We Can Love Again

The Big Day

As soon as she got back into her normal life routine, Ruby called her up and demanded they held another wedding planning meeting, this time with the entire family. Regina had hoped she could spend the rest of her Saturday with her kids, with Robin... But she knew her best friend wouldn't take no as an answer. She knew she would want to see the dress, which would be hard to get out after Regina spent at least a half hour trying to put it somewhere not even Henry could reach.

"Why do weddings have to be planned out so much?" Her son muttered when she told him the news, "it's just one day. You and dad already act like a married couple."

Regina couldn't help but smile at his sarcasm. "Well, it's pretty important- at least, it is for me. It may be just one day, but it'll be the best day any of us have ever had. And, after it's all over, the day will be a memory for the rest of our lives."

There was nothing he could say in protest to that. His mother was right; it would all be worth it in the end.

"Can she at least being lunch when she comes over?" Henry asked, seeming out some hope from her.

"I'll text her about it. You just make sure you listen to what she says so you're always caught up."

A sudden wave of curiosity then hit her.

"What did you and Roland end up doing while we were gone?"

For half a second, fright flickered across his brown eyes.

"Not much... Just watched some reruns with Roland and helped Dad with Caroline. What did you do, Mom?" He asked the question with such innocence- it made her question what he really knew about her trip.

"Not much... Just shopped for wedding dresses with Emma." Regina said, trying to hide her fear as best as she could. The doorbell then rang, giving her a strike of luck and an excuse to flee from the conversation she was trapped in.

"Robin, Roland, Ruby's here and we all need to help plan!" She called out as she traveled down the staircase, not knowing where the rest of her boys were in the house.
When she opened the door, Ruby appeared to be her usual perky self- blue skinny jeans, a red top, heels far too tall for any normal human being to wear, and dramatic red lipstick. She always seemed to be perfectly with her outfits.

"I stopped by Granny's as soon as soon as I got your text," she began, allowing herself into the home while carrying a large paper bag filled to the brim with sandwiches and salads. "We need brain food anyways. Are you ready to plan out your dream wedding?"

She seemed to ask the same question every time.

"Of course. Again, thanks for doing this for us, Ruby. I don't know what we would do without you." Regina smiled, helping her with the food.

The boys were quick to assemble towards the kitchen; it was almost as if they could sense the food.

They all sat themselves down on the chairs and patiently waited for Regina and Ruby to begin passing down the sandwiches. Robin had Caroline in his arms, and by the looks of it, she had just woken up from her nap.

"Alright now, we got the tuxedos ordered for the three of you- they should arrive here in a week or so. Killian, David, Will, and Neal still have to get theirs done. So you're sure that's who you want for your groomsmen, Robin?"

"Yeah, that's everyone I'm close to, that is. You think it's too small?"

"Why can't I be a groomsmen Dad?" Henry asked, his little brother coming to his aid.

Robin gave him a look. "We decided that you, being the oldest son of a queen and a thief, should have a more special task for this wedding," he smiled, exchanging a look with his fiancé, "we thought you might like being the one to lead your mother down the aisle."

The offer came as a complete surprise to the twelve year old. "Wow, really? I get to be that guy?"

Regina smiled. "Of course! I couldn't think of anyone I would rather have give me away than my little prince."

"What about me Mommy?" Roland asked, a twinge of envy in his voice, "do I get to do something special too?"

She and Ruby had discussed this problem a couple weeks previous to their current meeting- nobody was going to feel left out.

"Not just any special job, but one of the most important ones offered. How would you like to present the rings to your parents?" Ruby suggested, taking another sip of her iced tea.

"Yes! I'll do it!" Roland said, seeming more than excited about the job.

"Now, about your bridesmaid dresses..." Ruby asked hesitantly, remembering the rather sour conversation she had about the colors. "Did you come to a consensus on the color scheme?"

Regina tapped her fingers against the table, still not positive on the choice.

"I think we're going to have to have red and black- no matter how much I've changed, those have always been my colors. Tink will understand... Right?"

Maybe it was just because he was a guy, but Robin couldn't understand why the colors were so important. "Darling, this is our wedding. Nobody's input can be more important than your own."

"He's totally right, Regina," Ruby smiled, "red bridesmaids dresses it is then. We can look online for some dresses soon. So Emma, Snow, Tink, they're all on board with being your bridesmaids?"

The queen nodded. "They all seem excited about it. I hope you are too." She added, sending her a small smile.

"Well, red has always been my color," Ruby said musingly, knowing they were quickly loosing the boy's attention. "You were all thinking about an outside wedding, right?"

Regina hummed to herself as she thought for a moment. "That would be nice, but a part of me wants to do this wedding the traditional way- you know, in a church."

This surprised the woman; she never pegged Regina Mills as a traditional kind of person.

"Yeah, we could definitely do that if you wanted. There really isn't any other place here to hold a proper wedding, unless you want to get married in the forest next to the well."

Regina smirked as she shook her head. "No thanks. But we'll have to think about where we want the wedding to be- we've got time, right?"

They most definitely did not have time to think about that, but Ruby nodded anyways. "Just be quick about it. The invitations have to be sent out sometime next week.

Oh yeah, I need a cute picture of you two for the invitation. I totally forgot to ask Ashley to take some engagement pictures!" She suddenly exclaimed, setting down her sandwich with a worried look on her face.

"Hey, it's okay," Robin quickly reassured, "the wedding will still be perfect. Regina and I have quite enough pictures as it is. Ashley is still set to take pictures at the wedding, right?"

"Yup! She's really good too- everyone's asking her to do their family pictures nowadays. We could definitely put some of Caroline and the boys on the invitation, too.

The five of you make an adorable family. So you're planning on inviting everyone?"

Regina smiled towards her daughter, thinking about how blissful it would be when she grew up, knowing that her mother and father were going to be married for the rest of their days.

"You mean every single person in a town of three hundred and twenty four people that came right out of a fairytale?" She asked dubiously, "I think that's only fair. After all, I did try to destroy all their happiness. Now they can see me finally getting my happy ending."

It sounded so surreal; it was hard for her to believe it either.