Second Chance

47

Regina Mills-

We all rush into the hospital room to a panting, heaving, sweaty mess gasping on the bed. "About damn time" my sweet sister huffs. "Nobody told me it hurt this bad"

I race to her side, brushing back her wild orange curls and dabbing a cold compress upon her forehead. "I know it hurts. Trust me I do, but you can do this. You have no choice and you need to do it for your baby"

"Can't we just... magic the thing out?"

"No, it needs to be done naturally. Babe, could you get a glass of water for Zelena?" I timidly ask urging her feet to shuffle to the fountain and fill the glass placing it beside the hospital bed. "You need to tell us when you're ready to push, your contractions will become more frequent but until then we just need to wait" I sit back on the chair beside her bed, my mother sitting the other side while Emma and Henry sits at the end of the room on the stool feeling awkwardly out of place.

I pull out my phone do random little things to pass time until henry comes to sit upon my knee. "Mom, can I play your phone?" I kiss his cheek and hand my unlocked phone over to my son. He taps away playing subway surfers as I just cradle him close, engaging in small conversation with Emma and Zelena, utterly ignore my mothers longing stares.

"I'm proud of you regina." I hear from across the room, suddenly forcing my eyes up and seeing my mother smiling in awe.

"Excuse me?"

"After everything I done to you. After everything I put you through. Leaving you alone without a father, without a fiancé, without a son and it only caused you to feel lost without a mother too. I was horrible and I know that, I can never apologise enough, but seeing you now, finally happy, with a wonderful little family, it makes me proud of everything you have and accomplished. You're the mayor, you're a queen, you're a mother and you're doing amazing at it all" she grins, flickering her eyes down to my precious son cradled in my arms. As much as I hate her, I cannot help but feel grateful for her wise words. Maybe... just maybe if henry can forgive her, I could work on forgiveness too.

"Thank you" I nod, holding back my ever-growing smile because truthfully I don't want her seeing this as an invitation back into our life. She needs to work hard to prove herself and as much as I'm willing to give her a chance, it's also really hard for my to forgive, so it will take time.

"WHAT ABOUT ME?!" Zelena snaps. "I'm here pushing a friggin baby out my vagina and I don't get no proud speech. Thanks mom" she huffs.

"You know I'm proud of you too: both of you. Your going to be an amazing mum too, there's no doubt about that. It's hard parenting on your own, shame on the father who doesn't want to be involved, but I know you have the strength to be a single parent. It's no walk in the park, but I believe in you. If anyone can do this it's you Zelena"

Where has my mothers sudden kind words come from? Like all of sudden she's a changed woman, she is apologetic, she's sincere, she's kind and loving, she's even dressing normally now. Gosh is she on her death bed. Obviously not, nothing can kill off my mother.

"I think... I think it's time" Zelena huffs, shimmying higher in her bed and arching her legs. Emma rapidly stands up and covers her eyes walking to my side utterly embarrassed of her view.

"Heads up would have been nice Z" Emma laughs and takes henry. "Come on bud, we will wait in the sitting room" she takes henry, being as this isn't exactly the scene for him. A nurse wonders in as Emma exits and now I know, Now is the time.

I shimmy out of the way so the nurse can stand beside Zelena and check something, god knows what but I was clearly in the way. "Don't leave me!" Zelena snaps grabbing my hand.

"I would never... I'm in the way here, I'll come round the other side next to mom okay?" I soothingly infirm, brushing her hair out of her panicked face. As she nods I let go of her hand, walking around the bed. I brush past my mom not caring, I stand closer to Zelena and take her hand with force. "Now let's have this baby"

Zelena looks at me with worried eyes but mine hold so much more conviction and sincerity and somehow she sees that, so she nods, holding my hand painfully tight as another wave of contractions hit. "Aghhh get this beast out of me" she screams.

The nurse and midwife immediately head to the area they're needed most. They lay everything out, put on their blue gloves and prepare for the child to come.

"Okay Zelena, with you next contraction, I need you to push" the nurse informs, peering up above zelenas legs.

As requested one big push occurs within minutes of the next contraction. She screams, yells, squeezes my hand until she cannot find enough energy to push long enough.

"Good! That was good! Now breathe before the next" the midwife grins, praising her and making her feel as though she is capable of doing this. Zelena nods and breathes in, and out, and in, and out, but I find myself doing the same, copying her and reassuring her that we are doing this together.

"Thank you regina. Thank you for being here, I don't ... I don't think I can do this without you" she cries, squeezing my hand and bringing it to her pale plump lips. Until I find her sinking her teeth in my flesh as the next push rips. "Aghhhh"

"Ow!ow!ow! Zelena" I moan with her, pulling my hand from her mouth and chuckling as she screams through the next. I dap her forehead with the cold flannel and soothe her as she tumbled down for air and breath. "Good!"

"We can see the head, one final push: you can do this" they reassure.

And like they said, one last push was all it taken. Despite the pain, the hurt, the emotions, the crying, the pushing, the heat, the feeling of giving up, Zelena nailed this, and I know she will be an amazing mother to a sweet little...

"Congratulations, it's a girl" the nurse shouts of the loud hysterical crying of the baby girl... my sweet baby niece.

"It's a girl" I cry, "Oh my god" I wipe my eyes and hug Zelena. "Congratulations"

"Can I hold her?" She asks with exhaustion but nothing compares to this moment. Holding your child for the first time and forgetting about everything that just occurred. Until the afterbirth occurs that is.

They hand the sweet baby over, placing her in Zelenas arms and forces skin on skin contact between mother and child.

She was such a gorgeous baby, she had strawberry blonde curls, a head lock of hair and gorgeous popping bright eyes that I only assume will turn a beautiful emerald green. "Mommy loves you princess" Zelena coos, placing a kiss upon her forehead and that's when I get the feeling...

The feeling of this being my moment too in 9 months.