Here's a chapter for you all. How have we been enjoying the new season of once? I have been enjoying it so much. Dark Swan is awesome!
It was a Saturday morning and Cora found herself on her way into town with Regina heading towards the hairdressers. While brushing through Regina's hair that morning she had noticed that perhaps it was about high time she took Regina to get her hair cut. Now she hadn't told Regina exactly where they were going as she wasn't so sure Regina was going to like the idea of getting her hair cut.
Back in the enchanted forest it was Cora that would cut Regina's hair and back then it hadn't been an easy affair by any means. Regina had always hated it and Cora hadn't been as patient with Regina as she may be now. So she held onto Regina's hand as the little girl skipped beside her and mentally prepared herself for a nightmare time at the hairdressers.
They turned the corner and Cora stopped outside the hairdressers and crouched down to Regina's height. "Mommy why we stop?" Regina asked.
"Well Regina…mommy was thinking that we would visit this place." Cora said hoping to break it to Regina gently that she was going to get her hair cut.
"What this place?" Regina asked looking up at the shop.
"This place is called a hair dressers. This is where people go to get their hair cut." Cora explained.
Regina frowned. "Why we come here? You get you hair cut?" Regina asked.
"No sweetheart. Mommy was thinking that you would get your hair cut." Cora said slowly.
"No mommy. I no want my hair cut." Regina said shaking her head. "It hurt."
"It won't hurt sweetheart." Cora said. She knew why Regina thought it would hurt Years ago when Cora tried to cut her hair Regina would fidget constantly trying to pull away and Cora would tug on her hair earning a squeal from Regina and usually resulting in her ending up in tears through the whole hair cut. She sighed wishing back then she had not been like that with Regina. "I promise you this hair cut won't hurt Regina."
"No mommy. Not go in there." Regina said crossing her arms over her chest.
"Regina we need to. You need your hair cut." Cora said.
"No mommy!" Regina shouted, frown firmly planted on her face and stamping her foot on the ground. Cora sighed knowing the only way she was going to get Regina inside the hairdressers was to carry her. So Cora stood up and lifted Regina up off the ground. "No mommy. Put me down!" Regina cried and started to kick and hit out at Cora.
"Regina please stop this behaviour." Cora said as calmly as she could but Regina continued to kick and scream drawing the others in the hairdressers to look over and stare at them. Cora could feel herself blushing in embarrassment but she tried to ignore the others around them. She smiled tightly as she reached the reception desk and tried to shuffle Regina onto her hip but with her kick and hitting she found it hard. "Hi I phoned earlier for an appointment for my daughter." Cora said over Regina's screaming.
The young red headed woman looked at her computer screen and then back to Cora unfazed by Regina's tantrum. "Regina Mills." She said with a smile. Cora nodded her head. "Someone will be with you in a moment. If you want to have a seat while you wait." the woman said pointing over to a waiting area.
"Thank you." Cora replied. She walked over to the seating area and sat down, placing Regina down in front of her but not letting go of the girls arms. "Regina stop this noise now." Cora said firmly. Regina looked up at her mother, tear stains on her cheeks, she gave her mother a glare that would have made Cora proud years ago. "That behaviour is not acceptable Regina. You do not hit and kick mommy and you certainly do not scream just because you don't want to do something."
"No want stupid hair cut." Regina mumbled, she sniffed and brought her arm up about to wipe her now runny nose on her sleeve.
Cora was quick to catch Regina's arm before she did so and she pulled out a tissue from her pocket and wiped Regina's nose for her. Cora sighed as she looked at her little girl. She knew Regina was only acting this way because she was scared about getting her hair cut. She brought her hands up to Regina's cheeks and used her thumbs to wipe away the tears that were falling. She then pulled Regina up onto her lap. She wrapped her arms around Regina and rested her chin on top of Regina's head. Regina leaned into Cora and grabbed a handful of her top in her hand.
"Sorry mommy." Regina mumbled and Cora smiled.
"That's alright my darling. I know your scared to get your hair cut but mommy is going to be right here and I won't let anyone hurt you, okay?" Cora said pulling away slightly to look at Regina.
Regina sighed a little and nodded her head. "Kay mommy." She replied. Cora pulled Regina back into her and hugged her. "Mommy sing me song?" Regina asked.
"Will it make you feel better?" Cora asked. Regina nodded her head into Cora's chest. "Okay then…" Cora said trying to think of a song. "Ah I know a song. You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy, when skies are grey. You'll never know dear how much I love you, please don't take my sunshine away." Cora sang softly and quietly.
"I know that song mommy." Regina said pulling away slightly so that she could look up Cora.
Cora smiled. "You do? Can you sing me some?" Cora asked.
"Erm…I try…" Regina said. "The otha night dear…when I lay sleepin, I dreamed I held you in my arms. When I wake dear I was…" Regina sang but trailed off putting on her thinking face. "I don't member the words now."
"When I awoke dear I was mistaken, so I hung my head and cried." Cora sang for Regina. "You done very well singing that part Regina." Cora praised.
"We sing more mommy?" Regina asked.
A woman with long blonde hair walked over to them. "Hi I'll be cutting Regina's hair." She said cheerily. Regina bit her lip and hid her face into Cora's chest. "Oh we're not too keen?"
"No…she has a bit of an issue with getting her hair cut." Cora said standing up and shuffling Regina round so that she was sitting on her hip. Regina hid her face into Cora's shoulder. "But I think we are going to be okay, aren't we Regina?" Cora said.
"Mommy we go home." Regina mumbled into Cora's shoulder.
"Come on Regina. We won't be long. Mommy will be right beside you while you get your hair done." Cora said. "You know Regina if you sit nicely and get your hair cut I think we might be able to go and get some ice cream…what do you say to that?"
Regina slowly turned her head round and peered out and the hair dresser and then sat up in her mother's arms and looked up at her mother. "Really?" She asked quietly.
"Yes and maybe we could go to the park…but only if you sit nicely and get your hair cut." Cora said hoping her bribe would work.
"You be right beside me?" Regina asked wanting to check before she said yes or no.
"Yes I'll be right beside you." Cora said.
Regina nodded and then glanced towards the young woman who would cut her hair. "What you name?" Regina asked as if it would make a difference to whether she would let her cut her hair.
"My name is Anna." The young woman replied.
"And you nice at cutting hair?" Regina asked.
"I won't hurt you if that is what you mean." Anna replied.
Regina sighed and then looked back up at Cora. "Okay mommy I get my hair cut." Regina said.
"Good girl." Cora praised.
"Okay follow me then and we will get your hair done." Anna said turning on her heel. Cora followed the young woman over to one of the chairs and Anna got a booster seat so that Regina would sit higher on the chair. Cora placed Regina down on the chair and Anna placed a small gown over her. "You can sit in the chair next to Regina if you would like." Anna said addressing Cora.
"Thank you." Cora said and sat down on the offered chair.
"Okay Regina now I need you to hold still while I cut your hair, so do you think you could pretend to be a statue?" Anna said.
"I can do that. I good at the music game statues." Regina said happily as she sat as still as she could.
"What game is that?" Anna asked hoping to keep the little girl talking to distract her.
"Erm…musical statues…it lots of fun. You dance when music's on and when music turn off you have to stand very very still like a statue." Regina explained.
"Oh that sounds lots of fun Regina." Anna said as she cut Regina's hair. "Okay Regina can you look down to the floor now."
"Yes I can do that." Regina said and done as she was told.
"You're doing so well Regina." Anna praised. "Isn't she mom?" Anna said to Cora.
"You really are Regina." Cora smiled.
"I get ice cream once we done?" Regina asked hopefully since she was sitting as nicely as she possibly could and doing everything she was told to do.
"I think you will definitely be getting ice cream my darling." Cora said.
"Lucky you Regina. What flavour ice cream are you going to get?" Anna asked.
"Erm …" Regina hummed biting her lip and trying to think what she wanted. "I want…cookie dough."
"Oh now that is a good choice." Anna said. She cut the last few strands of Regina's hair and then gently brought Regina's head back up. She ran her fingers through the little girls hair. "There we go Regina. All done. What do you think?"
Regina looked into the mirror opposite her and turned her head from side to side. There was no big difference in her hair. It had just been tidied up a bit but Regina smiled nonetheless. "It lovely." She replied making Anna and Cora laugh.
"Well I'm glad you like it. Well done you for sitting so nicely and enjoy your ice cream." Anna said.
"Thanks you." Regina said jumping off of the chair. She took Cora's hand and they went back up to the desk where Cora paid for Regina's hair cut. They then walked out of the hair dressers and made their way towards the ice cream parlour.
"See Regina that wasn't so bad was it?" Cora said.
"It okay mommy but don't wanna go get hair cut tomorrow." Regina said making Cora laugh.
"Don't worry Regina we aren't going to get your hair cut tomorrow. We won't need to get your hair cut for a while yet." Cora said.
"That good." Regina replied.
"So cookie dough ice cream then?" Cora said.
"Yea! And maybe chocolate too?" Regina asked giving Cora a cheeky grin.
"I'm sure we could do that." Cora smiled at Regina. She saw no harm in giving her little girl a treat. After all the months were passing quickly and the days with Regina as her little girl were numbered. Cora knew before she knew it Regina was going to turn back into an adult and although Cora was looking forward to seeing her grown up girl again she was still so happy to have her little girl around. So while she could she was going to treat her as much as she could.