Emma Swan
Henry didn't seem too phased by his mother's break up with Robin, which didn't surprise me the least bit. Henry always kept his distance from the man and as the boy so kindly put it, mommy didn't like all his kisses. Regina cushioned the blow explaining that he would still see Robin's son, Roland, at school.
As much as Regina and I were dying to pick up exactly where we left off, we knew that wouldn't be possible with a five year old around. I would refrain from sleeping over but if I did accidentally fall asleep I would be out the door by six in the morning, knowing damn well that kid has my DNA running through his veins. Henry is not a morning person at all.
For the first month, we would only bring Henry around me twice a week. Each outing was fairly short, resuming our previous arrangements with ice cream visits or trips to the park. Regina was the one who initiated most of the visits. It's cute how she used my son as bait to dangle in front of me. A perfect excuse for her to see me and never have to admit that she secretly wants to spend time with me.
By the following month, our visits increased. Regina, Henry and I were having dinner together most nights. More movie nights cuddled up on the couch together which turned into a lot more accidental sleepovers.
Three glorious months with the loves of my life. I never had a family growing up, so I make sure to indulge in every moment spent together. I never take one single second for granted. I've seen the pathetic excuse for a life without them and I vow to never let them slip through my fingers again.
Regina had an early work meeting, so she asked if I could take Henry to school this morning. Of course, I happily obliged, loving our time spent together. I honestly can't get enough of him.
I pour the thick maple syrup onto his pancakes and slide the breakfast in front of Henry. His little legs are hanging, swinging back and forth from the barstool as he sits at the kitchen counter. His head is bobbing along as he hums some song I can't make out, while he shoves forkfuls into his mouth.
I want to squish him!
I start packing his lunch, making sure I add something healthy per Regina's request.
"You're here like all the time," he comments, slightly startling me from my task at hand.
I clench my chest for dramatic affect and gasp at his words.
"Ugh! Do you not like me? That's it, I'm leaving!" I tease eliciting the most adorable sound of giggles from my favorite little boy.
"No! I like you Emma. You're the best!"
"Good because I like you! You're the bestest!" I lean across the counter and tap his freckled nose. His little nose scrunches up as he smiles brightly. "But you know your mom had an early meeting." I pause and duck my head down, so I can catch his gaze. "Wait, are you old enough to stay alone?" I joke around causing another outbreak of laughter.
"No! But even when my mom is here, you're always here too."
Through his thick brown eyelashes, he peers up at me with inquisitive eyes. I squint my eyes at the young boy and ponder what he is trying to get at.
"Okay kid, what are you trying to ask me?"
Henry simply shrugs his shoulders while setting down his fork.
"Can I be done?"
"One more bite and you can be done," I instruct in which he obeys, taking one last bite. "Okay go brush your teeth and come right back down. We have to get going," I order.
With an ever-growing loving smile upon my lips, I watch my son jump down from his stool and run up the stairs. I shake my head, wondering where the hell he finds all that energy from while clearing his plate. I wash his dish and place it on the drying rack like I've seen Regina do.
I feel so domesticated.
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Later that evening I head back to Regina's for dinner. Henry was upstairs washing up for dinner, so I thought I should tell Regina about my conversation with him from this morning. I understood that he was trying to imply something but couldn't really understand how he should go about it.
"I think we need to talk about telling Henry about us soon. He kept saying that I'm always around, this morning. He wasn't asking questions, but he kept making a note of it," I explain as I set the table for the three of us.
"That's Henry's way of asking a question, without having to actually ask it," she rolls her eyes like she is annoyed with this habit of his but the way her eyes sparkle with love is a dead giveaway. The brunette chuckles to herself demanding my eyes to show her all my attention. "After dinner we can sit down with him and tell him."
"Tell me what?" Henry's little voice questions startling his mother and I.
"I guess before dinner," I giggle but Regina is turning ten shades of green prompting my mouth to snap shut. I could only imagine how nervous she is about this future discussion.
"Henry come sit down. Emma and I would like to talk to you about something sweetie," Regina gently explains as she picks up her son and sets him down on the stool. She places her hand upon his knee and cups his cheek with her free hand. A genuine, adoring smile graces her face as she stares deeply into those curious green eyes. "Mommy loves you so much." Henry nods his head with a mile-wide grin.
"I love you too!"
She smiles with so much love, I could practically feel the warm tender admission rippling off her body. My thumbs hook into the back of my jean pockets as I keep a safe distance behind her, not wanting to overstep any boundaries.
"Remember how you asked about your dad and I told you he lives in another country?" Henry nods along, swinging his feet. "Well your dad and Emma were boyfriend and girlfriend. Emma was pregnant with you but your dad had to leave to another country." Regina pauses allowing Henry take in this information. His face scrunches up as he thinks about what Regina is saying. I thought she was going to talk about us being a couple, but she went straight into the two-mommy topic...alrighty then. "Emma gave birth to you and together we took care of you for the first month. Emma wasn't able to take care of you anymore, so I did."
"So... you're my...mommy?"
Henry swivels in the bar stool, turning his full attention onto me. I could clearly see the struggle upon his face. His little legs instantly stopped swinging as he stared bewildered by the new information.
"Yes Henry. I'm your mom but Regina is your mommy too. She raised you and has been there ever since I found out I was going to have you," I explain gently.
I want to be sure that he still looks at Regina as his mother. She deserves all the credit and I need him to understand this.
"So, I have two mommies?" Henry asks, still unsure of what was unfolding before him. Those beautiful green eyes shift back and forth between Regina and I.
"Yes sweetie," Regina confirms, sweeping her thumb across his cheek.
"Why couldn't you take care of me?"
A small pout forms on my lips as I study the young boy. I want to be honest with him, as best I could toward a five-year-old. I take a deep breath and take a timid step closer.
"I was young. I still had to go to school. I wasn't ready to be a mommy but I knew your mom was. I loved you so much and I wanted what was best for you. Your mom was the best thing for you. Don't you think she's the best mommy ever?" I ask glancing in Regina's direction with nothing but love in my eyes.
Henry nods and smiles peering up at Regina through owl eyes. My girlfriend leans down and places a lingering kiss to his forehead.
"I love you so much Henry."
"I love you too mommy."
Regina pulls her son into a warm hug and holds on tight. This amazing woman is clinging to Henry as if her life depends on it. I know she is nervous about revealing the truth and is worried that this new information could somehow damage the bond they share.
"Now there's one more thing we need to talk about," the brunette reveals as she pulls away.
"Emma and I love you a lot. We also love each other very much. She's going to be my girlfriend and I will be hers. Does that make sense?"
Regina rushed through her explanation, placing her anxious nerves on full display.
"Ummm. Not really. I thought you liked boys? Robin was your boyfriend. And Emma your boyfriend was my dad?"
Oh boy this is complicated for a little boy.
"Yes, he was my boyfriend," I confirm. "But I love your mom now."
"Okay."
"Henry are you okay with all this? Do you have any questions?"
Regina's usual cool and smooth voice is now wavering from her fear slowly taking over her body. I know in my heart she wouldn't allow us to continue if Henry felt uncomfortable in anyway.
"I don't think so. I think I understand. I like Emma so I'm happy she will be around more."
"And I will be around more. I love you both so much," I confess, locking my eyes onto his forest green irises.
"Do I call you mom too?" He inquires curiously as he cocks his head to the side.
"You can call me whatever you feel comfortable with."
"Well you are my mom, so shouldn't I call you mom?"
"If you want to, you can. If you don't like calling me mom then you can call me Emma."
Henry nods but I can tell he is still confused by this entire situation. I can't really blame the kid, he found out he has another mother and his two mommies are going to date. That's a lot for anyone, let alone a five-year-old, despite how intelligent he truly is.
"Can we eat? I'm hungry," he whines completely ignoring this topic of conversation.
"Of course, my little prince," Regina replies as she picks him up into her arms.
The brunette squeezes her son tight and kisses his cheek before setting him down. The rambunctious kid runs off to the kitchen table without another word spoken, leaving us behind. Regina's head falls to my chest as she lets out a long-exaggerated breath. I laugh to myself while placing my hands on both sides of her face, forcing her to meet my gaze.
"That went really well. Don't worry, he's going to be fine. You raised an amazing little boy."
My girlfriend offers me an adorable weak smile that inspires my lips to push forward into a delicate kiss.
"Come on, let's go have our first dinner as a real family."
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The chicken sizzles dispersing the most mouthwatering aroma of garlic and spices while I flip our dinner. I adjust the knob to a low setting and spin around with nothing but excitement radiating off my face.
Henry's body is jerking back and forth as he desperately tries to keep in sync with the upbeat rhythm booming throughout the kitchen. My feet shift between my tip toes and my heels as I squirm closer to my dancing son. The most carefree giggle bursts from his thin lips the moment my hip bumps into his small frame causing his feet to lose their balance and he staggers.
I curl my fingers around his hands and wiggle his arms until his whole body is squirming around. His laughter is contagious, the most satisfying sound I have heard in my life. I drop one hand and twist his other, silently instructing the young boy to spin around.
I bend down and wrap my son into my arms. A small grunt escapes my mouth, this kid is solid and a little too big to be carrying around, but I need to make up for lost time. We have only known each other as mother and son for three months now. I spin him around the kitchen encouraging another wave of giggles to match the volume of the music.
"Emma? Henry? I'm home," Regina calls out from the front door but we continue floating around the room in pure joy.
My girlfriend makes her appearance but lingers for a moment in the doorway. She folds her arms across her chest and leans against the wall. A smile spreads wildly across her lips, expressing just how in love she is with both of us.
"Hi," I breathe once we lock eyes over Henry's shoulder.
Regina smirks before pushing herself off the doorframe. She stalks her way toward us with a predatory glint dancing in those enchanting brown eyes. My dancing slowly comes to a stop, but my heart continues thumping to the beat. I'm just not sure if it's from all the dancing or from the way my girlfriend is staring me down right now.
Regina is the one to break eye contact first once she turns her attention to our son. Her sexy smirk morphs into a loving smile that's usually reserved for only Henry. She brushes her fingertips through his thick brown locks and places a sweet kiss to his forehead.
"Hi, my sweet boy, are you two having fun?"
Henry nods enthusiastically while panting, trying to catch his breath from all our impressive moves.
Regina turns her attention toward me, we both lean forward for a quick peck since our son is practically between us.
"Hi," I mutter again through a wide goofy grin.
"Hi," she sighs in content.
Henry squirms in my arms so I allow the little boy to slide down my body to his feet.
"Dance mommy!"
Henry tugs on Regina's hand inspiring my smile to grow even wider. I spin around toward the stove and check on our dinner but out of my peripheral vision, I watch as Regina spins Henry around the kitchen.
"Did you finish unpacking on your day off?"
"I did. Everything is all put away because I know you so well," I smirk while keeping my attention on the chicken in front of me.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means, that if I didn't put everything away today, we would be on our way to the hospital from your nervous breakdown."
I try to keep a straight face and force myself not to look in her direction. It's not long before I'm stumbling from her sudden shove against my shoulder which causes me to chuckle.
"I am not that bad."
"Oh yes you are Regina. Henry? What's your mom's most favorite thing?"
"Cleaning," our son deadpans with an eye roll that matches his brunette mother's.
"I don't appreciate this new thing where you two gang up on me," my girlfriend pouts.
I stretch forward and steal a soft kiss from those full pouty lips. Regina's frown quickly transforms into a smile that reaches her enchanting eyes, before she turns around to set the table.
Regina and I are quickly disturbed from our tasks when the music cranks up to the highest volume. Henry is standing with his hand caught in the cookie jar so to speak as a playful grin sweeps across his face.
"Dance mommies!" Henry yells over the loud music pulsating through our kitchen but I'm frozen in this moment.
This is the first time Henry has ever called me anything but Emma. My heart races with the unbinding love of freedom. Earning Regina's trust back has meant the world to me and fixed the gaping hole that I've been carrying around for five years now, but Henry acknowledging me as his mother has sent my heart soaring. Not only has my heart been mended back together but now it's free, safe and bursting with nothing but unconditional love.
My thoughts are quickly pushed away when Regina presses her front into my back and wraps her arms around my waist. Her warm breath tickles my ear as she leans in close to whisper words for only us to know.
"He called us mommies." I nod slowly as my eyes fill with happy tears. "This moment is something I always dreamed of." My girlfriend presses a gently kiss just below my ear before squeezing me tight.
"Dinner can wait," I mumble as I whip around to face my beautiful girlfriend.
Those brown eyes are shining bright as the tears glisten in the light. I press my lips firmly against hers before dragging her to the center of the kitchen where Henry awaits. He's giggling and already shaking his little butt before we join in on the fun.
This is a moment that will forever be in my heart. Nothing else around us matters, everything can wait. Right now, I want to indulge in this precious moment with Regina and our son, Henry.