A/N: Sorry about the delay. I was busy storming ideas through several stories. Writer's Block sucked.
Grammatical Errors are mine.
Enjoy it.
Episode 4: Emma's Art Studio
In the afternoon after the lunch at World Famous Restaurant, the ladies got back to the beachfront property. They decided to take a shower, and their clothes were wet, so they threw them in the hamper in separate bedrooms. Emma was the first to finish her shower quickly and went to get her artist clothes then went out to her art studio next to her main house.
The blonde woman entered the studio and found herself to drown her feelings toward seeing her son's artwork on the walls. Emma exhaled in the air and walked into the room to gather her thoughts on the memory lane with her son. The first memory was Henry's laughter, and she loved the sound to fill the room with love. The brunette boy was sitting on the stool and painted on the canvas with the blue ocean.
Emma looked upon the frame on the wall Henry painted for Mother's day and caressed her touch on it then felt her tears dripping on her cheeks. She looked away at the unfinished painting from Henry's. The blonde woman walked to Henry's stool and sat down then stared at the picture of herself in the red dress during the Christmas Eve party. She touched on the outline of the pencil and looked up at the face of her. It was a beautiful smile she had ever seen in Henry's artwork.
Until, the blonde woman jumped at a touch from Regina behind her and looked away in halfway then spoke lightly.
"You scared me."
"I'm sorry. I came to search for you in the Main House, but I didn't know that you own the art studio here." Regina smiled sheepishly and continued.
"That was supposed to be the guesthouse, but I converted it to the art studio for my son and I. We always spend our time here all day to paint on the canvas with our imagination." The blonde woman waved her dismissal hand and mused in a soft tone. The brunette woman nodded, looked around in the art studio and found many artworks then asked.
"Oh, is all Henry's?"
"Yes, most of them on the wall included this one." Emma pointed to the wall and looked away at the unfinished canvas then pointed it away while she was speaking in a soft tone. Regina looked away at the blonde woman and felt sad then looked upon on the unfinished canvas and continued.
"Is it you?"
"Yes, it was in Christmas Eve Party. I wore the red dress. I had no idea that Henry drew that one but it was not finished yet. He was supposed to come with me for Spring Break few months ago but died on that day before we left to get here." The blonde woman looked away at her and nodded then explained right away. The brunette woman narrowed her eyes on the canvas and murmured. It made Emma laugh.
"Wow. He's good."
"No, he is natural. He got it from me." The blonde woman arched her eyebrow at her and spoke lightly with her pride on her son's artwork.
"Indeed. So, I want to see your artwork." Regina smirked and teased. Emma widened her eyes and stuttered her words.
"Well, I haven't yet started on my artwork since I was busy with Henry's artwork to perfect his skills."
"How long did you start to do your artwork since Henry's death?" The brunette woman frowned and spoke in a soft tone.
"I didn't start to do that since his death. I threw it away out in the window, and the room went in chaos. It's normal for me to get angry. But I looked at myself in the mirror and realized that it was not me at all. I threw my art skills away, and Ruby encouraged me to get back to it. I never did my artwork." The blonde woman sighed and acknowledged her memory from the day when she found out that her son died.
"I understand how you felt. It was a similar experience to me. I lost my father from fighting Leukemia Cancer. He was through his difficult times. He got it diagnosis when I was turning to be 23 before I dated Robin." Regina caressed her hand on the blonde woman's shoulder and spoke lightly. Emma looked away at her and asked.
"Oh. What about your mom?"
"Well, she died from the heart attack while she was sleeping with him. They died at the same time. I think it was weird to see them die in the sleep." The brunette woman knitted her brows and remembered that day when she came to their home for celebrating her parents' wedding anniversary and found them on the bed then continued to tell a story.
"What? That must be true love." Emma raised her eyebrows and murmured.
"Indeed." Regina nodded at her and looked away at Henry's artwork on the wall. She liked the picture of the wintertime landscape and tilted her head to study on other picture of the lonely girl on the playground during the autumn time. The blonde woman caught the brunette woman's point of gaze at the photo, looked away at the frame that Henry worked two years ago and spoke lightly.
"That's the one when he caught it in his eye when he was on skateboarding break in Central Park while he had his time to draw something that interested him. I was with Ruby at this time when we went to buy ice cream. It fantasized him when he saw the beautiful girl in the playground and continued to draw her in his sketchbook. Until, we returned here for our Thanksgiving break. Ruby's grandmother is living around here and owned the diner. So, Henry escaped away to the art studio as usual since we arrived on the first thing when we came here. He went to paint that picture with the acrylics. I was impressed with his skills for the first time when I saw it on the display."
"Wow. That's amazing. Did he show that girl on his sketchbook?" The brunette woman raised her eyebrows and asked with her curiosity. The blonde woman laughed and confirmed right away.
"No and yes."
"Enlighten me?" Regina turned away to face her and quipped. Emma smiled and explained right away.
"Henry displayed that frame in my art gallery. The same girl showed up and saw that picture then searched for him and took him to the café for hanging out. Until, they became best friends and inseparable. Her name was Grace, and she lived for a short time before Henry died."
"Grace?" Regina knitted her brows and muttered.
"She died from battling Alzheimer's disease and Brain Tumor. She was at the age of twelve. No one knew what happened to her cause with Alzheimer's disease but her father was Jefferson Hatter, and he owned the Mad Hatter's Fashion shops. Also, he died in the car accident after finding out his daughter passing away in the hospital that night. Can you imagine that they died on the same night?" The blonde woman nodded and continued with her story. The brunette woman found that it was interesting about Grace and Jefferson, nodded and acknowledged her presence.
"How did Grace get Alzheimer's disease but it is rarely to get it in their youths?"
"The doctors said that the children rarely got it from their family's generation. But Henry and I researched on Jefferson's family, and no one had that disorder then I asked some of their friends, and they mentioned that Jefferson had a wife before. So, I continued to research on his wife's family of the generations, and her great-great-great grandmother had it when she was in the sixties. It passed to Grace in three generations." Emma rubbed her neck and looked away at the canvas then replied.
"I would be damned. What about Jefferson? You knew him?" Regina raised her eyebrows and said.
"Ironically, Jefferson was my college buddy. He helped me out with my major. He studied in the art classes as I did take under the same professor. We've been great friends to hang out. If he were alive, I would introduce you to the funny man." The blonde woman scoffed with a response. The brunette woman smirked and replied back.
"Small world."
"Yes, I didn't know that Jefferson ended up living in New York and owned his company in Mad Hatter's Fashion and had his family. I never met his wife, but I did meet his oldest daughter, Madeline, and she is living in Washington, DC. She is a Senator." The blonde woman nodded and mused with a smile.
"Oh, wait a minute? Is that Madeline Hatter-Tucker?" Regina asked.
"Yes. Did you know her?" Emma knitted her brows and gave a stinky eye at her then quipped. The brunette woman laughed and rolled her eyes then continued.
"Ironically, Madeline was my secretary's girlfriend, and I had seen her few times when she came in with Elizabeth, I presumed so."
"Oh, Elizabeth Gooden!" The blonde woman exclaimed with a smile. Regina widened her eyes and stuttered her words.
"What? Do you know her too?"
"Yes, she was my bar buddy before." Emma shrugged and spoke lightly with a chuckle.
We knew our mutual friends, don't we?" Regina pointed out her fact and smiled.
"Yes, I guess so. So back to the point, what do you need me?" The blonde woman turned to face her and spoke lightly.
"I just came to seeing you here and take a view. Don't I?" The brunette woman shrugged and gestured her manicured finger around the studio with her reply. Emma looked away at the things everywhere and acknowledged her soft tone.
"Sure. Do not touch Henry's things. I will gather them in the cases, and I am not sure if I sell them in my art gallery to honor his name."
"Oh, that would be nice if you did it for him." Regina frowned and said with an amused tone.
"Yeah, but I am not sure because it's already his. You know? He is an artist and have his everything here. He could do whatever to sell his excellent artwork or not. It's his rule, and I can't violate it." The blonde woman nodded, sighed in relief and explained right away while she was clearing the path for them to walk through the studio. The brunette woman knitted her brows and said right away.
"But he was your son."
"Yes, but the artwork of his are under his name since he applied to the laws of the Art Department." Emma scoffed at a thought from the Art Department and continued with her explanation.
"Wow. You can't have to sell them unless Henry approve his permission to let you do that." Regina went dumbfounded and mused with a concerned tone.
"Yes. It's hard. But I already called them to let me sell them but they said that they couldn't have his permission. I informed them that he was my son, and he passed away. They can't let me do that. So, I decided to sue them with a lawsuit." The blonde woman looked away with a 'Bingo' look and murmured.
"Oh, that would be trouble." The brunette woman understood and muttered with a concerned look. The blonde woman raised her eyebrows and gave a growl tone.
"Damn right."
Emma shook her head with a chuckle and looked away at the empty spot where Emma used to paint the pottery then thought of having an idea and spoke lightly.
"Regina, do you have any plain clothes?"
"No. I didn't pack everything but Kathryn packed without my permission." Regina shook her head and rolled her eyes with her reply.
"Ok, I can lend you my artist clothes. It's in the bathroom." The blonde woman pointed away at the blue door behind her. Regina looked over Emma's shoulder and nodded then walked away to get changed. The blonde woman smiled and walked away to the empty spot then cleared things on the table and searched for a white canvas in the storage.
The brunette woman entered the bathroom and found the blue V-neck t-shirt then got changed and looked away in the mirror. She was surprised that she looked good in the blue t-shirt and smiled at herself until she revealed herself outside from the bathroom and found Emma putting the canvas on the stand. She strode toward her and asked.
"What can we do?"
"It's fun time. Do you know how to do art?"
"No. That would be my first time." Regina blurted it. Emma widened her eyes and asked.
"What? Did your parents teach you how to do that?"
"No." The brunette woman blushed slightly with a response.
"Now, that is a surprise. Here is your seat." Emma gestured her to sit down on the stool, and Regina sat down. The blonde woman thought it would be a good idea to show something that the brunette woman has no experience in the art. The brunette woman stared at the white canvas and looked away at her. Emma smiled and spoke lightly.
"Use your imagination to draw with a pencil. You will have a plenty of time to draw it with a pencil because you can erase the mistakes in no time. Think of anything that you could use for your canvas. When you are finished and tell me what you drew."
"Ok. I don't know how to do that." Regina waved her hands in the air and whined.
"Just doodle it. It is not difficult." The blonde woman rolled her eyes and said with a teacher's tone. The brunette woman looked away at the canvas and spoke lightly with a tease.
"How did you get your skills in the art?"
"Oh, not this time for a chat. Go draw something. I will be right back." Emma shook her head with a chuckle and continued. Regina pouted at her and quipped.
"What about the deal?"
"What is the deal?" The blonde woman arched her eyebrows and mused.
"If I draw something then you tell me a story about your talent in the art. If I can't draw any shit, then I will say from my experience in Storybrooke." Regina smirked and replied.
"Is that a challenge I hear?" Emma teased her back.
"Yes, dear." The brunette woman leaned forward to step in the blonde woman's personal space and purred right away.
"Deal. See you then." Emma saluted with a wink and walked away to the storage to find the white canvas then put it on the stand next to Regina's spot. The brunette woman stared at her and thought of her father's face then went to draw on the canvas. Regina didn't know that Emma was focusing on the brunette woman's figure from her distance while the blonde woman drew on the white canvas with charcoal pencils. It took her three hours to finish the portrait of Regina.
For Regina, she drew with a pencil to make the face of her father. She remembered the details on the features. It took her an hour to finish her portrait of her father, and she leaned backward then found out that she was good at drawing the picture. The brunette woman smiled at herself and looked away over her canvas to find Emma concentrating on the art. Regina decided to get up and walked away to stand behind her then widened her eyes when she saw herself on the canvas. The brunette woman went dumbfounded when she saw the details of her features and her lip scar. It was stunning and beautiful.
Emma didn't realize that Regina was behind her and smiled at herself. She knew that she had her talents to remain in herself and went satisfied with her drawing of Regina. The blonde woman looked away at Regina's spot and found out that the brunette woman was gone then searched away until she found her behind her. Emma widened her eyes and stuttered her words. Hearing the brunette woman's voice, it gave her a shiver.
"Is that me in your drawing?"
"Well, yes." The blonde woman stuttered her words and went speechless.
"It's beautiful. Can I keep that?" Regina lit up and asked with a begging voice.
"Sure. But I have to copy that one until I decide to give away to you with a clean look. This is the one that was a draft but it's not yet finished until I completed with the finished look." Emma rolled her eyes and continued with a confirmation. The brunette woman mentally fisted in the air and said.
"No problem. Take your time. But seriously, you had a keen sense of the art."
"Thank you. Now to your drawing." The blonde woman scoffed and gestured her away then asked.
"Let's show it." Regina smiled and walked back to her spot then grabbed the canvas to show it to her. Emma raised her eyebrows at the canvas and found out that Regina was not bad at drawing the portrait of the old man with several details. The brunette woman was on the level where the professional artists do on their works. The blonde woman pointed away as she spoke lightly.
"You are a good artist. You didn't know that you have your artist in you. Who is that old man?"
"That old man was my father." Regina frowned and mused in a sad voice. Emma gave some sympathy for her and spoke lightly.
"Wow. He looked handsome. You have some details on him, but something is missing somewhere on that portrait."
"Oh. I thought that I am good at it." The brunette woman looked back at her drawing and whined.
"No, you did great work. Seriously, you are. Now, we can focus on the details that we missed something. So, do you have a picture of him?" The blonde woman widened her eyes, shook her head and explained right away. Regina lit up and nodded then continued.
"Yes, on my phone."
"Most artists do not use the phone to draw on the canvas. We do use the printed-paper. You could use the printer." Emma pointed to the printer near the bathroom door. Regina nodded and walked away to the printer then connected her phone to the printer and printed a picture of her father. The brunette woman strode back to her spot and handed away to the blonde lady. Emma smiled and took a paper to look at the old man's face then spoke lightly.
"You missed the cheekbone. That's lacking in the portrait. Let me show you how to do that." Regina nodded and handed her pencil to her then watched the blonde woman working on the cheekbones. She tilted her head to understand how the drawing works with the features. Emma lightly touched on the cheekbone to sketch a feature and finally finished it with the finished touches.
In several minutes later, they worked through Regina's skills on the portrait of the brunette woman's father and they smiled at each other. They talked through their times of their young adults and interests in the hobbies. All they did was enjoy their presence in their company in the art studio. In their thoughts, they thought that they enjoyed their time together to spend time in the studio and learning from each other's life.
It lasted them from a day's work in the art studio, and it ended up in the nighttime. They felt hungry and decided to take a break from the art then strode out from the studio to the main house. Emma asked Regina about the dinner, and they decided to do Thai Cuisine. Luckily for the blonde woman, she took the Thai cooking course in her college days and went to cook the vegetable Thai curry for both of the ladies. Regina, of course, helped her out to prep the vegetables on the cutting board. They took a wine glass and took a conversation about Regina's father.
Finally, they ate their dinner outside on the patio and took a beautiful view of the moonlight reflecting on the sea. They chatted about Emma's funny stories about Henry. They laughed through the blonde woman's memories of being with Henry and took hours to talk through everything until they felt tired and decided to say good night. They went to clean up and retreated to the bedrooms for getting some sleep.
A/N: Next Episode: Regina's POV.
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