Making Exceptions (swanqueen)

Chapter 16: Wife

"Excuse me, ma'am. My girlfriend, son and I have been waiting for hours to be seen," Regina spoke to the woman sitting in the chair behind the counter.

The dark-skinned woman pushed a stray curl behind her hair before looking up at the woman intruding upon her concentration. "Well, we are a busy place Miss..."

"Mills. Regina Mills," Regina filled in for the nurse.

"We're a busy place Miss Mills. There's nothing more I can say," the nurse gave an apologetic shrug and turned back to the files and computer in front of her.

"But, ma'am, my girlfriend broke her foot this morning and she's in quite a bit of pain," Regina argued, gaining the woman's attention again. "I was just wondering how much longer it would be before we were seen."

"Which one is she?" the nurse stood up and scanned the room. "The one with the kid, right?" She asked, picking them out of the crowd instantly.

Regina turned, nodding her head as she did so. Emma sat in a wheelchair across the room, facing the women at the counter. She didn't notice the two sets of eyes on her, though, as she listened to Henry talk amicably about his night with Gramma and Aunty Kat. The boy was perched on Emma's lap, facing her, and waving his hands wildly as he spoke. In turn, Emma made exaggerated facial expressions as she listened to the story.

Regina watched as Emma whispered something into Henry's ear before he whipped around in her lap and waved at toward her and the nurse, shouting a loud, "Hi Momma!" across the crowded room. Behind him Emma smirked, waving as well.

Regina smiled and waved back before turning back to the nurse and responding, "That's them."

"You and your partner have a lovely family Miss Mills, but it doesn't look like she is in that much pain at the moment," the nurse responded. "She's just going to have to wait until things slow down a bit more. We'll try to get her a room as quickly as possible."

Regina was stunned into silence. Family? Surely people didn't look at them like that already. They were just starting to date.

"Thank you," she answered on autopilot. "I'll go tell her."

Emma watched Regina walk towards her, the look on the darker woman's face showing shock and confusion.

"You okay?" the blonde whispered in Regina's ear, making sure to not tip Henry off to anything that could be wrong.

People think we're a family.

"Everything's fine, though you may have to wait a bit longer," Regina answered, watching the blonde cringe. "I know, Emma. I told her you were in pain, but she said they're busy and we're just going to have to wait."

"I guess it'll be alright because I have you and Henry here," the blonde whispered, keeping eye contact with the woman for a second before looking up to the boy in her lap, who was staring at the two women.

Before either woman could get out another word, a blonde woman in dark blue scrubs rounded the corner. Peering down at her file for a name, the woman glanced back up into the room and said, "Emma Swan."

Emma looked at Henry, "Ready bud?" She watched him give a small nod before she went on. "I don't think you are. You need to hold on so Momma can push us over there."

"Otay," Henry turned in her lap and settled down, Emma wrapping an arm around his middle.

Regina stood and grabbed the handles behind Emma's seat, pushing her towards the nurse. "You didn't have to wait that much longer. You must be a lucky one, my dear."

"I'd say so," Emma agreed. "I mean, I got you, didn't I?" Emma turned in her chair and stretched to kiss Regina's hand. It was awkward as the blond hand to hold Henry and contort her body in the chair in order to do so, but the meaning behind it was conveyed.