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Regina thought it had hurt when she had ended their relationship. She thought it had hurt when she would run into Emma on the street as they passed each other as if they were strangers. But all those feelings of hurt perished in comparison to the hurt she felt when she saw Emma sitting at one of the tables at the Community Center.
The Community Center had been her project for the last two years and it had been the sole reason why she had broken things off with Emma. Her eyes closed as she thought back of that day.
“How stupid are you, Emma? Honestly, you’ve ruined this project for me. Eighteen months of work down the drain. I asked you for one thing, one thing and you even managed to screw that up,” Regina spat out as she paced up and down the floor.
“I-I am sorry. I know I screwed up, but I didn’t mean to,” Emma said as she reached out to Regina with a trembling hand.
“Of course you didn’t mean to,” Regina huffed as she pulled away from Emma. “You never mean to, but that doesn’t change the fact that you fucked up. I can’t do this anymore.”
“Can’t do what anymore?”
“This. Us,” she breathed out as her hands waved through the air.
“What are you saying?” Emma cried out. “I’m sorry, Regina. I am so sorry.”
“It doesn’t matter. There is no excuse for what you have done. I need a break. I can’t do it anymore.” She looked at Emma as her eyes glossed over, “We’re done.”
She wiped away the tear that rolled down her cheek as she looked at the woman she had loved for over two years. Emma had been a surprise, but god what a surprise she had been. She had sewn Regina’s heart back together, stitch by stitch, until it shone with love so bright for the blonde.
“You didn’t know, did you?”
Regina glanced over her shoulder and looked at Emma’s best friend. “She never said anything. Did you?”
Mary Margaret nodded, “It took a while to figure it out and when I did she made me swear not to tell anyone. I figured she would have told you, perhaps I should have asked or said something.”
“It’s not your fault,” Regina said easily. “I just don’t understand how I never saw it before. You would think it would have come up in two years of living together. How could I not have seen it? Noticed it?”
“She’s smart and she hid it well.”
“How long has she been coming here?”
“She started a week after you broke up with her. I think the guilt got to her, knowing that because of her the Community Center wouldn’t be built, I think it hurt too much. It was important to her too, you know?”
“It was never her fault. I lashed out at the wrong person.”
“What happened that day?”
“You don’t know?”
“Emma refuses to speak about it.”
Regina sighed as she pulled Mary Margaret with her to one of the tables outside. With a heavy heart she sat down and spoke softly. “I had to leave for work early that morning and halfway through the morning I realized I had forgotten to bring the folder that held the contract with me. I had to go into a meeting so I called Emma and asked her to bring the folder to my secretary before 1 PM. Our deadline was 1 PM. If the contract wasn’t signed and delivered by then I would lose the contract.”
“Was she late?”
Regina laughed softly, “I wish that were the case, it probably would have been more easily to fix. There were two folders on my desk, she grabbed the wrong one and my secretary never checked the folder. Just handed it over to the councilman and I got a phone call later that day asking me if the folder was my idea of a joke.”
Mary Margaret frowned, “What was in the other folder?”
“Nothing but blank pages.” She looked at Mary Margaret and sighed, “I was furious at Emma. All I could think in that moment was that she deliberately did this to me. She knew how hard I worked for it, I just didn’t understand how she could ruin everything with such a simple and careless mistake.” She gasped and brought her hand to her mouth, “Oh god. I .. I actually asked her how stupid she was.”
“You couldn’t have known,” Mary Margaret said with a sad smile. “She should have told you.”
“How could I not have seen it? How do you live with someone for two years and not see this enormous problem your partner has? Was I that blind?”
Mary Margaret shrugged, “She was good at hiding it. I mean, she’s has had twenty-eight years of practice to make sure people wouldn’t figure out her secret. It’s not your fault.”
“How is she doing?”
“She pretends everything is fine, but her eyes show nothing but hurt. I know she misses you, she cries herself to sleep every night. It’s been six months and I know she still hasn’t forgiven herself.”
“She should. I mean, I know it took me a while but I got the contract back and the Community Center obviously got built.”
Mary Margaret nodded, “It did and you did a brilliant job. It’s providing such hope to the kids, they thoroughly enjoy coming here. Volunteering here has proved to be quite rewarding as well. I love it.”
Regina smiled, “Is she making any progress?”
“Slowly, but steadily, yes. She struggled hard, I think she was embarrassed for the longest time, but the kids helped her guide her through that. It took a while, but she’s never more happy than when she gets to come in here.”
“That’s good,” Regina nodded. “I’m proud of her.”
“Do you miss her?”
“Every day. I shouldn’t have lashed out at her the way I did and by the time I calmed down enough she was already gone. I would do anything to get her back but I don’t think those cards are on the table anymore.”
Mary Margaret shook her head, “I swear to god, you can be just as dense at Emma sometimes. I may have an idea, if you’re serious about wanting her back.”
“With all my heart, I am not myself without her. I miss her.”
Mary Margaret nodded, “Okay, here’s what you do.”
Emma growled as she flipped the page and looked at Henry before handing him the book. “Your turn.”
“No way,” he exclaimed as he pushed the hand away that held the book. “I’ve already done three pages. It’s your turn.”
“You’re the worst, kid.”
“I know,” he said with a bright smile. “That’s why no one will adopt me.”
Emma frowned, “That’s not funny. Someone will come along and snatch you right up.”
Henry shrugged, “Why don’t you do it?”
“You know I can’t, Henry. You deserve two parents who will both love you dearly. I’m not really parent material.”
Henry sighed, “I suppose that’s true. You can’t even cook.”
Emma laughed and winked, “I wish that was the biggest problem, kid. I would take lessons for that too.” She yelped when a hand tapped her shoulder, “Jesus, Mary Margaret, you scared me to death.”
Mary Margaret snorted, “You’re fine.” She looked at Henry and smiled, “Will you give us a minute, Henry? I need to talk to Emma for a bit.” She smiled when he nodded and took his seat as she sat down. “I have a letter for you.” She handed it to Emma with a smile.
“Oh, thanks,” she murmured as she laid it down on the table.
“Are you not going to read it?”
Emma shrugged, “Later, maybe.”
“I think you should read it now, I’ll help you,” Mary Margaret said as pushed the letter back to Emma.
“I tried reading a book earlier with Henry and the letters just keep hopping around on the page.”
“It’s because you’re frustrated. Come on. Read it.”
Emma sighed as she opened the envelop and took out the letter. “Will you help me?” She smiled when Mary Margaret nodded.
‘Dear Emma,
I am proud of you.’
Emma frowned, “Who wrote this?”
“Just read.”
‘Mary Magret-‘
“That’s not my name, thank you very much,” she grinned as she encouraged Emma to try again.
‘Mary Margaret told me how hard you have been working at the Com-‘
Emma sighed, “What’s that word?”
“Sound it out.”
“Com-mu-ni-ty Center. Oh! Community Center!” Emma said excitingly.
“Good job.”
‘Mary Margaret told me how hard you have been working at the Community Center. I heard you are learning to read and write. I wish I had known, so I could have helped you. Not a day goes by where I don’t miss you. I wanted you to know how proud I am of you. Write me back?
All my love,
Regina
Emma nearly choked when she saw the letters that formed Regina’s name and she traced it with her thumb. “That’s her name.”
“It is.”
“You told her?”
“She saw you sitting here yesterday. She figured it out on her own.”
“Oh.”
“Are you going to write her back?”
Emma nodded, “I want to do it alone. Make her proud of me.”
Mary Margaret smiled, “She already is. As am I. Write her that letter, Emma, get your girl back.”
Emma nodded as she picked up a pen and paper and started writing.
Regina smiled as her thumb traced the letters on the envelop. There was no doubt in her mind that slightly childish scrabbles were written by Emma Swan and her heart fluttered as she opened the envelop and carefully took out the letter.
‘Dear Regina,
I miss you to. I’m sorry for not teling you.
I always skipped school and no one paid atention to me. It was very easy to hide that I could not read or right. With you it was easy to pretend I forgot my glases. You never doubted me.’
Regina chuckled, the little mistakes tugged at her heart strings, she was so incredibly proud of Emma for trying though. She sniffled as she wiped away a tear that had fell on the paper and read on.
‘I’m sorry for my big mistake. I wish I could take it back. Maybe your still mad at me but I hope one day you can forgive me.
I will allways try to make you proud.
Love,
Emma.’
Regina was positively sobbing as she reached the end of the letter and she held it close to her heart. The letter gave her something she thought she had lost about six months ago: hope. Hope that she and Emma would be okay once more, together.
Over the next three months they exchanged letter after letter and Regina was incredibly proud of the progress that Emma was making as her writing skills grew stronger. Fewer mistakes were made in between the letters and when Emma’s wit shone through her words Regina knew it was only a matter of time before she would get to apologize and get her back.
Because she did owe Emma a big apology. She had lashed out and while she still believed that Emma should have told her, she also could understand why Emma chose not to. But none of that mattered when Regina finally wrote the letter asking for Emma’s forgiveness and the response, while short, was one of her favorite letters.
But her absolute, all-time favorite letter had been the one Emma had sent to her, three months after Regina first discovered Emma at the Community Center.
‘Dear Regina,
I think we should go on a date. You obviously still want me, because you won’t stop calling and texting me. Mary Margaret even threatened to take away my phone, like she’s my mom or something!
We could go star gazing or if that’s too mushy for you, I’ll take you out to dinner. I can actually read the menu now so I won’t make you order for me anymore. Hallelujah, I can finally eat hamburgers instead of those tiny pieces of meat you keep ordering me!
I love you so much. I don’t know how to breathe without you and I think it’s time we fixed things. So while I’m asking you out on a date, I’m also sort of reclaiming you as my girlfriend, whether you like it or not.
I think you should also get your ass up from the couch, because I plan on delivering this letter myself and then hide in the bushes while you read it. So, if you could come outside and come get me I would really appreciate it.
I kinda want to kiss you.
Hurry up.
Seriously!
X Emma.’
Regina had ran to the door and smiled brightly when Emma had stood there as she leaned against the doorpost, grinning like an idiot. “Come here you,” she had whispered before pulling Emma into a hug.
Regina smiled as she ran her fingers through Emma’s hair as Emma’s head lay on her lap. “I have something for you.”
“Oh?”
Regina reached down and slapped Emma’s hand away when it reached out for the breast that was so near her face. “Stop it.”
“Then don’t flaunt them in my face!”
“You’re impossible,” Regina sighed as she handed Emma a folder.
“God, I think I have a folder trauma,” Emma grinned.
“Don’t be so dramatic,” Regina snorted. “It all worked out in the end. The Community Center was build, you can read and write and I’m still my awesome self.”
“Humble too,” Emma mumbled as she sat up straight and tucked her feet beneath her legs. “What’s this?” She asked as she held up the folder.
“A proposition. I love you, Emma and I know you love me, but I also know there’s a little boy out there who you love dearly and I’ve grown extremely fond of him as well. And I know that he doesn’t believe he will ever be loved, but I think you and I can change that.”
Emma gasped as she opened the folder, “Adoption papers?”
Regina nodded, “What do you think? Do you want to show Henry what an act of true love looks like?”
Emma leaned forward and kissed Regina gently, “Yes, please.”