As requested:
A follow up of 'Umbrella'
Pulling her flannel pajamas bottoms on, Emma breathed a heavy sigh. She was still freezing, even after taking a hot shower and rinsing away the icy rainwater… but her heart felt a little lighter.
A knock interrupted her thoughts and she looked at the bathroom door, "Yea?"
"Emma, dear, are you almost done? The cocoa's just finishing, and Henry's got some warm biscuits to go with it. He'll be up here in just a minute," Regina's voice soothed over her, and brought a smile to her face.
"I'm almost done, go make sure Henry grabs the marshmallows and peppermint sticks. It'd be a bummer if one of us has to make a second trip once we're already bundled up," she replied as she grabbed her sports bra she slept in and began to pull it over her head.
"All right, when you're done, curl up in bed, and start warming it up for us," Regina answered before her footsteps made their way away from the bathroom door.
Emma grabbed her flannel top and slipped it on before letting out another deep breath. They weren't going to send her away. They still loved her.
She let an easy smile tug at her lips as she exited the bathroom and trudged to the bed, flopping on top of it, and snuggling herself underneath the covers. She spread out and began to move as if making a snow angel… and found herself laughing at her creative way to warm up the whole bed while she waited for her wife and her son.
They still loved her.
The bedroom door opened, and she stopped making her bed angel to turn her head and watch the door, "Emma? We've got the cocoa all ready," Regina's voice reached her ears just as the warm chocolate-y goodness reached her nose.
"I'm in bed, all ready," Emma replied, sitting up against the headboard as the door opened the rest of the way, and Regina ushered Henry- holding a tray with three mugs, marshmallows, peppermint sticks, and a cup of cinnamon on it- inside.
"Hey Ma, we didn't forget anything," Henry smiled at her as he placed the tray on top of the bedside table.
She smiled back as Regina closed the door and joined them, leaning over to press a quick kiss to her lips, "You sure about that, kid?" She asked.
He wrinkled his nose, "Yes! Mom made sure to check. She even remembered the cinnamon, even though you didn't ask for it."
"You sure, that you remembered everything?" She asked again.
"Ma, what would we have forgotten?" He asked, his brow furrowed in a way that made Emma realize all too fast that he was growing up… he was already fourteen.
"Oh," she scooted closer, "I don't know…" she shot Regina a dirty smile, "how about… a tickle attack!" She grabbed Henry, and tugged him onto the bed, moving her fingers to his sides as she assaulted him with tickles.
"Ma!" He squealed, "Ma! Stop! I'm… Ma!" He brushed at her hands futilely, laughing as she tickled him.
"Rawr!" Emma laughed as she continued, ducking as a wild leg flew up in Henry's attempts to get away.
"Okay, okay, no kicking over the cocoa. Emma, release our son, and both of you scoot over so I have some room on the bed." Regina interrupted with a pretend 'no nonsense' voice, "Good heavens, you two are such a handful."
Emma smiled, halting her attack on Henry to lean over him and pull Regina forward for a kiss, purposefully making it noisy and wet.
"Oh, Gross!" Henry exclaimed sticking his tongue out when they parted, "Come on, no parent make-out sessions with me in the room, please. A kiss or two I can do, but seriously… that was water works I didn't need to see or hear."
Emma smirked as Regina rolled her eyes as she patted Henry's legs, "Move over, Henry. You're in the middle."
He huffed a little, but Emma caught his lips quirk up as he smiled, and lifted himself up into a better position in the bed, so that he had his back against the headboard. Lifting the large comforter, he tucked his feet under it, and snuggled into Emma's side when she did the same, "There, lots of room." He patted beside him, showing where his brunette mother was to curl up with them.
Regina slipped out of her slippers, and quickly joined them, shivering a little as Emma reached over Henry and tucked the still slightly cool comforter around Regina, "Okay, you know the rules, no spilling, or so help me you will both be outside in the doghouse for the night."
Emma laughed and Henry shuddered as they nodded their understanding, "Yes you're majesty," they laughed, and Emma happily noted the eye roll they received.
Regina handed her a mug of cocoa, and Emma took a sip, "Thank you, Regina, and for remembering the cinnamon."
"How could I forget it. You would certainly have asked about it if it had been forgotten," Regina replied with a smirk as she gave Henry his mug, and grabbed her own from the tray.
Henry laughed, and took a drink of the cocoa, sighing happily after he swallowed, "I really like this."
"Thank you, Henry."
Henry shook his head, "No… well, yes, I like the cocoa-" Emma shot him a confused look, and he grumbled a little before trying again, "You're welcome, I do love the cocoa… but I was thinking that I like being here cuddled up together. I mean, I'm growing up, but… you can't ever have enough hugs. So, I like being cuddled up together, because we're a family, and we can spend time together."
Emma pressed a kiss to his temple, "I like it too, kid. Thanks for not being one of those teens who hates having his mothers hug him and hold him."
He smiled back, "I love you, Ma. I love you, Mom."
Emma smiled to Regina, and her wife smiled back, "We love you too, Henry," Regina replied, "we love you very much."
"I know…. Hey, do you think we could do this every year?"
"What do you mean?" Emma asked.
He took another sip of cocoa before answering, "Well, every year on November fourth, we'll cuddle together in bed and drink cocoa. That way, we keep a tradition to remember the piece of our family that we lost."
Emma choked a little on a sudden lump that formed in her throat, "Yea?"
Henry looked first at her, then at Regina, "Yea, I would like that, if it's okay with you too."
Regina kissed his forehead, "I think it's a great idea, Henry. Emma?"
She nodded, a fresh wave of tears begin to trickle down her cheeks, "Yea."
Henry leaned over Regina to put his mug down before he practically climbed into Emma's lap to give her a hug, "I love you."
"I love you too, Henry," Emma hiccupped, burying her face into his hair, neither caring that her tears were making his hair damp.
Emma felt Regina's arms snake around to gently sandwich Henry between their bodies, and smiled when a head came to rest on her shoulder, "To our baby, growing and well between us, and to our baby in heaven," she whispered, "you are part of my family now, Emma. You are part of our family. We are your family, and we will always love you."
Emma felt Henry nod against her chest, and closed her eyes, for once in her life unable to feel the hole in her heart left from being an abandoned so many times. For once in her life, she never wanted to leave, and couldn't find a reason that would change her mind.