A/N: the penultimate chapter, guys!
September rolled blissfully by. Regina hadn't realised how much she had needed a proper break from work until she found herself curled up on the couch with a book and a cup of tea every afternoon. She had been either in education or working solidly for most of her life and the interlude after Dani's death could hardly have been considered relaxing. Now however, years of tension and stress were seeping out of her body and she felt and looked better as a result. Her skin was clearer, her hair shinier, and thanks to her surplus free time, she had started up regular gym sessions again. Emma's fingers and mouth worshipped her newly defined abdominal muscles most nights.
Her week days were quiet and serene, her hours wiled away either in the penthouse or wandering around the city. She had visited most of the art galleries, spent hours digging through second-hand book shops, and even battled through the autumn sales to purchase Henry's birthday gifts. The apartment, meanwhile, was spotless. Her closet had been decluttered, her kitchen utensils and equipment had been sorted through, her desk in her study had been revarnished, and every book on her shelves carefully wiped of their dust and replaced in alphabetical order.
"You're bored," Emma had observed one evening when she had arrived home to find Regina categorising their DVDs by genre.
But Regina wasn't bored. She was finally doing all those little jobs which had been on her to-do list for months, years even. She relished the order which was coming to her home and felt an immense sense of satisfaction when she had completed each task. But nothing could compare to joy she got from the amount of time she spent with her son.
By the end of the month, their walk to school involved clouds of orange, red, and yellow leaves being kicked into the air, showering the little family in an autumnal mulch. Henry held each woman's hand and chatted happily as they strolled along, leaves crunching underfoot and a distinct chill in the air nipping at his pinked cheeks. Although she was at home, Regina had decided to keep Henry at Zelena's for a few hours each afternoon. The problem with Nick comments about Henry's multiple mothers had been resolved quickly and Regina thought it was best to keep him in his routine. Pulling him out for a month only to return him to their previous arrangement would just create confusion. But she collected him at four every afternoon, always on time and always with widespread arms which Henry would charge into. She would never tire of that joyful greeting.
And every evening she greeted Emma with a glass of wine as she walked through the door, tired but happy after her work, and they sat down together and discussed their days. Emma would regale Regina with stories about the children at the youth centre and Regina discussed a particularly interesting art exhibit she had seen or her inexplicable discovery of one of Henry's old t-shirt in a kitchen cupboard. Her new routine was, Regina decided, perfect.
In the absence of a job, Regina had also been free to extensively plan Henry's upcoming birthday party. She had wanted to organise a small celebration for him but since she had so much time on her hands, the event had somehow snowballed.
"Does he really need a clown and a magician?" Emma had asked. "Aren't they basically the same?"
Regina had spent hours pouring over catalogues and online site piecing together the perfect party for her little prince. He was going to be five years old which in itself seemed like a significant number but that wasn't the reason Regina wanted to make the day extra special. No, she wanted his birthday to be the best yet for one simple reason. Emma.
The blonde, on more than one occasion, had expressed regret about how much of Henry's life she had missed and Regina was determined to ensure his fifth birthday party was one none of them would forget for all the right reasons. Once she had been assured Emma wasn't getting their son a monkey for a pet, she had acquiesced and agreed to allow the blonde buy her present without telling Regina what it was.
"I'm trusting you," Regina had warned. "Don't do something stupid."
But she knew Emma wouldn't buy anything irresponsible. The blonde had always been amazing with Henry but since the moment she had found out who the little boy really was, she had become even more motherly and protective. With his hand clasped in hers, she would look both ways umpteen times before crossing the street. Henry was bundled up in his coat and hat the moment the weather turned chilly, despite Regina's assurances that he would have been fine in a sweater. And for some unknown reason the young woman had taken it upon herself on one Saturday afternoon to pin all the wires in Henry's room against the wall.
"You never know," Emma had said as she hammered in the hook which would hold the cable to his bedside lamp flush against the skirting board.
"We do know though," Regina had said, a teasing smirk on her lips. "He's managed to navigate the jumble of electrical wiring I've carelessly left criss-crossing his room for the past five years. What makes you think he's either going to gnaw through them like a mouse or begin tripping over them now?"
Emma had pouted from the floor, hands resting on her thighs.
"Are you making fun of me?" she had asked.
"Yes," Regina had laughed. "Emma, I love you and you're completely adorable in the way you care so much about Henry's safety. But don't you think your time would be spent better supervising him where I left him alone in the kitchen with all the knives rather than in here with me doing a pointless task?"
Emma had sprinted out of the room at once and when Regina appeared chortling in the kitchen a few minutes later, she saw the blonde sat beside Henry (who was quietly colouring in a picture of a train) and scowling heavily.
"Sweetheart, I've kept him alive for five years so far. I promise you he's perfectly safe here."
The soft kisses which landed against pursed lips were met with resistance until Regina's fingers curled around Emma's neck, her thumb teasing the earlobe and making the blonde sigh in contentment.
"Mommys," Henry had grumbled when he looked up to see Regina leaning over Emma, their mouths fused.
They broke apart with a laugh, a sheepish look on Emma's face.
She had never loved anyone quite like she loved Henry before. That fierce, relentless, all-consuming love. It filled her up. It spilled out of her in every move she made. Everything changed the moment she found out who Henry really was and she was still adjusting. It was scary, she decided, how powerful her feelings towards the boy way. But a good scary. She had found her son and was determined to make sure the rest of his life was as perfect as it could be. Starting, of course, with his fifth birthday.
Regina had permitted her to buy Henry a present in secret which had been a win, she had thought. And then it turned out she didn't have a clue what to get him. The monkey had been a joke, of course. But the truth of the matter was Emma couldn't think of anything the boy would like which would even come close to the excitement of getting a real monkey. And she couldn't very well discuss ideas with Regina after having argued for her right to buy something on her own.
She was nervous, therefore, when her cell phone vibrated beneath her pillow at three thirty in the morning on 30th September. Checking the muffled noise hadn't woken Regina, she slipped quietly from their bed and crept out of the room and into the corridor. It had taken her a long time to work out where to hide the present once she had decided on it and she now carefully opened the closet in the hallway and pushed the winter coats out of the way. Once she could see it, she pulled it out and smiled at the gift, a large blue bow already in place. Manoeuvring it into the living room, she then spent the next ten minutes arranging it propped against various pieces of furniture. Satisfied at last, she returned to bed and wrapped her chilled arms around Regina's warm frame.
It was little over two hours later when Henry came barrelling into their room, scrambled up onto the bed and started jumping up and down. Emma groaned as a little foot connected with her stomach and Regina rolled out of the way just in time to avoid the same fate.
"I"m five! I'm five! I'm five!" Henry chanted, punching the air as he jumped and practically hyperventilating with excitement.
"Happy birthday my little darling," Regina said, grabbing the excitable child around the waist and wrestling him into her arms.
Emma immediately joined in the cuddle, tickling Henry's sides as she too wished him a happy birthday.
"Presents!" Henry shouted, wriggling backwards out of their grasp and resuming his bouncing.
"Who says you have any presents?" Regina asked, eyebrow raised.
Henry just ignored her, used to his mother's teasing by now.
"Presents! Presents! Presents!"
Emma laughed. She had no doubt she would have been the same way when she was five. That was, if there had been a family who cared enough to actually remember her birthday.
"Why don't you go and see what's over there," Regina said, pointing to the window where the curtain was pulled awkwardly outwards, hiding a frankly colossal pile of presents.
Henry slid from the bed at once and trotted over. In his absence, Emma leaned over and placed a chaste kiss to Regina's lips, murmuring good morning before they both turned their attention to Henry who had tugged the curtain aside and was busy deciding which present to open first.
An hour later and the bedroom was strewn with wrapping paper. Presents were stacked up all around Henry, Emma and Regina, all three of whom were sat cross legged on the floor.
"Wow! Thanks!" Henry exclaimed as he unwrapped a monkey themed board game.
Emma marvelled at how a child so clearly spoilt could also be so polite, respectful, and appreciative. Far from being an entitled brat, Henry was everything any parent would ever want their child to be. Modest, kind, considerate. She glowed with pride as Henry wrapped his arms first around Regina's neck and then her own, thanking them both sincerely for everything he had been given. The presents behind the curtain had been from both of them, a combination of each women's ideas and various shopping expeditions, together and separately. Emma had insisted on contributing fifty per cent of the money and Regina hadn't protested.
"There's one more thing for you to unwrap actually Henry," Regina said gently before the boy got too immersed in one of the many books he had been gifted about monkeys.
"Where?" Henry asked, looking around the room.
Emma got to her feet and held out her hand in silence. Henry took it and clambered to his feet too, following Emma eagerly from the room. Regina was steps behind them, equally intrigued to know what the blonde had bought for their son. They entered the still dark living room together and Emma flicked on the light. Henry let out a squeal of excitement and rushed across the room. Emma bit her lip, waiting.
"It's mine?" he asked, his fingertips gliding up and down the metallic blue handlebars of the bicycle.
"It's yours," Emma nodded. "Happy birthday, kid."
Regina's arm slid around Emma's waist and her lips pressed gently to the blonde's neck. "You're amazing," she murmured before resting her head on Emma's shoulder and watching as Henry walked carefully around his new favourite thing in the world.
"Can we go to the park now?" he asked excitedly, the gleaming silver helmet clasped in his hands.
"It's still dark outside," Emma laughed. "How about we have a special birthday breakfast and then head there afterwards."
Henry grinned and raced across the room, barrelling into Emma's legs and hugging them tightly.
"Thanks, Mommy," he mumbled against her thighs.
"You're welcome, baby," Emma said, tears stinging her eyes and her hand ruffling Henry's hair.
It took ten minutes to get Henry ready to climb onto his bike once they were in the park. It was still early and the paths which criss crossed the green space were mercifully quiet. Henry waited patiently as Emma adjusted his helmet. Regina rolled her eyes when Emma pulled out knee pads and began fastening them to Henry's legs. The wrist protectors came next. Regina tutted in amusement. When the elbow pads came out, she spoke up.
"What do you think is going to happen?" she asked. "The bike has stabilisers, honey. There's no way he's coming off that thing and if he does, what are the chances he lands on an elbow?"
"I don't know and nor do I care," Emma replied. "I want him to be safe."
Regina had said nothing more. If Emma wanted to wrap their son up to keep him safe for his first time on a bicycle, who was she to stand in her way. She also didn't mention that once Henry was equipped, the poor boy could barely walk, let along sit comfortably in the new saddle.
The two women took it in turns to jog alongside Henry on his new bicycle. The stabilisers trundled over the smooth paths and within a few minutes the boy had gained confidence and learnt how to move beneath his protective armour. His little face scrunched in concentration as he mastered the steering and braking, and before long he was speeding ahead, either Emma or Regina puffing slightly as they tried to keep up.
"Can we take the stabilisers off now?" Henry asked after only an hour.
"Let's wait a few weeks," Emma suggested. "I think you need a little more practice of balancing before we do that."
"Can we get ice cream?"
"You just had breakfast," Regina laughed.
Henry shrugged and began trying to remove his safety gear. Emma helped him and soon they were all walking towards a lone ice cream van because whatever their birthday boy wanted, the birthday boy got.
Mal had assured Emma when she left work the night before that everything would be finished by the time they arrived. The young woman had been reluctant to leave at nine thirty the previous evening because the decorations at the youth centre were still not up.
"Go home to your family," Mal had insisted, one end of a paper chain in her hand. "I promise you Ursula and I have this under control."
And they did. Emma and Regina both gasped when they stepped through the doorway into Dragon Youth Centre that afternoon. The place had been transformed. Streamers and decorations hung from the ceiling, bunches of balloons adorned the walls and the table in the corner was covered in a colourful, monkey themed (naturally) table cloth.
"Wow!" Henry exclaimed, rushing towards the giant inflatable monkey.
"Oh God she bought it," Emma laughed.
Mal had found the six foot monstrosity online and tried to persuade Emma it was a party essential. Although the young blonde had refused, it seemed her boss had gone ahead and ordered it anyway.
"Is that a grown up five year old I hear?"
Mal emerged from the rear of the centre, a wide smile on her face and monkey ears attached to her head band.
"Auntie Mal!" Henry said, trotting towards her and giving her a hug.
Emma wasn't quite sure when her boss had been added to the boy's growing contingent of aunties but she was rather pleased, and it seemed Mal was too.
Before long people began to arrive. The entirety of Henry's nursery class had been invited and soon the place was filled with children. Ruby, Dot, and Kathryn stood against the wall, looking a little overwhelmed by the sheer quantity and noise. Even Mal and Ursula, who had appeared briefly to say happy birthday, looked slightly alarmed at the number of small children in the centre. Zelena, however, was in her element, sitting on the floor as soon as she arrived and starting up a game of pass the parcel. Cora's absence was noted but not mentioned, not even by Henry. Regina and Emma moved through the group, making sure all of the children were having a good time and collecting the presents which had been brought for Henry.
It was a relief for all of them when the magician arrived and the children's attention was captivated for almost an hour. Once every child had a balloon animal and Henry had been proclaimed his best assistant ever and presented with a large top hat, his own magic wand, and a deck of magical cards, it was time to eat.
Regina had insisted on some healthy food but was disappointed to see that the bowls of carrot sticks, cucumber, capsicum, and tubs of hummus had gone largely untouched.
"They're five," Emma pointed out to her pouting girlfriend, handing her a slice of pizza instead.
By the time the monkey-shaped cake had been cut and distributed, Henry was on such a sugar high that Regina doubted he would ever sleep again. His top hat was askew and there was frosting on his cheek but the brunette didn't think she had ever seen him happier. Eventually the children's parents arrived to collect them and the group diminished until it was just the couple, their friends, and Henry. As the last child left, a party bag clutched in sticky hands, Emma and Regina sagged with relief and looked around. The place was a mess; wrapping paper carpeted the room, the table still had the remnants of the food on it, spilt drinks were congealing already on every surface, and deflated balloons hung sadly from their strings.
"Oh God!" Emma said, running her fingers through her frazzled hair.
But with the help of their friends and, to some extent, Henry the youth centre looked as good as new soon enough. Regina and Emma hugged each of the women goodbye in the street before they all went their separate ways. By the time they pulled up outside the penthouse, Henry was fast asleep. Emma carried him inside and they carefully undressed him before laying him in clean pyjamas into his bed.
"Goodnight Henry," Emma whispered, placing a kiss to his forehead. "Happy birthday."
"Happy birthday, our little prince," Regina said, her lips falling to the exact same spot seconds later.
That night, curled up in each other's arms, Emma trailed strands of Regina's hair through her fingers as she spoke.
"Thank you," she sighed.
"For the mind blowing orgasm or something else?" came the sleepy reply.
Emma chuckled. "That too but I meant for today."
"You were as much a part of the party's success as I was," Regina pointed out. "So thank you."
"No," Emma said. "I mean, thank you for letting me be a part of Henry's life."
"Of course," Regina said, turning her head towards Emma and kissing her sleepily. "You'll always be a part of Henry's life, Emma. And my life, I hope. I know the last month has been a little crazy but things will settle down. This time next year we'll be finishing up his sixth birthday party and everything that we've been through will be a distant memory"
"I hope so," Emma sighed.
"I know so," Regina assured her. "Now let's go to sleep and let me enjoy my last day of freedom well-rested before I start my new job."
Emma wrinkled her nose at that. She was going to miss spending her mornings with Regina and the two of them walking Henry to school. But at least, she mused as the brunette tucked her face into the crook of her neck, she'd have their evenings together to look forward to. There was nothing better than drifting off to sleep in the arms of the woman she loved.
A/N: one more chapter …