You and Tequila

Chapter Twenty-Seven

With her lip tucked securely between her teeth and her hair being restrained from a pencil to keep from falling in her view, Regina uses the soft morning glow seeping through the windows as her light, so her hand can scribble furiously against her notebook. She can hardly contain one thought before it leaks out of her brain and trickles down her arm to become a beautiful mess of words on the paper below.

Every now and again, her eyes wander to the most alluring vision her eyes have ever laid upon. An adorable quirky blonde, fast asleep on her side with the most precious toddler wrapped protectively in her arms. She studies his thick dark lashes that flutter while his mind is dancing through some peaceful dream and they are identical to his mother's. She examines the prominent freckles scattered perfectly across his nose, a few strays painted across his cheeks just like his mother, but hers have faded over time. Yet, Regina still adores each faint mark, it has to be one of her most favorite details of this stunning blonde. Emma is the perfect mix of sexy and adorable and because of that, she isn't quite sure how to ever tell this woman no.

"Gina?" Henry attempts a whisper for his mother's sake, but fails miserably at his volume. "You coloring?" He innocently questions as he slips out of Emma's motherly embrace and crawls toward her.

He rests his little hands on her thigh and leans heavily to observe what's on the sheet of paper below, effectively obstructing her view.

"No, I'm not coloring. I'm actually writing a song...or three," she laughs lightly and waits for this fascinating little creature to remove himself from her lap, but instead he peeks over his shoulder with his curious eyes shinning back at her.

"You sing me a song?" And the pure innocence in his tone, reaches deep inside of Regina's chest and swaddles her frigid heart, melting another layer of ice away.

Regina glances behind the little boy to the notebook that's been keeping her most valued thoughts locked away. She smiles softly at the boy and slowly peels back a page, careful not to disturb the sleeping blonde.

"Trapped inside those eyes, the prisons I despise. Seeking the truth I cannot find. The truth I refuse to call mine."

She softly sings in a breathless whisper and she cannot stop her fingers from gliding across Henry's forehead, despite all her instincts screaming at her to distance herself. But for this moment, it's okay, because he's beaming brightly at her and she's smiling right back and for once in this messy world, she's at peace.

"You play on da piano? Mommy said you play piano and guitar!"

"I do." Regina's small smile spreads into a wild grin as an idea flickers in her mind. "How about we let mommy sleep and I can show you my piano?"

Henry nods enthusiastically as he practically leaps into her arms, catching her completely off guard. His presence is comforting, soothing and so she inhales sharply and relaxes the moment she recognizes Emma's familiar scent. She holds Henry closer to her chest and discreetly clambers out of the bed with her notebook.

And her inspiration.

~~~~~~~~

A bitter bite nips at her skin and forces her to blindly search for warmth. Her body moves to its own accord, squirming across the soft linen, but when she finds the lack of another body, her eyes spring to life. She blinks furiously, her eyes struggling to adjust to the blinding light pouring through the extravagant window, while her hand reaches across the bed for her son.

A son who is missing.

Her heart pounds feverishly, sending panicked chills to trickle down her spine which forces her to slingshot out of bed. The cool air licks her skin, creating a path of goosebumps in their wake as she stumbles hazardously across the floor. However, a soft, faint melody suddenly fills the air and allows her to take a calming breath.