CAP 12

The alarm sounds but I'm already awake.

I haven`t slept much last night either but I no longer feel as disoriented as yesterday.

I start to get dressed to go to the station and I keep thinking of Granny's words .She's right, my happiness is mine and I'm the one who has to make the decisions to make it happen.

If only I knew how to get the courage to talk to Regina.

I go downstairs and find my parents making breakfast.

They're so cute. You can tell they know each other and love each other.

Where one has a crack the other covers it.

They even have choreography between them when they are together. Whatever they do complements each other.

While Snow boils the water David takes out the bread for the toast.

When the water is ready while Snow prepares the toast, David passes her the tea (for them) and the coffee (for me) that are on the upper shelf, where Snow is can`t easily reach.

While it is my mother who knows the exact amounts to prepare breakfast for each one. She takes the milk for Henry, my dad passes the cereal.

They are a well oiled machine.

That is what I want; to know that I can count on someone even in the smallest things. To know someone to the point of knowing how them drinks coffee and for them to surprise me with a dinner I wanted without saying a word. And now I can`t imagine that without her.

At least I already know how she drinks her coffee; black first thing in the morning. And her second cup with a little sugar. And it must have been Henry who told her how I like chocolate because she makes the best cinnamon chocolate I've ever tasted.

-"Good morning." –

I tell them while I sit on my place at the table.

-"Good morning darling."-

-"Hi Emma."-

- "Where is Henry?" - I ask as I not see him.

- "He went to buy those bear claws that you like so much. He wanted to have them ready before you woke up."-

David answers.

-"Great. I`m starving."-

They stop suddenly and look at me as if I had another head.

- "What do I have something on my face?" - I ask scared. With all the magic in this town I wouldn`t be surprised if I had another head.

- "Nothing." - Says my mother.

- "It's just that we haven`t for a long time at the old Emma who`s always starving." –

She ends with a smile.

- "Apparently the walk did you good. Scared many birds in the forest? "-

Says my dad.

- "More than you imagine." I hear the door open.

-"Good Morning. Sorry for the delay; the store was full. "-

Henry says taking off his coat.

- "For you."-

He passed me the bag that I open quickly and enthusiastically.

- "Good guys; It seems that mom has returned with us."-

Yep. I'm definitely back.

- "Ma, if you agree, I would like us to meet in Granny`s when I leave school." –

Henry says while eating his breakfast.

- "And what would be the occasion?" –

- "Just a couple of ideas that I would like to consult with my parents." –

I choke on coffee and everyone looks at me.

- "Regina too?" –

-"Yes. Because she is my mother too. "-

He says putting on a face that she surely learned from his mother.

- "I ... ummm ... I'm ... behind at work. A lot ... paperwork, papers to fill. "- I try to lie looking directly at my father so he wouldn`t dare to intervene.

I didn`t trust myself to meet Regina in front of Henry. The child is very smart and I don`t want to risk the child noticing something. Which will definitely happen if I join them.

- "But I do not think it's a bad idea for you to join Regina. It's been a while since you guys spend time together. "-

I say trying to change the subject.

- "Yes I haven`t seen her in a while." –

He answers a little discouraged.

- "But I still want to talk to you both at the same time. I don`t want you to believe that I have a favorite mom. "-

He jokes trying to convince me.

-"My love; Why don`t you two meet today and organize a dinner for Wednesday? So you can tell us what you want. "- I say trying to earn some time.

- "Okay." –

He says a little more interested.

- "But also if you could finish with work you are more than welcome to join us." –

He continues staring into my eyes.

I swear it sometimes seems that it was Regina who had him in her womb.

The road with my father to the station was suspiciously silent.

- "Would you mind explaining why you denied your son a meeting with his two mothers?" –

David asks me the moment we arrive.

- "Ummm ... thanks for helping me with that." –

I tell him. I knew that question was going to come up at some point.

-"It's just that things have happened between Regina and me. And I'm not ready to face her now. Even less if Henry wants to tell us something that seems important, because what he has to say definitely would get stuck in second place. "-

There is no point in hiding the truth.

- "Just like that?" –

He sits in front of me and asks me.

-"Yes. Just like that. "-

I answer without looking down.

- "Do you want to talk about that?" –

He`s worried.

- "You wouldn`t understand." –

I honestly do not think he would.

- "Try me." –

He says with determination. And why not?

- "What did you feel the first time you saw Mom?" –

- "Ummm ... the first time I saw your mother I told myself; this woman is trouble."-

I look at him with wide eyes. I would have sworn that my parents were the living proof that love at first sight exists.

-"What? Didn`t your heart beat faster? Didn`t your blood boil? "-

I ask surprised.

- "Of course I felt all that; the woman had just stolen my mother's ring. With which I was going to get married. I was furious with your mother. "-

He answers with a smile on his lips.

- "Imagine that she left me this scar." –

He remembers taking his hand to his chin.

- "And when did you know that she was the one?" –

I ask bewildered. Of course I know the story but I never had my father`s perspective.

- "When she save me on the bridge." –

He answered with a smile even bigger.

- "That exasperating woman gave the most important thing to her just to save me."-

- "The most precious thing for mom?" - I ask and I begin to remember the story.

Mom save dad with the dust.

- "The dust¡" - I answer even more surprised.

- "The most precious thing for mom at that time was her revenge against Regina?" –

I draw my conclusions and ask my father.

- "You would be surprised how similar your mother and Regina are." –

- "But what has to do with Regina and with you?" –

I know that my father is not the sharpest pencil, but I think the reason is quite obvious. So I give him a few more seconds and I can practically see when the dice falling.

- "Emma! Are you sure?" –

He has huge eyes and is whiter than usual.

- "Don`t think that hasn`t been a surprise for me too." –

I answer a little defensively. Now we just have to wait for the screams and rejection.

-"Since when?"-

The good thing is that at least he is not screaming.

- "I think for years, I can`t give you an exact date. But I didn`t realize until a few days ago."-

I'm still waiting for the worst.

- "What happened between you two?"-

Still with interest but calmly.

- "I went to see her a few days after Hook left."-

I pause.

-"And? What happened?"-

I decide to end the secret that keeps me awake at night.

- "We had a fight. Actually she was furious."-

I tell him.

- "Because of the pirate?" –

-"Not at all. She told me ... what ... she is …"-

David leans forward. I had not realized that the tone of my voice had dropped almost to a whisper.

- "... in love with me." - I finish almost in a sigh and look down.

-"Finally!"-

- "What?!" - I must have heard wrong. When I look up I see a smile on his face that only compares to the smile he had when Neal was born. The surprise leads me to stand up quite too fast and I get dizzy. I support my hands on the desk so not to fall.

-"I said; finally."-

My mouth opens and closes like a fish.

I can`t breathe and start to feel more dizzy than a few minutes ago. David acts quickly and prevents me from splitting my head against the desk by sitting me down again.

-"Are you ok? Do you need something? –

He tells me jumping kneeling by my side.

My mouth doesn`t close.

- "Water." –

It's the only thing I can say.

- "Coming." –

David leaves the room and as soon as I lose sight of him I have the need to run away; and now I understand why.

My reflection of fleeing is a residue of my shitty childhood. It's leaving before they leave me. Avoid rejection.

But this is my family now, and they love me for what I am and for what I am not. So I cling with both hands to the chair to prevent my body from reacting from memory.

- "Here you are."-

Dad says when he returns to the room. I leave the glass of water in front of me and he return to sit on the other side of the desk. He looks at me as if afraid to tell me something.

- "I thought I wouldn`t find you when I came back with the water." –

He says honestly.

-"Yeah, I almost run away. "-

And I thought that my father wasn`t smart. How did he notice? I lower my head again.

- "Emma." –

He says and I look up. The tenderness in his eyes fills me with security.

-"Love; I know that people think I'm a fool. "-

I try to interrupt him but he raises a hand and I let him finish.

- "I know that`s how it is. And the truth is that it doesn`t bother me, because people tend to pretend that I`m not in the room. And that is an advantage when you get the chance to see your daughter falling in love and the other person as much or more in love ... "-

He ends up taking me by the hand.

-"But; why didn`t you say anything? Why did you let me marry Hook? "-I say without being able to avoid the anger in my voice.

- "Would it have made a difference? What would you have told me?" –

Now that he mentions it, the truth is that if someone had told me such a thing some time ago, I probably would have told him they were crazy and would never have taken anything they said from then on seriously.

- "I am your father and you will always have me by your side. But I understand that my baby is Neal, not you. You need to make your mistakes. And don`t think for a second that it was easy."-

Now he holds my hand in his.

- "The love with which you look at each other when you think nobody is watching you is hard to ignore. We also have the trip to the past in the Enchanted Forest. "-

I let him continue, I want to know where he goes with all this. For me there is no relationship.

- "Did you know that that ring, the one Snow stole from me, is enchanted? What it will take whoever has it in their hands in front your true love? "-

-"Yes, I knew it. I was with Hook. "-

I`m confused, I don`t understand what it has to do whit anything.

- "To whom did it take you to? Whom did you have in front? In front of you? The enchantment is very specific. "-

- "Regina." - Escape from my lips in a sigh.

-"Exactly. That's what I mean. For everyone, even for Hook at that time she was the Evil Queen, but for you it was just Regina. You could see beyond the hatred and desire for revenge that ate her away. You saw the pain and grief that she felt.

- "But that`s natural for me. I am the Savior."-

I say looking for excuses.

- "How did you feel when you met Rumple?" –

My father's ability to bring topics that have nothing to do with what we are talking about surprises me.

- "I have disliked since he pronounced my name." - I answer only to know where he wants to go.

-"And now? That you know he can love, that you know his story. Now that you know he is your son's grandfather? "-

- "Now I guess I can stand him, but I still prefer his absence."-

I tell him honestly.

-"You see? Even as the Savior you can`t finish forgiving Rumple. And he hasn`t done anything to you. "-

- "How not?" - I answer angry.

- "He trick Regina to cast the curse." –

- "And it was Regina who condemned us to be apart for 28 years. Not Rumple. "-

- "But ... but ... Ugh." - It's frustrating but he's right.

-"So. What are you going to do? "-

He ask with real interest.

- "Dad, there's a lot at stake. The first is Henry. What if it does not work? Where does that leave him? " –

- "That's the lowest excuse you can use. What if it works? How about giving Henry a family? " –

- "That's even worse. What will mom say? The people?"-

- "To hell with what the people think. And don`t worry about your mother; I got her." –

- "Then Emma: I ask again, what are you going to do?" –

- "I'm going to get the girl?" - I ask without any certainty.

- "If you are asking me, you are still not sure of your feelings towards her." –

He tells me calmly.

- "I've never been more sure of anything in my whole life." - I speak firmly.

-"So?"-

He ask again

- "I'm going to go to Granny`s with Henry and Regina and I'm going to get the girl." - I say with all the attitude Charming.

- "NOOO !" - He says taking his hands to his head.

- "You already told your son to enjoy the afternoon with Regina. Leave them. On Wednesday, however, you have a dinner that you should make memorable. And so you'll have more time to plan something special and romantic. "-

- "OK, ok, don`t get mad." - I say with my hands raised and happiness.

I just had the most important conversation of my life with my father.

Now it's me who feels half silly. The comfort and security that fill my chest occupy the place where my anguish was buried.

I can`t help the smile that sticks to my face.

-"Now." - My father tells me.

-"The least you can do for your father is buy him lunch." -