I know he did." Cora replied with a bright smile, and wiped her tear away.

"It's ok to cry too. I miss my other mommy sometimes, and I cry sometimes too. But that's okay! So, What happened to him?"

"Oh, Lily you can't just ask that." Mal spoke up and Lily looked upset.

"Oh! I'm sorry, Corna! I pologize if I made you sad." Lily said quickly, but Cora just smiled as she shook her head.

"You always make me happy, sweetheart. So don't worry about asking that.. But.. He actually just got really sick, and passed away. He was pretty old though, and he had smoked most of his life. So we all knew it would happen eventually." Cora explained and Lily nodded.

"Smoking is bad! Mommy used to smoke!" Lily stated, and Mal sighed as she laid her head on her arm and laughed.

"Lily, would you please stop telling everyone that?" she asked and Lily shrugged again, and batted her eyelashes, as she ate her food. Cora felt a warm feeling she hadn't felt for years. She felt like she had a family again.

"It's ok, I mean I don't particularly like smoke, but I'm partial to the smell…" Cora spoke and Mal laughed again

"Well, I've never actually smoked.." she gave Cora a look as she paused "cigarettes." she finished. Cora was confused for a second. She was about to ask if she smoked cigars like Henry had, but stopped when she realized what Mal meant.

"Ahhh." Cora nodded that she understood and Mal shrugged.

"I don't smoke anything very often, but Lily caught me once last year, when she was supposed to be in bed, and I haven't done it since." Mal gave Lily a look and Lily sighed.

"Yeah! I caught her outside by her car!" Lily laughed and Mal sighed.

"Well, Lily, if she hasn't smoked anymore, she's no longer a smoker. So perhaps you could stop teasing her about it.." Cora suggested and Lily laughed.

"Ok, Corna, I'll leave mommy alone." the two smiled and Mal rolled her eyes. She knew the girl would definitely bring it up again.

"So…" Mal said after taking a sip of her drink, changing the subject. "are you sure you want to come to the four year old's party, Corna Mills? There will be a pony, and face painting, but maybe that's not your thing?"

Mal spoke with false enthusiasm. She was excited that her daughter was turning four, but not too excited to host forty kids from the preschool that Lily goes to.

"Yeah! And all my best friends will be there!" Lily stated excitedly and Mal chuckled.

"Yes, her forty best friends from Pre-K…." Mal explained and Cora looked surprised.

"Forty? There are forty kids in her class?" Cora asked and Mal laughed as she shook her head.

"No, there are forty in her grade. She wanted everyone at the entire school to come, but I had to set the limit somewhere." Mal explained and Lily frowned.

"Mommy, I thought you invited everyone…." Lily said with a pout.

"I did. I invited everyone in K-4."

"Mommy, what about Jainey?!" she asked, suddenly alarmed.

"Jainey is coming, and her brothers will be there as well, so relax squirt."

"Oh, thank goodness!" Lily sighed

"Is Jainey your actual best friend?" Cora asked and Lily laughed.

"Sorta! She's in kindergarten and she's my girlfriend. We're gonna get married one day!" Lily explained, and hearing those words made Cora speechless, as she suddenly remembered something from her past.

Regina had started preschool a few weeks previous, and Cora had been a nervous wreck ever since. Henry had assured her Regina would do just fine, but he was away with work, so he could only support his wife over the phone, which didn't do much for Cora. She was so worried that the other kids would pick on her, or get her sick somehow.

"How was your day, sweetheart?"

"Mama, I had a great day!" she exclaimed as she got into the backseat, for the short ride home. "I colored, and we sang ABCs, and I met someone special!"

The last sentence made Cora raise an eyebrow.

"How special? Boyfriend special?" she asked alarmed and Regina laughed. Cora had worried about a lot of things when Regina started school, but a boyfriend was something she had never thought about. But now she was worried about that as well..

"Kinda!" Regina began as they pulled up at their house "Her name is Ruby, and she has long pretty hair, and we can even get married one day!"

Regina was so excited, but Cora was heart broken. She remembered thinking the same thing when she was little, but it never happened. She was completely silent until Regina spoke up again.

"Mama? You ok?" She asked and Cora nodded.

"Yes, dear, but I'm afraid you can't marry a girl. Girls can only marry boys, I'm afraid." she spoke calmly and Regina frowned.

"But I really like her.." she began to tear up as Cora got out of the car. She picked her up and held her close.

Cora was ashamed that her genetics had somehow corrupted her daughter. This brought a whole new set of things to worry about.

"It's ok, sweetheart. You can't really get married, but you can be best friends! And that's really just as good. If not, even better." Cora tried to ease her daughter's sadness, while internally freaking out.

"Can we hold hands?" Regina asked as she looked up to her mother's face.

"Yes, you can hold hands still. Best friends can hold hands. Just don't go around kissing anyone. Girls or boys. They all have cooties!" Cora explained and Regina made a sour face. "Can you just promise me not to kiss anyone and get cooties?" she asked as they made it inside.

"Yuck! I promise! I don't want cooties! I don't know what that is, but it sounds bad!" Regina promised. Cora smiled back tightly.

There wasn't really a word Cora would necessarily use to describe how she felt when Regina told her about Ruby, but she definitely felt different hearing that from Lily.

She wasn't sure if it was because she had gotten older and wiser, or if it was just ok with her, because Lily wasn't her daughter.

"Lily, she's coming, but no kisses. Seriously!" Mal spoke and Cora snapped back to reality.

"Yeah, you shouldn't kiss other kids. They all have cooties." Cora added, in support of Mal. Mal nodded quickly.

"Yes! Cooties! That's a perfect reason not to kiss other kids!" Mal said and thanked Cora with her eyes.

"Cooties?" Lily asked "What's that? It sounds gross!"

"I don't know exactly what it is," Cora began "but I do know that most kids could have it. If you kiss another kid, you could get it too." Cora spoke and Lily made that sour face again.

"You promise you won't kiss anyone?" Mal asked the girl, who nodded quickly, in response.

"I promise, Mommy!" Lily spoke, still making the sour face, and the adults shared a smile.

At one, Regina and Emma were sitting in the deli Regina had chosen for lunch, when Cora walked through the door with a laugh.

"Hello, mother." Regina said and was about to stand up to great her, but her mother surprised her, as she gave her a hug before she sat down. That small move made Regina's heart burst with love and pride.

"Hello, darling. How are you feeling?" she asked as they released each other from the hug.

"I'm ok, mother." she replied.

"Hello, Miss.. Hello, Emma." she greeted politely and the blonde gave her a simple nod.

"Cora." she replied and Cora swallowed hard. This was awkward, but Cora had spent the morning with her new friends, and she actually felt happy to be at the deli with her daughter. She relaxed a little when she noticed Emma's presence actually didn't bother her. She felt comfortable.

"So," Regina began "how was your breakfast date?" Regina asked, making conversation and Cora sighed.

"I suppose Ruby spoke with you." Cora joked knowingly, and both teenagers gave her a confused look.

"Nah.. I talked to Rubes about an hour ago," Emma began "but she didn't mention anything. You must have gone to the diner though…" Emma trailed off in thought.

"Ok." Cora took a deep breath "I did have breakfast with someone, and I was hoping Ruby had called both of you, so that this wouldn't be so awkward…" she paused "Perhaps that was the easy way out, anyway"

"Mother, who was it? Should we be concerned?"

"Oh no, nothing like that! It's just…" Cora paused to collect her thoughts again.

"I've told you both, in so many words, that I was attracted to women when I was younger" she finally started and Regina looked surprised, but Emma looked shocked.

And Emma WAS in shock. Mainly because Cora did seem uncomfortable mentioning this, but she was talking about it in a public setting. Where anyone could hear. She seemed different. More relaxed or something. Either way, the blonde didn't know how she should react at the moment.

Emma had been able to read people from a young age. The Cora she first met, the Cora that she yelled at at the cabin, and this Cora. well, they were all completely different people.

This person Cora had breakfast with, obviously had some key. Some key that unlocked something in Cora. Just something different. Emma smiled at Regina, then at Cora.

"Yes, mother. I suppose you have spoken with us both about this. So did you actually have a date with a woman?" she asked and Cora frowned.

"Oh, no. I don't think so. She had her daughter with her, so I don't think it was a date. I mean.." Cora paused again. Emma and Regina noticed her tense up.

"Mother, it's really.." Regina tried, but Cora was in her own head. So deep in doubt that she couldn't hear her daughter. Emma and Regina shared a concerned look.

"Was it a date? What if it was? Is every meal you share with someone, a date?"

" , I don't think.." Emma tried, but Cora unknowingly cut her off.

"Perhaps it is a date, if you're interested in the person."

"Mother!" Regina raised her voice slightly, and finally got Cora's attention.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Cora apologized as she stood. She removed the jacket and sat back down. The teenagers were chuckling, but were at the same time a bit, well, concerned about Cora's wellbeing.

"Well, my opinion on the matter is, if you both agree that it's a date, or If it's planned, but not a ritual, it could be a possible date." Emma said calmly.

"I agree." Cora started "but her daughter was also there. Would that definitely make it a...non-date?" she asked and Regina bit her lip.

"Mother, I think the important factor is if you wanted it to be a date. So….did you want it to be that? I mean.. Would you like to date this woman?" Regina asked and Cora swallowed hard as she rolled her sleeves up.

"I think so." She answered and slowly smiled. "I did want it. It would be nice to date her." Cora finally admitted. Emma and Regina both nodded with small smiles.

"So, who is she?" Emma asked curiously. She was still trying to get a grip on this whole new person Cora seemed to be, but she really enjoyed her. And she knew Regina did as well.

"Oh. Her name is Mal page. She has a four year old daughter, and she's helping with the house on Mifflin."

"Oh wow." Regina replied "Um, that's great!"

"That's fast!" Emma added and Cora sighed as she got nervous again.

"I know, I know it is. It's odd, but I feel….different around her. I feel...comfortable, and..wanted. I can't explain it, but there's just something that draws me to her, and we keep overlapping. I know we live in the same town, but it's odd how many friends we have in common."

"How can I have never heard of her.." Regina said with a small pout and Cora laughed

"Neither had I, but apparently, Ruby and Eugenia knew both her and her daughter, as well as Mal's wife before she passed."

"Wait a minute.. I think I know who you're talking about Cora.. She's a nice blonde lady with an adorable daughter named Lily, right?"

"That's correct, Emma" Cora couldn't control her smile. Emma found it to be contagious, but tried to tone her own smile down a little.

"Anyway, I haven't really spoken with them very much. I would have, but Ruby always rushed ahead of me to take their order." Emma said with a small shrug. "I do know that Lily has diabetes, and Granny always gives her sugar free stuff tough"

"Cora! Hey!" A familiar face appeared from behind the counter. "I didn't even notice you come in! You must have snuck in, like you always do!" the black lady joked and Cora offered her a smile.

"No, I just came in, but you're so busy right now that I didn't want to interrupt. I figured we would all go to the counter and order soon anyway. It looks like it's slowing down a little." Cora explained and Regina and Emma gave her a confused look. "Sorry, Abby, this is my daughter, Regina, and her girlfriend, Emma."

Once again, the blonde was shocked. This time about the fact that Cora actually introduced her as her daughter's girlfriend. She's really trying to change, isn't she? Emma thought to herself.

"Hello, it's nice to meet you, Abby was it?" Regina greeted and Emma shook her hand.

"Abby is Lily's aunt, and Mal's sister-in-law." Cora explained and Abby smiled.

"Well, it's nice to meet you two as well. Actually meet you, not just take your order." she reiterated and the teenagers chuckled.

"You too." Emma finally spoke. Regina found her hand under the table, and intertwined their fingers.

"So, I'm going to run errands, but Ursula is gonna be behind the counter when you go order. Just go slow…." She joked and Cora smiled.

"Ok, well have a good day." Cora said and Abby nodded before leaving the table.

"Wow...you've already met her family?" Regina asked "How long have you been seeing her?"

"Oh, no no." Cora shook her head "I've known Abby for a few years now. Her family owns this deli, and I frequent this establishment." Cora started "Her relation to Mal is purely coincidental."

"Ahh," Emma began, piecing this together "so how DID you guys meet?" she asked and Cora blushed.

"You remember that car accident? Well, she was driving the red truck. Her breakline ruptured, and we were both ok. Except she had a concussion and was kept in the hospital overnight."

"Ok..." Regina urged her to continue.

"Perhaps, we could get our food, then I'll explain?" she asked and Regina quickly agreed.

When the trio got back to the table, Cora explained all the details she could. After she finished, just about all of their food was gone. All three women were thinking wildly.

Cora was excited to be sharing this with her family. Also, excited that she considered them both, family. She was so happy that she was excited about something, or maybe more so about someone, for the first time in years.

Emma felt torn, about how Cora was behaving right now. Maybe it was mostly because Cora seemed to be so excited about her soon to be girlfriend and her daughter, because Emma couldn't stop thinking about how Cora had reacted to Regina and her being a couple.

Regina noticed Emma had disappeared into her own world, so she gave her hand a gentle squeeze, and that was all it took to bring her back to the present.

The blonde gave her a small smile, before she placed a tender kiss on her lips. She closely studied Cora's reaction to the kiss, and when Emma saw only happiness and pride in Cora's eyes, Emma decided it was time to let go of the 'old Cora', even though it was gonna be a hard thing to do. Everyone deserves a second chance tough, even Cora Emma told herself, as her eyes glanced over to Regina, who seemed torn as well.

Regina was just, at a loss. She was happy that her mother was happy. She was excited to meet these new people, but she really didn't know how to feel about her mother dating again.

Regina guessed she had always figured that if Cora moved on, it would be in secret, and Regina would only see both of them once a year. Although, until recently, Regina didn't even know how in love she could be. She hadn't ever even thought about her mother being in a relationship with someone she actually loved again.

Cora noticed the tension and saw the confusion in both teenagers' eyes, and felt like she should just leave, but she shook her head at that, and decided that wasn't who she was anymore. Besides that, she had already done the hard part, so why stop now? So after taking a deep breath, Cora broke the silence.

"So, Lily has a birthday coming up, and I've brought you, well, the two of you up a few times. So they have invited all the three off us to the party.

But I'll completely understand if you don't want to, or If you're not ready to meet them, but I think you would both love them." Cora prattled off nervously, and Emma bit her lip to hide the smirk, while Regina smiled slightly.

"Mother, calm down." Regina said as she placed her hand over her mother's on the table. "You seem nervous about this. So the real question is, do you want us to go? I would also understand if you didn't. And I won't judge you, mother. I promise."

"Um..what? You don't think I want you to come with me?" Cora asked sadly and Regina gave her mother's hand a gentle squeeze.

"Cora, we know that this...relationship. Is fairly new, and we would understand if you just want to keep it for yourself for a little longer." Emma explained and Cora smiled proudly, as a tear fell from her eye.

"Thank you for being so considerate. I really appreciate it, but girls, this isn't even a relationship yet. We've just... had a couple of meals together." Cora spoke flippantly and Regina chuckled, while Emma smiled.

"Mother, let's count all of these so called non-date, dates you've had, shall we?" Regina began and Cora looked confused.

"Coffee at the hospital." Emma started

"That's a date? Wow, I had no idea."

"The Deli, after the hospital." Regina added

"That wasn't planned at all." Cora disagreed and the teenagers chuckled.

"The house, after the Deli." Emma stated and Cora sighed

"That really shouldn't count. We just went over business plans, and I ended up crying myself to sleep..." Cora defended

"But you two also drank wine, while getting to know each other, right?" Emma asked and Cora sighed again, but nodded.

"Ok, well this morning wouldn't count as a date, right? I mean, Lily was there, and you don't bring a toddler on a date. So that was simply breakfast with friends." Cora spoke lowly

"Mother, dating this woman is not a bad thing. You've been on a handful of non-dates, in two days. There is a reason for everything."

"I kinda think…" Emma began "that it might be..fate?" Emma finished gently and Cora let her mind wonder for a second.

"I used to believe in fate." Cora said while wiping a few tears from her face. Emma reached across to cover Cora's hand this time, and the move surprised both Cora and Regina.

"You still do, and I can tell you're afraid right now. I don't know if you're afraid of how everyone will react, or afraid of trying to move on, but I do know something.

We will support you in this, either way. You may not be ready in your head, but I feel like you are in your heart." Cora was now crying madly, and Regina was as well.

"Emma, that was beautiful!" Regina said through the tears and laid her head on Emma's shoulder. Emma smiled, but gave Cora a pointed look.

"I mean it, Cora. I promise that you're not doing anything wrong. I know everything in your head says this is wrong, but that's just because of your childhood.

That stuff, and all those bad people, don't matter anymore. What matters, is how you feel, and how your family feels. We accept you as you are, and I would encourage you accept yourself." Emma finished as she squeezed Cora's hand, and Regina was crying like a baby into Emma's shoulder.

"Thank you, Emma." Cora expressed and Emma smiled brightly.

A week passed by quickly. Cora and Mal had people coming in and out of the house, doing estimates for supplies. A load of lumber and drywall had been delivered yesterday. It was neatly stacked in the backyard.

Lily was currently wearing her princess birthday crown, with a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, and playing with her soccer ball. While Mal and Cora were sat on the porch, enjoying a cup of coffee, and chatting.

Today was the day of Lily's party. They were all three dressed and ready to go, but had stopped by the house on Mifflin Street, for some final measurements before the construction began.

Emma had stopped by to ask if they needed help earlier in the week, and ended up meeting, Mal. She had had been shy at first, but relaxed once she figured out that Cora had already explained that Emma wasn't good around new people, even if she had gotten better with it.

And as it turned out, Emma was pretty good with a hammer, and Mal agreed that she should help out with the house if she wanted.

So Emma had been stopping by all week to help arrange things, and move most of the furniture out, and into a temporary storage unit.

Some days Emma would help Mal, while Regina helped Cora pick out things like paint, and flooring for the new rooms and bathrooms.

They, now, had all the material, equipment, and tools that they would need. Regina hadn't met Mal yet, but she knew that she would like her.

While Emma and Cora were both helping out, Regina decided that she Would help out at the diner, so that Emma wouldn't be too strained.

"Mommy, can I help with da house?" Lily asked, as she ran up to the women in lounge chairs.

"Hmm, what would you want to do?" Mal asked and the birthday girl grinned.

"I wanna pick out pwayground stuff! This yard is huge! So I think it can fit!" she explained and the women laughed. Cora decided to answer.

"I think that's a great idea! We can go pick it out next week!" she said happily and the girl jumped excitedly into Cora's lap.

"You're my favorite, Corna!"

"Everyone's your favorite.." Mal teased and the girl shook her head.

"I just say that to be nice. Corna is my real favorite person!" the girl explained and Mal chuckled. Cora smiled as she ran her fingers through the girl's hair, before she straightened her crown.

"Are you ready for the party, today?" Cora asked and the girl nodded.

"I am! I get to see all my friends, and I get to eat cake and ice cream!" she said as she bounced on Cora's lap. The adults laughed and she smiled. "Plus, I get to meet Gina and Emma!"

"Yes, they're excited to meet you, as well!" Cora answered and the girl hugged her.

Emma and Regina were headed to the park for the birthday party. Emma was excited to see Mal again, and meet Lily, but not very excited to be surrounded by fifty or more people.

At least it's at the park, and not in an enclosed place Emma thought to herself, then looked over and noticed Regina fidgeting nervously. She held out her hand for Regina to take. Once she did, Emma pulled their joined hands to her lips, then placed a small kiss on Regina's knuckles.

"Today will be great, babe. Don't worry." she tried to reassure and Regina shrugged.

"I don't understand when you became the calm one, and me the nervous one?" Regina asked and Emma rolled her eyes.

"I guess you have your pregnancy hormones to blame?" the blonde answered with a shrug and a smile.

"You're probably right… but still.. What if they don't like me?" she asked and Emma chuckled.

"Trust me, babe, they will love you, just as much as I do!" Emma said, but the words didn't seem to be heard, as Regina continued to ramble on.

"I think we should have all had dinner beforehand. Now, I'm meeting them, for the first time, at the girl's birthday party! What was I thinking?!" Emma pulled over and stopped the car for a minute, and laid her hands carefully on each of Regina's shoulders, as their eyes locked.

"Regina. I promise. Everything will be just fine. Just remember that. I have met Mal, and I'm certain that she'll love you. She likes me, so she'll like you as well." Emma tried again and Regina sighed, before she pressed her lips against her girlfriend's and Emma put the car in drive.

"Mother, said the same thing." Regina admitted and Emma smiled. "Apparently, she's excited to meet me, but what if she just doesn't like me?"

"Ok, that's not gonna happen," Emma reassured her. "but if it happens, then we will leave, and you'll never have to be around either of them. Ever. I promise."

"Ok. Thank you. That kind of makes me feel better." Regina said as they pulled up and Belle and Ruby met them at the car.

"Finally!" Ruby exclaimed and they all rolled their eyes. "You guys took… like forever!"

"We arrived ten minutes earlier than we should have, Ruby." Regina defended and the redhead sighed

"Yeah, but if you had been here thirty minutes early, like I told you in my text, we could have jumped in the bounce house, without worrying about all the annoying kids!"

"Regina can't jump anyway, Rubes." Emma said as she laid a hand on the big baby bump.

"and I don't want to jump," Belle suddenly said and turned to Emma "so I'm glad you're finally here to babysit her! She's been bothering me all day!" Belle joked and Ruby pouted.

"Ruby!" Lily called from her booster seat, in her mother's back seat. Mal laughed as she looked over to Cora.

"I didn't think everyone would get here early." Cora said carefully, almost whispered and Mal squeezed Cora's leg for encouragement.

"Everything will be fine." Mal stated proudly and Cora sighed, before nodding.

"I suppose. I mean you've already met Emma, and you two seem to get along.." Cora contemplated, even though she was a little nervous. "I'm just worried that Regina will think I'm trying to replace her father, somehow."

"Hey." Mal started, gaining Cora's attention. "No one could ever replace him, okay?" as Mal spoke, Cora smiled brightly.

"Thank you." she said as Lily's door opened, revealing an impatient Ruby

"Come on, squirt! We gotta get to that bounce house before all the other little kids start showing up!" she was excited and the excitement must have rubbed off on Emma, because the blonde was bouncing on her feet.

"Oh, hello." Lily greeted Emma when she got out of the car. The blonde suddenly didn't know what to say, but pushed herself to at least greet the little girl.

"Hi, I'm Emma, I'm…"

"I know who you are." she girl started as Ruby placed her on the ground. "What's your favorite color?" she asked directly, and Emma scratched her head for a second.

"Um...yellow." Emma answered and the girl smiled.

"Ok good! That's what Corna said it prolly was! Ok, let's go jump!" The girl lead the way with a laughing Ruby, and a confused but laughing Emma behind.

Mal and Cora shared a small smile as they got out. They quickly found Belle and Regina, not too far away, talking.

"You ready for this?" Mal asked, and Cora nodded. She took a deep breath and wrung her hands nervously. Mal held her hand out, and asked "Will you hold my hand?" Cora smiled and nodded slightly.

"You don't have to hold my hand just because I'm nervous." Cora said, but took the offered hand. She found that it did help a little.

"What if I'm nervous?" Mal asked and Cora freaked out. She hadn't even thought about that!

"Are you?" she asked quickly and Mal laughed, as she shook her head.

"No, but you are, and I just like holding your hand." Mal shrugged, causing Cora to laugh as they walked over to the teenagers.

"Hello, Belle, Regina." Cora greeted and the girls turned to them.

"Hi, , and Mal. It's nice to see you again." Belle greeted with a smile.

"Hello, Mother. Um…" Regina's nerves were getting the best of her, so Belle reached for her hand. That brought Regina so much comfort. And in that moment, something just clicked. Something clicked into place.

She realized she could draw comfort from anyone in her family. She squeezed Belle's hand and smiled.

"I apologize. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mal. Mother and Emma, have told me so much about you." she offered her hand for Mal to shake. She dropped Cora's hand to shake Regina's.

"I'm glad I get to finally meet you. Your mom has told me tons about you, as well." she moved to whisper in Regina's ear.

"And another thing, I understand if you never want to go back to your old house, but I hope you'll let me take you through the house once it's finished. It will be a whole new place. You won't even recognize it." Mal pulled back and Regina nodded with a small smile. Mal quickly noticed tears in her eyes and apologized.

"Oh no. I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to make you cry!" she prayed to just erase what she just said, and start over.

"Oh no." Regina said as she dried her eyes. "That's...it's Ok. I'm fine. I've just been a little… emotional recently, because of my stupid pregnancy hormones.. But anyway, that was very sweet of you. You were trying to keep it quiet, even though it was, basically, all over in the newspaper.

I appreciate it. And, to be honest, I don't know if I'll be ready when it's done, or if I will ever be ready, but I believe you when you say it will be completely different. And I'm so happy about this. Even though I haven't seen the work, I've been doing what I can, and helping Mother pick out paint."

"Oh yeah! She said the Murphy beds were your idea! That's brilliant! And the futon in each room is great as well! Some of these families will have three or four kids... plus." Mal stated and Regina nodded.

"Yes, I thought it would be functional if the kids maybe had to be inside one day."

"You know…" Mal started "I noticed some of the color schemes you picked out, as well. Have you put any thought into going to school to be an interior designer?" she asked and Regina shook her head.

"You really think I could do that?" Regina asked and Mal nodded quickly.

"Most definitely! I also saw the rooms, that were already decorated in the house. I didn't say anything to your mother, but you had amazing taste as a kid. It seems that it's only improved over time."

"Wow. I suppose I've never thought about that before. I've never really bothered with future careers. I always figured my mother would push me into politics, no matter what I wanted, but I don't feel like that anymore." Regina admitted.

"Well, let me know when you find the college you want to go to. I have friends all over, and I'm sure I could put in a good word." Mal offered and Regina smiled.

"Thank you." Regina spoke and Mal nodded.

"And thank you for coming today. Lily will be thrilled that you came. She's been going crazy with excitement all week!" Mal explained.

"Yes. I'm excited to meet her, as well." Regina promised and Mal smiled as she offered her bent elbow to the teenager. Regina hesitated for a split second, but decided that it couldn't hurt.

"Shall we?" Mal asked politely and Regina nodded, as she wrapped her own arm around the woman's.

"Absolutely." Regina answered as Mal offered her other arm to Cora. Cora politely turned her down. Insisting that she should help Regina, because the ground was uneven here, and she didn't want anything to happen to her first born grandchild. Belle followed behind, also on the ready if Regina were to trip backwards for some reason.

They all chuckled and moved to sit at a picnic table. After a minute, Emma came running over with the birthday girl on her shoulders, as Ruby slowly chased them, while growling like a dog.

"Mommy, Gina and Corna! Look! I'm flying away from Wolf Ruby!" Lily explained, then went on. "Me and Emma are a dragon!" all the women laughed.

"Why would such a brave Dragon fly away from a, mere, wolf?" Mal asked and Lily shrugged

"Cause she's a huge huge wolf, Mommy!" the girl explained and Mal chuckled. "A wah wolf! "

"Well, a wearwolf doesn't scare, Dragon Mommy!" Mal exclaimed and Ruby laughed.

"Nothing scares you, though! I mean you're kind of dating the actual, dragon…...nevermind."

Ruby knew she couldn't cover her tracks, so she just stopped. Everyone looked nervously towards Cora. Except for Belle, who was scolding Ruby with her eyes.

Cora didn't look hurt, for her part. She just laughed and broke the spell over everyone, then she spoke as Lily gestured to be put down. Ruby released her, as Cora finally spoke.

"She has a fair point, dear." Cora said with a smile. "You thought I was a dragon lady, as well."

"Yeah." Mal stared and smiled, but stopped as she realized what Ruby said. "So.. Is that what we're doing? Dating?" she asked and Cora shrugged.

"I suppose." Cora answered, unsure herself. "Would that be ok with you? Do you want to date me?" Cora asked, suddenly very reserved and Mal shrugged slightly.

"I haven't dated in a really long time. I don't even know what I would do." Mal explained and there were a few snickers from around the table.

"Haven't you been dating since the accident?" Belle asked confused, and the others snickered again.

"Come again?" Mal asked with a raised eyebrow.

"They all think that our outings have actually been dates." Mal still looked confused, so Cora continued "Starting with the coffee at the hospital."

"The Deli after the hospital." Emma added

"Drinks at the hospital after the Deli." Regina said.

"Breakfast the next day." Ruby added

"Yes, and didnt the two of you take Lily to the Zoo a few days ago?" Belle asked

"Oh," Regina spoke up again "if that one counts, the museum definitely counts!"

"Um, wow." Cora spoke "I didn't realize those could be dates, as well.."

"Hmm," Mal finally began, then chuckled "I guess I didn't see them as dates, but I suppose that is the kind of dates I went on with Cru. I didn't even realize.." Mal said and looked towards the teenagers. "Does today count as a date?" she asked and everyone laughed as they shook their heads.

"Today is work." Ruby started "Now, if Lily goes to spend the night with her aunt, and you two have drinks again at the house, or anywhere else, that will definitely be a date, though."

"Wow, I guess I'm better at this than I thought." Mal said with a laugh.

Lily carefully walked up to Regina and smiled at her, and that made the nervous brunette relax a little.

"Hi, you're Gina, right?" Lily asked and Regina nodded with a smile.

"Hello, Lily. It's nice to meet you."

"You're really pretty." the girl said.

"Well, thank you. You're beautiful." Regina replied and Lily blushed.

"Will you play cars with me, one day?" she asked and Regina smiled. She couldn't help but look forward to her own child, while talking to Lily.

"I would love to play cars with you! Do you have any purple ones? I like all the colors, but purple is my favorite!"

"Purple is my favorite, too!"

"Ok…" Mal said and interrupted their conversation. "So your entire life, you've never had a favorite color, and now you do?"

"Yep!" Lily answered and went back to staring at Regina. "I love your hair. Its so long and pretty!"

"Thank you, you have very pretty hair too."

The party went off without a single problem. Everyone got along and chatted. The kids all had a great time.

Regina was bombarded with people wanting to discuss her pregnancy, and she found that she kind of loved it. Not so much the attention, but the tips and suggestions she got were, mostly, very helpful.

Of course, Emma tried to stay by her side as much as possible, but Lily had absolutely fallen in love with the blonde, so she was often dragged away by the giggling birthday girl. Emma didn't have the heart to turn her down, but she still kept a close eye on Regina. As she always did and would.

Emma was surprised by how much she enjoyed herself though. She had come so far, and even though she still had some difficulty with new people, she talked with almost every mother and father there, and played with all the kids.

Belle and Ruby, well they were having a ball! When the guests finally started to leave, Ruby finally convinced Belle to jump with her. They ended up making out instead, though, before Granny had caught them and reminded them to behave since there were still kids around.

But as soon as Granny walked away, Ruby pushed Belle down and attacked her with kisses, and Belle just giggled.

Cora had been chatting with Mal, Ursula, Abby, and Eugenia, but when another parent would come up to them, Mal would give Cora a look, then introduce her as her girlfriend. Cora found it odd, and a little annoying that she would blush every single time. But she loved it.

Once the party was over, Ruby invited Emma and Regina over for dinner with Granny. They invited Mal and Cora as well, but they turned down the invitation. They decided to go to the apartment just incase Regina got too tired.

Lily went to spend the night with Ursula, and Mal and Cora decided to stay the night at the house again, because construction was starting tomorrow and Mal wanted to triple check everything.

Regina yawned as Emma tucked her in, in her bed at Granny's apartment.

"See, didn't I tell you they would like you?" The blonde said as she placed a tender kiss on Regina's forehead.

"You survived as well. I'm so proud of you, Emma."

"Okay, time to sleep now, before you get all emotional and start to cry about something." Emma chuckled and stood to her feet. She stood in the doorway a few seconds and looked at Regina for while, as a smile spread on her lips.

"I love you." she said as she cut the lights off. "Sleep tight."

Emma walked downstairs to Belle, Ruby and Granny who were in a wild discussion, and the blonde guessed it was probably about Cora and Mal.

"Swan, finally, you took forever!" Ruby said as her sister sat down next to her. Belle rolled her eyes, but didn't say anything. Emma just shrugged.

"Regina is quite a handful these days, Rubes, and the pregnancy is hard on her." the blonde replied.

"Anyway, what are your thoughts on this whole thing with Cora and Mal?" Belle asked impatiently, making Emma frown. Ruby's girlfriend didn't usually gossip, but this was something, well….different.

"I think we should let them be, because they both make each other happy." Emma said with a shrug and she saw how proud Granny looked. Belle nodded in agreement.

"See?" Belle directed that to Ruby, but Ruby sighed.

"Yeah, but still. Don't you feel angry or anything?" Ruby pushed. "I mean, she freaked out when she found out about you and Regina, so it's not weird if you get angry over this, right?"

Emma leaned back in her chair and let her mind wander a bit. She knew Ruby had a point, but Emma actually felt happy about the whole thing.

Cora had already told her about her upbringing, and Emma knew that hard stuff impacted the person you chose to become, and Cora had finally let go of her past.

So Emma had decided to let go of the past Cora. Ruby seemed to have more difficulty with that, than her, but it didn't surprise Emma. Her sister was stubborn as a mule.

"I have had enough drama in my life, so I'm not gonna get upset over their relationship, on the contrary. I'm gonna show them my support, and hope Cora stays this way."

The next day, Emma went over to the mansion early, to work on one of the rooms, but as she arrived there, she was met by a slightly stressed and tired looking Mal, sitting on the porch, mumbling swear words.

"Hi." Emma said carefully, and Mal looked up and met her eyes.

"Oh, Emma, hi." she replied and dragged her fingers through her hair.

"Everything okay?" she asked anxiously as she sat down.

"Well yes…. and no. " Mal sighed, and the answer made Emma frown.

"The work with the house is going as planned, so that's good. The thing that's not good, is that Lily is not pleased with being here, and she is just... I shouldn't say this about my own kid, but she's a pain in the ass" Mal chuckled and Emma nodded, as she got an idea.

"Well, I may have a solution for that. I mean, the thing with Lily." Emma spoke, then took a seat beside Mal.

"Oh?" Mal asked and Emma nodded

"Yeah, I have to drive to the cottage and check on Rocinante, Regina's horse. So, I could just bring her with me. I mean.. If she likes horses?"

"I love horsies!" the little girl squealed, as she jumped up into Emma's lap, then gave her a hug.

"Well, if you want to deal with her today, she's yours." Mal chuckled as Cora joined them. Emma offered her a smile, and stood to her feet, with Lily clinging to her.

"I solved our problem." Mal whispered into Cora's ear, then placed a timid kiss on her cheek, before she glanced back to the blonde.

"I don't follow…" Cora said puzzled.

"Emma will take Lily for a bit." Mal smiled.

"Oh, that's nice, Miss Swan, but I think you should take her mother too. She needs a break." Cora suggested and Mal looked appalled.

"Well, let's go then!" Emma smiled and grabbed Mal's hand, and lead them to Regina's car.

Mal gave Cora a searing look, and Cora smiled back, then rolled her eyes. She followed them to the car and gave Mal a small peck on the lips for reassurance.

"Everything's going great, and you need to relax for a while. I'll stay to keep an eye on things here." Cora spoke sweetly and Mal sighed. She finally nodded.

"I guess. I have been going a little over the top lately…"

"You have, and you've barely taken a breath, much less a break." Cora gave her one last kiss and a long hug. "Have a good time, Darling." Mal smiled again and nodded, as she finally got into the passenger side.

"What about my kissies? I don't get kissies too?" Lily asked from the back and Cora chuckled as she opened the door.

"Of course you get kisses!" Cora smothered the girl's face in tiny pecks till she giggled.

"Ok ok! I got kissies. We have to go see the horse now!" Lily spoke as she wiped her face with her sleeve. Cora just smiled

"Ok, you can go see the horse now, but you must promise to listen to your mommy and Emma."

"I promise!" the girl insisted and Cora and Emma shared a look. Emma nodded. Cora gave Mal a wink before she shut the door. She waved as they left.

Emma grinned as she jumped out of the car. Rocinante neighed happily as soon as he saw her. Mal helped Lily out, and had to grab her hand, before she ran straight to the horse. That made Lily groan, and Emma heard it.

"It's okay, Mal. I promise you, the horse isn't dangerous or anything."

"But he's big!"

"Hm, is it so, that maybe it's, you, that's afraid of the horse, more so than you're afraid of Lily getting hurt?"

"...Maybe. Maybe not." Mal shrugged with a smirk when Emma's phone suddenly buzzed. She held up her hand to tell them to wait as she answered.

"Hey, baby." Emma smiled, as she heard Regina's voice on the other side of the phone. "Are you awake now?"

"Yeah, but I dont think I'm leaving bed any more than necessary today, because I'm so damn nauseas … " Regina complained and Emma felt bad for not being there, to take care of her.

"I'll call Granny when we hang up so she can come over and take care of you, since I'm the worst girlfriend ever, being busy while you're not doing well, good..." Emma said and Regina chuckled at her.

"Like I told you before, I'm not dying or crippled, I'm just heavily pregnant." Regina replied and Emma rolled her eyes. She knew Regina was right, and that she was just so incredibly overprotective, but still…

"Are you at the… House now? " Regina asked and Emma heard how hard it was for her to even mention that place, the place she once had called home.

"Actually, no."

"Okay? Then where are you?"

"I brought Mal and Lily with me to the cottage to meet Rocinante, because they needed a break."

Regina let out a big sigh.

"What's wrong baby?" the blonde asked confused.

"Nothing. I just.. I miss riding… "

"I know baby, but soon you're going be back up in the saddle, I promise. And then you can ride as much as you want again." Emma smiled when she heard Lily call her name. "I should probably go baby, but I'll call Granny for you, and I will make sure to be back soon, okay?"

"I love you, Emma."

"I love you too, Gina. See you soon." Emma said as she hung up, and ran up to the little girl, who was standing in the pasture as Rocinante licked her a face.

"Are you sure he's… Nice?" an uncomfortable Mal asked, as Emma walked into the pasture, then grabbed Lily and swung her up on the horse's bare back. The move made Mal gasp.

"I promise." Emma chuckled and started to walk around the pasture. Rocinante walked after her slowly, carefully, with a giggling Lily on his back .

After the short ride, Lily got a whole bag of apples to feed Rocinante, and the horse had decided to lay down to be at the girl's level. So Lily laid in the pasture with horse, feeding him and petting him every so often.

Mal and Emma watched from the nearby the porch. It was the first time they had been alone together like this, Emma suddenly realized, and it made her freak out a bit, even if she didn't let it show. Thankfully, Mal was calm.

"So, I understand Cora wasn't happy about you and Regina in the beginning?" Mal asked carefully, and Emma's eyes met hers.

"Well, that's an understatement, but no, she wasn't happy about it, and it was terrible. But I refused to give up on Regina, and I'm happy I didn't." Emma said and glanced out over the fields. Just thinking about the past made her heart break.

"I know Cora regrets her actions, and I'm happy you're actually giving her a second chance. I think she really deserves it." Mal said and Emma shrugged, still looking out over the fields.

"I haven't had a easy life, so I am not one to judge anyone. Plus, I have had enough of the drama, so I hope this isn't just a phase, so to speak. I really like this Cora."

"Well, so do I, Emma, so do I." Emma noticed Mal tense up a little and gave her a questioning look. "I hope this doesn't offend you, but you and her have a few similarities." she finally stated and Emma laughed.

2 months later.

Emma was going to therapy regularly. It had been anything but easy, but everyone around her had noticed how the blonde had seemed more at ease, almost carefree.

She slept like a baby every night, and worked some extra shifts, so Ruby and Belle could plan their wedding. She and Regina attended baby classes, and were both was so excited about the baby. Mainly about the fact, that it wasn't very much longer before it was finally time to meet their kid.

Meanwhile, Lily spent a lot of time with them, because Emma and Regina had absolutely fallen in love with the girl. It made Regina so proud, seeing Emma behaving like a mother already.

It surprised her that Emma seemed to be a different person around Lily and her friends. Emma would encourage them and help them overcome their fears in a delicate way. She already couldn't wait for the baby to come, but seeing how well Emma was handling being around kids, just made her more antsy and impatient.

The mansion would be ready soon, and Cora had bought a new house. A house that reminded of the cottage, in a way. Mal and Lily had moved in with her, and it hadn't been weird or surprising for anyone. On the contrary, it had made everyone happy.

Regina saw another side of her mother as every day passed. Cora had even taken a, seemingly permanent, leave of absence from work, to help take care of her daughter. They were really just getting to know each other again, in a way.

Cora's presence seemed to reassure Emma, though.

Cora was so happy for Regina, and really looking forward to becoming a grandmother. Cora even fixed a nursery for the baby in her new house, to both Regina and Emma's surprise.

Regina wondered if this was the woman her father Henry had fallen for, and Regina almost felt bad for how she had seen her mother over the years.

She knew though, that Cora understood. Regina talked about this a lot with Emma, and she had decided to do as Emma. Stop brooding about the past, and start thinking of the future.

Either way, Regina couldn't get enough of Cora, and Emma was around as much she could be. And Mal and Lily, well, they simply melted into the family easily.

Cora and Emma had gotten pretty close, but the blonde was still a bit suspicious. That is, until one night when they were over at Cora and Mal's house. It had a stable for Rocinante, so that he wouldn't be an hour away.

Regina enjoyed staying at the house while Emma worked anyway. She had decided that she wanted to tell Rocinante goodnight and insisted that she didn't need Emma to come with her.

Emma was going to argue, but ultimately decided not to. She knew Regina probably wanted to talk to the horse, as she did herself. So Emma stayed behind, as Cora came downstairs while Mal tucked Lily into bed.

"Miss Swan, come with me please? I have something I want to show you." Cora smiled slightly and Emma nodded, then followed her upstairs. She led Emma into a small closet inside her bedroom.

The olderer woman opened a door that was almost hidden, and Emma bit her lip. She still wasn't fully comfortable with being alone with Cora, but she tried her best for Regina.

Emma watched as Cora took out a beautiful black felt covered box. When she turned around she was smiling.

"What's that?" Emma asked curiously, and cleared her throat.

"This, my dear," Cora said as she opened the box, and showed the blonde two necklaces with a small blue diamond in the middle of each, on a silver chain.

One was a little more masculine than the other, but they were equally beautiful. "is the first thing Henry bought for me, after we got together. Regina thinks I haven't kept them, ,but I have."

"Wow, they're wonderful." Emma gasped, as she let her fingers brush over them. Her other hand touched the silver swan necklace Regina had bought for her. That had been the nicest thing Emma had ever gotten, but these necklaces Cora was showing her now, were unbelievable.

"I knew you would like them, Miss Swan." Cora smiled and handed over the box that she had in her hands to the blonde, whose eyes widened. "I hoped, anyway."

"Ehm, what are you doing? You don't have to do that. I would understand if you wanted to keep them..."

"I want you to have them. One for you, and one for Regina, of course, but I want you to surprise her. Maybe the day when you propose to her, or sooner I suppose." Cora suggested with a gentle smile, and Emma couldn't believe her ears.

"I was just thinking, that I obviously won't live forever, and I don't want Regina to have to wait until I die to get them." Cora closed, then placed the box in Emma's hand.

She placed her hand over Emma's gently. "I feel like these symbolize our eternal life for each other, and I think that," Cora paused to collect herself.

"even though he's gone, the love will always be there. I hope that these will just… be a permanent reminder of your love. I used to get so depressed when he was away on business, but this would always remind me that I wasn't alone."

Emma could barely form words. How had Cora managed to change this much over such a short time? It made Emma so confused, but still so incredibly happy. Emma wiped a tear from her face and smiled wide.

"Thank you, Cora. But.."

Cora had helped Granny with buying her a new stove for the diner, since the other one had finally broken, and Cora had even offered to pay for Belle and Ruby's wedding dresses.

It had blown everyone away, and this thing with the jewelry. It was almost too much for Emma to grasp.

"I.. I don't know if I can accept this. It's just.. I don't want you to feel like you have to you, ehm…. like, buy me." Emma shrugged.

"This really just proves to me that you deserve these." Cora smiled. "Miss Swan, I know I have treated both of you horribly, but I really want to change. Believe it or not, you have made me realize I have to, or else I would lose my daughter." Cora finally released Emma's hand and chuckled.

"I suppose you hit a nerve or something, when we argued that day... It felt like I woke up from a sleeping curse or something, and I was almost standing beside myself. Just looking at myself, and shaking my head. So Emma, I'm trying my best here, and please believe me when I say this.

You're the reason for this. I didn't feel like I had a lot to live for. I thought I had burned every single bridge I had ever built. But you." Cora took a deep breath and dried her tears a little as she composed herself.

"Before you came along, I was different. I don't want to be that person again. I'm happy now, and I feel like you showed me a mirror. I saw you and Regina in a way that I had never seen anyone. It really made me realize that I could be happy too."

Over the past few months, Regina couldn't believe her mother's transition, but she was so happy about it. She was reminding her so much of Henry these days, that she was almost blown away.

Cora had given the maid a long paid vacation, and seemed to love to cook and care for her home again. This was the family Regina had desperately wanted for so long, and it brought tears to her eyes.

Regina was contemplating, as she relaxed on the couch with Emma. She snapped back to reality though, when Emma groaned and sat up on the couch.

"Ugh, I gotta go, beautiful. I have a therapy session, and after that, I'm working the late shift." Emma said and gave Regina a gentle kiss.

"Good luck, dear and remember that I love you." Regina smiled.

"Right back at you." Emma grinned and kissed her again, then said goodbye to Cora, Mal and Lily over her shoulder.

On her way to the therapy session, Emma dialed Ruby's number. She had to talk to her about the jewelry Cora had given her.

"Swan! Long time no see!" Ruby though, she was right.

Ruby and Belle were living together in their house, where Granny had a room. Ruby and Belle were busy planning their wedding. While Emma and Regina were at Cora's new place most of the time.

They still worked together some days, but more often than not, they would be on different shifts. They still tried to have their movie nights,, but often it failed.

Emma bit her lip and felt how much she actually missed the time she and Ruby had both lived at home, but she guessed this must be what it feels like to grow up.

Stuff had to change, but the blonde suddenly felt anxious, and decided to have a long talk with Granny about all this. She needed her calm energy as well as Ruby's confident energy.

"Earth to, Swan. Are you there?" Ruby chuckled.

"Oh yeah. I'm sorry. I just got caught up in my thoughts.." Emma chuckled as well.

"Mhmm...Spill!" Ruby replied, and the blonde could practically feel her sister's grin through the phone.

"Well," Emma started, and began to tell her everything about what had happened between her and Cora.

Later Ruby was sitting on her porch, just relaxing with a bottle of a beer and some music. They didn't have any neighbors out here, so she could practically play music all through the night if she wished.

Belle was head over heels with with living here again. To Nobody's surprise, she spent most of her days in her own little library.

"Hi, Rubes.." Belle smiled as she joined her girlfriend on the porch. "Are you nervous?"

"Huh?" the redhead frowned and Belle rolled her eyes.

"I'm talking about the wedding. We're getting married in a week! Can you believe it? A week!" Belle grinned and met her girlfriend's eyes.

"I've never looked forward to anything more in my entire life! Future Mrs.. Lucas..." Ruby trailed off as she pecked the tip of Belle's nose.

"Oh, so you're just assuminging I'm taking your name, now, are you?" Belle teased even though she had said for years, that she looked forward to the day she could call herself Mrs. Lucas.

Granny chuckled at the girls, because she heard them from where she was cleaning, in the kitchen.

Just like Ruby had promised her, her grandmother had gotten her own room in their house.

Soon, she was gonna step down from the diner and let Emma and Ruby take over. The girls didn't really know, but that would be as soon as they were done with their senior year at school.

Eugenia also decided to let the apartment go, and move in with the girls fully. It had been her home for so many years, and held so many memories, but this was the right choice.

Regina was napping on the couch at Cora's, while Emma was down to tend to the horses. The blonde had built a jumping course, and she exercised Rocinante every day.

She had gotten so good with her riding, that Regina didn't have to help her anymore. It made Emma so proud. It was quite good, because Regina's baby was due in just a couple of weeks.

So the doctors warned that it could be any day now. The doctor encouraged everyone to have their cell phones on them, and encouraged Emma to have a plan in place. Emma was so nervous for it, even though she was excited.

From time to time, she was questioning herself. Wondering if she would be able to to this, or if she would fuck it up.

The blonde groaned as she mounted the big stallion. He neighed and Emma hugged him. This horse meant the world to her, and suddenly Emma got an idea, as she nudged his sides with her heels.

The ride she had in mind now, was maybe the longest they had made together, but she wasn't worried.

The horse followed her every move, and she felt proud of herself. She just hoped she was going the right the way. But as soon as she saw Granny's yellow bug, she knew she had. It was a good thing, cause Emma had never traveled through the woods, to Belle's childhood home from Cora's new house.

"What the hell? Swan!" Ruby grinned and jumped off the porch, then ran up to her sister. "What a pleasant surprise!"

"Yeah, I thought I would surprise you, and Rocinante needed to blow off some steam so..." Emma shrugged and dismounted the horse, as Belle joined them and offered an apple to the stallion, who bowed down before Emma gave him a nod, telling him it was okay to eat his reward.

"Wow you're really good with him, Emma." Belle smiled and the blonde just shrugged again. "And I'm not just saying that, believe me. This horse has only allowed Regina and Henry to ride him. I know because I tried once, and let's just say, it didn't end well..."

"Emma Swan! My lovely daughter!" Granny almost squealed excitedly as she walked out of the house.

The old lady had tears in her eyes, as she saw the blonde. She hadn't seen her, outside of work, for quite a while, so seeing her now made her so happy.

She pulled her into a tight hug, and Emma just grinned. She was so happy with having her own, special little family. Finally.

Emma tied Rocinante to a big tree outside, and followed Belle and Ruby inside, as Granny waited outside to, unnecessarily, keep an eye on the horse.

Emma gasped when she entered the hallway. She had seen the house a few times, but not since the three women truly moved in. They had painted more and hung pictures. They really transformed this house into a home.

This house was truly beautiful, and it was a house like this, Emma could imagine herself living in someday, with Regina and little baby Henry.

The hall was enormous, and had a light green wallpaper. The stairs to the upper floor had just gotten a bit of love, because Ruby knew Belle wanted something left that reminded her of how the house had been when she was a kid.

Going upstairs was like walking into a library, and Emma wasn't surprised to see the book shelves where overflowing with all kinds of books.

In the next room stood a bed, and Emma noticed the crib standing next to it as she gave her sister and future sister-in-law a curious look.

"Yeah well, we aren't gonna have a baby.." Ruby began to say when Belle gave her a smack on her head. "Yet! We're not gonna have a baby, yet!" she corrected and Belle smirked, then swung her arm around her. Emma just shook her head at them, as they went downstairs again.

Emma was sure, Granny, had been the one who had decided on the kitchen's appearance, because she remembered the stories Emma had heard about her dream kitchen, and this looked just like it. Or what Emma always imagined Granny wanted.

It was big, but somehow really cozy and personal. The stove was enormous and clean. Ruby met her sister's eyes and mouthed "Granny" and Emma just smirked.

They walked through the rest of the house, and Emma was really happy for them, as she noticed Ruby's eyes shine with pride and happiness.

When they reached Granny's room, Emma smiled even more. She remembered how worn down the old apartment they once called home had been, and also remembered that Granny mentioned numerous times how she always wanted to live on the country side.

Granny's room was on the ground floor of the house, and Granny had her own private balcony type door, with her own little porch. Her little porch, was almost as big as the one on the front of the house.

The basement held three more rooms, and one bathroom. It wasn't really finished, but Belle told her it was that because they wanted their future kids to decide how they wanted their rooms to look.

Emma just nodded, and wondered if there was something the two girls weren't telling her, but she decided not to ask.

Out in the barn, Ruby had her own little place, and even though it wasn't looking as polished as Belle's library, she loved it.

Emma noticed the old car in there, and Belle told her it had been her father's once, and that she had gasped when they she found it still there.

Apparently the people that bought the property never even glanced at it. The people must have bought the land as a favor to Belle's parents.

The car was an old Cadillac, from the late 50s. Ruby was renovating it from scratch, and Emma looked a bit surprised since she didn't even know Ruby could fix cars. That had just made her sister chuckle and say:

"Who did you think made sure the bug was still rolling this whole time?"

Regina woke up in her bed, and for the first time in a long time, she had felt fully rested. The little kid in her stomach was very active, and his favourite thing was to use his mother's bladder as a fotboll, making sure she didn't get much sleep. Now though, she had finally gotten more than just a couple of hours of sleep.

"Mother?" Regina called as she sat up in the bed. She had moved to a guest room, that Cora as designated to Regina and Emma, after waking up to empty her bladder. Her tummy was enormous now and she was so eager to hold her little baby in her hands. Her little Henry.

"Yes, dear?" Cora replied when she entered the room.

"Gina!" Lily squealed, and was about to run into her, but Mal grabbed her and swung her up in her arms, making the girl giggle.

"I'm hungry.." Regina sighed, and her mother just shook her head with a smile. Her daughter had been having quite the appetite throughout her pregnancy, and it had been strange cravings, one after the other.

"Of course you are, dear." Cora smirked. "What do you say about turkey sandwiches, with pickles, and a big glass of milk, hm?" Regina nodded eagerly. "Coming right up."

"I'm hungry too! " Lily said as she and Mal followed Cora to the kitchen.

Regina was happy her mother was so kind and happy these days. She was almost a copy of Henry, and it meant the world to Regina. Cora supported her, best as she could, and she absolutely adored Emma. It made the brunette actually look forward to life, with a big smile.

"Here you are, my dear" Cora smiled and sat the food beside Regina, who was sitting by the TV in the living room, now. Cora sat down next to her, and Lily jumped up in her lap. Mal rolled her eyes and sat down next to Cora.

Regina's mother put her hand on her daughter's large tummy and smiled as she felt the baby kick.

"He always does that when you touch me." Regina said, making her mother smile even more.

"He does?" Cora asked with a twinkle in her eye.

"Yes, mother. Think he already loves his grandmother."

"I want to meet the baby, now!" Lily complained and met her mother's eyes.

"Soon Lil, soon you're going to meet him. I promise." Mal said, and Cora leaned her head against her shoulder. Regina just smiled at her family.

Granny insisted on cooking some dinner, and even though Emma said she needed to go back home to Regina, she still insisted on Emma staying to eat.

When Ruby found some poles and wire in the barn, Rocinante got a new little pasture to walk around in, so the blonde couldn't really say no.

E - Are you awake yet baby?

Re - Yes dear. Mother has made me some food, so now I'm full. Where are you? Are you out on some adventure with Rocinante?

Emma grinned to herself, and whistled to the horse, making him look up and neigh. She snapped a picture and sent it to her girlfriend.

Regina shook her head and showed her mother the picture, and Lily smiled as she saw the picture too.

Re - I swear, Rocinante is more your horse these days. ;) I wish I could join you… but when I can ride again, I'll buy you your own horse, so we can ride together.

E - That sounds wonderful, but I call dibs on the stallion. I have never trusted any other animal, like I do him.

Re - You're such an idiot sometimes, Miss Swan.

E - Yeah, but I'm your idiot! Right?

"Horsey!" Lily said and Regina nodded with a smile.

"I'm happy you have Emma. She really treats you like the Queen you are." Cora spoke and Mal smiled at them. She felt that they needed to be alone, so she stood to her feet and grabbed Lily's hand.

"Come Lil, let's go and color a bit!" She said but the little girl squirmed.

"But I wanna do that with Gina!"

"I'll be right there, Lily. I promise!" the brunette smiled and as she said that. Lily reluctantly agreed to leave the room. Mal placed a kiss on Coras cheek, and Cora thanked her with her eyes.

"I really love Emma." Regina said when they were alone.

"And so do I, dear. It just hurts me so much that you have gone through so many terrible things, just because I didn't accept, Miss Swan, at first. And everything with Daniel. I'm never gonna forgive myself for that…" Cora trailed off.

"See it like this, Mother," Regina began carefully and took her mother's hands into her own. "without everything with him, we wouldn't have a littleHenry to look forward to."

"Are you naming him… Henry? After your father?" Regina nodded with a chuckle.

"Yes….and it was totally Emma's idea. You didn't know we were naming him Henry?" Regina asked surprised but Cora just shook her head. She couldn't form words.

Cora embraced her daughter in a tight hug, and as they parted, both were crying.

"I'm happy you've met Mal, Mother." Regina said and the old woman dried her eyes.

"Thank you.. "

Regina frowned.

"I mean, I was worried you would think I tried to replace your father with her...but I'm not. I hope you know that."

"I know, Mother. Even though I was sceptical in the beginning, and actually was thinking that. I know that's not the case, and I really think you deserve to have someone by your side. I know Mal really makes you happy." Regina spoke openly and Cora could still barely form words.

"You're becoming more and more like your father, each day." Cora chuckled through her tears.

******I

Granny loved that her girls were all together, even though she missed Regina, of course. She loved them all so much, and she was so proud of her daughters, but especially Emma.

She had become such a wonderful and patient person, and didn't even look like that little scared girl she had once been, when she had showed up at the diner 3 years ago.

She looked happy now, eyes full of fire and determination. She was finally living her life to the fullest.

Then Granny thought about Ruby.

She was marrying her dreamgirl soon, and they had the most beautiful house in town. Granny, who had been so afraid she would fail at raising her, and now, not only had she succeeded at raising Ruby, but also Emma.

After the discussion, Emma carefully climbed into the bed, next to Regina. Her pregnant girlfriend snuggled close to her, and the blonde smiled as she embraced her gently.

"I love you, I love you so so much." Emma whispered as she placed a kiss to Regina's head, then placed one of her hands protectively on the baby bump. The baby bump that she had come to love as much as she loves Regina. When Emma closed her eyes, the baby kicked and a radiant smile spread on her lips.

She never dreamed this would be how her life turned out. Just the thought of having a home, a family of her own, and feeling this safe like she had throughout the past few years with Eugenia, it still felt unreal.

Emma was still waiting for everything to be taken away from her, even though she knew it wouldn't happen. Especially not now that Cora seemed to accept her and Regina's relationship. She had always been the thing that had worried Emma the most. So much so, that at some points she hadn't been able to sleep.

"Emma..?" a sleepy Regina yawned, as she blinked her eyes open, and reached to the night lamp to turn it on.

"Why are you awake darling?" Emma asked, as their eyes met, and she placed a timid kiss on Regina's forehead

"Well, I guess it was because our son decided to become a football player just now." Regina chuckled, and pushed a strand of Emma's hair behind her ear.

"Oh, do you want some help to the get up go and ehm, go to the bathroom?" Emma asked and was almost about to stand up, but she felt Regina drag her down again.

"Emma, calm down. I'm just pregnant, just like I have been for 9 months now, not crippled." Regina said with a small smile, before she continued. "How are you doing, dear? I can tell you're thinking about something, aren't you?"

"Well, I have a lot on my mind, but don't worry. I'm okay." Emma reassured with a shrug, but Regina didn't budge, not so much as a centimeter. She had learned exactly how much she could push Emma before it was "too much" for her to handle. So she didn't back down as easily as before.

"Emma, please talk to me. You know I get worried when you disappear into yourself." the brunette said with a low tone in her voice, which made Emma feel bad.

"I actually don't know.. I'm just.. My mind is spinning. "

Regina cupped her girlfriend's head in her hands, and looked straight into her eyes. The brunette remembered how it had been in the beginning of their relationship, how Emma always had avoided both eye contact and physical contact. She had come so far.

"Emma, what exactly is spinning around in that beautiful head of yours?"

"I still can't grip the fact that this is my life. You know? That I, the former orphan, finally have a real home, and a growing family. Also, that I'm with a beautiful woman, that is carrying my baby!" Emma said with a grin, as she took Regina's hands in hers and kissed her knuckles.

"I'm amazed too. And I know this whole thing with mother and Mal is huge, but one thing is actually even… Bigger." Regina said with a mischievous smile, spreading on her lips, as her hands gripped Emma by the waist and pulled her close.

"Oh?, Emma urged her to continue.

"Yes dear, and that is the fact that my girlfriend is no longer worried so much about all the things that she'd been through, but more so, starting to accept them, and moving forward." Regina replied. "I'm so proud of you"

"Thanks.. " Emma said, almost blushing. She felt her whole heart burst with love when she suddenly got an idea, and pushed Regina gently backwards.

"Emma Swan, what on earth are you doing?" the brunette chuckled as her eyes followed Emma.

She studied her closely, then quirked an eyebrow when she saw the blonde starting to go through a bag. Her jaw almost dropped to the floor when Emma turned around with a black box in her hands.

"That can't be the box I think it is.. Can it?" Regina stuttered. She knew what box that was. It heald two old necklaces that her father and mother had always worn. She hadn't seen them for so, so many years, and had actually thought they'd been tossed away.

Emma saw the tears that started to fill her girlfriends eyes and rolled her own eyes playfully, because everything made Regina burst into tears at the moment. But right now, she didn't care. She was about to cry herself, and wondered who of the two teenagers that would cry first.

"Oh my God.. I didn't think, mother still had these…" Regina managed to say, as Emma kneeled down in front of her, and opened the box. "I can't believe it.. I…. "

"Regina.. I know you're not a….traditional girl." Emma paused to clear her head. She hadn't planned when, where, or how to do this. Something about right now. About this moment in particular, just made her so happy. She was happy, healthy, and safe.

"We didn't have the traditional fairytale romance. We won't have the traditional kid." she stopped to chuckle, and Regina chuckled along in agreement. "We definitely don't have a traditional family. So… I was thinking we don't need a traditional token of our love." Emma paused again to gather courage. She examined her surroundings, then her face fell to Regina's. That was all the strength she needed. "Will you marry me?"