The Secrets Her Heart Keeps

Chapter Thirty-Seven

After Christmas, they were spilling into January, where Hope was persistent with pursuing the art of walking at ten months. She is the daughter of the Queen and the Savior, so determination swims constantly through her veins. In a blink of an eye, they were in the middle of February, with a perfectly capable walking eleven month old, who spent most of her days trying to mimic the words that her mothers' spoke. Her attempts were still mostly babbles, but that didn't stop her.

Now, Regina and Emma are not ones to gush over anniversaries or fancy holiday's to celebrate their love, but for this one occasion, Regina decided to surrender to society and plan a nice evening for Valentine's Day. By the dumbfounded slack-jawed expression, Emma was shocked when Regina had enlightened her on the plans, but the queen ignored her, knowing this was all for a step forward in their relationship.

"Don't make me tell momma," Emma's whispers resonate from the kitchen as Regina strolls into the room, finishing up with her earring.

She finds Emma flying a fork with a piece of broccoli attached, through the air while her lips produce airplane noises, or what Regina assumes is supposed to portray a plane.

"Em, have you seen my burgundy heels that match this dress?" She questions, padding across the tile to run her fingers through Hope's silky strands.

Her girlfriend sighs, obviously exasperated in the moment and sets the fork back down. "I haven't. Maybe your daughter should be interrogated."

"My daughter?" She muses, skimming her fingertips down Hope's cheek and gently cupping her chin. "Why did mommy just disown you?" She softly asks, prompting big brown eyes to blink innocently up at her, just pleading for her mother to melt at her every whim.

"She refuses to eat," Emma scoffs, falling recklessly back against her seat and folding her arms. "And I know she likes chicken and broccoli," Emma accuses, narrowing her eyes at the puppy dog eyes peering back at her.

Regina hums to herself because Emma is right, their daughter loves that meal and she is never picky. Regina slowly picks up the fork, flying the broccoli through the air toward Hope's pouty lips, that are all her other mother's. Except, her stubborn daughter grunts, nuh-uh, as she turns her cheek and slams her eyes shut, like maybe if she closes her eyes the broccoli might disappear...and then it does. The broccoli actually vanishes from the fork in a blink of an eye, startling Emma and Regina into nearly a heart attack.

"What the f-"

"Emma!"

"Sorry, but Jesus! Did she just poof away the broccoli?"

This catches their daughter's attention, persuading just one eye to peek open, so she can inspect the fork. She smiles in triumph when she notices the vegetable missing, inspiring her to open both eyes wide. Hope signs the phrase, all done, flicking her wrists back and forth with excitement while attempting to speak the phrase as well.

"No, no!" Emma scolds immediately. "Not all done!"

"Hope," Regina slowly says her name in a low tone, so her daughter understands that she is in trouble. "What did you do?"

"Bubye," Hope proudly states with that glint of mischief sparkling in her eye, just like Emma when she took a chainsaw to Regina's poor tree.

"No bubye," Emma bellows and Regina can't really tell if her girlfriend is on the verge of tears or holding back her laughter. "You need to eat your dinner little one!"

Hope's bottom lip puckers out in the most dramatic and pathetic pout imaginable. Those sad eyes blink rapidly as she flicks her attention between her mothers and for a brief moment, Regina wants to cave and scoop her baby into her arms.