Little khaki pants, a plaid button-down, short sleeve shirt with a tiny tie. He's dressed to impress with the outfit Regina bought him specifically for this day. One hand is held firmly in between Ingrid's and the other is locked inside of Miss Matthews' as they walk in sync down the hall. The moment his eyes land upon them, he's tugging and yanking to be set free from the hands keeping him secure.
Miss Matthews is the first to release his hand. "My mommies!" Henry squeals as he attempts to wiggle his hand free from Ingrid's firm clutches.
The older woman's eyes drift up from the little boy to discover Regina and Emma patiently waiting with Mr. French. Ingrid pats Henry's hand before she releases him and keeps a very close eye on him. Henry's shoes squeak and echo through the building as he runs toward them at full speed. Emma bends down and scoops up the little boy into her arms in one swift motion. She holds him close, her heart beating recklessly against his while she attacks the side of his face with playful kisses.
"Sharing is caring, Em," Regina pouts as she holds her hands out for her little prince and Henry giggles in response as he leaps into her embrace. "Hi, my sweet boy. Have you been a brave little boy these past two days?"
Henry nods enthusiastically reminding Emma so much of when they first met him; a shy, quiet little boy with hardly any words. She smiles from ear to ear and brushes back some of his thick chestnut locks.
Miss Matthews and Ingrid soon approach them with warm smiles gracing their faces and it's enough to make Emma feel confident about this custody battle.
"I thought we were supposed to meet here at ten?" Emma asks Miss Matthews, suddenly feeling a little panicked that they messed up their time.
"Oh, no. You and Regina are right on time. They asked to speak with the child beforehand without any of the parties involved present. That way everything Henry says is from him and not because some told him to say it," the social worker carefully explains with a gentle smile in place.
"Was he okay? Was he nervous? Or scared?" Her girlfriend investigates in a rush as she rocks Henry closer to her chest.
Emma can tell Regina's horrified that he had to experience something like that at such a young age and especially without them, but hopefully this will all be over soon.
"He did wonderfully." Miss Matthews rests her hand on Regina's upper arm as her smile grows wider, expressing her comfort and support. "He really adores you two. You have nothing to worry about. The judge simply sat down with Henry while he played and asked him some questions regarding you two and his mother."
Emma and Regina both exhale rather loudly as they push out every fear and turmoil that's been possessing their exhausted bodies.
"Gina, look!" Henry gasps with his tiny finger pointing out toward the extravagant front doors of the building.
Regina and Emma both spin around abruptly to discover a rather large group of familiar faces dressed to impress and strutting confidently in as a united front. Emma's parents, Cora, Zelena, Ruby, Belle, Ellie, Killian and Robin, all approach with award winning smiles dancing across their faces. Emma glances over at her girlfriend to discover those dark eyes glossing over just like her own.
Regina sets the little boy down, who immediately stands between them and grabs hold of each of their hands.
"Wh-what are you guys all doing here?" Emma stutters, utterly dumbfounded as her eyes shift frantically around all the loving faces smiling back at them.
Her mother steps forward and gently cups her cheeks, her soft thumbs sweeping tenderly across her flushed skin.
"Did you honestly think we wouldn't show up to support you two during this time?"
Emma offers her mother half of a smile before she leans forward and wraps her free arm around Mary Margret's neck. "Thank you."
"No need to thank me, that's what mothers are for, correct?" Mary Margret questions, tugging her in even closer and forcing a gust of sweet aroma to invade her nostrils. Home.
"Regina, darling," Cora's short snippy tone is still firmly in place as she steps closer to her daughter. Emma immediately pulls away from her mother to watch Cora's interaction with her daughter. "You and Emma have nothing to worry about. You are both wonderful mothers and you've only just begun," the woman's cold face actually cracks into a small smile before she bends down to kiss Henry's forehead affectionately.
Each one of their friends take their time to hug them and whisper encouraging, positive, thoughts before they file into the small court room. Emma and Regina need to simply present their case to the judge, on why it would be in the best interest for Henry to live with them.
"Henry," Milah calls from down a long hall.
Emma's curious green eyes quickly flick to Miss Matthews in confusion. "Is she allowed to see him right now?"
"Legally, yes she is. She is allowed to say hello."
Her hand automatically tightens around Henry's hand and she can guarantee Regina is doing the same thing to his other hand. Her jaw flexes as Milah waves to Henry and the simple gesture causes every single person around them to stiffen.
"Come here," Milah says, waving her son over, but he doesn't budge. "Henry, come on. I want a hug. I miss you," she claims just before she is in arms reach, but he makes no effort in stepping forward.
Henry peers up at Emma first, his dark green eyes expressing just how confused he is right now. His eyes slowly crawl over to Regina for guidance as well, so she smiles down at the young boy and cups his chin affectionately.
"Would you like to give your mom a hug?" Regina softly whispers, but Henry is recoiling, stepping back to hide behind Emma and Regina's hands that are still firmly holding onto him.
"Henry," Milah gasps, leaning forward and holding out a shaky hand while every person is watching her hand carefully as if some sort of evil magic is about to pour out of it. "Mommy misses you."
"My mommies!" Henry demands, shoving Emma and Regina's hands in front of Milah's face so she can see that he wants them and not her.
"Henry!" Milah pleads with her son yet again, but he's refusing to budge even an inch closer.
"You left. Gina and Em don't leave. Dare my mommies. Day love me," Henry softly and timidly explains before he shies away behind their legs.
Every single person is standing motionless, slack-jawed at what the little boy just expressed. Emma feels so unbelievably honored and so proud that he understands what a true parent is and he sees that in her and Regina.
A conservative man standing behind Milah, who Emma assumes is her representative, clears his throat awkwardly. "They are ready for us," he informs the large group of people all gawking at scene before them.
Her and Regina bend down and each hug Henry tight one last time. "Ingrid is going to take you out for a light snack okay? Hopefully by the time you come back, we will be out to visit with you," Emma explains before planting a kiss to his freckled nose.
"We love you, Henry, we will see you in a little bit. Be good for Ingrid okay?" Regina instructs her little prince as he firmly nods in response.
Her girlfriend places Henry's hand into Ingrid's and offers the woman a grateful smile and together they watch as the older woman guides Henry out of the courthouse. Regina then inhales sharply and slips her hand in Emma's before she turns her attention toward her.
"Are you ready?" There's a weak smile tugging at the corner of Regina's mouth, but she can read her like an open book after twenty-four years together.
Emma encloses the minimal gap between them and softly presses her lips to Regina's to help ease some of the tension rolling off her.
"I love you, we've got this," she reassures her with a cheeky grin sliding into place as she squeezes her hand.
"I love you too, Emma."
And just like that, the stress is slowly slipping away from Regina's face, leaving an honest smile behind.
~~~~~~~
Before they know it, Mr. French is laying out all the details to their case in front of the judge. And right after that, Milah's representative is explaining her side of the story, which includes some sad claim that Henry was with the babysitter and had never been in harm's way.
Now, it was Regina's turn to answer a few questions regarding Henry with their friends and family sitting behind them for moral support.
"Miss Mills, can you explain why you think it would be in the best interest for Henry to live with a couple who isn't even married? Over his own mother?"
And there it is, something they knew was coming to unfairly attack their credibility.
"Emma and I have known each other since the day she was born. We have been together since we were fifteen. We have every intention on marrying one another and we even plan to have more children together. I am two years shy of graduating from law school, so Emma and I were trying to be responsible, and wait until I graduated before we wed. Then Henry came into our lives and he has been our number one priority since. So, our plans changed a little. Instead of graduating, then marriage then a child, it's now a child, graduating then marriage. Emma and I being married has nothing to do with our love for Henry, Milah herself is single. We take care of that little boy every day as if he were our own. We feed him, bathe him, taught him how to talk, how to use a fork. We buy him clothes, food and toys. Everything two parents should do. So, I don't believe Emma and I owning a piece of paper confirming our love to one another effects our parenting skills the least bit."
Emma smiles from ear to ear at her girlfriend's heartfelt words. She is so in love with this woman and if the court needs a silly piece of paper to feel more at ease about this adoption, then she'll sweep Regina off her feet and marry her right now. Nothing is going to change between them. They have seen the world without one another and it's a dark place that neither one of them would like to visit again. They are forever.
"Miss Swan, why do you think you are better suited for Henry rather than his own mother?"
She clears her throat and shakes her hands free from all the built-up anxiety torturing her muscles right now. She releases a slow and unsteady breath to calm herself before she begins her defense.
"Even when Henry was in the care of Milah, he was with us. On her days off from work, he was with us. She was always late to pick him up and never left anything he may need for the day. Henry is not Milah's priority. She doesn't even feed him before he comes over. What is the point of giving Milah custody when someone else is going to have him all the time. She's a drug addict. She left him alone for nine days and even though she claims he was safe because he was with us, that doesn't give a parent the right to disappear like that and never check in. We love him and take care of him. We are there every day and he knows it. He's three and understands what a true parent is. He knows Milah will leave again and he doesn't trust her, but he trusts us enough to call us both, mommy."
"Thank you, Miss Swan," the judge politely says with a curt head nod. "We will take a fifteen-minute recess and then continue."
Everyone seems to rush in a haste to the hallway without a word spoken. The room is suffocating with their future in the palm of its hand, and they both desperately need some fresh air. Regina and Emma burst through the doors with their family close behind, offering reassuring smiles and support.
"How do you think it's going?" Regina blurts out, her nerves on full display as she quickly snaps her attention to Mr. French.
"It's hard to say. Truthfully judges don't like to grant custody to a third party on a parent's first offense," he politely confesses, offering a weak smile in return. "I'm going to grab some water, I will be back shortly."
Regina and Emma nod and watch the man hurry down the hall. Emma exhales and rest her forehead against Regina's shoulder, prompting her girlfriend to snake her hand under long golden tresses and gently rub her sore neck.
"We've got this," Regina repeats while soothing a small headache that's starting to form from Emma's anxiety.
"I know," she mumbles into her shirt, even though she doesn't even trust her own words.
~~~~~~~
Fifteen minutes had come and gone and by the time Emma blinked, they were all filing into the small courtroom once again with the palpable tension building worse than before. Now, it's Milah's turn to answer a few questions and Emma's stomach is twisting in turning making it almost impossible to breathe. Because in reality, who doesn't want to believe the mother of a child over some random strangers?
The judge sits down and even Emma can see the visible stress etching into the older man's face. This is a horrible decision that this judge is forced to make. She knows he wants to keep the best interest of the child, but who is to say what's best for Henry. He's three and nobody knows what the future holds for Regina and Emma or Milah.
"Let's begin," the judge sighs provoking Emma's entire body to tense right up.
Milah's representative clears his throat uncomfortably again and glances awkwardly around the room. That's when she notices Milah is no longer present. Instinctively, Emma's hand flies over to her girlfriend's, clenching with all her might, but Regina doesn't even flinch. Her girlfriend is as still as a statue as she watches the other attorney like a hawk sizing up its prey.
The man stands from his seat, his fingers fumbling to button his navy-blue blazer. He casually walks across the room to Mr. French, leaning down into his ear to whisper something Regina and Emma are silently screaming to hear. Belle's father nods curtly in response, promoting the other man to walk away. The other attorney gathers a few pieces of paper before approaching the judge.
The older man reads over the papers before he eyes the attorney carefully over his glasses. He hands back the papers and nods coldly, silently dismissing the lawyer before him.
"Miss Swan, Miss Mills," the judge flatly calls out with his eyes narrowing pointedly in their direction.
Emma swallows the enormous boulder of nerves that has just strategically lodged itself in the back of her throat, effectively cutting off her oxygen supply. She's trembling, every fiber that makes her Emma Swan is involuntarily spasming as she stands on her Bambi like legs. Suddenly, the world falls silent as she watches her lawyer stand beside her and for some reason, she's transfixed on the way his fingers button up his blazer.
Green eyes slowly crawl toward the brunette who is paying very close attention to the older gentleman that's about to decide their fate. She holds her breath, terrified of how this one man holds the power of her future in the palm of his hand. And in that split second, she honestly doesn't even want to know the verdict. She inhales sharply, the kind of breath that stings her lungs and prickles through her blood and in that moment, all she can truly think about is how every step along the broken path of her life has led to this very moment.
"It seems as though Miss Sanders has had a change of heart." Regina and Emma tense even further as they squeeze all their fears into their conjoined hands. "Miss Swan, Miss Mills, congratulations, you are now the rightful mothers to Henry Sanders."
"Seriously?" Emma gasps without an actual thought running through her mind, exhaling all the extra air she had trapped in her lungs moments ago.
"Thank you! Thank you!" Regina beams before she wraps Emma into her arms, jerking her flush against her energetic body. "Henry Swan-Mills," her girlfriend whispers into her ear as she feels a warm tear against her cheek. She's unsure if it's her own tear or maybe Regina's, but she's certain they must both be crying at this point.
"Is this for real?" She breathlessly asks, her frantic eyes dart over to Mr. French who is even smiling with watery eyes.
"Milah signed over all her rights. She will spend six months in prison, but her attorney claims she had a change of heart when Henry wouldn't even come near her. She knew he was better off with you two." Belle's father gently pats her shoulder and whispers, "Congratulations."
"Thank you. Thank you so much!" She gushes before he slips away.
Their family and friends wrap them up in the most loving hug as they all whisper congratulations, over and over again.
"I need to see Henry. I need to tell him," Regina blurts out, hysterically breaking away from the hug.
"Miss Matthews texted Ingrid to come back, so they should be here any minute," Belle enlightens them as she hugs Regina one last time and tells her how proud she is of her.
Regina clenches Emma's hand and tugs her through the courtroom and out into the hall, reminding her so much of when they were younger. Regina was always pulling her away so they could be alone together, so they could be free to be who they were without any judgement. Now she's pulling them toward their future and who they are now, mothers. Toward the most amazing little boy they could have ever hoped for.
Then the world around them stops, not a sound to be heard except his baby giggles as he comes bouncing into the courthouse with his hand tucked inside Ingrid's. There's a faint chocolate mark at the corner of his mouth, exposing their trip for ice cream and Emma's mouth blossoms into a giddy grin while her heart flutters with so much love.
Her and Regina bend down with open arms, waiting for the toddler to run into their embrace, for this little boy to complete them and make their family whole again. There are so many emotions surging through her body, but the one she can firmly grasp onto is love. She swears her heart is going to beat right out of her chest.
Henry charges toward them, but before he is able to jump into their arms, Regina holds up a hand to stop him. He tilts his head to the side in confusion as he comes to a complete stop in front of their knees.
"Henry, I have a very important question for you?" Regina softly speaks with a smirk she's desperately trying to suppress.
"Okay," he nervously answers, anxiously swaying from side to side.
"How would you like to be my son and Emma's son, too?"
"Really?" He shrieks, his sparkling eyes popping with pure excitement.
"Yes really!" Emma laughs as she grabs his hand and rubs her thumb over the silky-smooth back. "Can Regina and I be your mommies?"
"Yes! Yes!" Henry squeals, jumping into their arms without further discussion. They wrap their little boy up, their son, and hug him with everything they have, silently assuring him that they will never leave him again. However, Henry slowly pulls away and peers deep into their eyes. "We go home now?"
"Yes, my sweet boy, we go home now," Regina whispers, tugging him back into their warm embrace and rocking him together, as his mothers.