Whirlwind of trouble

17

I put Elena to bed, watching as she settles so nicely into my home. It's as though she's accustomed perfectly to this life and perfectly into our house. She has put her own personal twist on everything, covering the house with unicorn stickers and rainbows. Her painting hanging on every wall and her toys scattered here and there. But I can't imagine my life any other way.

I sit downstairs, flicking through an old photo album in front of the fireplace with a deep glass of red whine.

My fingers skim across the picture of Daniel and I, staring so intensely into one another's eyes that the world just disappears. There couldn't have been anything in that moment that would of turned my eyes off of him, I remember the moment precisely. He was a stable boy. My mother hated him but my father seen how happy he made me, he snook over and asked me to be his girl friend and I couldn't think of anything that would ruin that day.

On the next page, there's a picture or my father, cupping my cheeks and placing a sweet kiss to my forehead. Oh what I would do to feel that once more time. Tears stream down my cheeks as I wallow in everything he has missed. I wish he could see me now, deputy head of Storybrooke high school. A mother finally, a foster mother of the girl I fought so hard to save. A girl who has accepted who I am and accepted the fact i can love a woman without being ashamed, despite what my mother says.

"Oh dad, I wish you was here" i sob harder, my vision become blurry and yet I still blink back the tears. "I hope I've done you proud" I physically can't hold back the tears now, until I hear a knock at the door.

I instantly flick my head over my shoulder to wonder who could be knocking at 10pm. I wipe away my falling tears and head over to the door, raising to my tiptoes and looking through the spy hole to see a very familiar blonde.

I look in the mirror and see my red blood shot eyes, stinging from my cries but I still blink them back and open the door.

"I just wanted to say hello, and thank you for what you did today, it was really sweet of y- Regina?" She stops, finally looking up at my eyes and I immediately look down to my feet to avoid eye contact. She places her finger below my chin and directs my head up to meet hers. "Regina? What's the matter?"

"It's, it's nothing" I scoff, moving my face from her touch and soon turns around, leaving her presence but I keep the door open allowing it as a silent invitation. I hear her feet plod behind mine as I enter the kitchen, taking another bottle of wine and popping of the cork and bringing the brim to my lips, gulping down the burning liquor.

"Erm... it sure doesn't look like nothing" Emma hums, as she watches me gulp down sip after sip. Intoxicating myself further. I ignore Emma's judging eyes and barge past her, brushing my shoulder against hers and I head back to the lounge where I have the blankets and the wine in front of the fireplace. "It looks like you've been drinking for a while"

"You can either join me. Or leave" I huff and watch as Emma rolls her eyes and heads over to the cabinet to get a glass and returns. I top up her glass, smirking at her and nibbling on my inner lip. "So... what brings you by Em-ma" I husk, drawing out her name with a twinkle in my tear stained eyes.

"I wanted to say thank you for today. You made quite an impression on my parents" she smiles.

"Meet the parents. Complete" I giggle, making a big tick signal with my hand and I stumble down to the floor with my laughter. "Oops, my bad" I slur, my words coming out in a jumble.

"Regina, don't you think you need to slow down a bit" she coos, taking a seat beside me and tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "Now, are you going to tell me what made you start drinking this heavily"