The next months nothing really happened. Regina begged her parents to finally enroll her in a dance studio, but Cora always said "later". The toddler was impatient and wanted to start immediately. She really hated waiting. When Zelena wanted to go to the swimming team Cora had enrolled her right away, so why not with her?
At lunch one week before her sixth birthday the toddler decided enough was enough. She really wanted to start ballet and the waiting was killing her. What she didn´t know was that her parents had already enrolled her and wanted to surprise her for her birthday.
"Mommy?" she asked as everyone had finished eating.
"What is it, sweetheart?" her mother asked back and waited for the child to answer her.
"When can I finally start dancing?"
"Soon." Cora answered simply but Regina was not satisfied with this answer. She wanted to know exactly when. Zelena didn`t pay any attention and went up to her room. The girl still had homework to do and her little sister annoyed her as always. "Zelena, wait!" her mother called and Regina lowered her head and crossed her little arms over her chest. As always her older sister got the attention of their mother. "You need to get your hair cut." She looked at the red curls and Zelena smiled. She loved haircuts.
She didn´t like her long hair since it was always in the way and it was always tangled even if she brushed it for hours. A while ago she had asked her parents to let her shave her head and donate the hair. A bald head would also be better for swimming as she could glide through the water faster without her hair in the way.
"Thank you, mom." She smiled and sat back down in her seat.
"No problem. Regina you want a haircut too? We could donate your hair to a little girl who needs it more than you do. Your hair is so long, ten inches wouldn´t really make a difference. And it will be easier to keep up, especially if you start dancing." Cora looked at Regina´s long curls that stopped just over her butt. The toddler liked her hair and didn´t want to cut it.
"I don´t want to cut it, Mama. I like it long. Don´t want to be shaved!" the girl shrieked. Her mother knew she liked her hair but she hated it. Cora had always wanted her hair to be short like Mary´s. Regina just wasn´t sure why her mother hated long hair so much. Regina thought it was her best feature.
"You wouldn´t be shaved like Zelena. Just ten inches, sweety. That would be to the middle of your back, so not short at all." Cora reassured and Leopold didn´t like where this was going. He hated this. He loved his daughter´s long hair. It looked so shiny and soft. When Cora had cut Mary´s hair off he had freaked out and hadn´t spoken to his wife for a whole week. It had been long and thick just like Regina´s. He knew it wouldn´t stop at ten inches. If Cora got the chance to cut their daughter´s hair she would make it short and she would make sure it stayed short.
"But I don´t wanna. I wanna look like Rapunzel." The brunette told her mother and flicked her hair dramatically. Mary smiled at her little sister. She was angry at Cora when the older woman had cut all her hair off but now she really liked the pixie cut. However, she knew Regina would hate it.
"Well, I will cut Zelena´s hair now. Maybe after this you´ll want to cut your hair too. It doesn´t have to be donated. Maybe I will just give you a trim. " Mary also knew what that meant. A trim, as Cora saw it, would at least be six inches if not seven. She couldn´t let that happen.
"Mom, just leave her alone. Her hair is beautiful and she doesn´t need it cut. It´s okay the way it is now. Shorter hair wouldn´t suit her, right daddy?" Leopold nodded and smiled at his daughter.
"Fine, maybe when you´ll start school." Cora agreed and ran her fingers through Regina´s long curls. She wouldn´t want to upset her child so shortly before her birthday.
"You look great." The mayor smiled as she finished shaving Zelena´s head. Her daughter looked so much better without the red curls. Before the cut, her hair looked like a bird´s nest. Now her beautiful face came into focus. Cora couldn´t stop touching the smooth skin.
"Happy Birthday, Regina." The whole family said in unison as the little girl blew the candles on her Rapunzel cake. After they had eaten cake the brunette was finally allowed to open the gifts.
The first one came from her sister Mary. It was a thick fairytale book for when Regina could read properly. Right now she was still too young. Regina had recently started reading but she was still struggling at difficult words as was to expected for her age.
The next present was from Zelena. It was a shiny hair brush in purple. Her favourite colour.
And the last gift was from her parents. As she opened the box she was confused. In it were light pink ballet shoes.
"Mommy? Why I gots ballet shoes?" she asked and looked up at her parents. Cora and Leopold smirked at eachother before Leopold answered his daughter.
"Well, sweetheart, we enrolled you in a dance studio so you can learn ballet. That´s what you wanted right? We enrolled you a while ago, but wanted it to be a surprise for your birthday. You like it?" he asked and Regina nodded happily. She loved it. Now she could finally start dancing with Tink.
"Thank you! I love them!" the little brunette went to hug her parents and insisted on wearing her new shoes for the rest of the day. She would never take them off, or that´s what she had told her parents. Cora was happy that she allowed her daughter to start dancing. Seeing her happy little face was priceless.