"Keep mixing dear," Cora instructs as she places the crunchy looking mini taco shells onto a cookie sheet.
"Don't you think we need more chocolate chips?" Emma innocently questions, her finger dipping into the white cream to scoop up a piece of chocolate.
The older woman playfully smacks her bicep and glares at her. "Stop eating the mix, I'll have nothing left to fill the shells."
Emma hums around her finger and smiles from ear to ear while her hand begins stirring with the rubber spatula. "But it's so good! You should open your own restaurant with all your fancy dinners and then these delicious cannoli for dessert," she hums again and steals another lick.
"I'm retired, dear," Cora softly replies and shoves a spoon into her hand. "Now, scoop the mix and fill the shells. Be very careful not to squeeze the shells in the process and make sure you fill the center well."
"Oh, don't you worry, I'm gonna stuff these things until it's oozing out the ends."
"Not too much, we need to dip the ends in the crushed pistachios and then we freeze them."
"Alright," she agrees, examining carefully how the older woman assembles the cannoli before she copies her work.
They both stand in silence, filling the shells for a few minutes before Cora decides to express what's truly on her mind.
"So, eight weeks down and only four left..." she trails off and waits as if Emma's supposed to know how that sentence was supposed to end.
"Yes," she drawls while maintaining a laser focus on the stuffing process.
"Are you ready to go home?"
"Umm, I don't know." She shrugs because her heart is torn between her home and Regina. "Sometimes I miss Boston, but I feel so comfortable here that sometimes I forget about my life back home."
"And your life back home..." Emma's hand stops forcing the filling into the shell as her heart begins to race, having an inkling where this woman is headed with their conversation. "What does your future look like there?"
Emma purses her thin little lips before gently setting down the half-made cannoli. "Are you asking if my future includes your daughter?"
"Just know this doesn't have to do with Regina because she is my daughter. I have already spoken to her about you and warned her not to hurt you as well," she proudly states while Emma's sure her face has morphed into sheer mortification.
"What? Why? When?" She screeches uncontrollably, absolutely flabbergasted by the admission.
The woman chuckles softly, picks up the cannoli she had set down and places it back in her hand, silently demanding that she continues her task.
"Emma, dear, I care for you a lot. You're like a second daughter to me now and I would never want to see you hurt, especially in the hands of my daughter."
"But I...she's just..."
"Besides," she waves her hand to desist the stuttering thoughts. "By the looks of the continuous love bites, that you two think you are hiding so well..." her eyes flick to Emma's pointedly, completely draining all the blood from her face. "I think you two are in deeper than you care to admit."
She attempts to swallow her humiliation, but her tongue seems to be made of sandpaper all of a sudden. "I-uh..." she cannot come up with one logical thought, so her mind resorts to her childhood behavior when she was so obviously caught with her hand in the cookie jar. "Sorry."
Cora laughs lightly and brushes the long golden hair away from her shoulder like a loving mother does. "Don't be. You're good for her. Regina is very goal oriented and strives for perfection, always has. She needs you to show her that there is a world outside her career. She's going to blink and one day her whole life will have passed her by, and for what?"
"And you don't mind that we are two women?" She bluntly questions because Cora and her husband both seem old school. "Because I'm still getting used to it."
"No, I don't mind, as long as you make my daughter happy, that's all that matters, dear. Are you uncomfortable with the thought?" She casually questions, dipping the cannoli in the bright green nuts.
"Well no, I just never thought that I would share my life with a woman. I mean, I guess that's because I only really knew Neal."
Cora hums sweetly while a victorious smirk slides across her face. "So, you do see my daughter in your future?"
"Oh...I um..." she pauses as a wave of nervous energy tickles just below her skin. "This is all really sudden. We've only known each other for six weeks," she tries to reason with the older woman, but the smug expression consuming her face lets Emma know her words are useless at this point.
"Love knows no time, dear."
"Cora-"
"Do you love her?"
"Cora, I-I don't think we should be discussing this. Regina and I haven't even-"
"That's alright, dear, I have my answer," she confidently states and redirects her attention to their project.
"Cora, please don't say anything to Regina. This is all too new and I really don't want to rush into anything," she pleads just as the back door swings open, reveling a smiling Regina and Henry.
"Cannoli," Henry enthusiastically cheers as he sets down his fishing gear. "I thought you said no more until I lost a few," he chuckles and pats his stomach like he is Santa Claus shaking his belly like a bowl full of jelly.
"Emma needs to know how to make these," Cora defends, abruptly spinning around to point at her husband like he's a small child. "I will be counting them to make sure you aren't sneaking extras." He smiles from ear to ear, completely unaffected by her threat and scoops her into his arms. "No, no," she wiggles from his arms while she scowls. "You need to shower, you smell like dying fish."
Regina saunters toward Emma with that alluring, evil twinkle in her eye. She wraps her arms around her, but Emma doesn't budge, she just continues dipping the cannoli into the pistachios and tries not to allow the stench to bother her.
"You're fine with the smell?" Regina whispers in her ear, prompting Emma to spin around in the embrace.
"I don't mind," she lies and quickly pecks the corner of her mouth since her parents are present and watching them like they are their favorite soap opera.
"Ah, young love," Henry muses with his arm still draped over Cora's shoulders. "Just wait until you are married and can blatantly state when the other person smells."
Emma's face flushes from the second acknowledgment of her and Regina together in the future. But Regina is oblivious, so she lightly pecks her cheek and untangles herself.
"I'll be back. I'm going to shower," Regina announces and skips happily toward her father before lightly pecking his cheek as well and patting his shoulder. "I had fun, daddy," she acknowledges and sweeps right out the door like a gentle fall breeze.
"Please, no more insinuating accusations," Emma whines, immediately causing both husband and wife to laugh out loud at her expense.
~~~~~~~~~
"So, wait," Cora holds up her hand to stop Emma and Henry's hysterical laughter while Regina hides her face behind her napkin. "I stomp into the room ready to scold Regina for dropping the f-bomb at eighteen months. But then she places her tiny, little chubby hands upon my cheeks and stares deep into my eyes and says, 'I sowee Momma but my legs are too short, and I can't reach da bed!"
Henry, Cora and Emma all burst into a fit of laughter while Regina's cheeks burn through ten shades of red. Emma massages her sore cheeks from all the laughter this evening over dinner and leans into Regina's side.
"I could just picture it now, I bet you were so cute!"
"And that's when I knew my very old, Italian grandmother shouldn't be watching my daughter anymore. That woman's mouth was worse than a sailor's," Cora cackles as she reminisces about her deceased grandmother.
"This isn't fair," Regina demands, "why don't we call your parents and hear some of your embarrassing stories."
Emma's mouth snaps shut immediately like a switch in the back of her head was quickly flipped to turn off her laughing. Suddenly, this game isn't so fun anymore.
"Alright, we can stop, but to be fair, that story wasn't embarrassing, it was really freaking cute," she admits, creating that deep blush against Regina's cheeks once again.
Cora stands from her chair, cuing all of them to stand as well and begin clearing the dinner table. Emma and Regina take their routine positions at the sink to wash and dry the dishes.
"Are you two going out tonight?" Cora asks as she prepares her after dinner drinks for her and her husband.
"No," Emma quickly answers.
"I think we are going to stay in tonight, we have to finish that book we have been reading together," Regina suggests as her hand methodically rotates to wash a large plate.
"Oh yes, your father and I were thinking of doing the same," Cora responds, taking her seat again next to Henry, admiring the young couple.
Regina must have watched her parents read together all her life because one night she asked if Emma wanted to read with her and she explained just how it would work. They would lay, cuddled together as Emma holds the book and they both silently read. Since she reads a tad slower than Regina, she is in charge of turning the page when she is finished. Just like Regina's parents do most nights on the couch in front of the fire.
"Well, maybe we will hang out here tonight and read," Regina absentmindedly replies as they continue their job.
"That would be lovely darling," Cora replies sweetly creating an ache in Emma's chest as she longs for her own mother.
She needs a quick distraction to stop her wandering thoughts, so she decides to flick some suds at Regina.
"Hey!" She scolds. "What was that for?"
"Fun," she vacantly quips, shrugging and flicking some more bubbles her way.
"Well, stop it."
"Meh." She scoops up a handful of bubbles and gently blows the suds on the scowling face. Emma smiles in triumph when some bubbles cling to the side of Regina's face, but all too quickly the brunette is wiping them away.
"You're a brat."
"Nope, that's your title," she hastily replies and watches carefully for that fog of arousal to swim in those dark eyes.
The longing look appears and vanishes far too quickly before Regina lifts her leg and swiftly kicks Emma's bottom.
"Hey, Hey!" Henry calls out like he's about to reprimand them, but they all know he's teasing. "Six inches apart at all times!" Emma and Regina both laugh and roll their eyes as they finish up with the last of the dishes.
The four of them find comfort in the living and watch as Henry builds his fire. Cora sets down her drink along with Henry's and curls up on the large sofa with an old knit blanket. That woman always seems to have a cold chill in her bones no matter how warm it is outside.
Emma and Regina settle down on the loveseat, the brunette's knees resting comfortably in her lap. Regina's elbow props her head up against the back of the couch, leaning heavily into her side. Emma quietly opens the book to where she left their mark and they both silently begin to read.
As the story continues, Regina's fingers find purpose in sunshine curls, playing and twirling the ends just like she always does when they read together. It's soothing and comforting, but it's a small action that sends Emma's heart soaring. She can't help but notice how natural it all feels and how she has never been more relaxed with another human in her life.
The sound of Cora clearing her throat catches her attention though, forcing green eyes to peek over the book. Cora and Henry's eyes are locked in a silent conversation before the older woman motions with her head toward her and Regina. Out of her peripheral vision, she can see Regina is still reading and not paying attention to her parents.
Curious eyes flick back to the older couple to discover them both watching them with sappy smiles plastered across their faces. Emma's head slowly tilts to the side as she attempts to read their expressions and piece together what must be swimming through their minds at the moment.
She knows that they both want to see her and Regina together, officially. Not just some young, summer romance that will fizzle when they return to their everyday lives, but truthfully, she doesn't know what the future has in store for them.
The thought of not knowing turns her stomach in the cruelest way. So, she averts her eyes from the couple and sinks into Regina's side, needing her warmth as her comfort to wash away all her fears. Regina's free hand mindlessly drapes across her stomach to hold her close and they continue to read while Emma ignores her gut screaming out to her.
~~~~~~~
"Emma, you have been awfully quiet tonight. Is something wrong?" Regina tenderly questions as she slips beneath the sheets, naked, just how Emma likes her.
She effortlessly glides into Emma's side and rests a hand over her stomach while a tan leg sweeps across hers. Heat is emitting deliciously from Regina's core and spreading deliciously against her hip, but she ignores all of that.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Of course." Regina quickly fumbles to balance on her elbow, so she can gaze into green eyes and offer her complete attention.
"You leave in two weeks."
"Yes, but that's not a question," she sternly corrects, but then her lips crack into a smile and her fingers begin dancing playfully across Emma's lower abdomen.
"You leave in two weeks, I leave in four. What happens the two weeks we are apart and then after?" She meekly questions, feeling all her self-conscious fears bubbling up to the surface unexpectedly.
She honestly didn't even want to ask this question, but with Cora's conversation and Henry's remark, and then how they were both gaping at them like attractions at a circus, she knew she couldn't keep her insecurities hidden for long.
"Well," Regina begins before pausing to lick her plump lips, "...during the two weeks apart, we will text all day, every day." She sweeps a loose, blonde hair away from her face and smiles down upon her. "At night we will FaceTime, naked." She bites down on her bottom lip and rolls her hips suggestively with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "Lots of phone sex." She sternly commands, her eyes growing darker by the second from desire. "Then, you will come home, and I will drive to Boston to meet you, where we will spend the whole weekend making up for lost time before we return to our lives. After that, we will take turns visiting one another until the day we no longer have to be apart," she confidently answers as though she is reading this straight from a book and knows this is exactly how their future will play out.
"You aren't worried that the distance will separate us? You aren't concerned that Robin will weasel his way back into your life?" Emma blurts out through a whimper because she can't hold back any longer.
"Nope. We will be just fine, because what we have is-"
"Special," she finishes for her.
"Unique," Regina adds on and lightly presses those delectable lips against hers for reassurance.
"Regina," she breathes into the kiss, forcing the brunette to back up just the tiniest bit. Those enchanting irises glow when their eyes connect and Emma's heart aches for this woman. "I really care about you." She swallows thickly and adds on through a mumble, "...a lot."
"I know, Em," she says, connecting their foreheads together and sighing in relief. "I can feel it," she admits. "I hope you can feel the way I care about you as well."
"I do." She inhales sharply and stretches forward to capture those irresistible lips for a passionate kiss.
She knows those words mean a hell of a lot more than what they just expressed. She knows in her heart that was the cheap version of, I love you's, but why couldn't they just say it? Why are they holding back if they feel this much for one another?
That's when her phone begins to ring and shreds through the intimate moment. She reaches across the bed to find her vibrating phone and sighs when she sees, Dad, written across the screen with a picture of them behind.
"You look like your dad," Regina cheerfully comments before Emma quickly slips away from the embrace.
And she pretends not to notice the frown etching into those full lips when she scrambles off the bed.
"I do," she hastily admits. "I um, uh...gonna take this in the bathroom," she stammers and disappears before Regina has a chance to protest. She quickly closes the door and plants her bottom on the closed toilet. "Dad?"
"Oh good! You're still up, I was worried I was going to wake you. How's the Mills' farm? Still treating you alright, right?" His cheerful disposition is almost too much because she knows how fake it actually is and she feels this overwhelming urge to hug all his pain away.
"Yeah dad, of course. I finally overcame my fear of horses. I even take their horse out on my own now," she proudly states just to keep the conversation light and fluffy to distract them both.
"That's wonderful, Ems, I'm so proud of you," he happily praises, but all too quickly the line falls silent and they both know what the other is thinking.
That's when she is reminded why she can't say those three little words to Regina and she is willing to bet that Regina can sense she's holding back and that's exactly why she can't say those words either.
"Dad," her voice cracks, showing her true emotions even though she wants to keep them desperately hidden.
"Hey, so Neal came by this week. He bought a dirt bike."
"Please dad, I don't want to talk about Neal," she grumbles through the phone and hopes her voice isn't carrying into the other room. "And you better not have gotten on that thing. I don't care how in shape you are, you're still old."
Her father chuckles into the phone and in her mind's eye, she can see him nodding along happily. "I didn't Ems, I promise."
"Good," she firmly states, "hey look I hate to cut this short, but I gotta go. I was just getting ready for bed."
"Alright baby girl, I love you, talk to you soon."
"Love you too, dad."
She ends the call and takes a deep breath to control her emotions before having to face Regina. She shakes her trembling limbs and stands from the toilet seat. She inhales one more deep breath and fakes her most giddy smile before she opens the door with far too much pep in her step.
When she returns though, Regina's back is toward her and she instantly frowns because she knows the woman is hurt that she couldn't speak to her dad in front of her.
Who hides their conversation with their parents?
Emma tosses her phone aside and gently lifts the sheet to slip in behind the dainty woman. She scoots her body flush against the warm body and holds her close, burying her arms securely between those perky breasts. She places a tender kiss to the bare shoulder and decides not to start an argument tonight.
She will pretend that she doesn't know, that Regina's pretending to be asleep.