Annoyance. It was the first thing Regina felt when the ringing of her cell phone pierced through her dreams. She groaned as she forced her eyes opened and looked at the clock on her nightstand. 4 AM. She turned her head to see Robin still sleeping soundly next to her. Somehow she'd yet to find an alarm capable of forcing him awake. She sighed as she grabbed the phone off her nightstand. If this was Snow calling with yet another town emergency she swore she might go blind with anger. But it wasn't Snow who was calling. Her breath caught in her throat as she recognized the number for the adoption company.
Her hand flew to Robin's shoulder to shake him awake. He groaned as she forced him out of his sleep. "What?"
She held up the phone to him with a smile. "It's the adoption agency. This could be it!"
"Really?" He sat up completely wide awake. They'd waited months for this call.
He put his ear close to hers as Regina nervously pressed the answer button. "Hello?"
"Hello Mrs. Locksely. Sorry to disturb you so early in the day."
"No! It's fine!" she said quickly. She took a deep breath and tried to rein in her excitement. "Do you have news for us?"
"We do," said the receptionist in a pleasant voice. "Yesterday we acquired a three-month-old whose parents died in a car crash. The grandparents don't feel equipped enough to care for them but were adamant that the baby be sent to a two-parent home. All the papers were signed and everything is handled on their end but we'd like to place them as quickly as possible. Your name came up."
Her heart was pounding in her chest. She felt Robin grab her hand in excitement. "Well we are certainly interested in taking him in as soon as possible."
"That's fantastic," said the counselor. "However there is a catch…"
"Did something happen to them in the car accident?" asked Regina. "If so that's not a concern for us." She and Robin had agreed they'd be more than willing to take in a child with health issues. They just wanted a baby in the house as soon as possible.
"No the baby is perfectly healthy," said the counselor quickly. "On your file it says that you would strongly prefer a baby boy. This baby is a girl."
Regina felt all her blood run cold. "Oh."
"I know it's unconventional for us to deviate on such an important factor but her grandparents loved you and wanted us to check if there was any way you'd be willing to change your minds for her."
Regina hesitated before speaking. "I… Will you just give us a few minutes please?"
She pressed the hold button and ran her fingers through her hair. A girl. A baby girl. It killed her how one little fact like gender could turn her excitement into pure dread.
Robin squeezed her shoulder gently. "Regina… what do you think?"
She wrapped her arms around herself and shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. I just- It's a girl Robin."
"I know," he said softly. "I know that we talked about this and we decided against this but… that was before we got this call."
Regina buried her face in her hands. "I want to say yes but I don't… I don't know if I can do it. I don't know if I can be what a little girl needs."
Robin softly grabbed her chin and forced her to look into his eyes. "You're not her Regina. You're a better mother than she ever was. You can't forget that."
When they'd first talked about adopting a child Regina had been adamant that they search for a little boy only. It wasn't something Robin had expected from her but he could understand her apprehension to little girls. Being raised by Cora and being forced to raise Snow had left her with nothing but painful memories. She feared she'd only relive them if she had a raise a little girl. Or worse… recreate them. She was better with boys she'd said. With Henry and Roland it was easier to distance herself from her past. Robin had been fine with the idea of another boy in the house. He hadn't felt like he was missing out but now there was a little girl who needed them. Who needed her.
"I know this is frightening but you're the greatest mother I've ever seen," said Robin. "You love our boys with your whole soul. If they need something you give it. If they're in danger you save them. Never once have I doubted what you'll do for them. And I wouldn't doubt if we brought home this baby girl either."
As she stared into his blue eyes she thought about how long they'd waited for this call. Seasons had passed. Their collective patience had been wearing thin. Even the boys were beginning to wonder if they would ever get a new sibling. She sighed as Robin leaned his head against hers.
"You won't be alone in this," he promised.
She squeezed his hand searching for the comfort she always felt when he was near. A tear rolled down her cheek as she thought of the baby girl who was unaware of the balance she hung in. If they said no to her there was always a chance that she could just as easily be adopted by some other family. Part of Regina wanted to believe that but Emma Swan was walking proof that not all babies got a home when they needed one. The thought of raising a little girl terrified her but the thought of her being alone in the world like Emma had frightened her more.
She swallowed hard before staring at Robin with serious eyes. "Promise that if you need to you will protect her from me."
"Regina that will never happen," he said firmly. "I know you won't hurt her."
She shook her head at him sadly. "My father never protected me from her. He was far too afraid and weak. I don't need assurances that I am different from her or stronger than she was. Right now I just need to know that if we take in this baby you will protect her from anything and that includes me. So please… just promise."
"I promise," said Robin softly. "I will protect her every day of her life without hesitation. I promise you that."
Regina nodded at him, satisfied that he meant every word. She brought the phone up to her ear and tried to speak as strongly as she could. "Hello? We've decided that we would like to bring her home."
Regina wrung her hands nervously as she and Robin waited in the adoption agency's lobby. A part of her couldn't believe she was doing this again. She thought back to the day she'd brought Henry home. That seemed so long ago now. So much had changed in her life but this feeling of cautionary optimism in her chest was just like she remembered.
Robin was bouncing his knee impatiently as he sat in the chair next to her. He hadn't been able to sit still since they'd gotten the call earlier this morning. "Remind me again what happens now."
She sighed before speaking. "They'll call our name and take us into an office. We'll once again assure them that we are ready and willing to take the baby home with us. And then we get our daughter."
"Okay," said Robin nodding his head. Despite how many times Regina explained it to him the adoption proceedings in this land still seemed excessive to him. Things had been so simpler back in the Enchanted Forest. You could visit an orphanage and just pick a child. Some people were even lucky enough to have them dropped on their doorsteps. He didn't understand why they had to jump through all these hoops when they were so clearly already good parents.
"Mr. and Mrs. Locksely?"
They both looked toward the door when they heard their name called. A young brunette woman gave them a bright smile. "We're ready for you now."
Lauren was their adoption counselor's name. She was young, probably no older than 26. Regina couldn't help thinking of Snow as they talked to her. With her positive demeanor and hopeful tone it was unavoidable. Behind her desk there was a corkscrew board pinned with unframed photos of families with babies and children. Families that she's helped, thought Regina.
"Well, all your paperwork is in order," said Lauren positively. "There is just one more thing her grandparents wanted me to ask you about."
She reached down into her desk and pulled out a large manilla envelope. "Now this is a closed adoption. Her grandparents think it's best not to have contact but they have included this envelope containing information about her biological parents. There's nothing really formal, just some photos, letters they've written to each other and a sentimental keepsake or two. Now since this is a closed adoption it's your choice whether you'd like to take this or not."
Regina and Robin exchanged glances before nodding at the counselor.
"We'd like to have it please," said Regina softly. She'd learned from Henry that hiding an adoption from your child would never lead to pleasant things. She didn't want to repeat old mistakes.
"Are you sure?" said Lauren handing Regina the file. "No one would blame if you said no."
"These people might not be a part of our daughter's life anymore but they did love her," said Robin. "If she grows to feel curious about them we would want to satisfy that curiosity."
"We want our daughter to know every piece of who she is," added Regina. "And that includes the people who loved her before we got the chance to."
The counselor smiled at them from across the desk. "That was beautiful and I am very sure that she is a lucky girl to have you to as her new parents. So are you ready to meet your daughter?"
Regina gripped Robin's hand tighter as her heart pounded in her chest. "Yes we are."
He placed his hand on top of hers as Lauren stepped out into the hall to return with a precious baby girl in her arms. Regina felt her jaw drop as her brown eyes locked with the tiny girl's blue ones. She felt that familiar warmth spread through her body. Just like with Henry. She had to remind herself to breath as Lauren moved closer with the little girl in her arms.
"Mr. and Mrs. Locksely, this is Roselyn," said Lauren.
Robin felt tears well up in his eyes as he gazed at his new daughter. She was perfect. She had blue eyes and light brown hair. In the center of her face was a tiny button nose. He felt his heart skip a beat as she smiled at him.
"Would you like to hold her?"
"Yes," said Regina nodding her head. She tried to be as careful as possible as Lauren passed the baby girl over to her. As Roselyn rested her tiny hand on her shoulder and smiled up at her she couldn't believe that she'd been so afraid of meeting her. She loved her. She knew it already. She knew that just like with Henry and Roland she could and would be anything this little girl needed her to be. A teacher, a protector, a mother. She would be them all.
Robin reached out to place a hand on Roselyn's back. He breathed in her scent as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Roselyn Locksely, we are so pleased to meet you."