The new chapter

Part 111 a day out

Emma drove in silence for a few minutes. She looked over to Regina who was staring out of the window. "Are you okay?"

Regina looked up and nodded. "I'm fine I just hope everything with Zelena will be fine soon." Regina smiled at Emma.

"I hope so too." Emma reached out for Regina's hand and laced their fingers togheter. Later they arrived at the castle.

"Hey." Raven smiled at the two when she opened the door and let the two of them in.

"Mommies!" Hope said excited and hugged them both. Though it wasn't that long she hadn't seen her moms she still missed them.

"Hey princess." Regina smiled and kissed Hope on top of her head.

"You ready for the zoo?" Emma asked Hope. One of the favorite things Hope liked to do was going to the zoo.

"She's been talking about the zoo the entire day yesterday." Robin entered the room they were in. "Is the zoo just like the forest but then with cages?"

"Basically yea." Emma didn't know how else to explain it.

"Do you think they have giraffes here mom?" Hope asked Regina while they were waiting in line to buy tickets.

"I think they have giraffes yes." Regina smiled. She knew this zoo did have giraffes since she had looked it up.

"Yay! I love giraffes so much. They're so cute." Hope got excited and wanted the line to go faster.

Emma bought their tickets and before they knew it they were in the zoo. Emma smiled as she saw how happy Hope got when she was at the zoo.

Hope grabbed both her moms their hands and dragged them with her to the first animals she could see.

"They are so cute." Hope said while she looked at the seals swimming around. "Do you think they ever get bored of swimming around?" Hope looked up to her moms.

"Well I don't think so because you see they have all their friends to play with." Emma sat down next to Hope and watched the seals with her.

***

"Daddy? where are we going?" Elphie whined in the car. "You know I don't like surprises!"

Chad could only smile at the curiousness of his daughter. "Do you trust me?" Elphie nod and looked around her, he could see that she was getting a little nervous. "What is your favourite animal on the planet?" He looked behind him on the back seat, he knew what she wanted to answer. "Apart from mommy's monkeys..." He added.

"Apart from mommy's monkeys?" She pouted but then started to think. "Sloths?" When Chad didn't respond and just nod. "Am I going to see a sloth?" Her eyes widened. "I'm going to see a sloth!"

Chad parked his car in the parking garage. "Yes you are!" He smiled. "Is this your first time at the zoo?"

"Yes! Thank you daddy!" Elphie climbed in between the passenger and the drivers seat and hugged her father. "Thank you!" She didn't let go. She was happy she finally got to do something with her father, without his crazy girlfriend ruining the mood.

Once inside Elphie ran wild through the lanes in between the animals. "Daddy, where are the sloths?" She asked when he finally got up tempo with her.

"On the map it says just a little bit further." Chad looked up from the map and took Elphie's hand so he didn't lose her again.

***

Just before lunch time, the Mills family went to see the aquarium. After watching the seals for a while Hope got tired of it. "Can we go see the giraffes now?" She asked.

"How about we first go see the sloths and then go to the giraffes? It's on the way." Regina looked at the map.

"Okay." Hope nodded and got up from where she was sitting.

Emma took Regina's hand and interwined their fingers. She loved days like this one.

Hope took one of her moms hands and they walked to the sloths. "I love the zoo." She smiled.

"Well that's good because that's the reason we're here." Emma loved seeing her daughter so happy.

 Emma wrapped her arms around Regina and softly kissed her cheek. Hope was totally mesmerized by the sloths.

Regina leaned into Emma's touch. "I'm sorry for being difficult sometimes." Regina said with a soft chuckle.

"I knew what I was getting into when I married you." Emma said jokingly.

"Shut up." Regina laughed.