Chapter Seven- Caterpillar
Regina internally rolled her eyes knowing that with her mother's hawk like eyes she would be able to see it if she actually did, plus she didn't want to set a bad example for her son or the other little sponge like kids on his team. Her parents always managed to beat her and even some of the other players to the game, they claimed it was because they wanted to have good seats but Regina knew. One thing Cora had often instilled in a younger Regina was that you never wanted to walk into someone's home field. Meaning that if Regina didn't show up before them, she was at a disadvantage. She would just chalk it up to her mother's competitive streak, that was eventually rubbing off on Henry.
"Darling it's so good to see you!" Cora greeted them like she always did, while Regina sent Henry off to warm up with the rest of the team.
"Mother, how are you?" Regina nodded before sending both her mother and father a small smile.
"I am doing well, thank you for asking." Cora patted the seat beside her and Regina sat comfortable next to her.
"He looks excited." Henry noted, looking at his namesake.
"He is." Regina nodded before clearing her throat, knowing that this wasn't the best time but she would have to do it anyways
"We have had some changes going on at the house. Everything is about to change and hopefully for the better." Regina continued catching her parents attention.
"What is it? Have you found someone? Are you dating?" A wide-eyed Cora questioned, practically vibrating in her seat.
"No none of that! Mother do you remember Mary-Margret?" Regina asked, knowing that her mother did in fact remember the woman and she actually liked her.
"Regina you know I remember her. Why have you two spoken recently?" The hopefully look in her mother's eyes made her falter for a moment.
"No...there is no easy to tell you this but she passed away several weeks ago." Regina swallowed watching her mother's face fall before the mask came out.
"Regina I don't see how this is a good thing. Honestly, you two had your differences but your children share blood. My goodness where is her child?" Cora's eyes darted about until Regina grabbed her hand.
"I wasn't celebrating her death, I have taken Emma in. She is going to be living with me and Henry. That is what I mean by changes." Regina corrected her firmly.
"You took in Emma? My, you have come a long way. I am proud to say I have a very responsible and noble child." Cora looked at her with so much pride but Regina couldn't contain herself.
"I am hardly a child." Regina scoffed.
"So how long do you plan on keeping the child, Regina?" her father spoke up.
"Forever if I'm able to." Regina responded without thinking. They quickly ended the conversation, vowing to talk about it after the game as they watched Henry play. It was during the third inning that something barreled right into her side. She looked down at a panting but grinning Emma.
"Hello sweet girl." Regina cooed, pulling Emma into her lap. She looked around and she could easily see a panicking Ruby, looking in ever direction.
"Did you run away?" She pulled Emma to face her, fixing her left hearing aid that had been knocked crooked when she ran into her.
"RooRoo in car." Emma yawned, leaning back into her chest. Her parents were looking at the little girl in awe.
"Her and Henry have the same eyes." Cora noted.
"Daniel had the same eyes." Regina responded stiffly before she got up with Emma to assure Ruby that the little girl hadn't been hurt, lost, or taken.
"I think you lost something." She smirked when she got close enough to Ruby. The younger brunette whipped around to look at her, her face crumpling at the sight of Emma before she became angry.
"You don't just run away! Do you know how worried I was?" Ruby's signed at the same time, she was practically shouting at Emma. Regina was about to interject, to tell Ruby to calm down but Ruby caught sight of a quivering lip before she sighed deeply. She took Emma from Regina's arms and breathed in the scent of baby shampoo and Johnson Johnson baby lotion. Emma had begun wailing, while she clung on tight to Ruby and Regina was not pleased.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry I shouldn't have yelled. I was just scared for you Lovebug. You can't just run away, you can get hurt or something worse." Ruby bounced Emma until the girl stop crying.
"I sworry RooRoo no mad!" Emma pouted deeply, silent tears still streaming down her face.
"I'm not mad little bird." Ruby kissed her cheeks several times until Emma asked to go back to Regina. Asked is a strong word, more like she lunged into Regina's arms and the brunette caught her by chance. She could feel Emma's deep breathes on her neck, while the girl lightly tugged on her short hair.
"You have hair that touches your back and yet she chooses mine to pull." Regina sighed before walking back over to the fence . The team was taking a break, eating little oranges and drinking water or juice boxes when Emma asked to be put down. Everyone watched as her little feet carried her all the way over to Henry as she squealed, her previous sad mood forgotten.
"ENNY!" She hugged him around her knees. Henry hugged the younger girl with a huge smile on his face.
"Emma when did you get here?" Henry giggled before waving at Ruby.
"Up!" Emma demanded holding her arms up for Henry to carry her. He was just about to do it when a boy from his team came up and pulled on her ear.
"What's this?" He asked as he snatched away the hearing aid.
"Ahhh Mine!" Emma screamed, trying to grab it back.
"Your sister is a weirdo!" The little boy scrunched up his nose as Henry blushed.
"She's not my sister yet." He mumbled, not wanting the boy to start talking about him. Nicolas was a year older which made him a second grader, an he was the coolest kid at Henry's school. Henry knew he should try to get the aid back for Emma but his fear of the older boy was holding him back.
"Mine!" Emma stamped her foot
"Why does she sound like that?" Nicolas held the aid above Emma's head.
"Enny mine?" Emma somehow knew she wasn't going to get it back on her own, so she looked to him.
"Give her it back." Henry said after taking a deep breath
"What did you say? You want me to give the weirdo back this thingy?" Nicolas gloated, as Henry looked around for an adult. His mother and Ruby were busy talking to his grandparents and the coach was talking to the umpire.
"I said give it back! Stop calling her weird!" Henry balled up his little fist.
"What you gonna do if I don't?" Nicolas asked. Henry shifted from foot to foot, looking at Emma's lost expression back to the mean boy. He didn't hesitate before launching himself on the bigger child pushing him to the ground. Henry sat on Nicolas chest, pushing the boy's face into the dirt before slapping at him wildly.
"Give. It. Back!" Every word was followed by a slap to the face until Nicolas's skin started turning red and he began to screech. They were quickly separated by several parents before his mom and grandparents came rushing over.
"Henry Daniel Mills, what is wrong with you?" Regina scolded her son, who simply blushed before looking down at the ground. When he didn't answer Regina became frustrated.
"We do not hit, tell Nicolas you are sorry!" Regina said firmly, before grabbing her son's chin to look him in the eye. She was surprised by the defiance she saw there.
"Not till he gives it back and says sorry first!" Henry stomped his foot while his grandfather intervened.
"Henry tell Papa what happened." Henry told little Henry.
"He pulled her ear and took her hearing thingy! He wouldn't give it back and he called her weird. I make him give it back!" Henry snapped, before looking from Emma to Nicolas.
"Who took what?" Henry asked confused while Ruby cleared her throat.
"I think he's saying the kid took one of Emma's hearing aids. Her ear is bleeding." Ruby glared at the child Henry said was responsible.
"He did what?!" Regina hissed turning to Nicolas and the child's father. She could see the bright purple hearing aid still clutched in the boys hand.
"You should really learn to control your boy." Micheal looked over his son's face.
"My son is none of your concern. None if this would have happened if your son didn't attack my daughter! Is that what your raising, a woman beater? No better yet a closed minded child who is a bully!" Regina growled at the man before stalking forward.
"I wasn't aware you had a daughter." Micheal frowned.
"There are a lot of things you are unaware of." Regina spat, feeling a presence beside her but not turning to look to see who it was.
"How do you know your kid isn't lying? My boy wouldn't hurt a baby." Micheal denied.
"No baby! I ftwee!" Emma yelled causing everyone to stop to look at her.
"She said she's three." Ruby spoke from Regina's side causing the brunette to whip her head to look at her. So that's who stood beside her, the thought was kind of reassuring.
"That's beside the point. I know this because you son is still in possession of her hearing aid!" Regina snarled pointing to the object in Nicolas hand. Micheal looked down at her son before blanching.
"Boy! Give her back that thing!" Micheal nudged his son forward, and Nicolas deposited the aid into Ruby's hand. He looked shyly at Emma who was hiding behind Regina's legs.
"Sorry." He mumbled before his dad told him they were leaving until Nicolas knew how to behave himself. Ruby went to try to put the hearing aid back into Emma's ear but the girl batted her hand away.
"No, hurts!" Emma pointed to the bleeding spot from were Nicolas had dug his nail in and pulled.
"How about we clean it up then." Regina scooped up the little girl before deciding they were just going to leave the game.
They were all sitting at Granny's dinner, the place being owned by Ruby's grandmother and run by her friend Ashley. Henry and Emma were still pouting for various reasons, looking down harshly at the coloring mats placed in front of them.
"I hungry!" Emma announced to practically the whole diner. Ruby did a series of quick motions with her hands before Emma repeated it in a much quieter voice.
"I hungry..." The little blonde girl looked at Regina for food.
"Honey they will be over to take our order in a bit." Regina said handing her another crayon.
"She seems like a lovely girl." Cora complimented, noticing Ruby's wide smile.
"She is, she just had a hard start in life." Ruby said helping Emma 'color', all she really did was scribble.
"Can I ask who you are? And how do you know sign language?" Cora asked, trying to seem polite.
"Technically I'm her social worker. I've known sign since I was thirteen, my grandmother is deaf." Ruby shrugged, handing Regina several napkins to wipe up some water Henry spilled.
"What is your relationship with my daughter?" Cora raised an eyebrow at how in tuned the two were with one another.
"Mother!" Regina gasped causing Ruby to smirk.
"Oh you know she's is just the love of my life." Ruby joked pinking Regina's blushing cheek.
"She is lying!" Regina denied.
"Yeah no, I'd venture to say we are becoming friends. I'm going to be around to help support Emma and stuff." Ruby shrugged.
"Interesting." Cora eyed both of them through narrowed eyes.
