Lady In The Mirror

Chapter 3: Hope.

Little Emma zipped her jacket reluctantly, normally she would be the first child standing in front of the door on excursion day, though this time was different, going out meant she would be nowhere near a mirror therefore she wouldn't see Regina for a long space of time and even when Regina had tried to convince her to go the day before, talking about the playgrounds, ducks and little swans the girl loved so much, she was still doubtful of whether she should go or better trick the nuns into believing she was sick so she could stay in her room and be with Regina. Somehow she decided to go, after all, she could always see Regina at night and ask for more stories of the amazing Evil Queen.

"Don't run little monsters!", One of the nuns shouted when they arrived at the park and all the kids started running in different directions, by the time she finished the phrase Emma was already sitting on a bench by the pond watching the swans swim. Swans were her favorite animals now, just because Gina called her her little swan.

"I think the sister was referring to you with that, little monster", a woman said sitting beside her on the bench.

Emma's eyes opened wide when she turned around to look at the woman.

"Gina is you!", She shouted jumping to hug the woman.

For a moment Regina didn't know what to do, she was so unused to hugs, that her first reaction was to be as stiff as a statue, but then she just hugged the girl back.

"Don't scream little one, they will think I'm trying to kidnap you, do you want me to get arrested little swan?", Regina said, tickling the blonde girl.

"I'm not ticklish Gina", Emma told her with a bright smile.

"That's a shame because ticklish girls could get some ice cream, you know?".

"But I'm the most tickliester girl in all the world", Emma said with sparkling eyes.

"Oh then, I think the most ticklish girl in the world deserves some ice cream", Regina smiled pulling an ice cream jar from a paper bag she was carrying, to hand it to the girl with a spoon, "let this be our little secret Emma, okay? You are not supposed to receive things from strangers little Swan, did you know that?".

Emma laughed while nodding energetically.

"You're not a stranger, you are Gina!", She exclaimed rolling her eyes blank as if that was the truest fact ever said.

The girl ate up her ice cream happily talking to the woman beside her, while Regina looked at her fascinated by how easily Emma found happiness in the smallest things, like ice cream, playgrounds, and swans. She started wondering if she ever had been like that herself, maybe sometimes, when Cora wasn't looking.

Being there sitting on that park bench with that little girl, was probably the first time she felt real happiness in decades, even though she still felt like something was missing, she still felt like something was wrong. She couldn't stop herself from feeling like one of those frustrated women without kids, that went to the park to harass somebody else's children. Emma was nobody's child though, however, Emma was neither hers.

"Gina?", The girl snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Tell me, sweetie".

"I have an idea," Emma started whispering in her ear like it was a secret, "you should adopt me", Regina's heart skipped a beat, "I'm intelligent and I can draw and I love food and I can be serious like this", the girl stopped for a second so she could see her better impersonation of a serious person, "and we can scare people together like the Evil Queen from your bedtime stories, she is pretty amazing!".

The Evil Queen becoming a mother, taking care of someone else's life and not just her own. Was she good enough for maternity? Probably not. Was she really considering it? Strangely yes.

"That's a very good idea little swan", she finally said when she could recover from the surprise.

"Emma!", someone shouted behind their back and before Regina knew what was going on, the little girl was dragged out of her reach by her ear, "how many times do I have to tell you, don't talk with strangers!", the nun's face was bright red and she was pulling Emma with a lot more force than needed, hurting her.

"Excuse me, can you please stop that", Regina jumped in the middle of the nun and Emma, placing the girl at her back protectively.

"She's just an orphan, nobody's business, Madam".

"Well, she is my business now, sister".

"Oh yeah? Why don't you adopt her then?", the nun laughed cockily knowing what would be the answer that would make this woman immediately back off.

"That's what I intend to do!", Regina almost yelled, pissed off with the woman's attitude.