Chapter Seven

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The Saturday afternoon after the day that Regina met my Mom, I was in my room trying to think about my last assignment for my advanced creative writing class. I knew it had to be about her. What I didn't know was how the piece would take shape.

A story?

A poem?

Think, Swan…think!

I pulled out a piece of lined white paper and allowed myself to do make a bubble diagram of all the things she does to me. I wrote "Regina" in the center and then I wrote different adjectives that described her like, "dancer," "petite," brown eyes", "wedding bands", "heart". From this exercise I was able to write a damn good poem about my heart, my Regina.

In ten minutes, I had a full-blown poem. I felt the urge to perform it for her.

Take her to the library. They have open mike nights.

I pulled out my laptop and e-mailed Henry first. His e-mail address was on the syllabus.

"Hi, Henry, this is Emma Swan. I wanted to check to see that reading the piece of writingis acceptable prior to class. I am writing something very special and I'd like to perform it for her. Please get back to me. Thank you, Emma." I typed the e-mail. I double checked for any errors and then sent it.

While I waited for a possible answer, I started to type out the poem. I wanted to make sure that it was perfect.

Surprisingly, a minute later, my e-mail program chimed signaling that I had received a e-mail.

It was from Henry.

"Hello, Emma, Congrats on your poem. I knew you'd come up with something wonderful. I fully advocate reading it aloud in front of her. To add more pressure, I'd love to come to your reading. Haha! I assume that you'll be at the library tomorrow night for the open mike night. I look forward to seeing you there. Fondly, Henry," I read.

That's settled! Now how do I get Regina there? Should be simple.

There was a sudden knock on the front door. I didn't yell for Ruby because I knew she wasn't home. I ran towards it and flung it open. There she stood. Regina Mills.

"Hey, I was just thinking about you," I said happily and leaned in for a quick peck. After she walked in and closed the door.

"Is Ruby home?"

"You came all the way here to see Ruby…should I be jealous?" I asked jokingly.

She tilted her head back and forth and said, "No."

"Ruby's out!" I said.

She lunged at me and captured my lips with her own. I was taken by surprise so I barely caught myself from the quick action. I did though and I dragged us to the couch. I sat down and quickly pulled her on top of me. She didn't complain at all. She did, however, begin to moan as our full bodies made contact.

"Regina," I moaned in her mouth.

"Em," she moaned back.

I like the sound of that…Em…

I picked up her shirt and dragged my finger along her abdomen. She giggled, but immediately kissed me again. While she kissed me she brushed away the strands of my blonde hair.

"Emma," she moaned again. I felt her hand grope my breast. I moaned at the contact.

"Do you like this?"

I moaned again.

"Good," she said as she squeezed it a little.

"I want you…"

"I want you too," Regina whispered.

We kissed each other passionately and ferociously for a few minutes.

Then I broke the kiss to say, "I want this to be special, Regina. I want it to be everything you want it to be. It feels like we're rushing it. I, um, wanna wait."

"Till when?" she asked. She didn't seem angry or upset.

"Do you like poetry?"

"Of course. Maya Angelou, Pablo Neruda, Edgar Allen Poe…"

"Great. Come to the library's open mike night tomorrow night with me," I asked hopeful.

"Sure," she said and kissed me again.

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I'd never been to an open mike night anywhere, let alone one at the library. When we got there I saw her write her name down on the list.

"Emma, what are you doing?" I asked kind of shocked.

"I have a surprise for you. Hey, Henry," Emma said as she shook her professor's hand. "Regina, this is Henry, my advanced creative writing teacher."

"Hey," he said and extended his hand to her.

"Hello," Regina replied.

"Will everyone please take their seats?" David asked.

We all sat down. Emma and I sat in the second row.

"Welcome and thanks for coming tonight. Let's get right to it. Emma Swan…you're up," he said as he sat in the first row.

"Uh, hi, everyone," she said as she stood in front of the microphone. "My name's Emma and go to the community college here."

There was a smattering of applause mostly from Regina and Henry.

"For my final advanced creative writing assignment, I was tasked to write a piece about a person who has or is currently inspiring me. Someone who encourages me to see beyond where I am now. Someone who pushes me. So I came up with this. I hope you enjoy it," Emma said nervously.

She unfolded the piece of paper, stepped up to the microphone a little more, took a deep breath and said, "This is called 'Come Dance with Me'!"

She took another deep breath and said, "Come dance with me, Right now. Don't question it...By asking how. Grab a hold of my hand…And don't let go. There's no telling where this dance will go. This may lead us to our wedding bands."

Emma looked and into my watery eyes. I knew this was for me. I smiled as I wiped a tear away with my finger.

She continued, "Come dance with me…Right away…Do not let me go…Till the break of day. For here is where I am supposed to stay…We are meant for each other, Can't you see? Come dance with me…Hold me tight. It was you who turned on the light. How? Doesn't really matter as long as you know. That it's you who I think of night and day…You chase all my cares away."

Now I noticed her eyes beginning to tear up as she looked up at the audience. She quickly wiped them away and then said, "Come dance with me…And we'll decide the pace. Between our two hearts there is no space…And I know that this isn't a race.

Thinking of you makes me free. I no longer feel blue. How I wish that we were already two. A couple is what I long to be. I am waiting for that hopeful day.

Every night I pray…That fate will work in our favor. You know I will savor…Every precious memory we will make I will never break…Your heart."

Emma detached the microphone from the stand and walked slowly over to me. She knelt down on her knees as she looked up at me and said, "Come dance with me…Despite the time apart. Cuz you know…You're always in my heart…Come dance with me…For the rest of our lives…I want to be In your arms from here to eternity. This I do believe…That if you…Come dance with me I'll be…The luckiest person there ever could be. Please know that I will always love you."

She placed the paper down on the floor and I pulled into up and into a tight embrace. The audience around applauded wildly for her piece. Then I gave her a big kiss on her lips. We tried to keep PG-rated because we were in public.

We walked to the back of the room and sat in the last two available seats. The whole time that the other readers were reading she gripped my hand tightly and massaged it with her thumb.

Emma leaned over to me and asked, "Wanna get outta here soon?"

I nonchalantly nodded my head up and down. "Walk around?"

She smiled at me. "Follow my lead." Emma got up quietly and tiptoed out of the room. I followed her and we successfully made it out.

Once we were outside, I threw my arms around her for a wonderful embrace.

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"Come Dance with Me" – C. Cluney 2008