Let down your dark hair

48.

After the wedding things had been quiet between Cora and the rest of the family. She knew that it would take time for them to trust her but she wanted it all to be okay. She wanted her children and grandchildren back but most of all she wanted Leopold. She knew they weren't married anymore but she loved him and wanted him back.

She missed him so much although she had done terrible things to him. It wouldn't be easy to get him back. 

It was a warm spring day and Roland and Reginald were playing in the garden while Regina watched them. Cora watched her daughter for a moment before sitting down beside her and playing with the brunette curls. 

Regina looked up at her mother in shock. She hadn't expected to see her.

"He is a good boy." Cora observed as she watched Roland running around. He was so carefree. She wished she could have given Regina such a happy childhood.

"Roland?" Cora nodded and Regina smiled not knowing what to say.

"He reminds me of you. I mean I guess you would have been like him if I hadn't locked you away. Rapunzel is so much like you too. I can't really speak for Destiny but Rapunzel is your daughter in every way." She explained remembering her daughter and granddaughter as children.

"Her name is Hope." Regina quickly reminded her mother.

"I know. I'm sorry. You and your children are all so beautiful. Hope obiviously inherited your hair. I always loved your hair. " The old woman said dreamingly as she began to play with her daughter's hair once again. At that Regina perked up. She had never heard her mother compliment her hair before. In fact she had always thought her mother hated her hair.

"Really? I thought you hated it?! Wasn't that the reason you always kept it short in Storybrooke?" She asked and looked at her mother confused.
Cora shook her head.

"I always thought you had beautiful hair. I could have used magic to enter the tower but I chose to let it grow long. I just cut it off because I was angry at you for lying to me and because I  knew that it would hurt Robin. He was so obsessed with your hair. In Storybrooke your hair reminded me of Robin and what you two had done so I got rid of it. This lenght suits you well. " Cora stroked the hip lenght curls and felt her daughter relax to her touch. She was surprised her daughter wasn't pushing her away.

"I used to love it when you brushed my hair for me as a child. I got it cut to this lenght when I was pregnant with Roland. Destiny wanted short hair and Zelena and Snow talked me into letting them cut my hair as well. It's much easier to manage at this lenght although sometimes I miss my really long hair. " she explained and Cora looked shocked.

"Your daughter wanted short hair?" She burst out laughing.

"Why are you laughing? " Regina glared at her mother. But Cora couldn't for the life of her imagine any of Regina's daughters wanting short hair.

"It's nothing. I just can't imagine that any daughter of yours would want short hair. I mean you and Robin both love long hair so much." Cora explained and stopped laughing. 

"Well, Destiny used to be quite a tomboy but I'm glad she grew out of it. She is so much like me now. Sometimes it's not a good thing though. We are both stubborn as hell." Cora nodded. She knew how pig headed her daughter could be.

"You inherited that from me. But I'm glad you otherwise take after your fathers. " she smiled and looked back to Roland and Reginald as Leopold suddenly had joined in in their game. 

Regina noticed the sad look her mother suddenly wore and looked in the exact same direction. Her father was the reason her mother was suddenly so sad she knew. At her wedding the two of them hadn't said a word to eachother. It was hard to imagine that they had once loved eachother.

"He will come around. He just needs time."Regina explained and took her mother's hand.
"You still love him, don't you? " she suddenly realized. Regina knew that the divorce had been Leopold's idea but she didn't think her mother would care. Back then she was far too angry at her mother to see her side of the story.

"How do you know? " Cora asked feeling ashamed that she had been caught.

"I know love when I see it." Regina smiled reassuringly.

"It's just. I'm so torn. Rumple was the only man I ever truly loved with my heart inside my chest. I only married Leopold to become Queen. I never thought I would fall in love with him. But now that I have my heart back I realized that I always loved him, even without my heart. " Cora explained with tears in her eyes. "I know he hates me though. "

"I don't think he hates you. I don't hate you and I have every reason to. He is just angry and confused like all of us. You did terrible things to him but I'm sure if you tell him how you feel and explain why you did the things you did he will come around. " Regina nudged her and Cora nodded, wiping her tears away. Her daughter was right, she couldn't give up. She needed Leopold back.

"What about daddy? Do you still have feelings for him too?" Cora shook her head. She had regretted chosing Henry over Rumple but now she didn't feel love for him anymore. She only wanted Leopold.

"I love Leopold. Rumple and I have both moved on." The former queen answered and Regina nodded. She knew her father had this thing with Belle but that was over before it even started. She was glad though. She couldn't imagine a stepmother who was only a few years older than her.

"May we join you?" They both looked up to see Zelena and Snow. 

"Of course. " Regina grinned at her sisters who both sat beside her and they all watched the boys together. They were growing so fast. Regina couldn't imagine them turning ten already. She could still remember her brother at that age.