She trudged through the door, closing it rather loudly behind her. She sighed and dropped her purse onto the hall table, hung her coat on the rack.
"Regina?"
She heard him call to her and slowly moved forward.
"Coming," she said tiredly.
She found him on the couch, Roland curled up in his lap watching a movie. She dropped herself heavily next to him and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
"Did you have a good day at work?"
"It was long."
"Roland, why don't you head upstairs so your mum and I can talk before dinner, alright?"
The boy nodded, his curls flouncing all over his face, and ran up the curving flight of stairs to his bedroom.
"Uh oh. What do we need to talk about that Ro can't hear?"
"Nothing bad so stop worrying. I just didn't want to upset him more. I told him that Henry's moving out and he didn't take it well."
"Lots of tears?"
"You know it. Any way, Henry and I finished packing up his room today. Since tomorrow is Saturday, I was thinking we could load up my truck and move his things over to Emma's."
Regina nodded, but stayed silent. She wasn't at all fond of the subject matter.
"You okay, love?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," she trailed, but Robin noticed that distant look in her eye, and it took him back to just months ago, to the week after the miscarriage, to Regina seconds away from harming herself. He was so afraid she'd go back to that, so he nudged her gently, and she turned her face to look at him.
She saw the fear, the worry in his eyes, and she felt immediately guilty. She could read him, and she knew that he was afraid she was getting depressed again, that she would do something regretful. She sighed and took his hand, running her thumb over the rough skin of his knuckles.
"I'm okay, Robin. Really. Sure, I'm sad that Henry's moving in with Emma, but I'll get used to the idea of him not being around. I'll have to, anyway, because it's quickly becoming a reality. But I know what you're thinking, and it isn't that. I'm not 'relapsing,' so to speak, and I don't plan on it. And I promised you that if I ever felt that way again, I'd come to you. Don't you think I'd make good on that promise?"
"I know, love. I just worry about you."
"I know, baby. And to be honest, I do too. I worry that I'll start feeling that way again, and that scares me. But I know that if I do, I'll be able to come to you, and I will. So you don't need to worry. Not about that any way."
He smiled at her. She always knew what to say. He kissed her forehead as she rested her hand on his thigh.
"What do I need to worry about then?"
"Getting Henry's old room ready before the arrival of our daughter. Although I suppose you shouldn't worry too much, you do still have four-ish months."
He chuckled and placed his hand on her round belly, and she turned her head and smiled at him.
"I'm going to go upstairs and put on something more comfortable before we head to Granny's- the Charming's are announcing the new baby's name, finally. Can you make sure the kids are ready to go?"
He nodded and she let him help her off the couch, before trudging upstairs to her bedroom. She peeled off her crimson blouse and maternity slacks, stretching her arms over her head. She walked into her closet and pulled a soft yellow sundress from a hanger and slipped into it. She wrapped herself in a navy blue blazer and flats, then shuffled into her bathroom.
She ran a comb through her hair, touched up her lipstick- a very natural-looking pink- and sprayed herself with a bit of perfume before heading back downstairs.
Robin came up to her and kissed her cheek.
"You look lovely, lovely," he smirked.
"Thank you. And you look very dapper, babe," she said, taking him in, in his light wash jeans, navy button-up, and white Vans.
He thanked her and placed a hand on her lower back, ushering her to the door as he said "Come along. The kids are all in the car and ready to go."
She nodded and, with some trouble, climbed into the passenger seat. She turned to look at her kids and was immensely thankful that they had sprung for a nice champagne colored suburban. Emilia and Evelyn sat in the middle, both in lovely yellow dresses with white polka dots. Evelyn wore a navy blue necklace and white sandals, and Emilia had settled for navy flats and no jewelry.
The boys sat in the 'way back,' as the kids had taken to calling it. Henry sported a navy polo and khakis, finishing the look with Sperry's and a yellow blazer that Regina didn't even know he owned. Roland, like his father, wore light wash jeans and a white shirt, a navy blue jumper over it to keep his arms warm. He wore dark blue Converse and, of course, yellow socks.
She smiled at her four beautiful babies, and each one returned the grin with some confusion.
"Mom? Everything okay? You're starting to get misty up there," Evelyn teased.
"Yeah," Regina said, "I'm just so proud to call you four my kids."
Robin finally slid into the driver's seat and started the car.
"What took so long?" Regina asked.
"Well, I ran back inside to use the restroom, and as I was heading back out here, Killian called. He wanted to know if Roland could spend the night tonight- apparently Rose has taken an interest in Mario Kart and wanted Roland to come play with her."
"Oh, how sweet! So is Ro going home with them?"
"We are actually taking him home so he can get an overnight bag ready, then Emma and Rose are going to stop by and pick him up."
"Right."
She looked over her shoulder at the three teenagers.
"You three are home tonight, though, right?"
"Actually, I'm taking Grace out on a date after the name reveal. We haven't been able to spend much time together lately because we've been so busy," Henry called from the back.
"Evie and I are babysitting for the Charming's so they can have a night out, as well. So you guys are alone for the night," Emilia said.
She nodded and turned to Robin as he parked the car.
The kids jumped out and ran in, but Regina grabbed Robin's wrist to hold him back, and he turned his attention to her.
"So... When were all those plans made?" She asked.
"Oh, throughout the week. Why?"
"Nothing, I just... Why didn't you mention it?"
"Well, you worked pretty late at the office for most of the week. Today was the earliest you got home. And it was dinner time as soon as you got home, and then it was Roland's bedtime. By the end of all that, you were so worn out that you were fast asleep by eight-thirty."
She bit the inside of her lip. Had she really been neglecting her family for the last week? It sounded like she had. And worse, it honestly could have been going on for a lot longer than just a week, and she hadn't even realized it. And for what? Work? Nothing- not even her mayoral duties- was more important than her family. Her kids probably didn't feel very loved. Hell, her husband probably didn't feel loved! Something had to change.
"We should probably get inside, Gina. They're waiting on us."
She nodded and let him help her out of the car, though her mind was preoccupied with other things.
----------
She sat on the outside of the booth, Robin next to her, Emma and Killian across from them. Snow and David had a table pulled up next to them and sat across from each other.
Snow put a hand on her arm.
"Regina, you look absolutely beautiful! Pregnancy really works for you!"
Regina chuckled.
"Thank you, Snow. You look great, too, considering you just gave birth."
Snow gave a nod of thanks.
"So what have you been up to? I haven't been out much since the baby was born."
"Work...," Regina sighed. "I guess I've gotten lost in the paperwork and phone calls of being the mayor. I had no idea the girls were babysitting for you tonight, or that Henry was taking Grace out tonight until the car ride over here."
Even she could hear the regret in her voice.
"You should probably start taking it easy on the work. You're what, five months now? You need to be focussing on this baby- nursery, baby shower, relaxing to keep you both healthy. Stress isn't good for either of you."
"I know...," she trailed, turning in her seat to face Snow more.
"I was thinking of working from home for the next few months."
"Or...," Snow paused, hoping her next comment wouldn't upset her friend.
"Or you could let Belle take over. Just for a few months, until you've had the baby, you know?"
"Belle?" Regina asked. She had thought the woman already had a job.
"Yeah. Since her and Rumple got divorced, money's been tight. The library doesn't quite bring in enough income for her. She could always use the extra cash. I'd be happy to train her for you, if you want."
Regina thought for a moment.
"What if I just... gave her the job altogether? I mean, for a while, I was a stay at home mom, and I kind of enjoyed it. And I've been the mayor for what, thirty years? God knows we've got enough money in savings to live on."
"I think that's a wonderful idea! But you should probably talk to Robin before you finalize anything."
"Right, I'm just thinking out loud here. Now when are you going to tell us that poor boy's name? I'm tired of calling him 'baby.'"
Snow laughed and nudged David, pulling him out of his conversation with Robin, Killian,and Emma.
"I think everyone would like to know our son's name now," she chuckled.
The pair stood, their precious son in Snow's arms.
"Attention, everyone. I think we've kept you all waiting long enough. We'd like to finally share with you the name of our son. Snow?" David said, looking to his wife.
The woman smiled at her friends and family, holding the baby boy up.
"Please welcome Prince Neal Henry Nolan."
They all clapped, and Emma and Regina shared a watery glance. The names of their son and his father.
"And Regina," David said when the noise died down. "Would you and Robin do us the honor of being his godparents?"
If Regina had been crying before, she really was now as she nodded vigrously, the grin never leavin her face.
Snow sat and offered the baby to her, and she gladly took hold of him, cradling him close to her chest. She smiled down at him, wiping her eyes with one hand.
"Hey there, Prince Neal. I'm Regina. I'm your godmother, and you can bet your little bottom I'm going to spoil you."
Next to her, Robin chuckled at the baby voice she used to talk to the little prince. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
Regina turned her head to look at Snow.
"What made you choose Henry for his middle name?"
"Well, for one, Henry is a great kid. I can only hope Neal grows up to be like your son. And also, though I didn't know your father personally, he was a great man. The way you talk about him, he sounds like he did a wonderful job loving you. I want my son to love like that. So Neal Henry just seemed to be the perfect fit, and Davd agreed."
Regina sniffled and smiled at her friend.
"Thank you, Snow. For giving me a family, despite everything I did to you."
"i would go through it all again if it meant my son would get to grow up with you in his life. I'm glad you're apart of our family."
The two women smiled at each other before Regina returned her attention to the precious baby in her arms. He giggled up at her and wrapped him tiny hand around her finger, and she kissed his forehead softly.
"I can't wait til that's our baby you're holding," Robin whispered in her ear.
"Me either," she whispered back, leaning into him.
Boy, was she excited to finally have a baby of her own.
----------
The second they got home, she plopped on the couch. She'd been going going going all day and all she wanted was to climb into bed and let the warmth of sleep pull her under, but she was determined to spend some much needed time with her husband.
He had gone upstairs to help Roland pack his bag. The girls had gone home with Snow and David. Henry had already left to pick up Grace.
She stretched her arms over her head and yawned, struggling to stand from the couch. Finally, she pushed herself upright and began to head to the kitchen for a glass of ice water. The ring of the doorbell stopped her in her tracks, and she turned to go answer it.
Emma stood there with an anxious little Rose bouncing beside her. Her soft brown curls were a tangled mess, but she grinned brightly up at Regina.
"Hi, Gina!" She squealed.
"Hey, sweet girl!" Regina said, squatting as best she could to hug the child.
She tried to stand back up wth a grunt and realized it just wasn't gonig to happen.
"Emma, can you help me up?" She sighed.
The blonde obliged and took Regina by the elbows, helping her to her feet.
"Thanks," she said breathlessly. "Roland should be down any second. Robin went up to help him pack a bag."
RIght on cue, little footsteps could be heard pounding down the steps, and the boy was seen flying down the hall, his mess of sweaty curls flying off his forehead as he grinned wildly.
"No running in the house, son!" Robin hollered, a few secods behind the boy.
Emma and Regina chuckled, watching as Roland and Rose raced to the yellow bug.
"I hope they stay this close," Regina said quietly, tearing up.
God, she hated these damn hormones.
"Hey, don't get all emotional on us now, Regnia. You were doing so well!" Emma teased.
Regina laughed again and sniffled.
"Sorry. I really hate hormones," she sighed.
Emma laughed,"I'm gonna get these two home for some Mario Kart, or whatever else they come up with. Call me whe you guys want your kid back tomorrow."
They said their goodbyes and Regina shut the door quietly behind her friend, locking it so she wouldn't forget later.
She turned to Robin and smiled, leaning back against the door.
"I'm sorry," she said, and he gave her a confused look.
"For neglecting you and the kids this week, or however long I've been doing it. I know I tell you I love you all the time, but I've done an awful job at showing it. You probably don't feel very loved. Hell, you probably wish you weren't tied down to me so you could go find someone who actually shows they care..."
She walked around him and back to the living room, stripping off her blazer to reveal the two thick straps crossing her back in an 'x' shape that held her dress up. She sat down heavily on the couch and leaned her hea back, her eyes finding his as he followed her. She watched him walk around the couch and sit next to her, and when she looked at him, her expression reminded him of a puppy with its tail between its legs.
"You could not be more wrong. There is not another person in this town, or this world, or any other world that I would rather be with than you."
"What about when told me you'd walk through hell to be with your wife again?"
"First of all, that was literally more than a year ago. And second, you're my wife, and I would most definitely walk through hell for you."
She rolled her eyes at him.
"You know I love you, right? Even though I've been a shitty wife, I still love you, and I always will, and nothing will ever change that."
"I know."
"I'm sorry."
"You don't need to apologize, but I forgive you any way."
"Anything I can do to make it up to you?" she asked. She really did feel guilty.
"Well, there is one thing... But I doubt if you're game for it right now."
"I'm game for anything if you are," she said.
"So... Sex?"
"Okay, maybe not that," she scoffed. "Sorry, baby, but you see this overinflated belly? Our kid is in there, and she's kind of in the way of sex right now."
He laughed and kissed her cheek.
"How about we just head up to bed then? You must be exhausted after today."
"No," she whined. "I want to actually talk to you."
"Then talk away, love."
She thought for a moment, then remembered her conversation with Snow earlier that evening.
"I was thinking of giving Belle my job..."
"Temporarily or permanenty...?" He asked.
"Permanently... Unless you think I need to keep it. I mean, it isn't like money's tight for us. I have a lot in savings from before the curse was broken. We could definitely live off it. But if you think I should keep my job, I will."
"Well, Belle's been struggling financially a bit, hasn't she? I understand the library doesn't bring in much income."
Regina nodded.
"Are you okay with it? I just, I really liked being a stay at home mom for those few months that Snow was mayor. And Belle needs the money more than we do..."
"I am totally fine with it. And if money ever does get tight, I can get a job, as well."
"Okay, then I will call Belle in the morning."
He slid closer to her and pulled her to lean against his chest. He ran his fingers through her hair gently, humming softly.
After a few minutes, she reached up and grabbed his hand to stop him.
"Please don't," she said groggily.
"Is something wrong?" He asked, concerned.
"No, but if you keep doing that, I'm going to fall asleep, and I want to spend time with you."
"Well, I'll tell you what: why don't we go up to bed now, and we can spend tomorrow together since it's Saturday. Kind of like a date, but we stay home and it lasts all day."
She chuckled softly.
"I guess I can settle for that."
He helped her stand up and together they slowly but surely made it up the stairs. She stripped out of her clothes and he tossed her a pair of pajamas to slip into. When both were changed and had brushed their teeth, they fell into bed together and cuddled as best they could around Regina's five month baby bump.
He resumed carding his fingers through her hair and humming,and she fell asleep with a soft smile ghosting her lips.
----------
The golden morning sunshine shone through the half-open curtains and Regina stretched and yawned, blinking her eyes as they adjusted to the change in lighting.
Next to her, Robin stirred as well, rolling over to face her. He smiled, dimples indenting his cheeks, and she couldn't help but smile back at him.
"Good morning, my love," she said quietly.
"Good morning to you," he replied, kissing her nose.
She sat up with some struggle, groaning with the ache in her back. Her white v-neck had ridden up in the back and Robin's hand immediately found the warm skin there and rubbed her back softly, his fingers dipping into the waistband of her blue and green plaid pajama pants.
"Watch it there, hun," she said over her shoulder, "I am the size of a whale, so if you're thinking you're gonna get some, you're wrong."
He sat up and scooted closer to her, wrapping his arm around her an rubbing her side.
"Regina, you are not the size of a whale."
"Do you see this?" She gestured to her belly. "This positively screams 'whale.' I'm fat, I'm achy all over, I'm always tired. How can you sleep next to me knowing this is how I look?"
"Regina, we've been over this," he groaned. "I don't love you for how you look, I love you for who you are. And you are not fat, you are pregnant. There's avery big difference between the two. In all seriousness, Regina, I still think you are absolutely gorgeous, and I always will."
She leaned into him, hugging him as best she could.
"Thank you, Robin. For putting up with me."
"Only because I love you," he said, kissing her cheek.
She giggle as she crawling out of bed. She grabbed her robe of the hook and swung it around herself, shuffling out of the bedroom and down the hall. She pushed open Henry's door and was met with bare walls and an empty room. The smile fell from her face a she remembered Henry was moving in with Emma that day. She sighed and leaned her head against the doorframe, closed her eyes fo a second and imagined that her baby wasn't really moving out, that it was just a dream. As she opened her eyes and closed the door, she heard footsteps coming up the stairs and turned to see Henry coming up. He spotted her and smiled sadly, and she opened her arms to him. He hugged her and she pulled him close.
"Oh, I'm gonna miss you, baby," she whispered.
"I'll miss you too, Momma. But don't worry, I'll be over all the time to help out. Oh, and Grace offered to help out with the nursery. I hope it's okat that I told her you'd like that. I just figured you guys could, I don't know, bond or something."
"I'm looking forward to it, Hen. You really want your mom to get to know your girlfriend?"
"Yeah! You're the two most important women in my life. I want you to like each other. I know you've talked a bit, but it's important to me that you guys are close."
"Well, I would love to get to know your girlfriend."
"Good, because she's coming over later to have lunch with you. But she's bringing something from Granny's, so you don't have to cook anything."
Regina rolled her eyes and laughed. After all these years with her boy, he had learned to go with the flow. Henry ran back downstairs to begin loading Robin's truck. She walked across the hall to the girls' room and lightly pushed open the door. She was surprised to see both her girls sitting on the floor in the middle of the room, working on some project Regina couldn't quite make out without her glasses.
"Good morning, girls," she said softly, leaning against the doorway.
The two jumped, heads snapping up to look at her, deer-in-the-headlights looks plastered on their faces.
Emilia scrambled for words, her jaw working as her brain stalled.
Evelyn snapped her fingers and the project before them disappeared. She smiled sweetly at her mother and said, "Good morning. Sleep well?"
She studied her daughters closely as Emilia followed her sister's lead, plasterin a smile on her face.
"Yes, I did," she said suspiciously. "What are you girls up to?"
"Oh, just some light crafting. Do you need help with breakfast?"
"Yeah, actually. I'm going to put your dad and brother's to work cleaning while we work on breakfast."
"Sure thing. But why are they cleaning?" Emilia asked.
"Henry's girlfriend is stopping by to have lunch with me, apparently. I'd like for her to come into a clean home, not a pigsty."
"Oh, Grace? I've speant some time with her, studying and such. Mind if I crash the party?" Evie asked.
"Sure thing, baby. What about you, Em? You staying?"
"Nah, I promised the Charming's I'd watch Neal. They wanted to help Henry move in. I'm taking Ro, too, so Dad can help."
"Okay, well come help me with breakfast."
The girls nodded as Regina stepped out of the doorway, almost bumping into her husband.
"Hello, my love," he said sweetly.
"Hey, babe. I need you and the boys to clean the house while the girls and I work on breakfast, okay? Henry's girlfriend is coming over for lunch with me and Evie, and I'd like for the house to look at least a bit presentable."
"I think we can handle that," he said, turning around. "Boys, up and at 'em! Mommy wants us to clean up a bit before breakfast."
Regina heaed down the stairs and to the kitchen, pulling out a bowl and a few measuring cups. She headed to the cupboard for the ingredients as the girls walked in.
"What're we makin', Mama?" Emilia asked.
"Em, can you start on waffles? And Evie, I need you to make the eggs. And I will handle the bacon."
And with that, the women got to work, whisking and beating frying, making a wonderful breakfast for their family.
----------
The doorbell rang and Regina let her daughter assist her in standing from the couch. She opened the door to a mess of blond curls tucked into a ponytail and bright hazel eyes grinning at her.
"Hey, Grace! Come on in," she said cheerily, opening the door for the girl.
"Hi, Mrs. Locksley. How have you been?"
"I've been doing really well, thank you. And you? We haven't seen much of you lately."
"Yeah, I've been pretty busy lately, studying for finals and working. I've been saving up for my own car."
"Well, that sounds very responsible of you. I hope you don't mind, but one of my daughers decided to spend lunch with us."
"Oh, that's completely fine! I actually picked up a little extra frm Granny's so you wouldnt have to cook for a couple days, so there should be enough for the three of us. I didn't know Henry had sisters."
"It's a bit of a lon story," Regina said, leading her into the kitchen where Evelyn was placing three glasses of tea on the bar.
"Evie?" Grace exclaimed.
"Hey, Grace!"
"You didn't tell me you guys found your parents!"
"Well, we did," Evelyn said, wrapping an arm around her mother. "I'll explain later."
The three women sat down at the bar to eat their lunch from Storybrooke's finest diner. They talked a bit, but focused mainly on the fellowship and food.
"So, mom," Evelyn said when they had finished eating. "Do you have a name picked out for the baby?"
"As a matter of fact, I do. But no, I will not tell you."
Her daughter groaned and she chuckled.
"Have you started on the nursery yet?" Grace asked.
"No... For a little while, we didn't have room for a nursery.But then Henry decided to move in with Emma- which is what the rest of my family is doing right now. So we'll probably start working on it within the next few weeks."
"Well, if you'd like, I'd love to stop by and help out."
"I would really appreciate that, Grace. Thank you. Are you handy with a paint brush?" She asked, standing from her barstool and taking their dirty plates to the sink.
"I'm handy with anything crafty."
"Then I will definitely put you t good use," Regina chuckled.
Grace stayed an hour or so more after that to get an idea of what Regina wanted for the nursery. Evelyn offered her and her sister's services as well, and the women agreed to meet up when Robin had finished painting the walls.
All three were looking forward to another afternoon together.
----------
They sat in bed side by side as the day came to a close, bringing them another day closer to Regina's sixth month of pregnancy as it neared the end of the month.
He had agreed to paint the walls of Henry's old room to match Regina's colors scheme for the nursery.
He stared at her as she sat next to him, glasses slowly sliding down the bridge of her nose causing her to reach up and resettle them every so often, reading What to Expect When You're Expecting: A New Mother's Guide to Pregnancy. He set his hand gently on her thigh and she looked up at him with a blank look on her face. He thought she was adorable.
"How was lunch with Grace?" he asked.
"Reall good. She offered to help set up the nursery. Evie said she and Em woud help, as well. So your ther job, aside from the walls, is furnishing the room."
"I can handle that."
"How was moving Henry in?"
"It went really smoothly. We got all the furnitre and boxes in, and started unpacking his room. He did say he wanted you to come help him finish, though. He refuses to unpack anything else until you can be there."
She smiled softly and sighed.
"I love that boy so much."
"Ah, so do I."
Regina placed her book on the nightstand and took of her glasses, turning out the light.
"Let's go to bed."
Helped her lay down and kissed her sweetly, whispering "Good night, Regina. I love you."
She whispered it back and with that, they drifted into a peaceful slumber.
----------
A/N: Hey, lovelies! I am so so so glad to finally be able to update again! You would not believe how much I've missed it.
Again, I want to apologize for the four month wait. Thinking about how long it's been honestly makes me want to cry (I'm tearing up right now, now joke). I hope you can all forgive me for my absense. Writing on my phone is very tedious and difficult, and something I typically don't want to put up with. But since I got this snazzy little keyboard, which I connect to my phone via bluetooth, it has been much easier. It is actually what enabled me to write this chapter for y'all.
This, the TWENTY-FIRST CHAPTER OF EVER AFTER!! Can you believe how far this has come?! It honestly seems so surreal to me. But I am so thanful each and every day for the love and support all of you show me- from those of you who have been here since I began this story last year (what!), to those of you just now joinging the club. Thank you all so much for everything. I appreciate you beyond measure. Y'all are what keep me going!!
One more thing- I think we're getting closer to the end of this story. Don't worry, there are still ten or so more chapters to come, but I just wanted to prepare you. But fear not, I bring good news! I have been having a lot of ideas lately for an alternate universe fanfiction. Not promising anything to happen soon, but keep that in mind and I'll keep y'all updated.
Once again, I'm so sorry for my absence. But I thank all of you deeply. I am overflowing with gratitude and love for you all. You're all amazing and wonderful- never forget that!
Much love,
Emily Anne