The Secrets Her Heart Keeps

Chapter Twenty-Eight

After their meeting with Blue, neither woman said a word on the drive home. Regina knows she was still trying to process everything from Emma being her true love, to them creating a baby from their magic. It was all too overwhelming, and it produced a funk in the air that was suffocating them like some Lost Boy tossed a stink bomb into the tiny car.

When Emma dropped her off at her own car, she opened her mouth like she wanted to discuss everything, but Regina beat her to the punch. She told her it was best if they waited until the next day, after the paternity results came in before they spoke about anything more. She explained that it was best if they just took the rest of the day and night to process and really think about what their futures hold before they make any rash decisions.

And that was the most grueling and longest night of Regina's life.

Just as Regina is about to leave for work the following morning, her phone starts buzzing, informing her that Dr. Whale is calling.

Her heart sinks down to the pit of her stomach where it's tossed recklessly around from wave after wave of nausea wracking through her body. She swallows the large mass swelling in the back of her throat and answers the call with a shaky hand.

"Hello?"

"Regina."

"Yes."

"It's Whale, I just received the test results." Her mouth pops open to respond, but no words are tumbling out, she's too frozen in place. So, she attempts to hum some sort of sound to encourage him to continue. "Hope's DNA is 99.99% a match to yours. No denying that little one anymore."

She has a daughter.

"That was never my intention," she coldly remarks, finally finding her voice at such a cruel accusation against herself and that innocent baby.

"Well, who knew. I've seen some crazy things in my day, but two women conceiving," he chuckles pervertedly into the phone, provoking her skin to crawl in disgust.

"Are we done here?" She rudely questions as her patience wears thin.

"All done. I did call Emma beforehand since it is her child as well. I just got off the phone with her."

"I see." Dread weighs upon her shoulders at just the thought of starting a conversation with Emma regarding another child of theirs. They were both never good at sharing Henry in the beginning and she hopes history isn't about to repeat itself. "Well, thank you for putting a rush on the results."

"Sure thing. Goodbye, Regina."

"Goodbye, Whale," she mutters, quickly hanging up and stumbling to sit on her foyer steps before she collapses right to the floor.

She has a daughter.

Too many emotions inflict her all at once. She flicks from being ecstatic, to feeling that awful sensation of heart-breaking disappointment, knowing that she has missed out on so much of her daughter's life already. An urgency squeezes at her heart and she knows she just wants her baby home in her arms, but that alone just opens another ripple of emotions regarding Emma that she has no idea what to do with.

She could easily jump into a relationship with Emma, knowing that she is her true love, but it's so hard to accept. A relationship with Emma means not only hard work, but a chance at heartache all over again. She just doesn't think her heart will survive another torment like last time.

She has a daughter.

Unexpectedly, her phone is buzzing before she is allowed any further time to drown in her sorrows and self-pity and of course, it's the Savior, swooping in on her save the day magic carpet.