The Love That Never Dies: A Sequel to Teacher's Pet

The Wedding

Emma's cheeks were rose in color as she stood, being observed by her mother with pinched lips and furrowed brows.

"I don't like the way she did your hair," she finally spoke, fingering one of the golden curls that hung loosely from a styled bun. "The lace and the flowers... It's all wrong! It doesn't match your gown."

The blonde, meanwhile, was smacking away Mary Margaret's hand, irritated. "Come on! You already made her do my hair five times! What do you want me to do? Change my dress?"

"Well, it wouldn't hurt." The short-haired brunette considered, dark eyes falling to the satin fabric clinging to her daughter's body.

Her words angered Emma and she found herself yelling. "My wedding starts in less than an hour!"

Mary Margaret stared at her and huffed, flustered as she flicked another curl away from Emma's face. "I'm kidding, Emma. Relax."

"I can't relax while you're over here complaining about everything. It's my wedding." Emma's blood boiled. She wanted to calm down, but Gods, she found that she couldn't. One look at her mother nearly had her over the edge.

She sighed when the older woman's eyes had widened. "Can you give me a moment, please?"

"Of course, sweetheart. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-" She shook her head, quieting when Emma cut her off with a hand to stop her. With a curt nod, she left the small hotel room, letting Emma fall back against the bed.

The hotel room was Mary Margaret's and David's, though that did not mean Emma and Regina didn't have their own. Regina was currently occupying the suite that they would share later that evening. It was the very suite they had had on their first date in Boston.

It was Regina's idea to stay at the Nine Zero in commemoration of their first date, and had also decided to host the reception in one of the hotel's event rooms. She offered to pay for Emma's parents' and close friends' rooms, as well, if they had wished to stay overnight since they lived several hours away.

Their wedding was to be held outdoors at a nearby park. And that had meant that it would be public, which Emma found herself arguing about because she didn't want some woman in workout clothes jogging by with her poodle in the middle of the ceremony. Regina had reassured her that would not happen, but that still hadn't sated the blonde. Especially when she learned that it would be cold.

At the thought of the cold weather, Emma shivered. A light jacket was needed to step outside. That was what she had learned upon coming to the hotel. And the thought of having to stand outside in her sleeveless wedding gown had her frowning.

But that was the least of her worries. She was getting married. The thought just struck her. She had been quite busy since this morning, from first getting pinched and prodded into her dress with the help from Belle to Ruby pulling and spraying her hair with products while Mary Margaret fretted over her face paint. Then all of it seemed to happen for a second time and then a third when her mother was displeased with Emma's hair. She thought it was fine, herself. Really, she didn't care, but her mother- Gods, that woman- complained until Ruby redid it.

After what Emma had thought was the fifth time, Ruby and Belle left before Mary Margaret could complain again, but that didn't stop the woman from doing so to her daughter. The blonde shook her head, her anger gone now that she had time to cool down. That's all that she had needed, she knew that much, but now that she was alone, she was panicking because she was getting married in less than an hour.

Her stomach felt as if it were in her throat, but it felt impossible the way that it fluttered in her chest along with the butterflies that swarmed around her belly, desperately looking for a way out. She felt as if she needed the toilet, but she wouldn't grant herself as much. Deep breaths did nothing, so she had found out quite quickly.