Grandmothers
A guest asked for a oneshot of Snow taking an infant Emma to both Ruth and Eva's graves to meet her grandmothers.
"Here we are." Snow said, standing in front of the crypt for the passed women in the royal family with her one year old daughter resting on her hip and her husband by her side. "This is where Grandma Eva is." Snow began to explain to the tiny tot. "She's mama's mama. This is where she's buried because she's in Heaven now." Snow could already feel tears building up as she gazed into Emma's curious hazel eyes. "She would have loved you so much, little girl. She would have been a great grandma. She was a wonderful mother. I can only hope that…" Snow had to pause to take a deep breath and collect her thoughts. "That I'm as good a mother to you as she was to me." Snow felt Charming's hand rubbing circles on her back. He of all people knew how hard this was for Snow, but they had agreed today was the day they would take to introduce Emma to her grandmothers. Snow moved forward slightly and took Emma's hand in hers to trace the little engraving on the crypt with Eva's name. "She might be gone Emma, but she's always in our hearts. Can you say bye bye to grandma?" Emma smiled and raised one arm waving it.
"Bye bye!" She announced chirpily. Snow smiled at her adorableness and kissed the side of her head. Snow looked back to her husband and took his hand. That had been hard, but Snow knew she had to do that. Not just for her, but for Emma. She felt it was important for Emma to know her ancestry. With that in mind, it was time for Charming to introduce Emma to his mother.
It was not a long horse ride to the village Charming was raised in. This was where Ruth was buried, as per her request before her untimely death. She was buried on the grounds of their old farm, which with nobody around to run it was now no longer in business. It was here, where Ruth spent many happy days with David, that they had buried her. There may be no royal family crypt for her, but Snow and Charming had spared no expense on her tombstone. Charming had carried Emma in her sling around him for the journey. He carefully got off the horse with her as Snow made her way over to them. Together, the small family walked up to Ruth's grave.
"And this Emma," Charming began "is Grandma Ruth's grave. She was daddy's mama. She would have thought you were the prettiest little girl in the whole wide world. And she would have been right, wouldn't she?" Charming cooed, nuzzling his nose against Emma's and delighting in the way it made her giggle. "She was a very special lady, Emma. She would have been able to teach you all kinds of things. But most importantly, she would have helped teach you how important love and family were. I know she's not around anymore, but I hope I can teach you them too." Charming kissed the top of Emma's wispy blond head before helping her take the little sunflower and place it on the top of the stone. Snow came over and took Charming's hand squeezing it, knowing this was equally as hard for him. But together, they had made it through. Their mothers might be dead, but that did not mean their daughter would grow up not knowing the amazing women that they were.