Chapter 2

Day 35

Regina woke up and sure enough Graham was sleeping beside her, but she knew this day would be different. So the other repetitive events didn't bother her today. She got dressed and walked passed Geppetto hanging his sign and Ruby arguing with her Granny followed by Archie wishing her a good day and bumping into Mary Margaret. Only thing different was Mr Gold didn't walk by. He must have been doing what she asked him to do so that was good.

She arrived at his shop and walked in. "You have news?"

"Yes. Fate may be on your side. An agency nearby in Maine had placed a seven year old boy and an infant girl in a family in Boston."
"With a family? How is that fate?"

"The adoption fell through. I can't guarantee you will get to adopt them yourself but they are up for grabs. This is your lucky day dearie. Currently they are in a group home." He handed her a folder. "This is the info on the children and includes the agency address. Shall I raise a glass for the new mommy of the year?"

She rolled her eyes. "You think I'm doing this to be a mother? I just want this curse broken."

xxxxx

"Well Ms. Mills. Your application is almost too good to be true." The man at the adoption agency read over Regina's papers.

She grinned and shrugged.

"Are you looking to adopt a boy or a girl?"

"I was actually thinking both."

"Both? Normally folks look to adopt one child."

"I was thinking an older boy. Say around seven. And a baby girl."

"That's odd, two children under that description came in just a little over a month ago."

"How perfect."

"Would you like to meet them?"

"They're here?"

"They were just on their way to a new group home. The last one didn't work out for them."

"I see."

He pressed a button on his phone and a woman came in holding Pinnochio's hand and holding baby Emma in her arms. When Pinnochio saw Regina he hid behind the woman frightened.

"It's alright there August. You're going to a new home."

He shook his head.

"I'm Regina." She smiled at him.

"This is August and Emma. We don't have a lot of info about their parents. Just that August found Emma at the side of a highway and he insists on staying with her."

The woman handed the baby to Regina. The baby cried.

"No!" August cried out. "Leave Emma alone!" He clung onto the woman's arm.

The woman looked down at him. "It's okay, you're getting adopted. You're going to a good home."

"No, not her. She is evil!"

"Shh..." Regina tried calming down Emma.

"I promised to take care of Emma."

"It's okay August. Perhaps we can watch a Pinnochio tape I have at home."

"Please don't make us go with her!"

"I'm sorry" The man offered an apology. "He won't tell us about his past, we think it might be too traumatizing for him."

"I understand. August don't you want to stay with Emma? Emma's coming home with me."

He looked at Regina, then at the other adults, then at Emma and back to Regina. "I'm not leaving Emma. So I'll go."

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Regina took August and Emma to Granny's for some lunch. Regina handed him a menu. "What does Emma eat?"

"She's a baby."

"So... carrots?"

"No she has no teeth." He looked down at Emma in her carrier who wouldn't stop crying. "It's okay Emma, I'm here. I'll protect you from the evil queen."

"I am not the evil queen!"

Ruby came over to their table with her pad of paper. "Are you ready to order?"

August looked up at her. "You're Red Riding Hood!"

She chuckled. "Sure kid. So what are you getting?"

"Um... grilled cheese and chocolate milk."

"Coffee and a salad." Regina handed Ruby her menu. "Augh will that kid stop crying already?"

"She's sad."

"Why is she sad?"

"She misses her mom, Snow White."

The door opened making a ring sound. Regina looked up to see who it was. Mary Margaret walked in and sat at a barstool.

"Well this will be interesting." Regina rolled her eyes.

August's face lit up. "That's Snow White!"

"Hot chocolate with cinnamon please." Ruby handed her the mug. Mary Margaret blew on her hot chocolate and spun around to Regina when she heard the crying. "Oh Ms. Mills... I heard the wonderful news. You've adopted two children?"

"Yes."

Mary Margaret smiled at August. "Hi there. You're the boy from the newspaper. I'm Ms. Blanchard."

"Oh..." August was now catching on that they didn't remember who they were. "I'm August."

Emma's cries were growing louder and louder when she heard Mary Margaret's voice. Mary Margaret walked around to the other side of the table following the baby's cries and looked down at her. The baby calmed down a bit looking up at Mary Margaret with her big blue eyes.

"What a beautiful baby." Mary Margaret's eyes started welling up, looking down at her.

Emma bursted out crying and screaming again.

"Yeah but she won't stop crying."

"Can... can I try?"

"Sure."

Mary Margaret set her hot chocolate on the table then knelt down in front of Emma. She unbuckled her and saw the name inscribed on the blanket. "Emma." The name was like music to her ears. She lifted the baby into her arms and rocked her gently. She immediately stopped crying. "Hi Emma." Tears were dripping down her cheek, she couldn't understand why she was so emotional holding this baby.

Regina looked at August who was smiling.