Regina wakes up to a quiet house, all alone on Mother's Day. That is until she opens her bedroom door and finds her family in her kitchen.
A Swanqueen Mother's Day
Hello! I randomly decided to write this on a whim. Please note that I haven't proofread it, and I'm literally minutes away from going to bed.
I may or may not proofread eventually *shrugs*
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Regina stretched with a yawn in her large, empty bed. It felt warmer than usual, and when she blinked her eyes open, she saw that the curtains were open and the sun was shining through.
She was positive she hadn't left her curtains open when she went to bed. Regina always closes them. And why hadn't her alarm gone off?
She rolls over and unplugs her phone, finding her usual good morning text from her best friend. A smile spreads across her face as she thinks of the blonde woman, wondering what she's up to. She's probably with her mother, celebrating the holiday.
Regina remembers all of her Mother's Days with Henry when he was young. She was so happy that she got to witness her son and granddaughter celebrate with their wife and mother. It had been so long since she had seen her son and his beautiful family. So long since she had returned to Storybrooke.
But she belonged here.
With the rest of her family.
After being crowned Queen of the United Realms, it didn't take Regina long to know that she belonged back in Storybrooke, and not in a huge castle. The castle was once a metaphor for the walls surrounding her heart. But she was safe now. Those walls were no longer needed, and neither was the castle.
Her eyes finally looked towards the top of her phone screen, and she realized it was just after 9am. How had she slept so late? Even on her days off, she woke up around 7am.
After a few more minutes, Regina sat up and stretched her arms over head, feeling her long hair between her shoulder blades. She then used the bathroom and brushed her teeth, ready to face the day. And after deciding that she would spend the day reading in the backyard, she changed into a tank top and jean shorts.
But as she opened her bedroom door, chatter filled the halls of her empty house.
She stops in her tracks and closes her door again, opening it slowly.
"Shhh she's going to hear us!"
The brunette heard Emma's voice, followed by a giggle as she tried to quiet down whoever she was talking to.
She took a peek down the hall, seeing that both Hope's bedroom door and Emma's were open. What were they up to?
Surely the two weren't spending the day with the Queen. They should be spending it with Snow, David and Neal. She listened closely, hearing more voices that she couldn't necessarily place. People were talking over each other. But there were giggles and whispers filling the once empty house, and it filled Regina's heart.
Emma must have put a silencing spell on her bedroom. It was the only thing that made sense.
She padded barefoot down the hall and then down the staircase, trying to be as quiet as possible.
And then, without Regina's permission, tears filled her eyes.
In her dining room, surrounding the large wooden table was her family. Along with many vases of flowers surrounding her kitchen.
Emma, Snow and Ella were moving around the kitchen, making something that smelled like apple pie and…tamales?
Sitting at the table facing each other, with their legs crossed was Hope and Lucy. They were clapping their hands together, singing the nursery rhyme Miss Mary Mack.
Across the table from her granddaughter and adopted daughter were David and Neal, playing a card game together. David was very much losing, that much she could tell.
And then there was Henry. Her little prince, who wasn't so little anymore. He was walking around the kitchen and dining room, holding a camera, occasionally telling someone to smile. He preferred candid shots, though. And Regina knew he was getting them.
She quietly leaned against the door frame, observing her family. They were all so special and meant so much to her.
Regina isn't quite sure how long she has been there, apparently spacing out and thinking about how beautiful her life was, and how much it had changed. The woman who was once so afraid, but powerful; so lonely with her walls up for everyone; the woman who cursed a town for 28 years because she wanted to get back at Snow White - wanted her to lose her happy ending - well…now she stood in the doorway to her kitchen, watching her family move around each other.
It was quite beautiful, really.
A dream she always dreamed, but never thought she would have.
"Mom!" Henry beamed at her, breaking Regina from her thoughts. Everyone's attention was on her now.
She was pulled into a hug, and then felt two more pairs of arms around her waist. Regina's tears were now streaming down her face.
"Hola, Abuela!" She heard Lucy say.
At the same time, she heard little Hope say "Mommy, you're awake!" She had just seen the little munchkin last night, when both her and Emma had put Hope to bed. But they were always excited to see each other.
Regina opened her eyes and saw Emma beaming at her, looking like a goddamn golden retriever. She loved her so much. There had always been something between, but neither woman ever acted on it. Occasionally they'd cuddle or hold hands, and they were raising Hope together, but they had never kissed nor been intimate.
But Regina would wait. She would always wait for her Savior.
"It's good to see you, mom," Henry said as he pulled away. "Ma said everyone had to be here. We tried to keep it a surprise." He stepped back and sat down at the table.
"Finally!" Snow exclaimed. It sounded like a grunt had come from her tiny form and she sat in a chair, looking completely exhausted. "I've had to keep this secret for months, Regina! Months! Emma even threatened me."
"Whoa, whoa," Emma was holding up her hands in surrender, a dish towel thrown over her shoulder. "All I said was that you couldn't see Hope for a week if you spilled the beans. That's barely a threat."
Everyone was laughing now, but Regina's hands were being tugged on. "Hello, mi amor. I've missed you," she told her granddaughter.
Luci wrapped her arms around her waist again. "I've missed you too, Abuela. When can we eat?" She looked up with a wide smile. Lucy was definitely Henry's daughter.
"Soon, I hope," Regina reassured.
"Mama's making yummy food!" Hope exclaimed, jumping up and down.
"Is she?" Regina asked with a sly grin on her face. "Or is she actually burning it?"
"Hey!" Emma shouted from the kitchen. "I heard that!"
"It's okay, Regina. I'm babysitting here. She needed an adult!" Ella called back. Regina was sure she could hear Emma grumbling under her breath.
Regina sat down in between her son and granddaughter, as they told her all about their adventures in the different realms. She hadn't seen them in so long - at least a year, but it felt like so much longer. They looked the same as the last time they had visited. It was always peculiar how time worked differently in different realms.
They were soon fed, and both Emma and Ella had promised that they followed Regina's own recipes to make the meal and dessert that they had created. Ella was a wonderful cook, having learned most of what she knew from her own mother. Regina definitely trusted her daughter in law in her kitchen.
Emma, on the other hand…
The blonde was sitting across from her, occasionally giving her those same heart eyes that Regina had seen on many occasions.
There was the day that Regina was crowned Queen of the United Realms. And then again when she had moved back to Storybrooke and she had shown up on Emma's doorstep. And then a few months later when Emma had asked if she would be Hope's other mother and formally adopt her, raising Hope together. Emma gave her the same look the day she had asked the blonde to move in with her.
Truly, there were many times that Emma Swan had given Regina this look, and it made her melt every single time, without a doubt.
At some point, everyone had finished eating both brunch and dessert. The children had gone out back to play, Henry and Ella were keeping an eye out, making sure the pretend sword fighting didn't get out of hand. Snow and David were washing the dishes and cleaning up, but were done soon enough to join everyone outside.
And Regina…well, she was sitting on a bench in her backyard, under a large shade tree, watching her family.
David kept fake-dying by the hands of his own granddaughter, and Regina had to admit that she was quite the swordsperson; much better than her pirate of a father. She wondered for a moment, what ever happened to Killian Jones, the one-handed wonder. She quickly found that she didn't care.
Snow was summoning birds to land on her finger, apparently training Neal to do the same. Regina rolled her eyes.
Henry and Ella were standing close to each other, Henry's hand around his wife's waist. Regina was so happy that her son had found his one true love; if anyone deserved it, it was her little prince.
Then there was Lucy, who was attempting to avenge her grandfather's fake-death.
Her eyes wandered the backyard multiple times, in search of Emma. She was about to go back inside in search of the blonde when she heard, "Whatcha thinking about?" Emma had been sitting beside her. This whole time, apparently. She jumped slightly, before a gentle hand was placed on her back.
"Thinking about how happy I am," she answered truthfully.
"I'm glad," Emma murmured.
Finally, she turned to the other woman. Emma had that same stupid look on her face. "You really did all this?"
A red blush crept along Emma's neck and face as she very clearly attempted to look away. "I may have had some help," she shrugged. "I just wanted you to have the best Mother's Day. You've spent so long taking care of everyone here, we all wanted to do something for you. You're the glue that holds this family together."
Regina let out a small gasp as tears pricked her eyes. Was she the glue to this rag tag group or people she called a family? She looked out at everyone running around her yard before looking back at Emma.
She took a deep breath and finally decided to do something she had wanted to do for years. Regina leaned forward and connected her lips with Emma's. The other woman seemed shocked at first, and Regina was worried for all of three seconds before pale hands cupped her face, and chapped lips moved against her own.
No matter how much she reminded Emma to wear chapstick, she somehow always forgot, or washed it in the laundry.
There were cheers all around them, and Snow's shrill voice squealing about True Love's Kiss.
But there wasn't a spell to break this time.
Life was pretty amazing. This family of hers was quite unique, and maybe even special.
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Hopefully there weren't too many mistakes, and this little one shot flowed nicely. I'd love to hear your thoughts, and if you'd like to see more holiday inspired Swanqueen💚