This is a short chapter, and I'm not in love with it. I've been having writer's block...badly. Anyway I hope you all like it, and I wanted to get it up tonight because I won't be updating on weekends anymore. Please leave reviews, they are the best ever! There won't be too much left to this story, perhaps 4 more chapters. I'll edit it tonight.

Emma switched shifts with David the next day, taking the day off and offering to work his Saturday shift. She also arranged with him to have him pick Henry up from school and take him home for the evening. The blonde waited until Regina was off to work to head into town and grab groceries to make all of Regina's favorites, a meal that she made for every anniversary and birthday. It consisted of apple streusel and peppermint brownies for dessert, white cheddar mashed potato pancakes, chicken shish kebobs with peppers, tomatoes and onions, and grilled zucchini and yellow squash. They also usually would have cheese and wine, but there would be no wine for this time, since Regina couldn't have it. She also grabbed the rolls Regina had craved the other night, and the sweet cream butter for them as well.

She prepared everything so that when Regina got home, Emma could either make it for lunch, or she could wait until dinner. She made the desserts so they could cool and set them on the counter. Henry had mown the lawn the day before, probably the last time it would need to be done before all the leaves fell and it wouldn't be too much longer before snow would come. After laying out a blanket in the backyard, she went back inside to wait for Regina.

When the brunette got home, she was drawn to the kitchen by the warm smell of baked goods. Emma was sitting at the island when she walked in.

"What is this?" Regina asked, noticing the brownies and apple streusel.

"I made your favorites. We…we didn't do it for our anniversary this year; so I thought today might be fun. Dad has Henry for the evening so that we can have a date."

"That was very sweet, Emma, thank you." Emma offered her a small smile.

"Are you hungry?"

"No, I ate before I came home. Maybe in a little bit?"

"Sounds good. Come here," Emma coaxed, taking Regina's hand and pulling her outside. Emma lay down on the blanket and motioned for Regina to join her. Smiling with a shake of her head, Regina sat down on the blanket next to her wife.

"Why do you like to sit in the grass so much?" Regina asked.

"Have you noticed a pattern about when I do it?"

Regina thought a moment and smiled. "I suppose it's always after it's freshly mown?"

"Yeah, I love the smell."

"I'm surprised I didn't know that."

"I'm finding that there are a lot of little things that we don't know about each other. Tell me…what's your favorite smell?"

"Chocolate. When it's cooking or melting. Or when I'm making fudge, those are the best times to smell chocolate and I love it."

"See, I never knew that. I wish that we had spent more time learning each other instead of enjoying the sex all the time. I mean…no regrets about the sex, but—"

"No, I noticed the same thing recently, Emma."

"Do you think we're less compatible than you originally thought?"

"No, darling, I do not. You are everything I have ever wanted, and you're my true love. I just think that we need to get to know the smaller details and relearn each other. We'll be blissful again. For now…we'll stick with being happy and relearning each other."

"Yeah? You're happy?"

"Come here," Regina huffed, pulling Emma's arm to make the other woman sit up. Once Emma was sitting and facing her, Regina spoke again. "Emma, of course I'm happy. No, I'm not so happy that all my pain is gone, but that's what I mean by blissful…it's how we used to be and I truly think we can get there again. But yes, I am happy. I may get mad at you, and fight with you, and I may turn to someone else to talk to when we're fighting…but I love you. I love being with you and I love our family. Henry, this baby, you and me…don't you ever believe for one minute that this isn't where I want to be." She cupped Emma's face in one hand, the blonde leaning into the touch. Regina moved forward to kiss her wife's mouth gently and quickly.

"Good. I'm really glad. Now, come here." Emma laid back down on her back, pulling Regina with her so that the brunette was nestled into the crook of her shoulder, her belly pressing into Emma's side. The blonde rested her free hand on Regina's bump, feeling for the baby.

The sun was lower in the sky when they woke up. Regina was awake first, her stomach grumbling to let her know she needed to eat. She shook Emma awake and checked her phone for the time.

"Sweetheart," she whispered, "Emma. Emma, it's time to wake up." When Emma stirred and looked up at her with a grin, Regina smiled down at her. "Sleep well, my love?"

Emma nodded and curled in at the waist so her head was nuzzling against Regina's stomach. "Good morning baby, good morning Regina."

Shaking her head, Regina chuckled, "Good morning, my love. I'm afraid it's time to eat. I'm very hungry."

"Good, good. Let me…I'll get the stuff. Do you know where the pan is for the side burner on the grill?"

"I do. It's in the drawer on the bottom of the oven."

"Alright. Want to help me carry stuff out?"

Regina snacked on desserts while waiting for Emma to finish cooking, since the blonde wouldn't let her help. She smiled, looking around her kitchen as she took the in the little changes that had been made. Where she had always kept simple colors and designs, Emma had replaced some of her dishtowels, the ones that hung on the stove handle, with bright red and eccentric designs. When it had been just she and Henry, the fridge held nothing, but now it was covered in pictures and some of Emma's goofy drawings with Henry's mini fictions he wrote alongside them. The pair were best friends and though it once had driven Regina crazy, she loved it now.

Emma came in and asked Regina if she wanted to eat outside, given the warm weather, or inside. Outside was fine, so Regina carried out a couple of plates and sets of silverware, bringing two bottles of water as well. She set the patio table and helped Emma carry the food over. The two settled into their seats, after Emma moved hers so she was right next to Regina instead of having a couple feet of space between them. Talking and laughing like old times, Regina and Emma once again felt like they had so long ago, around the time that Emma had moved into the house.

"Can I ask you something…and, I don't know, will you answer it like you would if you were talking to Ruby or Tink and not me?" Emma asked, after they sobered from laughing at their last conversation.

"I will do my best," Regina promised with a nod of her head and a small smile.

"Will you tell me about your best friend? Why you're so close and what happened that made you that way?" After Emma finished speaking, Regina leaned back against her chair and sighed. Thinking about how she would honestly answer this for Ruby or for Tink, she knew what it would be. Had either of them asked her who her best friend was when she first started getting close to either of them, it wouldn't have been David. No, it would have been Emma. She gave Emma a smile before she spoke.

"I met this beautiful woman. I couldn't stand her, thought I hated her even. But…she broke my curse and stole my heart. She showed me what true forgiveness is. She loved me, when nobody else did, except for our son. And how hard I fell for her…you'd think I was a teenager falling for the first time. That was how I felt. I'd stifled myself under this curse, under my need for vengeance for so very long that I had forgotten how it felt to be truly and wonderfully loved. And then this pesky woman just beat down all my walls. She asked me on one date, after which I was smitten, I knew that I could never be without her again.

I just happened to get lucky enough that she wanted me, too. We dated, our relationship was a whirlwind and…she was incredible." Regina stopped talking to peek over at Emma, gauging her reaction. Emma was grinning widely and Regina took that as a cue to continue. "She taught me love, real love…beautiful love. She taught me the kind of love that I had only ever dreamed about, I never thought I would ever receive it." Regina turned in her chair to look at her wife. Sea-green eyes were glistening with tears that were threatening to spill over. Pink lips were curved into a wide smile.

"Do…" Emma started, but her voice came out husky and rough. After clearing her throat, she continued, "Do you mean that? Is that really what you would tell them if they asked?"

"Yes. I may have lost sight of it a little bit, but you are always my closest best friend before anyone else. Whenever I have something exciting to share with someone, you are the person I want to talk to. Whenever I'm happy or sad…you're whom I want with me. And…I owe you an apology for my behavior."

"It's not a big deal."

"No, Emma, it is. You have been trying and I've been accepting your apologies and your gifts, and they are all wonderful. But what you did today, yesterday with the strawberry ice cream…the other night, running out and getting the food I was craving…that's what I have been wanting. Thank you. I just have wanted your affection and I know that I've been withholding some of my own because of it, and that wasn't fair. You deserve all of the affection I have to give. So…I'm sorry. And thank you."

Emma leaned in and kissed her wife on the cheek. She then turned on the porch radio and pulled the brunette to her feet, taking her into her arms. Holding each other close, the women swayed to the music. After dancing to several songs, Regina sighed and told Emma that her feet were hurting and she needed to sit down. Nodding, Emma grabbed the dishes and carried them into the house, setting them into the sink while insisting Regina sit at the island.

"Was work fine?" Emma asked, soaping up the dishes.

"It was. Melissa is learning quite well. I think she'll be a fine replacement for a while."

"Good. I know you wanted to take a while off after the little one is here."

"I was thinking Sawyer would be a good choice," Regina whispered.

Turning quickly to look at her wife, Emma smiled. "Really?"

"Yes. You seem to like it, and it's a pretty name."

"Then we should do Danielle for her middle name. Sawyer Danielle Swan-Mills sounds pretty."

"Yes. It's beautiful."

"Good. Dad should be here with Henry soon."

"We should take a vacation. The three of us."

"Where to?"

"Maybe just New York or something? I think we could do with a few days away from everything to be a family."

"Yeah, Regina, that sounds great. That would be…great."

"I'm going to go up to bed, ok? Tell David 'hello' for me, and tell Henry good night. I'm just really tired."

"Are you feeling ok? Other than being tired?"

"Yes, Emma, I'm fine. I promise. You'll come hold me soon, right?"

"Of course." Emma walked to her wife and took her into a hug, holding her tightly against her own body. Placing a soft kiss to the dark hairline, she breathed in Regina's shampoo. "I love you, babe. I'll be up shortly."

"I love you too, Emma." Regina's voice was muffled against Emma's neck. "Thank you for today. I appreciate it, I really do."