Ever After ~ {Editing}

Chapter 14

They watched as the couple got out of the car, holding hands as they walked up to the front door. They exchanged a look full of awe and wonder, tainted only slightly by the nerves they were feeling. The brunette gave a weak smile and nodded, then turned to open the car door, stepping out and following the other two.

The blonde sat back and sighed, thinking only for a moment before following her sister up to the house. She closed the door behind her, wearily taking in her surroundings. She still didn’t know what to expect from these people, their parents. She wanted to open up to them, to just spill everything, but she’d been hurt too many times to let herself do that. How could she know they’d be there for her when she did? How could she know that they wouldn’t leave her just like everyone else did, broken and wounded and completely alone? Although she knew giving them up hadn’t been her parents’ choice, she was still somewhat hurt that they didn’t try and find them sooner. She hesitantly followed her sister up the stairs, mulling over how she should act towards her newfound family.

Meanwhile, Emilia flounced along behind Robin and Regina, ecstatic to finally have her parents in her life. She looked around in fascination, taking in what she assumed to be the biggest house in this town. The walls were a creamy white, with black picture frames scattered about them, containing pictures of two boys with dark hair, laughing together. There were also pictures of the couple themselves, smiling as the children played in the back yard. She wondered who those boys were. Although… The older one did look familiar, but she couldn’t put a name to the face. She made a mental note to ask her parents later on. She knew Evelyn would have a hard time learning to trust these new people—after all, she had been hurt before. Once bitten, twice shot, right?

But Emilia, however, had no problem trusting them. She was much more trusting and forgiving than her sister, who could hold a grudge for what seemed like eternity. Emilia would forgive you instantly if she felt you truly meant it. She wasn’t one to hold grudges over petty things. She much more enjoyed having fun, so she had almost immediately forgiven her parents when she found out the true story. Still, she worried about her sister. She wanted her family to have a wonderful relationship, but Evelyn had a tendency to push people away. She knew that her sister felt things deeply—deeper than most people, in fact, and that she really took it to heart when someone said or did something to her. She didn’t want that to keep her from really getting to know their parents. She decided she’d just have to help Evelyn out a bit; if that meant forcing her to spend time with Robin and Regina one-on-one, then so be it. She knew her sister would thank her later.

They reached the top of the grand, winding staircase. The couple turned to face them, standing in front of a closed solid oak door.

“We’d offer you each your own room, but unfortunately, we only have one spare room,” Robin said.

Regina turned and grasped the brass knob, turning it while she gently pushed the door open. She quickly snapped her fingers and two identical sets of beds, dressers, and bedside tables appeared on either side of the room. She stepped into the middle of the room as her daughters walked in, looking around at their new room, Robin leaning in the doorway.

Evelyn turned her eyes to her mother. They were wide with accusation and, for the first time in years, hope.

“Can you do that again?” She whispered.

Regina knew immediately that she was talking about magic. Her beautiful daughter who resembled her father so much wanted her to display her magic again. Normally, Regina would say no, but today was not a normal day. She offered a soft smile and nodded.

Regina lifted her hand in the air, palm up, and waved her other hand over it. Ever so slowly, a rose grew up from the center of her hand, leaves unfurling from the stem, but petals staying firmly closed into a bulb at the top. She snapped the fingers on her free hand and a clay pot appeared floating in the air. She plucked the rose from her hand and placed it in the pot, then waved her hand over it, filling it with soil. The whole time, she never broke eye contact with her daughter.