prompt: baby's first word
prompted by: one of my real life friends
Special thanks to ArianaKristine for helping me decide on the timeline of when Noelle would have her first word.
Emma sits in the loft, Noelle on her lap, while Mary Margaret is in the kitchen going crazy over Christmas dinner, David and Henry are having an indoor swordfight – which she has to admit does seemed to be toned down from the ones they have when they're outdoors – and Graham is taking far too many pictures (to be fair, last year on Christmas, she and Noelle were still in the hospital, so this might as well be considered their first Christmas as a family).
Noelle is a happy child, almost constantly smiling and babbling. She is basically doted on by most of the town; Emma worries that she'll grow up spoiled, but Granny keeps insisting she's not old enough to be spoiled yet and Gold gets all mysterious and says she won't be spoiled and then everyone else gets all "Rumplestiltskin can see the future, so, see? You're worried over nothing."
After a while, Graham finally stops, setting the camera down next to her and kneeling in front of them, making silly faces at their daughter. He is just as new to this whole family thing as she is, she has to remind herself of that sometimes. He's just so natural at it.
She smiles as Noelle reaches out and places her hands on Graham's scruffy face. Apart from having Emma's own eyes, the little girl takes mostly after her father, and she absolutely adores him, is always trying for his attention above anyone else's.
Emma is so distracted by the familiar, but always adorable, sight of her daughter reaching out to Graham that she nearly misses it when the little girl proclaims "Dada!"
"Did Ellie just…?" David asks wonderingly, stopping his play-fight with Henry to look over at them.
"Dada!" Noelle repeats, squirming in Emma's grasp, clearly trying to get closer to Graham. He smiles widely and takes Noelle from her, holding their daughter in his arms. She snuggles into her father's shoulder and quietly gets her arms as close to being around his neck as she can.
"That's my smart girl," Graham says softly, stroking her long, dark curls, placing a kiss on her forehead. Emma's heart feels too big for her chest; as is usual these days, she is overwhelmed by her (little, perfect, strange) family – her family that is everything she ever wanted and more.