Emma thought about the impending visit all during her shift at work. She was tired, true, but she had consumed enough coffee to caffeinate a horse and she shouldn't be over pouring patrons because she wasn't paying attention.
Part of her wanted to give into the hope, but she'd just have to wait and see what Regina had planned and how Henry felt about being given a potential wish.
Her shift ended late due to some lingering customers who took their time paying the bill. She rolled silverware, waiting anxiously for the group to leave so she could cash out her tips. Emma didn't have time order any pancakes to take to Henry.
Like always, she drove to the hospital in the morning and dragged herself up to the hospital room that had become Henry's and her home away from home.
When she came to the door she stopped and listened, immediately recognizing the deep silky voice of Regina and the higher strained timbre of her son. She was exceptionally tired today, but she knew she had the evening off and would have time to catch up on sleep during the day. She listened for a moment, smiling when she heard Henry exclaim, "Cool!"
Then she entered to see what was going on. There was Regina sitting next to Henry on the bed, holding up a big basket of goodies.
"Good morning, Ms. Swan," Regina turned her torso to greet Emma, and Henry looked full of energy and life.
"Mom! Regina brought me presents!" He yelled as he dug his small hands through the basket on his lap, and pulled out a colorful and soft looking fleece blanket with pictures of The Avengers.
"Seriously? Wow," Emma crossed the room and leaned over to hug Henry, he felt stronger as he hugged her back with gumption.
"Yeah, look! Comic books! New ones we haven't read it," Henry pulled one shiny comics with cartoon depictions of super heroes on the covers. His face lit up like it was Christmas morning, and Emma felt herself getting emotional.
On one hand, she was thrilled to see Henry so happy with the gifts, but on the other hand she felt inadequate that someone else had provided the gifts to him. She felt a little off kilter seeing Regina engaged in such a natural graceful report with him. She blinked back her unfounded jealously and smiled at Regina.
"I brought some apples from my personal orchard, they're Honeycrisps," Regina addressed Emma as she sat down on the other side of the hospital bed and peered into the large basket of gifts. "Would you like one?"
"Yeah, Mom, try one of Regina's apples. I had one earlier, they're really good," Henry said pulling out a big shiny apple and offering it his mother.
Emma took it and let her fingers slide over the smooth red skin, "Thank you…Henry, did you thank Regina for the gifts?"
"Thank you, Regina!" Henry pushed forward and wrapped his arms around Regina's shoulders giving her the best hug he could muster from the slightly awkward position and with the cumbersome IV lines in his arm.
Regina hugged him back tightly and murmured, "you're welcome, Henry." Her eyes were squeezed shut, and from Emma's perspective she could see the heartfelt emotion play across the dark haired woman's features.
When they parted Regina looked at Emma and then back at Henry, "I told you I was here to meet you, and I'm very glad I did. I spoke with your mom last night and she said it's okay for me to ask you something, Henry."
"Okay," Henry agreed nodding his head eagerly. "Will you read me a story from one of my new comics?"
Regina chuckled, "Of course, dear. First though, I wanted to ask if you had one wish to go somewhere, meet someone or do anything in the whole world: what would you wish for?"
Henry paused in thought, clearly taken by surprise. He looked to Emma for reassurance. She nodded encouragingly.
"For real?" His eyes were wide and darting back and forth as he tried to the process the question. "Anything?"
"Well, almost anything. You see, my job is to help grant a wish for children such as yourself Henry. I've heard a lot about what a special boy you are from your nurses and you mom," Regina explained.
"A wish?" Henry asked again, he tucked his chin and looked into the basket of apples. "I don't know what I'd want…."
At that moment, Emma's heart broke. She knew she had tried to keep Henry anchored in reality. He didn't ask for anything, knowing how hard Emma was working to just pay the bills. Henry had grown up quite a bit in emotional maturity since he'd been diagnosed, but in some ways his education and childhood had been stilted by his disease.
Emma had always wanted a happy life for her son: one where he didn't have to worry about how he was feeling every day or give a thought to adult worries such as bills and treatments.
"Your mom tells me aside from comics, you also love fairytales. Have you heard of Disneyworld?" Regina asked, her face open as she spoke casually with Henry.
"Disneyworld?! Yeah, with all the rides and games and where all the fairytale characters live," Henry was thinking about Disneyworld and all the things he'd seen on TV about the theme park. "That would be awesome!"
"There are a few different options, there is Disneyland in California, and Disneyworld in Florida, and there are also Disney theme Cruises where you'd go on a big ship," Regina informed Henry as he squirmed with excitement.
"That would be so awesome!" He shouted. "I could really go on a boat?"
"Yes, Henry. If that's what you want. I've helped many children go to Disney it's a very, very popular wish," Regina reached forward and squeezed his shoulder affectionately. "You and your mom would have a lot of fun."
"Would you come too?" Henry asked immediately, and it was Regina's turn to look surprised.
"Oh, I—I don't know about that. Usually, I just help with the arrangements for the family to go receive the wish."
Usually, Henry took a while to warm up to strangers. He had gotten used to being examined and poked by various doctors and nurses. There was always someone in a lab coat or scrubs waking him up at night or checking his temperature when he was feeling so sick he could barely move or react to the intrusions to his personal space. He had gotten used to it, but he clearly didn't like it no matter how kind and caring the person who was examining him was.
Emma and Henry had both kind of shut down in the social arena, every day was a blur for Emma, and she could only imagine how hard things were for her son. To see him warm up to Regina right from the get go was encouraging, but she still cringed a bit at the awkwardness of him asking her to accompany them on the trip.
Regina was already making it possible, and Emma wasn't sure about the costs or even if this was a practical and feasible trip for Henry to take. She'd have to get time off of work and figure things out, but all the logistics could wait. She tried to focus on the joy the news was bringing her son.
His face fell when Regina politely declined, and Emma jumped in to help ease the situation. "Henry, Regina said she'll be helping us out, and you'll get to spend plenty of time with her."
"That's right, Henry. I am so excited to be able to grant your wish. I'll start on getting it organized right away, and we'll figure out the date for the trip. In the meantime, I'd love to read you a story… let's see, 'Wolverine' or 'Captain America'? Which one would you like?"
"Okay," Henry said his expression brightening as his attention redirected to the comic books in his lap. "How about this one about 'the Hulk'?"
"My pleasure," Regina picked up the comic and started flipping through the pages of graphics. Emma watched affectionately as Henry scooted over in his bed to make room for Regina by his side.
"Mom, you'll listen to the story too, right?" Henry patted the spot closest to him, and Emma slid up on the bed so they could all get situated. She put the basket on the tray table next to him and pulled out the soft new fleece.
"Do you want to cover up with this?" She asked as she unfolded the blanket. Henry nodded as Emma covered him with the new blanket.
"I thought that would be much better than these rough old hospital blankets," Regina touched the fleece and then looked up at Emma. Their eyes met and Emma saw the good intentions and realized how much Regina enjoyed caring for children.
She wondered how Regina would be with a child of her own. In fact, she wondered quite a bit about Regina, but she'd save her questions for later. Currently, Bruce Banner was about to Hulk out bigtime and go on an adventure. She felt light and her chest felt warm from seeing Henry so happy and carefree for once.
Emma let Regina's soothing voice fill her mind as she wrapped one arm around Henry and held onto the soft warm blanket with the other. The bed was rather crowded with Regina, Henry and Emma all squeezed onto it for story time, but it was the most comfortable Emma had felt in a long time.
"Ms. Swan?"
Emma heard an inquisitive voice from far away. Someone was calling her name. "I'll bring the order out soon…" she whispered to the angry table in the back.
Then Henry's voice close to her ear startled her awake from her dream.
"Mom!"
She lifted her head and gasped as she opened her very tired eyes. She didn't want to move, and her neck was definitely protesting the rude awakening hardest. Looking up she was met with two pairs of curiously inclined eyes: one set hazel and one set of deep brown.
"I told you she's a heavy sleeper," Henry stated proudly to Regina who was regarding her with mischief and amusement.
"I think you drooled a bit over Black Widow, Emma," Regina teased her playfully as she lifted the new blanket up off of her.
"Hmm? Sorry…what time is it?" Emma yawned and sat up to stretch and blink the grogginess away. She ran a hand through her hair and realized how disheveled she must look after falling asleep during the story.
Regina seemed to be transfixed with Emma's face, and immediately she wondered if she really did have a trail of drool hanging off of her lip.
"What's wrong?" Emma tilted her head and asked curiously after vigorously wiping her mouth with her palm.
"Nothing's wrong, I was just thinking you're actually quite ador…" Regina huffed and cut herself off before she finished her sentence. She placed a hand on her own stomach protectively and stood up straight as a soft pink tint colored her cheeks. "Actually, I was wondering if you had plans this evening."
Emma looked at Henry and he shrugged noncommittally. She wondered what kind of scheme the two of them had cooked up while she was napping.
"Uh, no…I'm off work tonight. Truthfully, I was planning to catch up on my sleep after I leave here."
"Well, I wouldn't want to deprive you of that as you so clearly need your rest, but if you happen to wake up this evening, I was wondering if you'd be interested in coming over to my house for dinner?" Regina asked with the confidence Emma had already recognized in the other woman, but there was something almost bashful in her tone and demeanor.
Emma thought about saying 'no' that she couldn't make the time, but Henry was looking at her in that pleading way of his, biting his lip and leaning toward her anxiously. It was like he was pleading with her to say 'yes.'
"Um, I would but I do need to come back and make sure Henry has his dinner and shower tonight," Emma replied, feeling guilty. She didn't get asked over for dinner by anyone ever, and so she felt like a fish out of water. Her heart was beating faster as questions surged through her mind unanswered.
"Of course," Regina bit her bottom lip and her eyebrows stretched upwards like she was trying to save face and didn't know if Emma was refusing or accepting the invitation.
"Nurse Blanchard always makes sure I eat my broccoli and take my shower, mom. You should go. I bet Regina is a good cook," Henry said and Emma felt a sharp pain on her side. Her son was pinching her under the blanket.
"Okay," Emma blurted out. Regina visibly relaxed and identical smiles bloomed on both her son's face as well as their benevolent wish granter's.
"So 7pm? If you give me your number I can text you directions to my home. Oh, and Ms. Swan, do you like Italian?" Regina asked suddenly animated in her speech and gestures. Emma recognized the excitement in the rapid fire questions and wondered why she was so eager to invite her for dinner.
She nodded in response as Regina rattled off her phone number and Emma made a new contact, labeling it 'Wish Granter' still chuckling about the title on Regina's business card. She sent her a text so Regina had her number. Ever the creative one in her sleep addled stupor, Emma simply wrote, 'Hi.'
When the phone beeped that the message had been received, Regina smiled and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear as if she was hiding a secret that Emma didn't know. She shuffled around picking up her bag. She smiled at Henry and wished him a good day and promised she would see him soon.
Henry thanked her again for the gifts, and Regina practically skipped out of the room. Emma barely had time to sigh and think about what she had agreed to, when Regina dashed back in and said breathlessly, "Good bye, Ms. Swan. I'll see you tonight."
"Yep, I'll be there at 7pm. Do you want me to bring anything?" Emma asked as an afterthought. When people invite you over for dinner you're not supposed to show up emptyhanded.
"No, that's very sweet of you to offer, but I'll have everything we'll need. Just bring yourself, but you do like Italian food, right?"
"Oh, yeah, I love it," Emma admitted whole heartedly. She hadn't ever tried lasagna, Alfredo or even Spaghetti she hadn't loved and devoured.
"Wonderful," Regina said again. She took a shallow breath and breathed out quickly, almost nervously before departing for the second time from Henry's room.
Emma and Henry listened closely to the sound of heels retreating down the hall.
"Regina is the best," Henry broke the silence when he was sure Regina had left. "Is she really going to send us on a trip?"
"Yeah, I think she is," Emma stood up and stretched, noticing her work uniform was wrinkled and she was in desperate need of a shower. "I should probably get home and get to bed…"
"Yeah, you need some sleep, Mom," Henry said as he yawned loudly. "Go have fun with Regina tonight. I'm kind of jealous you get to hang out with her at her house. What do you think her house is like?"
"I have no idea, but I'll be sure to tell you all about it," Emma crossed the room and looked out the window.
"Text me when you get home," Henry demanded sounding more like the parent than the kid.
"Alrighty. Listen to your nurses and be a good kid today, okay?" Emma sniffed, knowing her son was always good. She smiled as she picked up her purse and jacket to head home.
When she arrived home, her nerves started kicking in. She thought about Regina all through her shower and when she settled in to get some sleep. She set her alarm with plenty of time to get up to get ready. She kept thinking about Regina's expression when Emma had accepted the invitation. It almost felt like she was gearing up to go on a date, but she tried to push that notion out of her head. Regina was just a friendly wish granter who was interested in helping her son and getting to know his mom a bit better. Still, Emma had laid out her outfit before she fell asleep and double checked her phone to see if Regina had texted yet.
She finally drifted off to sleep with thoughts of Regina and their upcoming dinner on her mind.
Her alarm buzzed loudly at 5pm waking her up immediately. Usually, she spent a few minutes snoozing before feeling fully awake, but today she was up and out of bed, grabbing for her phone. The screen displayed one new text message from 'Wish Granter.' Emma smiled as she read the message: 'my address is 108 Mifflin Street, please call if you need further directions.'
That was the wealthy neighborhood, Emma recognized the street name immediately, and she knew how to get there. It was on the other side of the tracks from the neighborhood where her two bedroom apartment was located. As the time approached to go, Emma's nerves got worse. She thought of Henry and how sweet Regina had been with him. He had liked her immediately and her nerves calmed down.
Regina may act a bit more proper and well educated than Emma was, but she definitely didn't speak down to her or make her feel like they were in separate classes as so many of her affluent diner patrons tried to do.
She spent the last half hour before she left the house curling her usually straight blonde hair into ringlets that bounced down her back when she walked. She put on some light makeup, with a lot of mascara to emphasize her long lashes and finished off with a pink tinted lip gloss and a hint of Vanilla scented perfume. She was wearing her best black skinny jeans, a grey Henley with a tank underneath and her prized cobalt blue leather jacket with her black knee high boots.
When she was ready, she took one final look in the mirror and then a deep breath. This wasn't a date so why was she acting like this? It had been a long time since Emma had even tried with her appearance, and she didn't think she'd curled her hair since Henry was around five years old. That was probably the last time she'd been on an actual date.
Driving across town to Regina's house she felt overly flushed, but her nerves were in check. She steeled herself to the idea that it was just a dinner and there was nothing to worry about. Emma feared all of her time alone had given her a touch of social anxiety. Or maybe it was just because Regina seemed so damned perfect and Emma felt flawed.
It was also the worry and fear that something would happen to Henry and she wasn't there by his side. The hospital had her cell phone number, and they'd always been good about calling if there was a sudden change in his condition. She still felt incredibly guilty about having a night out to herself.
She was a bit taken aback when she arrived at the address Regina had texted. She double checked the number, a bit intimated by the huge white mansion. As she parked the car in the driveway behind a black Mercedes, she wondered how many people Regina lived with. It couldn't just be her in this house. Regina hadn't mentioned any family members, and her nerves increased as she wondered if there would be multiple people joining in for dinner.
Emma strolled up the sidewalk and banged the knocker on the door, waiting for a minute until she heard the click of high heels on the other side. It would figure that Regina even wore high heels in her own home.
The door opened and Emma lost her faculties for a moment as her eyes roamed up and down Regina's figure displayed in another form fitting dress, this one maroon and sleeveless accented with gold jewelry.
"Hello, Ms. Swan. Right on time," Regina cooed in greeting. "Come in and follow me."
"Hi," Emma managed to get out, as she took in the spacious foyer, spiral staircase leading up to the second level and the hardwood floors. The interior was lavish and just as accessorized as Regina herself with statues and expensive looking paintings on the walls along with bouquets of fresh flowers on the tables. "You have a really lovely home, Regina."
"Thank you, I hope you're comfortable here," Regina led Emma down the hallway, where she could smell something delicious. "Dinner is almost ready, have a seat. Would you like some wine or cider?"
"Sure, thank you," Emma slid into a chair at the head of the dining room table, noticing the table was set for two, and a center piece of white lilies. Regina reappeared by her side with two glasses and a decanter of amber liquid. Emma watched as Regina expertly poured the glasses very full placing them both on the table. "My homemade cider, I do hope you enjoy it."
"It has alcohol in it?" Emma asked as she smelled the light crisp sweet scent of apples.
"Oh yes, it's got quite a kick. I monitor the fermentation process very closely in order to get the highest alcohol content along with a hint of sweetness," Regina stated with obvious pride regarding her apple cider.
"I'm sure it's really tasty then," Emma stared at the glass for a beat, and then took Regina's cue when she lifted it up to toast.
"Cheers, Ms. Swan. I look forward to getting to know you better tonight."
They clinked glasses and Emma took a small sip of her drink and upon the delicious flavor hitting her taste buds, she took a longer deeper pull from her glass. "It doesn't taste strong, but it is really delicious."
"After a few more glasses of that, you'd be surprised at the kick it has… you're welcome to spend the night if you drink too much," Regina's pupils dilated under the light in the dining room as Emma watched her expression closely.
She merely nodded in response, not sure how else to respond to that declaration. Emma didn't plan on getting drunk with her son's wish granter, and especially not spending the night. That would be far too awkward.
Regina excused herself and Emma took a few more sips from her cider. She hadn't had anything to eat all day, so she was not only hungry, but also feeling the onset of the effects of the cider in the form of a light buzz.
She licked her lips and felt her mouth fill with saliva as Regina brought two big plates of creamy Fettucine Alfredo out to the table. Emma's eyes widened into saucers as steam curled up from the plates.
"This looks really amazing," Emma picked up her fork as Regina took a seat next to her and pulled in her chair. She was smiling brightly looking pleased with Emma's reaction.
"Thank you, please enjoy," Regina folded her cloth napkin out across her lap and picked up her fork. Emma didn't wait for another invitation before digging in. She may have inadvertently moaned a little in pleasure as she swallowed her first forkful, and Regina looked like she was about to choke on hers.
They ate in relative silence for a few minutes, with only the sound of Emma overly enjoying the food and her fork hitting the plate filled the room.
"Henry would love this. I can't wait until he gets his appetite back," Emma hummed between bites. She was never one that anyone would call a dainty eater, and when opportunities came to have a hearty meal that she didn't have to cook or come from the greasy diner where she worked, she savored it. She also let everyone in the vicinity know it.
"He hasn't been able to enjoy his meals?" Regina paused and looked up at Emma with concern.
"Well, not really. Not much of an appetite, but this happened with the last round of chemo too. Afterwards when he was starting to feel better he couldn't get enough to eat. Anything and everything," Emma thought fondly on the memory of Henry shoveling chili into his mouth and how happy he was when food tasted good again.
"And you, Ms. Swan?" Regina asked as she took a drink.
"What? Do I like food? Obviously," Emma chuckled as she looked down at her plate and realized she had eaten about twice as much as her hostess.
"You must work out a lot to remain in such peak physical condition," Regina mentioned, casually refilling Emma's cider glass from the decanter.
"Aww, I mean I run around all night at work and carry heavy trays. I try to do pushups, squats… just the basics, but I have barely had time to sleep recently."
Regina appeared sad, and Emma's mood fell a bit. She was trying to keep the conversation light. She hated that her life was so depressing, and she didn't want to ruin the mood. She finished off her Alfredo, taking the last bite of perfectly cooked and seasoned chicken along with a noodle and mopping up the last bit of sauce.
"I think you're doing remarkably well for all the stress and hours you spend at work and caring for Henry, but do you ever take time for yourself?" Regina tossed her napkin on over her plate, crossed her legs and placed her arms on top of the table to lean in closer.
"Uh, I would if I could, but it's been really hectic and I don't…" Emma took a breath in, trying to find the right words to express herself. This wasn't really something anyone had asked her before aside from a few well-meaning nurses and occasionally the housekeeping staff that she knew from the hospital.
"It's okay, I think I understand how you feel. You probably feel guilty even coming to dinner with me tonight," Regina's expression softened to one of understanding and Emma's lips parted in surprise.
"A little," she admitted with a tight shrug of her shoulders, and when she did so the pain in her neck flared sharply. She winced and tried to loosen up by rolling her head side to side discreetly.
"Are you in pain?" Regina asked with immediate concern. She stood up to examine Emma's neck her eyebrows threaded in concentration and worry.
"Nah, it's just a knot. I've been sleeping in that chair in Henry's room a lot. It's not super comfortable," Emma felt a bit thrilled and startled by Regina's quick actions.
"Take off your jacket," Regina commanded in a tone that left no room for argument. Emma stood up and removed her blue jacket. Somehow she felt naked without it, but it was plenty warm in Regina's house, she didn't need it for anything but the confidence boost it provided.
She complied and sat back down in her chair, feeling even warmer despite removing her leather. Regina was still examining, but not touching her neck. She seemed to be debating something to herself when she cleared her throat abruptly and said, "Hmm."
"Its fine really, just a bit sore… I'll get one of those icy/hot packs and put it on tonight," Emma felt embarrassed from the intense scrutiny, but on the other hand it was almost refreshing to have someone fawning over her for once.
"Come with me, I have Bio freeze and a roller to help get the tension out and make those tight tendons feel better, but first I'd like to give you a light massage to warm up the surrounding tissue...if that is all fine with you?" Regina was already strutting out of the dining room and across the hall. Emma had to hurry to follow along, stepping back to grab her drink off the table.
"It's really not necessary," Emma tried to protest again, but like free food, she wasn't the type of girl to turn down a free massage either. And if she was honest with herself, deep down she anticipated the excitement of being touched by a woman as beautiful and alluring as Regina was. She was also a damned good cook, and if Emma didn't watch herself, she really was going to feel like this was a date.
She followed Regina to a spacious sitting room. The space was well decorated just as the rest of the house, but there was an overstuffed black leather loveseat along with some other less comfortable looking chairs stationed around a coffee table with a fire place and a large flat screen mounted on the wall. It sort of resembled Emma's idea of a man cave, and she wondered yet again if there was a mysterious Mister Mills hiding out somewhere in the big house.
Regina gestured for Emma to sit down, so she took a seat on the loveseat and waited for Regina to go get the Bio freeze she presumed, nearly finishing her second glass of cider to kill her nerves. Regina came rushing back and didn't miss a beat sliding into the space next to her as she placed the salve and foam roller on the coffee table.
Then she frowned as she sized Emma up. "You should really take off your nice shirt," Regina's eyes twinkled a bit as she said it. "I'd hate to get this greasy stuff all over it…"
Emma didn't really think about it, she just whipped off her thin long sleeve and sat there resting her elbows on her thighs in just her plain white tank top.
"You must do quite a few pushups during your workouts," Regina ran the tip of her index finger around the circumference of Emma's bicep in appreciation. If Emma wasn't mistaken, she heard Regina's breath catch in her throat. The simple touch caused a shiver to run from the crown of Emma's head down her spine. It diffused through her lower body and Emma blinked heavily taking in a small sharp breath to keep her breathing even and steady.
Regina turned sideways onto her knees and had Emma face the end of the loveseat. She gathered her loose curls in her hands and lifted them over Emma's shoulder out of the way.
"Your hair looks lovely, such a gorgeous shade and the curls are very fetching," Regina whispered the compliment directly into Emma's ear, her breath was hot against the shell and it was all Emma could do not to turn her head and catch Regina's plump soft lips with her own. She decided that would be highly inappropriate given the situation, so she just swallowed the lump in her throat and tried not to think of the sexy woman behind her pressing her chest against Emma's back.
That was entirely unnecessary for a shoulder rub, but the soft warmth and pleasant smell of her body heat through her shirt was extremely intoxicating. Emma felt like she was in heaven from the close proximity alone, but then Regina upped the ante and actually started rubbing her shoulders and neck.
The touch was light at first, nearly hesitant, just skimming over the plane of her triceps and up over her shoulders, down the middle of her back. Then Regina dug her fingers in a little harder, squeezing and rolling the tight, tired muscles of her trapezoids and using her thumbs on either side of her spine to smooth out the inflamed overused muscles.
Emma moaned a bit when Regina hit an overly sensitive spot just above her shoulder blade. She stopped rubbing and stilled her hands, leaning in again to whisper, "Too rough?"
"No, no… it feels amazing. Keep going…please," Emma lost her voice on the 'please' and it came out breathlessly and full of need. Regina hummed low in her throat in approval.
"Tell me if it hurts too much if I use pressure on your neck. I could tell it was hurting you ever since last night. You probably didn't even realize that you're constantly touching the left side of your neck and looking pained."
"Uh huh," Emma managed to whisper despite her mouth feeling parched. The massage felt too good, she didn't deserve this ecstasy, especially not when Regina kept using her magic wish granting fingers to loosen up trigger points and knots she didn't even realize had been kinking up her whole spine.
Just when she thought it couldn't get any better, it did. Regina got off of her knees and sat on the far side of the couch, beckoning Emma to lay down with her head in her lap. She did it without question, vowing through her wholly relaxed and slightly drunk haze that she would follow this woman anywhere and do anything she asked of her.
"Is this okay?" Emma's head was resting on Regina's thighs, and all she could see when she looked up was the swells of Regina's breasts. She was sure if it wasn't okay Regina wouldn't have invited her to lay down like that, but she felt it was polite to ask anyway.
"It's more than okay with me," Regina purred, her fingers lightly running along Emma's temples and finding the perfect spot to rub circles on. "How does that feel?"
"Mmm, it's amazing, don't stop," Emma hummed in pleasure, her face relaxed, but her lips curled into a smile, as Regina laced her fingers through her hair, half petting and half massaging her scalp lazily. It really did feel amazing and Regina felt warm beneath her head. She could feel the soft rise and fall of her stomach as she breathed in and out. She realized her hands were resting against Regina's shins and she was rubbing them up and down.
Regina wasn't complaining she seemed to be enjoying the intimate connection they were forging. It had been years since Emma had any sort of romantic partner, she had basically given up on dating or love when she had gotten so busy with Henry. It was hard enough to raise a child on her own, and with all the hours she spent at work, there just wasn't time to date. Not that there was anyone out there that seemed worth it to make the time.
Emma took stock of her pleasantly buzzing body, her nipples were hard with arousal and there was a noticeable increase in blood flow to her private region. She was aroused. She knew her cheeks were flushed and she constantly had soft tingles and butterflies whenever Regina touched her sensually or laughed in that deep low way she had.
It was then that Emma started to let down her guard. Things had progressed fast from nervousness to dinner, accompanied by strong cider and now a rather intimate massage. Regina shifted beneath her and Emma opened one eye, assuming with disappointment that the massage was over, but Regina was only reaching for the Bio freeze on the coffee table. She started to methodically smooth the cooling menthol pain relieving gel into Emma's sore neck muscles, taking care not to smear gel in her hair.
The relief was instant, and Emma swallowed, as Regina's soft hands reached beneath the material of her shirt finding more skin to spread the gel over. Now it was definitely bordering on erotic if it wasn't before, and there could really be no denying the sparks and sexual tension engulfing the dim room. There was a fire burning and crackling nearby that Emma didn't remember seeing Regina light. She let her mind go blank, zoning out her worries and fears while indulging in the touches and the atmosphere. She was almost asleep when she wondered if she would get a chance to return the favor and touch Regina too.
"You are a very strong woman, Emma," Regina murmured, sliding her fingers over muscled arms in a familiar and appreciative way. "I mean that in every sense."
Emma sighed at the sentiment. She wasn't the best at accepting compliments when she didn't feel she deserved it. Even if it was true she didn't see herself as strong. She always felt she should be doing more for Henry: spending more time with him and making more money.
"You seem pretty strong, actually. You're really put together," Emma wanted to take the focus off herself and direct it toward Regina. Even though she had spent the better part of the evening being stroked and caressed by Regina, she really didn't know anything about her.
"Imagine that. I work hard to project a certain image, but underneath it all…" Regina trailed off, her gaze drifting toward the flames of the fire.
Emma nestled into her lap, sinking into the heat of her body and sliding her palms over her knees. "I'm obviously not going anywhere anytime soon, so while you've got an interested and captive audience of one, why not tell me all about yourself?"
"In addition to your strength, you're also very smooth and charming," Regina leaned forward, her hands cradling Emma's face warmly. She smiled down at her, hair framing her face. Emma smiled back as best she could with her cheeks squeezed between Regina's grasp.
"So I've been told," she mumbled cutely, breaking into a grin.
"You know my plan for tonight was to feed you and then show you some promotional videos so you could get a sense of what Make a Wish Foundation is all about and what to expect for Henry's wish, but that plan went out the window somehow," Regina lamented, though she didn't seem extremely tore up about the current much preferable situation both women found themselves in.
"You mean you don't let every wish kid's mom use you as a human body pillow?" Emma felt Regina tap her cheeks as she wriggled her nose and pursed her lips.
"No, not every wish kid's mom," Regina confirmed, smoothing Emma's hair back and settling herself against the throw pillows on the couch. "I rarely invite the family members to my home. With you…you're very special."
Emma flushed at the compliment again, not knowing how to take it. She didn't know what to make of this situation, and while it was unorthodox, it didn't seem wrong on any level. It felt natural and comfortable to be close to the wish granter. Emma took a breath. Part of her felt anxious, she wanted to define what she was feeling and discover what Regina's intentions were, but she found herself asking a more benign question instead.
"How did you get involved in the whole Make a Wish thing?"
Regina didn't respond right away, she hummed listlessly. "Would you care for more cider?"
Truthfully, Emma could use a drink. Her mouth was bone dry, but she wasn't ready to move or have Regina move just yet. "I'm good. Are you trying to avoid the question?"
"I'm not trying to avoid it, no... I'm trying to decide whether to tell you the long version or the standard one," Regina admitted sheepishly.
Emma shrugged, sliding her hands a bit higher up Regina's legs, she felt the fabric of the hem of her dress smirking as she went above the knee and hit the northern region otherwise known as 'thigh'.
If the evening was headed where Emma was secretly hoping it was, she thought it be about time to change the subject to a decidedly non-verbal conversation. It would be so easy to turn her head to the side and slink down the loveseat, getting in position to kiss that the delicate and sensitive skin of Regina's inner thigh, and then-
"When I was in high school I received a wish of my own, and it shaped my life…" Regina started speaking rather softly though the words seemed extra annunciated in the quiet room. The statement brought up several questions immediately in Emma's mind.
"You-you were sick?" Emma did turn her head then out of curiosity. Regina nodded almost imperceptibly. Emma sat up and the women readjusted themselves. Regina folded her outstretched legs under herself and extended her arm along the back of the loveseat. Emma moved over and nervously rubbed her hands across the top of her legs.
"Hodgkin's Lymphoma, stage three. I was in high school and first I noticed a lump in my armpit, and I started losing weight. Fevers would come and go; I'd wake up drenched in sweat. My mother thought I had been practicing too hard. I was a Varsity Cheerleader and I'd been in the gym working on my tumbling and stunts for weeks on end to practice for competition. I finally went to the doctor and got the diagnosis," Regina glanced at Emma out of the corner of her eye, and Emma moved closer partly for support and partly to hear as Regina was speaking very quietly.
It was obvious she didn't tell very many people about her past history with cancer. She threaded a hand through her hair and nodded, "What happened then?"
Regina lifted her shoulders and then leaned in closer to Emma, their hips and thighs touched and the instant connection was back pulling them both together like a snapped rubber band.
"Treatments… I had to drop out of cheerleading and never did get to compete at State. I got referred to Make a Wish by someone my mother knew. The illness made me think about death a lot, and having my wish granted gave me hope," Regina continued, and as her words trailed off she leaned her head against Emma's shoulder. They both breathed in time with one another in comfortable silence, lost in their own thoughts.
Emma rested her head on Regina's and whispered, "What was your wish?"
"Horses," Regina responded in a fond nostalgic tone. "I spent a week in Malibu at a horse ranch, learning everything from how to brush and feed the horses and riding lessons. I fell in love with it, and when I returned I had a new sense of purpose. I wanted to give back."
"That sounds pretty awesome, especially that you recovered," Emma said wrapping her arm around Regina's shoulders as she lifted her head to get into a more comfortable position.
"Would you like to stay tonight…with me?" Regina asked suddenly. The words came out in a rush and Emma blinked not sure she'd heard correctly.