Regina bit her lip. The woman next to her was, well, attractive. It was strange, her stomach tied up in knots and her palms got clammy after the woman grabbed her hand. Regina sighed…This night was beyond bizarre. Her emotions were to blame. She honestly came outside to escape everything. A few hours ago she felt every brain cell in her head explode. Her mind was a sea of emotions and she couldn't sift through her own muddled thoughts to entertain the blonde woman next to her, but she was interesting to say the least. She had the audacity to flirt with her after witnessing a proposal that was foolishly accepted. What was she thinking? Graham was a nice guy, but he was so pretentious. He flaunted himself, as well as her. If he took a step back, perhaps he would see what she really wanted. Regina looked up, but not at Emma, and leaned back on her hands. Her eyes gazed at the stars finally thinking of an answer for Emma. Regina was curious about her question. Why did she care to know about her?

"I am in school to be a doctor, yes. What else did Graham mention to you?" Regina kept her eyes directed towards her feet.

Emma of course didn't expect this to be easy by any means. Regina cut straight to the chase. Emma realized this was her moment. This moment could potentially change Regina's reality (in the future). So many what-ifs raced through her mind. What if she made Regina realize that Graham was all wrong for her? Perhaps Regina already knew that though. Clearly they weren't together in the future.

Whatever happened tonight would, without a doubt, change Emma's reality. She finally was be able to see and talk to Regina. She was tangible and real and right beside her. Regina's body was radiating heat and she could hear her breathe. All these different variables that Emma had never been able to experience. This moment was going to change everything for her.

"Actually he didn't say much after that. Seemed pretty busy with planning and setting up for this party when we talked. If you don't mind me pointing out, you don't seem too happy about the proposal? Are you okay?"

Regina felt her face burning. It was true. She was not happy about the proposal. She felt obligated to be with him. He was a nice guy. He was textbook perfect, except there was something missing. Regina failed time after time to pin point what it was.

"I think I am more shocked than anything. It's a big step. I have always believed that when you marry someone you commit to them for life. I don't want to be one of those women that get married multiple times. I believe in true love. I worry that he isn't it, but I hear my mother in my head and Graham is everything I should want. He can provide for me, he would make an excellent father, and a good companion.

Emma finally caught Regina's eyes. They were like chocolate orbs that hid so much. Emma wanted to hold the woman next to her and enlighten her on her future. She wanted to make this easy for her and tell her that everything will be okay, but would it? Regina was technically alone in the future. She didn't have a family. She had no one. Emma knew she didn't count, which hurt more than anything. She would give anything to be in her life and to be the person to make her happy. Emma wanted to be the person to provide for Regina, to be the one to be her person. She honestly wanted Regina to be her family. The only problem was time. Time was a barrier. A painful barrier that prevented her from being able to have all of that and it was torture.

It was torture to see Regina, to feel her body heat radiate off of her, to hear her voice. It was a reminder to Emma that Regina had stolen her heart, but could never truly have her. It hurt like a bitch. Emma felt her head starting to spin. It took everything to shake her feelings in that moment. She needed to be there for Regina. At least she could be in a piece of her life right now.

"I think you already know if you are supposed to be with him or not. You would feel it in here."

Emma reached out towards Regina and placed the palm of her hand on the exposed flesh above Regina's heart. She kept it there. Her fingers were gentle and slow as they made tiny oscillations against Regina's skin.

It was clearly the beer she had that led to her keeping her hand there for too long.

They sat there in silence. Regina just stared at the other woman. Her body felt electric. She felt her heart beat faster against Emma's palm. She didn't move away from the other woman. It was odd, but it felt like the force of the Earth was moving them closer to one another. Regina grabbed Emma's wrist and instead of removing the woman's hand she held on to her wrist.

"I am afraid. I think I am just afraid. I…. I just wonder if there is someone else out there waiting for me and I worry that I am wasting my time with Graham. It's terrifying to know that there are so many people out there in the world and I just don't want to make a mistake. I just take marriage seriously and I guess I am too romantic for my own good. I just… I just want to make the right decision and you are correct, dear, I would feel it in my heart if I was supposed to be with him."

Emma smiled. "Well I think you need to prepare yourself for what you need to do. Right now is not a good time. You are overwhelmed, clearly, and he is in there celebrating. Just don't string the poor guy along to long before telling him how what your heart truly wants."

"How did you get so wise? You aren't married, at least there is not a ring on your finger."

Emma smiled. The truth hurt, "Well, for starters, I am not married. I have never been married. I won't ever marry anyone. I feel like it would be a disservice to that person. I would never love them correctly. You see, I loved someone that I won't stop loving. Love is a funny thing. You know when it's real when it hurts you to the core. I hurt because I can't have the person I love. Someday I hope I can, but not in this reality. I worship every second we share." Emma looked sadly at Regina. If only she knew how Emma felt about her. If only she could just wrap her in her arms and kiss her gently on her lips and tell that she loved her. Emma wasn't exactly sure when she realized that she loved her. It was just something she felt in her heart.

Emma dropped her hand from Regina's heart.

"Regina, you will know love when you find it. I promise it's out there waiting for you." Little did she know it was sitting right next to her in the form of Emma Swan.

Emma threw back the rest of her beer and smiled at the woman next to her. "Let's dance. I would hate for tonight to be a total bust."

Before Regina could explain her not so superior dancing skills she was on her feet.

The song was fortunately for Emma slow. She grabbed Regina close and swayed to the music next to her. This moment meant so much to her, if only the other woman knew of its significance. Knowing that Regina had no clue what was happening she tried to keep the dance completely platonic. Girls danced, right? Like if they were friends, except they weren't even acquaintances in Regina's eyes.

Emma decided to make things less awkward than they already were she joked, "I bet Graham isn't as light on his feet as me." Yeah that wasn't even close to being funny. Emma felt like all the funny was sucked out of her. What was she doing.

She continued to trawl Regina and dipped her at the end of the song. Except she dipped her for too long. It was something she caught in Regina's eyes. It was a spark of something. It was at that moment she lost all self control and leaned down and met Regina's lips. Those soft, full lips. Before Emma realized it, Regina snaked her arms around her neck and pushed them upright. The kiss broke finally after a heated eternity.

Emma brushed Regina's bangs out of her eyes and smiled at the woman she had grown to adore.

"Regina. What is going on out here?"

Emma released the smaller woman and stepped back. Regina stood there shell shocked. Her fingers made their way to her lips and her mouth hung slightly open. Her chocolate eyes focused on Emma and solely Emma.

That moment felt infinite.

"Regina?!" A frustrated and angry Graham came up behind Regina and turned her around. "Explain yourself?"

Emma took her cue and darted for her bug parked a few houses down. Her body was on fire. She held Regina in her arms. She felt her, heard her talk, kissed her soft lips.

It was in that moment that Emma realized Regina, her Regina, may remember this. Did she change Regina's past?

Emma jumped into her car and pushed the peddle to the floor board and raced to her lake house.

Regina is out for a walk by the old lake house on her day off. She cherishes these days because she never gets days off. The past few days had blurred together. She worked a few days in a row non-stop. She barely even had time to process her dinner out with Graham. She feels sorry for the guy. She should never had accepted that proposal a few years ago. It broke the man's heart when she handed back that ring not long after he gave it to her. He was utterly devastated. Still is. He is a good man, but he belongs to some other woman out there.

Regina is fully expecting a letter to be waiting for her when she gets to the mailbox. She has missed Emma the past few days. The picture she gave her is always on her. The woman takes her breath away.

It is painful and heartbreaking to Regina that she can't have Emma. It is torture. Regina knows she loves her. It is evident, and it is also clear that Emma feels the same way. She dedicated so much of her time to thinking about her and writing to her that it would be hard to deny it. Of course Regina found love, but can never truly have it.

It isn't shocking when she ses the flag up in the distance. When she opens her letter she feels her knees give way to the weight of her body, maybe even gravity. When her knees collide with the gravel a sharp gasp escapes her lips. Regina reads and re-reads Emma's letter.

"Emma." Regina shakes violently as she recalles that night. "Oh god. It was you."

Regina leans against the mailbox for support as she recalls everything the night of Graham's proposal. Emma had been there the entire time watching over her, speaking words of comfort, and oh god that kiss. That wasn't a stranger, Regina realizes. The blonde person who mysteriously whisked her off her feet, quite literally, that night was Emma. Emma had always been a piece of her past and she had never realized it. Regina can't decide what's worse: that Emma literally had her and let her go for the greater good, or that Emma was always there in the back of her mind and she never realized it.

Regina is openly sobbing, thankfully in the middle of nowhere, holding close to her letter. Emma had told her, 'I hurt because I can't have the person I love. Someday I hope I can, but not in this reality.' It was confusing at the time and Regina had blamed the alcohol to some extent for how confusing that night was. Emma does love her. Emma was talking about her the entire time and she had not realized it. Regina hears a sob escape her lips as she continues to sit at the mailbox. Regina touches her chest just above her heart as she recalls Emma's touch. Emma touched her. She comforted her. They danced together and they kissed. They swayed to a slow song and Emma held her perfectly. It was perfect and loving. Regina recalls how mesmerized she was by the other woman. She was confused by her own feelings that night, but she knew she was drawn to her.

As much as it hurts it still gives Regina hope. Emma can still find her in two years (her time). Their romance is not impossible. They can still be together. They can still dance lovingly to corny music under the stars.

Regina looks down at the letter one last time. "Regina, I met you tonight. Today was the day Graham proposed to you. You looked so unhappy and scared. I could see that in those deep chocolate eyes of yours. I tried to comfort you the best way I knew how. My heart broke knowing I couldn't hold you the way I wanted to. I wanted more than anything to hold you and tell you everything would be okay. I guess I did do that in some way. I will never forget the way your heart beat felt against my hand. In that moment I felt how real you were. I could feel how soft your skin was and how warm you were. I felt your soft lips against my own and God I will never forget that moment. I will cherish the memory of it. I will cherish that moment forever, I will cherish you forever. I finally was able to break that barrier called time and God babe did it feel so good."

Regina has never felt so undone in her entire life. Her hand shakes as she tries to grip her pen. Her normally perfectly cursive script is jagged and cuts the paper as she writes. She balls it up and tries again and again. Effort after effort she finds herself struggling. Her heart aches to be with Emma's. She needs Emma to know she is not alone, but how? It is with great effort that she finally is able to articulate the depth of what she is feeling within herself.

"Emma, I never forgot what you told me that day. I secretly always held that memory close to my heart. I hate that I didn't put the pieces together sooner. I wish I would have known that it was you that night. I realize I would have thought you were insane if you tried to explain how you knew me. I hate myself for forgetting what you looked like. Even after having those pictures from the Fourth of July I still didn't connect it. I carry a picture around of you in my pocket every day at work. I have always been bad with recalling faces, but Emma I remember your voice. I remember how sweet and honest you were with me. I remember how gentle you were with me when we danced and our kiss. It changed my life. I realized I didn't love Graham and was thankful for you that night because I broke off our engagement shortly after. I made Graham believe that I had too much alcohol that night after he proposed because I realized I made the wrong choice- I told him I didn't want to marry him when my heart didn't belong to him. I broke his heart, Emma. You made me realize that I should able to feel love within my heart and mine was hollow and lonely, but now it's not. Soon, Emma, we will find each other again."

"Mom when will I get to meet Regina?"

"I don't know baby. I wish I knew. She would love to meet you if she could. I think she would love you to pieces. No one could resist loving you little man."

Henry giggled. "Granny let me color today while she cleaned. I made you this, and one for Regina. Granny helped me write everything. You know, since I'm 4, I can't spell," Henry deadpanned.

Emma laughed at her son. He was such a goofball. She reached out for the pictures and her heart swelled. Her son drew the lake house with Emma, Henry, and then a smaller woman with dark hair on the other side of Henry. Emma thought it was the most adorable drawing she'd ever seen. But wait. "Henry how did you know Regina had dark hair?"

"Lucky guess." He grinned and ran ahead into the house. Emma walked over to the mailbox and pulled out Regina's letter before she placed Henry's art into the mailbox. It was nearly identical to hers, except he had Granny write in purple crayon, "My family!"

Regina is sitting by the mailbox looking at the water when she hears the movement. She quickly stands and opens the flap, pulling out Henry's drawing. She smiles at and holds it close. A short note is attached to the drawing, "Hey babe, Henry keeps asking about you. I thought you would love to have this. He made it today while I was at work. I miss your beautiful eyes. xoxo- Emma"

Regina smiles off into the distance all the way home. She writes a short letter back to Emma before heading back to the city. "I will frame it. I already have your smiling faces on my night stand. I have a busy week I promise to be back by next weekend. See you in my dreams."

Later that week Regina meets up with her only friend Kathryn. The two are casual work friends.

"I am so glad that you finally decided to go out for drinks, so tell me what the scoop is. I can read you like an open book. You are in love with someone and do not deny it, love. You are always somewhere else, unless you're with a patient, of course."

"Well, there is someone. I love someone Kathryn. Someone I can't exactly have."

"Oh this sounds like a good story."

"No story. It is way too complicated to even attempt to explain, but I fell for someone. She's beautiful. She also has a son. A wonderful little boy. I wish I could be with them now."

"Why aren't you?"

"It's not that easy."

"Honey, life isn't easy, but if it was meant to be it will happen. Seems like cupid got you really good. Hang in there. It will work out."

Regina grabs her tumbler and throws back the last sip of her vodka. "I hope so. I truly hope so."

Regina and Kathryn spend the remainder of the evening talking about Whale and other coworkers. It is 3 am before Regina knows it. She calls a cab and goes home.

She is drunk. She stumbles into her apartment, walks across the creaking floorboard by her bed and lies down next to her nightstand with Lady. She looks at the picture of Emma and Henry. Next to the framed photograph is the drawing Henry did for her. She reads in her mind. "My Family." It is perfect. It is so perfect it hurts. She loves them more than she ever anticipated and they aren't even there. She sighs and takes one last look at the frame, "Goodnight Emma. Goodnight Henry. My family. I love you both." She drunkenly falls into a deep slumber where she often dreams of them.

"Emma…. It's your dad. I just got a call from his secretary. You need to go into the city. It's serious."

That's all Emma heard. Granny had said more, but all Emma could do was pack Henry up and drop him off at Granny's before heading into the city to see her father. She'd called Ruby on the way anticipating the worst.

Ruby met Emma in the hallway outside of her father's room. "How bad is it Rubes?"

Emma hadn't realized that she was crying. She was terrified for the man she once looked up to. He was her father after all and she'd always cherish the memories that she had with him before her mother died.

"Well I had to literally bribe doctor to get this information, but what I found out was that he had a massive stroke. His body is paralyzed on one side. I don't know anything else. I can tell the nurse to get the doctor."

The entire world grew fuzzy. Before Emma had a chance to process anything everything went black.

"Emma, come on wake up."

Emma felt a warm cloth dabbing on her forehead. She opened her eyes and saw a dark haired woman hovering above her, "Regina?"

"No, its Ruby. You hit your head."

"Oh." Emma reached up to her head and winced.

"How long have I been out?"

"Not too long, but long enough for us to get you on a stretcher."

A blonde man appeared and looked sadly at Emma, "Looks like you took a hard fall. How are you feeling?"

"My head hurts, but otherwise I am fine. How's my dad?"

"Well, it's good you are laying down. I am going to be honest. It's not good. He had a massive stroke. He is more than likely paralyzed on one side. He hasn't woken up yet and could have little to no brain function. We are not sure if he will survive the night right now."

Emma was holding on to Ruby. Her heart burst. Her eyes swelled with tears as she leaned into her friend. Her father was a good man, but failed her as a father.

"No…."

"Emma I am so sorry." Ruby rubbed concentric circles on Emma's back as she leaned into her touch.

Emma's father, David, made it through the night. The next morning at 4 am he opened his eyes. Emma was awake and looked at her father knowing that the next few moments were crucial. She would be able to decipher if his mind worked. He stared at her. She waited. He continued to stare, part of his mouth hung down slightly.

"Dad?"

He continued to stare.

"Dad I know you are in there." She grabbed his hand. "I love you."

He shut his eyes. "It's okay to go. It's okay to go be with mom now."

She stood there in silence for a few more minutes before the monitors started to beep as he began to flatline. It didn't take long. The doctor didn't even make it to the doorway before he was gone.

"He's gone. He's gone Dr. Whale." Emma continued to cry by her father's bedside. She ached. Her body trembled as she sobbed. She cried for her father she once knew. The man who would take her fishing and play tag outside. The same man who taught her how to catch lightening bugs at night. He was her dad. No matter how hard it was for her when he grew distant after her mother died she accepted it because she was her father's true love. He was with her now. He was finally able to be in peace with her.