There is only one more chapter left (an epilogue). I can't believe we're almost at the end!
"Hey dad. Um, how far are you guys?"
"We're about thirty minutes away. Your mother is shaking, she's so excited. Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, we're fine. Regina's still sleeping. But, she hasn't really eaten yet, just a granola bar, because it's just been such a whirlwind. I think this time, she'll be hungry when she wakes up. Would you mind stopping before you get here and getting her something to eat?"
"Sure. What do you think she'll want?"
"Sushi," Emma said, without an ounce of hesitation. "She hasn't been able to eat it this entire pregnancy. That's what she'll want."
"Done. We'll text you when we get there."
Emma hung up the phone, pocketing it and looking down at the baby, still sleeping soundly in her arms. Ava had just nursed for the second time, Regina passing out almost immediately afterwards. They had agreed that the Charmings would bring Henry to the hospital, given that Regina was going to spend one more night before heading home.
They couldn't wait for the women to return to Storybrooke, all three stating that they wanted to meet the baby immediately. It might have something to do to the fact that Emma and Regina weren't telling them anything other than that "the baby is healthy", wanting to see their reactions to the newest addition in person.
Emma had changed Ava into a tiny floral onesie and carefully placed the matching hat on her head (the baby was so tiny, Emma was terrified of hurting her). Emma then wrapped her in a soft, pink blanket, just as Regina had requested when she'd been nursing her. Regina had been supposed to dress their daughter, had wanted to do it, but after Ava had finished eating, Regina had looked up at Emma and Emma had known. Regina was still so exhausted, and so Emma had offered for her fiancée to sleep right away, and Emma would take care of the rest. Regina had agreed without protest, simply turning onto her side and promptly passing out.
Emma looked at the slumbering woman, who hadn't moved a muscle, biting her bottom lip. She really hoped Regina would wake up on her own, feeling terrible guilt at the thought of having to wake her. But, inevitably, her mother called to let her know that they were ten minutes away, and Emma had had no choice but to wake her lover.
"Regina?" Emma whispered, stroking Regina's hair from her face. "Wake up, sweetheart. Henry and my parents are almost here."
"Mmm?"
Regina stirred, looking up at Emma, blinking as she took in her surroundings.
"They've arrived?"
"Almost. They're about 10 minutes away."
Regina sat up, wiping at her eyes.
"I haven't changed. I haven't put on any make-up."
"You just birthed a baby, Regina. And it's just my parents. They've seen you without make-up," Emma soothed.
"Help me get dressed, at the very least."
"Okay," Emma agreed, reluctantly putting Ava in her bassinet (she'd yet to spend any time in it, neither woman wanting to put her down).
Emma then made her way back, helping Regina out of bed and onto her feet. She grabbed their hospital bag, pulling out a pair of loose fitting sweatpants (Emma's, to be exact) and a nursing top. They made their way to the bathroom (Emma pulling the bassinette right to the door), where Emma helped Regina change her underwear and her postpartum pad, before then helping her get dressed. When they finished, Emma pulled Regina into her arms and kissed her softly on the cheek.
"How do I look?" Regina asked.
"Like the most beautiful woman on the entire planet. You look stunning."
Regina rolled her eyes, but a flutter of affection filled her belly.
"Thank you."
Emma guided the bassinette back into the room, Regina following closely behind. She stood for a little, walking around and stretching her legs, before reaching out to take Ava from Emma's arms. She made her way back to the hospital bed, cuddling Ava close, fawning over just how beautiful she was. Regina enjoyed the final few moments alone with Ava and Emma, stomach clenching in anticipation when she heard David's voice on the other end of Emma's phone call, announcing they'd arrived.
"I'm excited," Emma stated, kissing Regina's cheek.
"As am I," Regina agreed.
The women waited until the door of their hospital room flew open, Henry coming in with a slight look of worry, until he spotted his mothers on the hospital bed. His expression then shifted to one of relief, then to pure excitement, opening his mouth to speak. That was, until his grandmother's shriek of joy interrupted.
"A GIRL?!"
Henry chuckled, slowly making his way to the bed and looking down at his sister.
"A girl?" he asked, looking down at the tiny pink bundle.
"A girl," Regina confirmed. "Say hello to your sister Ava."
Henry hadn't anticipated the fact that he'd start crying the second his baby sister was placed in his arms, but he did. His heart felt so full now that he knew his mom was okay, and seeing his little sister, this tiny, perfect little baby, his little sister, Henry was over the moon. He had Boo, and now he had Ava, and he was overjoyed.
Henry looked up when he heard his mother burst into peals of laughter, looking over at his grandfather, who was carrying in the sushi boat they'd picked up along the way. His grandpa then placed it on the tray next to his mom's bed, beaming at her.
"David, what in the world have you brought?"
Henry started laughing at his mother's incredulous tone, sharing a look with his grandfather.
"I told the guy that my daughter-in-law had just had a baby and she deserved the best sushi he had. He made you this."
Regina laughed loudly, clutching her belly at the ridiculous amount of food before her. There was absolutely no way that she could consume all of this herself, looking over at the man who was staring at her proudly.
"We thought you might be hungry."
Regina rolled her eyes but opened her arms, smiling softly when David engulfed her in an affectionate hug.
"You did so good, Regina. I'm so proud of you."
Regina swallowed against the tears that his words provoked, simply enjoying the strength of his hug for a few moments before pulling away.
"Thank you," he whispered sincerely, kissing her forehead.
David then stepped over to Emma, pulling her into a hug as well.
"Congrats, mama."
"Thanks, dad."
David walked over to where his wife was fawning over the baby in Henry's arms, stroking her cheek and peering down at the tiny bundle.
"She's beautiful. What's her name?"
"Ava Snow Mills," Regina responded.
Emma watched as her mother froze, hand hovering over Ava's cheek, eyes snapping directly over at Regina.
"What?"
"Her name is Ava Snow Mills."
When Snow simply stared, speechless, Regina continued.
"We want her to grow up to be a kind, strong, independent, courageous, and resilient woman," Regina explained, watching as the tears began building in Snow's eyes. "I can only hope that by carrying your name, she'll share the characteristics that her namesake has in spades."
Snow immediately burst into tears, darting over to Regina and pulling her into her arms.
"You didn't."
"We did," Regina confirmed, voice thick. "You're going to play a vital role in her life, Snow. You're going to help shape and guide her as she grows, the way you've done Henry. It's only fitting that she carry your name."
"It was Regina's idea," Emma added, sharing a look with her father. She could tell he was just as surprised as his wife.
"Really?" Snow asked softly, in utter disbelief.
"Yes," Regina whispered. "Congratulations, grandma."
Regina held Snow as she sobbed, her own tears streaming down her face. There had been so much hatred between them, so much fighting and death and animosity. Regina didn't want that for them anymore. And she knew that Snow didn't either. This was meant to be the start of a new beginning, to leave behind the wars and the hatred that had once divided them so wholly.
They'd made incredible progress after their talk at the loft when Regina was still pregnant. It had been emotional, it had been difficult, and they'd both hurt so much. But it had also been healing, freeing, and their relationship had grown in ways that Regina had never thought possible. She wanted their relationship to continue to grow, to strengthen, for their family to be united for good. So, it only felt fitting for Ava to carry her grandmother's name, a symbol that things really had changed between them, for the better.
Snow pulled away, staring into Regina's eyes.
"I can't believe you did that."
"You will be a pillar in her life, I am certain of it. I want her to be resilient and kind and loving. I hoped that having you as her namesake, it might help her head in that direction."
Snow burst into tears again, overwhelmed and unable to respond. She was moved beyond words. Instead, she made her way to her granddaughter, sobbing harder when Ava was placed into her arms.
Snow held her close, fingers stroking over her perfect nose, her perfect cheeks, mapping her delicate features as she stared down in disbelief. She never, ever would have guessed that this perfect baby would carry her name, nor that it would have been Regina's doing.
Henry, who had been closely watching the entire interaction, finally walked over to where his mothers were cuddled on the bed, pulling them both into a hug.
"Well, grandma's happy."
He heard them laugh against his shoulders. After holding them for several seconds, Henry pulled back to look his mom is the eyes.
"You're okay? Everything went well?"
"Everything went smoothly, my little prince. You've nothing to worry about."
"Good. So, are you going to eat? The guy said this thing could feed four people."
Regina laughed, shaking her head at her son.
"Are you hungry, mijo?"
"Maybe, but I didn't just birth a human so maybe you eat first, and then I'll have some after."
Henry handed his mother a pair of chopsticks before removing the plastic top that covered the sushi boat, pushing the tray closer to her. He then opened a container of soya sauce and placed it on the tray next to the sushi, smiling when his mother took her first bite.
"Gods, that's delicious. I've missed this so much." Regina then looked at David. "Thank you so much."
"Thank you for pushing out my grandbaby. I don't thank you though, for adding another child into my life who will drain my wallet."
Had it been anyone else, Regina likely would have been offended or irritated by the words. However, she knew David, she knew that he was teasing her, she knew that he was incredibly happy to be a grandfather again, and so she chuckled.
"It is not my fault that you're weak. Your inability to say 'no' is your own problem. Perhaps if you had addressed that weakness sooner, you could have avoided being on the run, sleeping in trees and evading murder attempts for nearly a decade of your life. Instead, you remained a fugitive, a hostage to your own shortcomings."
David laughed, shaking his head.
"Yeah, yeah. Now, it'll be your youngest child holding my bank account hostage any time her little eyes look over at anything in the toy store," David joked. "I finally learnt to say no to Henry. Now I have this one to contend with."
"You never say no to me," Henry said, grinning at his grandfather.
"If Ava is anything like her other mother," Regina teased, "she'll want anything shiny and completely worthless."
Emma took the jab in stride, shrugging her shoulder.
"Why would I bother with the value of something when I already have the most valuable thing that ever existed. Nothing can compare to what I've already got," Emma said, kissing Regina's cheek.
Regina's heart clenched, refusing to admit just how much those words made her feel loved.
"Indeed," Charming agreed, then turning to his wife. "My turn."
"Aw," Snow pouted, but carefully handed the baby over.
"Where's my brother, anyway?" Emma asked around a bite of sushi.
"He's with Granny. I didn't think this would be appropriate for him. He can meet Ava later."
Regina then looked over at Snow's purse, wondering.
"Did you bring her booties and her hat?"
Snow's eyes lit up. She wasn't going to put pressure on the two women, knowing that they were so, incredibly excited for this baby and that they'd probably already chosen her 'going home' outfit. But, Snow had brought the hat and the booties, just in case.
"Of course."
Snow quickly made her way to her purse, taking out the hand-knitted items that had been given to her so many months ago. She walked them over to Regina, who held them delicately.
"I still can't believe this is real," Snow said, with awe. "When you gave me this gift… I was in shock. I couldn't believe it. And now, she's here."
Regina nodded, looking at her former enemy.
"It's incredible how things have changed."
"It is," Snow agreed, leaning forward and holding Regina tight for a moment before pulling away. "How are you doing? Are you okay?"
"I'm well," Regina confirmed. "Her birth went smoothly, and Emma was incredibly supportive. I couldn't have done it without her."
Henry watched proudly as his mothers exchanged a look. He was so happy to hear that his ma had been there to support his mom. He'd been so worried about her. He wasn't surprised to hear that his ma had been so good to his mom; he lived with them both. He knew how good she was to her. But, it was still nice to hear that she'd been supportive while his mom was giving birth.
"We're so proud of you both," Snow said, beaming.
Emma glanced over at Henry, watching as he looked at everyone silently. He was always so quiet, so observant, never saying a word but it was obvious he was thinking. Always thinking.
Emma looked at Regina, communicating silently with her. When Regina nodded, she knew the woman was in agreement.
"Hey, would you guys mind watching Ava for a minute? Regina needs to walk a bit, and this'll give you guys some alone time to bond with her too."
"Are you comfortable with that?" Snow immediately asked. She remembered how fiercely protective she was of her babies after they were born.
"I trust you," Regina responded confidently.
Snow's heart rose into her throat at the words. Unable to say anything in response, she simply nodded, reaching out and squeezing Regina's hand. She then got up from the edge of the bed where she'd been sitting, getting out of the way as Regina stood with Emma.
"Come on, kid. Come with us."
Henry exchanged a look with his grandfather, who smiled encouragingly at him. He followed his mothers into the hallway, easily offering his mom his hand when she reached for it.
They walked to the other end of the hall, where there was a bay of windows overlooking the parking lot. It was quiet here, and he looked between his mothers, concerned.
"What's going on?"
"We just wanted a moment with you, mijo. Things are going to change drastically now that your sister is here. Everyone will be fawning over her, paying a lot of attention to her."
"We don't want you to feel ignored," Emma continued, reaching out and squeezing his bicep. "People are going to say things, like grandpa just did. About Ava draining his bank account-"
"Or about how happy we must be, now that the baby has arrived," Regina added.
"Yeah. And that the family is complete now, and all this other stuff. But we want you to know, our family has only been added to. It's not like something was missing. You are our first baby. You bring so much joy to our lives, Henry. You made us both mothers, and we are so, so proud of you. We adore you, so much. You will always be our baby."
Regina nodded, squeezing his hand, feeling incredibly emotional as she looked at her son. She could still so clearly see him when he was just a little bundle that fit into her arms.
"I remember when you were that small, mijo. You were the most beautiful little boy, the most perfect baby, and I was so, so happy. I didn't know love until I met you, my little prince. I did not know I could love so hard. You've changed me, so much, for the better. And we love you dearly."
"Definitely," Emma agreed.
"You know, I just wanted to meet my sister," Henry said, voice thick. "I didn't come here to cry."
His mothers laughed, pulling him into their arms. The truth was, Henry was feeling overwhelmed. His mothers' words settled deep, making him incredibly emotional. He knew that they loved him. He felt safe and secure in their love, in their affection for him. He wasn't concerned about feeling unloved or ignored now that his sister was here, but he had to admit, it was kind of nice to hear them tell him how much he meant to them.
"We just don't want you feeling neglected," Emma said seriously, pulling back just enough to look at him. "New babies get a lot of attention. And in a place like Storybrooke, where new babies don't happen often, they end up being a big deal."
Henry nodded. He remembered all the hype surrounding Boo's birth.
"I don't think I'll feel neglected. I'm just as excited as everyone else."
Regina reached up and cupped his cheek, stroking it with her thumb.
"We're so proud of you, mijo. You're so grown up."
"Love you too," he said simply.
The two women pulled him back in for a hug before they paced the hallway with him a little more, both to have some private time with their son, but also because Regina really did need to get up and moving some more.
"So when will you be coming home?"
"Tomorrow morning."
Henry nodded.
"Can I stay here with you?"
Regina hesitated.
"There isn't a bed here, mijo. And the chairs are horrifically uncomfortable. Even your mother had trouble sleeping in them."
"Hey, I did okay."
"I would prefer if you were with your grandparents," Regina continued, "where I know you are safe and being fed well. I would ask you to do one thing, however."
"Sure, anything."
"Get a good night's sleep. When we arrive tomorrow, I want to shower in my own bathroom and sleep in my own bed. You can spend some time with your sister, if you'd like, while I rest."
Henry's eyes lit up.
"I really, really like that plan."
He'd been dreaming about getting to hold his new sibling for weeks now. All he wanted to do was to snuggle her. The idea of not having to share her was very, very appealing.
"Good. Now let's get back to my room lest your grandfather eat all of my sushi."
Henry immediately burst into laughter when, upon entering the room, he found his grandfather hovering over the sushi boat with his chopsticks primed and ready.
"Exactly," Regina said flatly, smirking when she caught David's eye.
The man, feeling absolutely no shame, selected a piece and popped it in his mouth, smiling widely.
"Delicious."
"You better have left me some salmon pieces."
David chuckled.
"I wouldn't touch those ones, your majesty. I've been eating the eel and carrot/cucumber ones. I know you like them less."
Regina smiled warmly at him, accepting his help as she got back into her bed. She then took her chopsticks in hand, diving into the sushi boat she'd abandoned earlier.
When the Charmings and Henry finally left, Regina sighed. It had been nice to visit with her family (how odd it was, still, to associate 'family' to her two former enemies), but she really was ready to have some private time again with Ava. She'd done well not hovering over her newborn, but Regina was eager to have her all to herself once more.
Regina held Ava close, reaching at her shoulder with one hand in an attempt to free her breast. She grunted when the snap holding the material up refused to cooperate, sighing in defeat. She'd have to put the baby down if she wanted to get it undone, something she really didn't want to do.
"Lemme help, honey," Emma offered. "You know how much I like it when you set them free. Let me do it."
Regina rolled her eyes, chuckling. Emma grinned internally. She could see the frustration clearly written all over Regina's face and she was happy to shift the woman's mood.
"There."
"Thank you, darling."
Regina brought the baby to her breast, struggling to get her to latch properly. Emma attempted to help, but both women conceded when the nurse came in and asked if they wanted assistance.
Emma watched closely as the nurse showed them again how to ensure a proper latch, making a mental note to do some reading later.
"It's incredibly common for women to struggle with this. Don't get discouraged. It's normal, especially if it's your first."
"Thank you," Regina said softly, looking down at Ava, who was now nursing contently.
"I can't believe we have a baby," Emma said in awe.
Regina nodded in agreement.
"I feel a little overwhelmed. Despite the fact that I've done this before, it still feels overwhelming."
Emma sat on the bed, settling at Regina's hip, reaching out to stroke her cheek.
"I'm so glad we're going to do this together this time."
"As am I," Regina replied. "It will be nice to be able to share this experience with someone. It was difficult doing it alone with Henry as I had no one with whom to share both the good and the bad. If he did something funny, for example, I had no one to tell. I'm very glad I have you now."
"I'm sorry I wasn't there the first time."
Regina shook her head.
"I signed up to be a single parent with Henry. It was certainly more difficult than I had expected, but I didn't regret it for a moment. You were so young, Emma, and you had to heal before you could be the partner that I need."
"And that you deserve."
"And that I deserve," Regina agreed. "You would not have been good for me back then. Nor would you have been good for Henry."
Emma looked down, her heart clenching with hurt.
"I'm sorry, darling. I didn't mean to upset you."
"You didn't. It's just hard thinking about that time in my life. I feel like I failed him, you know? I wasn't around for anything for the first ten years of his life."
"You were healing from decades of abuse, Emma. Decades of trauma. You needed time to work through the things that happened to you. And you did. You took the time that you needed to be the mother that Henry deserves. And quite frankly, the person that you deserved to be as well. You deserved to be free of the pain that was inflicted upon you in your childhood. You didn't deserve any of the treatment that you received. You deserve to be happy and healthy, Emma."
"I am. Really. And it has everything to do with you and with our family."
"It also has to do with you and all of the work you've put into healing. The work you put in every day to ensure that you continue to heal and move forward. Some people stay stuck in the past, controlled by their pain, and they are miserable for it. I would know as I was one of those people. It took me far too many decades to finally realise that I was my own worst enemy. That if I wanted to be happy, I had to focus on healing myself. You managed to do all of that within a single decade, Emma. You realised so quickly that something needed to change and so you changed it. I'm so proud of the choices you've made, of the woman you've become. We are so lucky to have you, Emma Swan."
Emma swallowed hard. It was still so odd to hear Regina speak so highly of her. A small part of her did feel like she didn't deserve it, but objectively, Emma knew that what Regina said was true. Emma had worked hard to heal, to become a better person, to be the mother that Henry (and now Ava) deserved.
"Kiss me," Regina prompted.
Emma gave a soft chuckle before doing exactly as Regina asked.
The women slept fitfully that night. They were both anxious about the baby, terrified something would happen to her while they slept. Then they did finally manage to fall asleep, they were woken up by Ava, who wanted to eat or who needed to be changed. Since Regina was breastfeeding, Emma had taken to diaper duty, which she quickly realised was significantly harder than she had thought. She had practised on the doll she'd bought so many months ago, but Regina had been correct. Changing Ava's diaper was significantly more difficult than the doll's.
Emma bit her lip, wincing as she felt a squishy warmth against her thumb. She made a face, knowing exactly what it was. She'd been trying so hard to change Ava's diaper without incident, but she'd definitely just smeared her thumb with poop.
She pulled the diaper away from Ava's bottom, wiping her thumb at the top of it, where it was clean. She then put the soiled diaper to the side, carefully holding Ava's ankles up. Emma reached for a wipe, holding it for a second to warm it up (a trick she'd seen Regina do) and then carefully wiped her daughter clean.
Her daughter.
Emma smiled, despite the fact that she could smell the dirty diaper, despite the fact that she was already exhausted, and despite the fact that she desperately needed a shower.
She had a son, and now she had a daughter.
Emma carefully put on a new diaper and zipped up Ava's pyjama. She then placed the baby in the bassinette, promising her she'd just be a moment. Emma quickly washed her hands in the sink, before heading back to the newborn and pulling her into her arms. She rocked Ava to sleep and then placed her in the bassinette next to Regina's hospital before curling up in the overstuffed chair and passing out.
When the morning finally came, both women were groggy but happy to be going home. They packed up their things, Emma jogging down to grab the car when they were ready. She pulled right up to the entrance of the hospital and parked in one of the temporary parking spots. She then got out of the car and grabbed the baby carrier from the backseat, smiling widely when she saw Regina waiting with Ava in her arms at the entrance of the hospital. Emma's heart fluttered when she saw that Regina had put the knitted hat and booties on the baby, her heart melting. She couldn't believe they were finally going home with their daughter.
Emma came to a stop, nodding at Anne when they made eye contact.
"Ready?" Emma asked, turning to Regina.
"I am," Regina confirmed.
"Alright," Anne started, grabbing the car seat from Emma an placing it on the table next to them. "The first thing we're going to do is to make sure the head hugger is in the seat and adjusted properly. It should sit right here, and the back should be smooth, just like this. Now, let's look- yes, the harness is on the lowest notch, this one is for newborns. You'll go along adjusting it as she grows and gets taller.
"So, we'll just move the straps out of the way and place the baby in the seat," Anne said, taking a step back and smiling as Regina placed Ava inside. "You want to make sure she's not wearing anything big or bulky, like a jacket, because it's unsafe.
"Now, we just tuck her in and make sure her bottom is as far back in the seat as possible. Then we pull the straps around her arms and bring up the bottom buckle between her legs like this, and we snap everything closed. I like to adjust the shoulder pads just like this before I pull on the adjuster strap."
Emma watched, unblinking, as Anne carefully strapped Ava in, not wanting to miss a moment of instruction. She felt better knowing that Regina knew what she was doing and would help her, but Emma wasn't about to pass up information from an expert.
"You know she's strapped in properly when there isn't any more than a fingers' distance between the baby's chest and the harness. You should also do the 'pinch test' and attempt to pinch the strap in on itself. Bring your fingers up here to the baby's shoulder and if you can't pinch any slack of the strap, then you know the straps are tight enough. If you can pinch the strap together, you know you need to go a bit tighter.
"The last thing you want to be extra sure of is the location of the chest clip. You want to make sure this is at armpit level, just like this. You want it even with the armpits."
Emma stared, mentally repeating every one of Anne's instructions.
"Did you want to try yourself?" Anne asked, noticing Emma's expression.
"Yes," Emma responded immediately.
They removed Ava from the carrier, Emma slowly going through the motions and repeating Anne's instructions out loud as she worked, uncaring if she looked silly as she did so. She wanted to make sure she did everything possible to keep their baby safe. Emma fiddled with the straps for several minutes, before finally nodding and taking a step back.
"You did wonderfully, darling."
Emma beamed, relieved when Anne checked the straps and agreed that the baby was safe and ready to go. Emma and Regina thanked her profusely for all of her help, incredibly grateful to have had such a wonderful nurse while they went through something that had frightened them both so completely.
Emma drove carefully, holding Regina's hand tight, on cloud 9 now that she was bringing their baby home. They had had to make a stop about an hour into their drive, Ava loudly informing her mothers that she was famished. Emma had pulled into the parking lot of a pharmacy, laughing to herself, while Regina rolled her eyes.
"She really is your daughter."
After feeding and changing the baby, they headed back onto the highway, both women now incredibly eager to get home and have some alone time with their two children. Emma was particularly eager to get her fiancée home, given that Regina had expressed just how desperately she wanted to shower in her own bathroom. That was a wish Emma could easily fulfill, she just had to get them home.
When Emma finally pulled into the driveway, however, she groaned.
"Your sister is here."
Regina chuckled.
"I had expected she would be. Would you like me to send her away?"
"No, it's okay."
Emma knew how few people Regina had had in her circle throughout her life. She'd rarely had people to celebrate any successes with. And, Regina had just admitted last night that she'd never had anyone to share with about Henry, despite the fact that she wanted to. Emma wanted the opposite for Regina this time around.
Emma wanted Regina's life to be filled with love, and happiness, and support. She wanted her fiancée to be able to boast about Ava and she wanted Regina to have a captive audience. Zelena would be that audience for her. As much as Emma would have liked to have had some private time at home, she did want Regina to have her sister around, as long as she wanted that too. And Emma could tell that Regina wanted Zelena there.
Emma grabbed the hospital bag, the car seat carrier, and was just in the process of helping Regina out of the car when the front door flew open and she heard the familiar sound of her future sister-in-law's shrieking.
"Where is my baby!"
Regina and Emma made eye contact, Regina giggling as she was assisted up and out of the car.
"My bloody nephew will not tell me if I've a new nephew or- I'VE A NIECE!"
Emma let go of the car seat carrier the second Zelena reached for it, shaking her head.
"Oh, I knew you were a little girl!" Zelena's eyes welled up with tears as she looked over at her sister. "What's her name?"
"Ava."
Zelena immediately burst into tears, babbling at the baby as she headed into the house.
"I guess we're old news?" Emma joked.
Regina chuckled, heading into the house with Emma. She smiled at Mulan when the woman greeted them at the door, Robyn immediately reaching out for her aunt. Regina took the baby willingly, kissing her temple and snuggling her close.
"Hello, my precious girl. How are you? Have you gotten the chance to meet your new cousin or has your mother made off with her without introducing you?"
"Zelena kissed her on her way in, but she hasn't met the baby yet. Congratulations to you both," Mulan said, smiling softly at the women. She then turned to Regina. "You look beautiful. How are you feeling?"
"I'm well. Tired, but everything went smoothly. Emma was wonderful."
"As we knew she would be," Mulan said easily. "Would you like to join the others in the living room?"
Regina hesitated, looking at Emma. She really wanted to shower.
"Let's just go make sure everything's good and then we can go take a quick shower."
"Alright."
Regina followed the others into the living room, a soft smile settling onto her lips when she saw both Henry and Zelena hovering over little Ava.
"Oh, she's simply perfect."
Emma led the way to the couch, foregoing the cuddler chair. She didn't want Regina to have to struggle to get out of the overstuffed piece of furniture. She tucked Regina into her side, wrapping a protective arm around her, sighing happily when Regina curled into her.
"Love you," Emma murmured, smiling when Regina immediately responded in turn.
Robyn, who had quickly had enough of sitting, squirmed out of her aunt's lap and made her way over to the toy box Regina kept for her in the living room. Her aunts watched her closely, both women smiling, before their attention was directed back towards Zelena.
"Well? I've heard absolutely nothing about her birth. Out with it."
"It went well. We had a wonderful nurse. She was unbelievably helpful and patient during labour. It felt like it dragged on forever though. We were both incredibly anxious to meet Ava, but she did take her time before finally making her way into the world."
Regina suddenly felt incredibly drained now that she was home and sitting on her couch. Her entire body had relaxed and Regina now just wanted to shower and sleep. She knew that her sister wanted more details, but at this moment, Regina realised that all she wanted to do was go to bed.
"And what did she weigh?"
"7 pounds, 6 ounces."
"You poor little mite. You've so much growing to do!"
"Hey," Emma interrupted. "We want her to stay little forever."
"You say that now. When you've not had a proper sleep in weeks, you'll have a different opinion!"
"But you're feeling well? There were no complications?" Mulan asked.
Regina shook her head.
"No, everything went perfectly. I'm feeling fine, although I would like a shower and perhaps some sleep."
"Why don't you both go shower and rest?" Mulan offered. "We left the day open in case you wanted some help. I made some Sheng Hua Tang soup for you, Regina. Many women in China eat this soup after giving birth. It'll help you as you recover."
"Yeah, and they brought a ton of other food too," Henry added, grinning. He was especially excited for the chow mein Mulan had brought (his favourite).
Regina felt her heart clench with happiness. She'd been all alone when she'd adopted Henry, and now, she had a room full of people here to support her.
"Thank you," Regina said sincerely.
Emma got up first, holding out her hand. Regina took it eagerly, both women quickly kissing their children before making their way up to the master bedroom. When they entered the bathroom, Emma stopped and pulled Regina into her arms.
"I'm so happy to be home with you."
"As am I, darling."
Emma held her close for several minutes before pulling away and pecking Regina on the lips. She made her way to the shower and turned on the water, fiddling until the temperature was perfect. When Emma turned around, she found Regina standing in front of the mirror, naked, hands stroking over her swollen belly.
"What are you thinking?" Emma asked, as Regina looked at her reflection.
"I'm thinking that I cannot believe I carried our baby for nine months. I cannot believe I just gave birth to the most precious little girl," Regina said, before turning to Emma. "And I cannot wait to do it again."
Emma grinned, walking over to her and pulling her into her arms.
"Yeah?"
"Yes, Emma. This entire experience has been wonderful. You've been incredible. I never dreamed I'd have such a loving, patient, and supportive partner. I could never have done any of this without you."
"Well, I wouldn't have any of this without you. I wouldn't have this family without you. You've given me everything I ever wanted, Regina."
Regina leaned forward and kissed Emma soundly on the lips before pulling back and smiling softly at her.
"Shall we shower now?"
"Definitely."
Emma followed Regina into the shower, grabbing a bar of soap and slowly making her way along Regina's body, washing every inch of skin until Regina was sighing peacefully, eyes closed, as she enjoyed Emma's delicate attention. When Emma reached for the shampoo, Regina smiled and turned away from her, groaning happily when Emma's fingers massaged her scalp as she worked the shampoo into a lather. And when Emma began massaging her shoulders as the conditioner rested in her hair a few moments later, Regina could feel herself drifting off.
Emma eventually turned off the water and then grabbed Regina's towel, wrapping her up and rubbing her hands over Regina's body in an attempt to dry her. Regina giggled, eyes half open, causing Emma to grin with just how cute she looked. Emma leaned forward and gave Regina a peck on the lips before towelling off herself. Both women made their way into the bedroom, slipping on their pyjamas and curling up into bed.
Emma grabbed her phone to send Henry a quick message letting him know that they were going to have a power nap, and to please come wake them up when Ava started crying. She knew that they wouldn't have long to rest before their daughter needed to eat, but Emma wanted Regina to rest while she could.
Regina tugged on Emma's hand once she'd put her phone down, curling it around her middle to hold Emma close. She closed her eyes and sighed happily, melting into the mattress as soon as Emma's hand began rubbing gentle circles against her stomach. She felt serene, and it was an incredibly welcome feeling.
"You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, Regina."
Regina giggled, euphoric, and suddenly finding the words irresistibly funny. She must be more tired than she thought.
"What's so funny?"
"I'm not sure anyone has ever spoken those words to me," she replied honestly, a smile tugging on her lips. "Usually, I'm the worst. Or someone's nightmare, or-"
"You're only my nightmare when you turn my dolls into demonic beings from hell when I'm innocently just trying to show you what I learnt on YouTube."
Regina laughed loudly, squeezing Emma's hand. She could feel Emma giggling into her back, making Regina laugh even more.
"It was funny as hell though, looking back on it now," Emma said.
Regina chuckled, nodding against the pillow.
"I'm quite funny."
"Yes, you are."
Regina let out one last, small laugh before closing her eyes and sighing contently.
"I love you, Emma Swan. You are, by far, the best thing that has happened to me as well." Regina paused. "Besides our children, course."
Emma grinned.
"Of course. I love you, baby."
"And I you, darling."