We May Not Have Yesterday, But At Least We Have Tomorrow

Chapter Ten

After their very intimate shower together, Emma and Regina had wandered back downstairs. Regina wanted to make an extravagant Christmas dinner for the family, so Emma played video games with Henry until the kids woke up from their naps. The evening was full of quality family fun, laughter, and lots of food and dessert for after.

Once the children were back in bed for the night, Regina and Emma spent most of their evening holding each other between the sheets. Fingers wandered, never inappropriately though, kisses were shared and Emma did her very best to fill Regina in on their life together. Emma fell asleep before anything could ever escalate but Regina didn't bother her knowing she had to work the next day. Besides, it was Regina's first day alone with the children and she was already nervous enough about that.

She wakes up with a little boy on top of her and the sound of the shower running in the attached bathroom. She cups the back of Luca's head, presses a kiss to the top of his head and attempts to catch a few more minutes of sleep. Except, this little boy is extra kicky today, squirming on top of her and swinging his legs up and down to kick her shins.

"Alright, baby, I'm up," she sighs, sliding out of bed, then plopping him upon her hip. "Are you hungry?" She inquires, staring into those big brown eyes as he nods and points to his belly.

She laughs, presses a kiss to his forehead, then carries him out of the room but before she heads downstairs, she checks Henry's room to find him out cold and lightly snoring. She moseys on to the girls' room to find Autumn still sound asleep but Hope is nowhere to be found. Her heart skips a beat, her mind running about where she could possibly be because the baby gate is up.

She dashes back into their room but finds it empty. She scurries out into the hall, unlocks the gate, then charges down the stairs and that's where she finds Hope, sitting on the couch with her blanket, a baby elephant in her lap, watching a Mickey Mouse cartoon.

"Hope," she gasps, running into the living room, fear prickling at the back of her neck.

"Hi, momma," she sleepily murmurs, hugging her stuffed animal close.

"Honey, what are you doing?" She investigates, settling down on the sofa beside her.

"Watching Mickey," her daughter nonchalantly replies.

"No, honey, I mean, how did you get down here, the baby gate was up."

Hope scowls and if looks were contagious, Regina would swear Hope caught this one from her. "I'm not a baby."

"I understand that you're not a baby," she kindly says, running her palm over Hope's head. "Did you unlock the gate?" Guilty eyes slide her way and she already knows whatever is about to come from her mouth is bad news. Although, Hope doesn't answer. "Hope, did you unlock the gate?" She sternly questions, creating a pitiful pout around this little girl's face that is all Emma.

"Yes," she answers but something isn't sitting right with how she answers.

"Hope." Luca squirms in her lap, itching to eat most likely and becoming impatient with this conversation. "I need to start breakfast but I need you to be honest with me about how that baby gate was unlocked."

Hope's eyes are glaring back at her, a mix of unamused and annoyed, Regina is sure she makes this facial expression herself on the daily.

"I use magic, momma. I'm sorry. Please don't tell mommy!"

Ah, so Emma is the culprit when it comes to hating on magic in this household but wait...

"You used magic?" She incredulously interrogates, not able to wrap her head around this tiny human using magic when it took her years to grasp and craft.