Chapter Text
It had been the day from absolute hell. Honestly, could things get any worse around there. Everything, everything had gone wrong that morning. Is the universe finally getting her back for being such a terrible person in past years? Is this some version of hell that she’s been sent to and not told about?
Regina curses under her breath as she storms into her office, chucking her blazer and briefcase done on the couch, not even minding the mess of it all. Not only had the day started off terrible, it all continued. First, her alarm clock on her side table that always wakes her up at 6 AM on the dot every morning… didn’t. So there she was waking up at 8:45 when she was supposed to be at a town hall meeting for 9. Skipping breakfast to get herself ready, she Instinctively, rushed down the hallway and into Henry’s room already working up an apology in her head for why he’s going to be late to school. Then she got there and froze in front of his door, remembering that he doesn’t live there anymore. He’s gone. His room just sitting there like some sort of sick shrine to her child that’s not even dead. He’s just not coming back.
Pulling up to the town hall she’d already been in a terrible mood. Her hair wasn’t cooperating and she felt that her ‘Evil Queen’ turned ‘Mayor Mills’ mask that she always wears was failing her. Could everyone there tell that she’s dying inside? There was no working or dealing with the townsfolk who all insisted that she be removed from office at the very least, some of the others had more unsavoury things to say. Those, she will not be repeating. Of course Snow White and her idiotic husband just sat there attempting to calm the people while making preposterous suggestions and promises for how the town will continue to run and who will be the best person to do so. Therefore, they were pretty much dismissing her and the work she’d done for the town for the last 30 years.
Emma sat with her parents but at least the blonde sheriff kept her ideas to herself, just fidgeting with that horrible red monstrosity she calls a jacket. The mayor had also been completely pissed off that someone decided that it was ok for her son to miss school and attend a town hall meeting where the residents continually threatened to execute his mother. Not that he’d care apparently. As soon as she went to comment on the inappropriateness of it all as the meeting cleared, Snow had wrapped an arm around Henry and lead him off with his real family. Right, she doesn’t get that privilege anymore. It’s not like she raised him for 11 years or anything.
So now that she’s in her office, finally, all she wants is to fall into her chair and scream. And it’s not even 12 o’clock.
It’s safe to assume that she was not expecting the massive bouquet of black and white flowers sitting unthreateningly on the centre of her desk.
Very aware that it could be a ploy to harm her, the brunette carefully senses for magic and when she doesn’t perceive anything out of the ordinary, she takes cautious steps towards the beautiful glass vase with what appears to be anemones. It could still very well be something equally dangerous to her but from this realm, not hers. Maybe the flowers are poisonous and with one touch she’ll find herself dead. Who knows with the freaks in this town. She chooses not acknowledge that she’s very much included in that group.
When it appears as though it’s safe, as safe as it could be for her anyway, she approaches cautiously. They’re lovely full blooms with soft white petals and a bold dark centre. Standing in front of them, she scoffs. Spotting a note she snatches it from the centre; a small twinge hitting her heart when one of the buds falls to the desk.
She frowns at the card with only a cartoon picture of the flower on the front. She turns the card over.
You’re not anemone, you’re a friend- yours truly
The whole thing is entirely idiotic. A pun? Regina rolls her eyes and drops the card into her bottom desk drawer, for some reason unable to chuck it into the trash.
She sits down in her chair, peering around her office as if someone will jump out at her to catch her in the vulnerable state. She slowly slides the glass vase towards her and hesitantly sniffs at the flowers. A small quirk of her lips, the only indication of pleasure on her face.
A knock at the door startles her, the vase would have slipped off the oak desk if it hadn’t been for her quick reflexes. She pushes it back and sits up promptly.
“Come in,” she calls out.
The door opens and her friend Kathryn peeks her head through. Regina relaxes slightly and waves her in.
“Hello Kathryn.”
“Hey,” the blonde enters fully. “I just came to see how you’re doing after this morning.”
The mayor shrugs, a move she only makes around her very small friend group. Ok. Only around Kathryn and occasionally around Henry. Not that- that’s happening much lately. She sighs.
“Nothing I’m not used to.”
“They were dicks Regina. I mean it’s been 28 years since you’ve actually done something evil!”
The mayor smirks at her friends rant, a warm feeling building in her chest. It’s nice to know there’s someone in her corner.
“It’s not completely undeserved Kathryn.”
“Ok yeah but the whole thing about you not being fit to be mayor? That’s ridiculous! I mean who do they think has maintained this town the entire time? Santa’s elves?!”
The brunette huffs a small laugh. Her blond friend perking up.
“I knew that one would get you.”
Regina rolls her eyes but a small smile remains in her face. In the momentary lapse of conversation that follows, her eyes flicker to the vase of flowers on her desk. Something which Kathryn quickly locks onto.
“Ooh. Regina. You didn’t tell me there’s a lover in the picture!”
The mayor closes her eyes in exasperation, a rosy pink blush working its way up her neck.
“There isn’t.”
“Oh,” the blonde slumps slightly. “Well then a secret admirer perhaps?”
Regina blinks coyly, brushing a raven lock from her face. “Perhaps.”
“Regina! You minx, who’s it from?” The woman steps right up to the glass vase searching for a card or a clue from their sender.
The mayor has a fleeting thought that she doesn’t want the blonde to touch them. It quickly fades from her mind.
“I don’t know.”
Blue eyes blink. “Truly?”
She nods in answer.
“Well. That just won’t do.” She gazes at the black and white flowers for a moment, contemplating them. She tilts her head to the side. “What kind of flower are these? They’re very unique.”
Regina thinks for a second, her fingers coming to rest upon her ruby red lips. “Anemones I believe.”
“What do they mean?”
The mayor furrows her brow. “Pardon?”
“Well… every flower signifies something. What do these mean?”
“I- I have no idea”.
“Regina!” Kathryn demands impatiently, a small teasing smile adorning her pink lips. “That would have been the first thing I looked up.”
“Well I don’t- “
She’s cut off by a timid knock on her door. She sighs. “Come in,”
A short blonde pops her head in. Regina’s assistant.
“Yes Julie?”
“Im sorry Mayor Mills, there’s a call from the sheriffs station on line one. Sheriff Swan said it couldn’t wait.”
“Im sure she did. That’s alright, thank you Julie.”
The small woman startles at the mayors thanks and casual voice. Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, she nods and quickly ducks out.
Kathryn stares at the place where Julie stood for a few seconds. “What a strange little woman.” She murmurs.
“Im sorry Kathryn,” Regina comments already reaching for the phone. “If I don’t take this, Emma will just show up.”
“Emma hmm?” The blonde whispers under her breath.
“Im sorry?”
She smiles. “Oh nothing. I understand. I have to go meet Fred for lunch anyway.” She turns towards the door, stopping when her fingers brush the handle. “Im sure the library has a book you can check out.”
Regina has the the phone cradled between her ear and shoulder, long fingers searching absentmindedly for a pen. “Hmm?”
“For your flowers Regina.” Her friend replies patiently. “Let me know.” And then she’s gone.
-
It isn’t until she’s walking down the street to where she parked her car that Kathryn’s words came back to her. Spying Henry with the two idiots laughing and eating ice cream, she ducks into the first shop door she sees. Taking a deep steadying breath she inhales the musty scent of old books.
Finding herself already there, she peacefully makes her way to the science section, in no rush to leave the calm silence.
Her black painted nails scratch against several titles before she finds one that fulfills her interests. She flips in alphabetical order towards Anemones.
Anemone: anticipation, fragility-
Regina balks slightly, she is anything but fragile.
-protection from harm or ill wishes
Oh. Oh…
The books closes slowly between her fingers, the words running through the woman’s mind. She looks up, making eye contact with the petite librarian peeking shyly from behind the shelf she’s organizing. Regina holds up the leather bound book. Belle nods gently. If she sees the smallest smile at the corner of the brunettes lips as she tucks the book into the crook of her arm and walks out, well she’ll keep that to herself.
Notes:
I know it seems as thought this is set in season one but I feel like messing up the timeline a bit. Let’s say that it’s around season 3 ish but disregarding the whole pan swaps with Henry thing. Everything else happened except that. For some reason.
Henry is still living with the charmings and they refuse to change their mind about Regina.
But Throughout it all, Regina and Emma actually see pretty eye to eye. They trust each other, though they maintain their distance from one another.
Emma’s mad at her parents for keeping Henry away from his mother, Regina is mad for the same reason though she’s more resigned to the fact after 2-3 years of this shit.
Ok, sounds good? Right! Onto it!
Chapter Text
The next time flowers appear before her comes after a particularly nasty encounter with the charming idiots. Despite it being more than 2 years since the curse broke, Snow and David still enjoyed turning a blind eye to her, as if she’s not even a blip on their radar. As if she isn’t the mother of their grandson or the mayor of their hometown.
Despite the fact that they’ve called for a town re-election for mayor twice now and Regina keeps managing to maintain her position, there they were again. Snow knocking crisply at the door of 108 Mifflin Street. Her white knight of a husband, ever present at her side along with an increasingly uncomfortable sheriff Swan tagging behind them.
Regina takes her time, having expected this. She slowly closes her novel, gracefully rises from the couch and smooths her clothes. She checks the hall mirror for any makeup or hair mishaps just to make them wait before she opens her front door.
“My. What an entirely unwelcome surprise.” She deadpans, her gaze languidly roaming over each trespasser. Her eyes linger slightly longer on the sheriff who shoots her an almost apologetic look for her parents intrusion.
“Regina,” David greets stiffly, his wife just staring.
The mayor smirks slightly. “Snow. James,”
She can practically hear him grinding his teeth. “It’s David.” He replies.
She sneers, “I’m sure it is.” A rather fake politicians smile makes its way onto her face. “To what do I owe the honour of you gracing me with your presence?”
Snow shifts the papers in her hands. “Can we come in?”
“I’d prefer not since I’ve finally managed to get the stench from last time out of my couch but i feel as though if I refused, you’d just barge in anyway. So why not?” Regina bites sarcastically, opening the door wider and waving them inside.
The husband and wife ignore the stabbing comment but Regina spies the slight upturn of the sheriffs lips as she passes through the doorway.
When she turns back, her expression is carefully neutral.
The mayor crosser her arms primly across her chest. “What do you want?”
Snow barely conceals her eye roll, immediately thrusting her arm out to hand Regina the papers she’d brought with them.
The two brunette women stare each other down for a beat before Regina raises a perfectly manicured eyebrow and tries to stop the quirk of her lips at Emma’s uneasy shifting back and forth on the balls of her feet.
“What is that?”
This time David is the one shifting as the tension in the air rises.
“Why don’t you just take it and find out?”
The mayor scoffs lightly. “Unlikely.”
Snow can’t help the dramatic eye roll that comes from the other woman’s stubbornness, not even bothering to conceal it this time.
Emma sighs, seeing that this is going nowhere. “Regina-“
Before anything else can come from the blondes mouth, her father beats her to it.
“We’re dismissing you from office.” He announces quickly.
With all three woman now glaring at him, he shrinks ever so slightly.
Emma watches the mayor…former mayor?, Anyway she watches the small woman tense fiercely and purse her lips. She can’t quite peel her eyes off of the sight. It’s almost as if they’d cornered a rabid animal, now raising its haunches.
When Regina speaks, it’s slow and low. “Excuse me?”
He raises himself up and sets his shoulders as his confidence grows. “We think it would be better for everyone if Snow were to take over as mayor for the time being.”
Dark eyes immediately seek out blue to see the other woman’s reaction to the preposterous claim. Seeing Emma’s identical expression of disbelief relaxes her shoulders a fraction.
“Wait what?” The sheriff sputters. “You didn’t tell me this why you wanted me here. You said you just wanted to grab some stuff of Henry’s.”
Regina’s shoulders tense back up. If they think they can just march over her and demand what little of Henry she has left then they’ve got another thing coming.
“Emma,” Snow soothes. “We didn’t plan on this today but…” she looks to her husband for support.
He picks up where she left off, “we’ve been discussing this for a while and the town thinks it’s for the best.”
“For the best?!” Emma blinks hard in disbelief as if she’d open her eyes in a moment and find out that this all happened in her head. “Regina’s been running this town fine for the last 30 years,”
“Exactly,” Snow shoots back, “and now it’s time for a change.”
Despite the furious magic tickling at her fingertips, the sorceress holds it back, her interest in Emma defending her keeping it at bay.
“What! I mean- you…” the blonde feebly tries to understand. “What gives you the right?”
Her mother chuckles gently shooting her husband an amused expression. “Well I mean… we rule this town Emma.”
Now ignoring her daughters shocked and broken protests, the pixie haired woman turns back to Regina. Seeing that the woman has no interest in taking the papers she’s still holding out toward her, Snow just hands them off to David who places them on the nearest side table.
“Your last pay check is in there along with a date and time for you to come pack up your office.”
Another raised eyebrow. “Oh, you were serious” she snarks.
To shorter woman doesn’t bother to answer, just taps her husbands arm and moves to exit since they hadn’t made it past the foyer.
“I want to see Henry.” It comes out fast and with far less of a bite than Regina had meant it to. The desperation in her tone doesn’t evade her.
The charming pair stop near the door. Snow glances over her shoulder patiently. “I don’t think that’s a good idea Regina”.
“Mom,” Emma protests quietly. This is a topic that had come up far too often in the Charming/Swan/Mills household. She’d often have late night conversations with Henry about how he misses his other mother. A few times, Emma’s even managed to sneak him some time with the brunette without her parents catching on.
“He’s my son.” Her fists clench.
“He’s Emma’s son.”
“MOM.” It’s slightly firmer this time, more of a warning.
“You can’t keep him away from me, I’m his mother”.
“You’re hardly a mother”, Snow scoffs condescendingly.
Emma winces, aghast at her mothers cruelty. “MOM!”
Regina sees absolute red. “At least I didn’t throw my child away less than hour after she was born!”
The blonde whips her head back to the mayor. “Regina!”
“And whose fault was THAT?!” The small woman throws right back.
“Yours! You didn’t have to send her away!” The anger is palpable. She can feel her heart racing in her chest, ready to burst out in rage.
Emma’s expression pales.
“I was protecting her!”
“You were selfish!”
Snow laughs, no humour to be found in the sound, “oh that’s rich! I’m the selfish one?! What about you!” She throws her arm out in disbelief. “You would have hurt her just to hurt me!”
With her knuckles turning white in fury at her sides, Regina can feel her nails digging into the palms of her hands. “She had NOTHING to do with it! You didn’t have to throw her away like she was nothing!”
“Guys!” Emma shouts out, her anxiety level rising.
“I didn’t have a choice!” She screams back almost scandalized, ignoring her daughters attempt at breaking them apart.
“You did!” Regina fires back, stepping closer to the other woman. She doesn’t notice David’s hand reaching for his sword but Emma does. She shoots him an incredulous look.
“You could have kept her with you! She was a newborn, I would have never taken a baby that new away from her mother! I had never hurt a child and it wasn’t like I was going to start then. You acted like I rounded up child slaves! He magic fizzes desperately under her skin. “For that matter, you could have gone with her in the wardrobe if your idiot dwarf of a doctor hadn’t cut the umbilical cord!”
Angry tears stream down Snows face. “You were trying to HURT US!”
The decibel of the scream that leaves her throat shocks even her, “I WOULD HAVE NEVER HURT HER!”
That just makes Snow angrier, out for blood. “WHY NOT?! YOU HURT YOUR OWN SON!” The very second it leaves her mouth she regrets it.
Regina freezes. They all do. Emma still with her hand pushing her fathers sword back down, David, fighting her actions.
Her lips close. “Get out”. The older woman whispers.
“Regina I-“
“GET OUT!” Purple magic swirls in dark amber eyes, her chest heaving with the effort of holding back sobs.
Emma’s shoulders drop at the pain in the woman’s voice. She knows that all she can do now, is as Regina demanded.
“Come on,” she whispers to her still crying mother and angered father. The man wraps a protective arm around his wife and nudges her out the door.
Emma turns back as she exits, “Reg-“
The white door slams shut in her face with a wisp of purple smoke.
——
By the time the ringing of her doorbell interrupts her, the tears have dried on her face leaving two small trails of smudged eyeliner and mascara in their wake. Regina tries to blink the soreness from her raw, bloodshot eyes. Her finger traces gently over the outline of her sons face, the collection of photos surrounding her.
The doorbell rings again and she sighs. She stands stiffly from her seat at the kitchen island running her hands down her hair to smooth the flyaways from her earlier attack on the strands in a fit of agony.
She makes her way back to the foyer, just barely spotting the disaster that was her makeup in the hall mirror. Horrified, she wipes away as much of the black smudges as she can, unfortunately she can’t make the redness in her eyes go away as easily.
She sets her best glare on her face and whips the door open. Blinking at the lack of trespassers to yell at, she glances down and a puff of air escapes her lips.
A darling marble vase sits demurely on her front step. The dozen or so colourless, petite bulbs hang finely from each stem, long green leaves fill the empty space.
Blinking back a tear, Regina drops her eyes to her toes as she slowly moves for the vase.
Shutting the door behind her, she carries the flowers to the kitchen as if she were holding a precious gift.
She sets the black and white marbled vase on the counter, fingering a smooth cool leaf before plucking the card from its perch.
WOW. Seeing a woman as beautiful as you around here is an anomaLily -Yours Truly
A wet chuckle breaks free from the woman’s throat. Shaking her head at the silly pun, she spies the borrowed library book across the other counter.
Grabbing it off the counter she flicks the pages towards the lily section, thanking her luck for having picked out a book with photo references. Finding her small white flowers, she reads the passage.
Lily of the Valley *warning: the bulbs, stems and leaves of this plant are highly poisonous
Regina smiles. “Good to know,” she murmurs
-purity, motherhood and rebirth
While she scoff at the first meaning, the other two manage to fill her cold chest with a flickering flame of warmth.
Notes:
I love Lily of the Valley.
They’re the best flower to send if you need to apologize to someone for hurting them
Chapter 3: Chapter 3
Notes:
So… 😅 I appear to have dropped off the face of the Earth like a year ago but I’m alive now and I think I’m finally getting back into it. I really have no excuse I’m just lazy.
It’s a decently long chapter for you though, it’s that’s any consolation.
Chapter Text
“Mom!”
The woman blinks, lost in thought as the toe of her red sole Louboutin’s scuff the Mifflin street gravel leading up to her front stoop. She tilts her head ever so slightly to peer through her lashes at the title called across the street, hoping against hope that it’s directed at her.
A flash of crimson catches her attention as the owner calls out, “Kid, wait up!” Jogging increasingly faster behind a blur of shaggy brunette hair and a hand knitted grey and red scarf becoming smaller and smaller on a growing boy.
“Henry!” Regina gasps as the boy barrels chest first into her arms, the action so familiar yet foreign from the last few months of being separated. “What are you doing here?” She breathes in disbelief, her hands reaching to cup his cheeks and brush away a strand of unruly hair. She has no troubles staring into the green eyes she loves so much, remembering fondly when he only reached her knees. Where had the time gone?
Emma comes to a stop next to them panting heavily, her breath leaving puffs of smoke in the crisp evening air. She doubles over, her hands on her knees “Man I really need to lay off the bear claws” she mumbles continuing to breath deeply. She rolls her eyes as neither mother or son pay her any attention. “No really guys I’m fine.” She natters sarcastically as she straightens up.
Henry chuckles at his other mothers antics but Regina continues to pay her no mind. “I can’t believe you’re here,” she whispers so softly that Emma strains to hear the words.
The sheriff bites her lip at the utter surprise and devotion in the mothers voice, Regina’s eyes still roaming everything she’s missed since they’ve been apart.
Emma has a brief thought that if anyone had ever loved her even half as much as Regina loves Henry then she would be utterly content. She shoves her reddened hands deeper into the pockets of her jeans.
“For tonight, the kid is sleeping over at Jackson’s house and I’m pulling an all-nighter down at the station.”
Regina seeks out a pair of green eyes from over her sons broadening shoulder, taking in Emma’s impish grin. Henry doesn’t know a Jackson.
“Thank you,” she whispers softly, the genuine gratitude in her voice creating a pit of warmth in the blonde’s chest.
Emma shrugs and pulls her beanie further over her ears. “It’s literally the least I can do Regina. Snow is insane if she thinks she can dictate whether or not you’re in Henry’s life”.
At the mention of the bane of her existence, Regina stiffens, cursing herself for getting so caught up in seeing her son that she didn’t pay attention to where they were. Glancing up the street quickly she can make out some vaguely familiar shapes. Snow White has ears everywhere.
The former mayor spins on the spot guiding Henry toward to door. “Come in” she nods and unconsciously reaches for Emma’s hand to pull her inside as well.
A dopey grins stretches across the sheriffs face.
-
Shrugging off his jacket and boots, Henry rushes up the spiral stairs calling out that he’s going to check on his room.
Regina shakes her head fondly, her eyes tracking his retreating form until he rounds the corner. Sensing Emma’s nervous shuffling, she turns back to the other woman who won’t make eye contact.
“Regina I- “ she sighs scuffing the toe of her slush covered boot on the entrance mat, not noticing the mayors wince. “I had nothing to do with that ridiculous ultimatum that they gave you,”
“I know” she replies quietly.
“It wasn’t fair to make you choose between banishment or staying away from Henry”
Clearing her throat sadly, Regina removes her own trench coat and hangs it up on the coat stand, “No it wasn’t.” She turns back to the sheriff. “But seeing him from afar is a hell of a lot better then not seeing him at all.”
Emma nods with fervour. “Im not going to let them cut you out of his life. You’re his Mom Regina. He wants to see you.”
Swallowing back grateful tears, Regina shudders. “Thank you Emma.”
Despite Emma wanting to break the tension with a crack about finally getting Regina to use her first name, the nervous energy in the air makes her skin prickle. “Ok well um… if you need me, I’ll be uh at the station” she jabs her thumb behind her and turns to leave.
Henry rushes back down the stairs “Hey guys what’s-“ he stops on the bottom step seeing Emma half way out the door. “Oh. You’re leaving?”
She gives him a quick half-hearted grin. “Yeah Kid, I wasn’t joking about pulling an all nighter. Lots of paperwork.”
“But, you just got here.”
“Henry-“ Regina starts.
“Can you stay?” He begs and without letting her answer he turns to his brunette mother. “Can’t she stay?”
Seeing them both hesitate he pleads one last time. “Can Emma at least stay for dinner?”
Staring into his hopeful eyes, the former mayor can’t help but reply, “Of course Henry.”
———
Regina can’t remember the last time she cooked let alone sat at the dining table. It didn’t make sense when there was no one to eat with.
Dinner is filled with laughter and catch ups of all the things they missed in each other’s lives over the last months. Emma stays comfortably silent, smiling at the joy in her sons actions as well as the genuine way Regina listens to all he has to say.
Henry giggles at the sheriffs moan at the first bite of her lasagne while Regina hides the way her neck and cheeks flush.
Before they know it, dinner is finished and tidied up and Henry is cajoling the pair into a board game and then a movie. Neither of the women fight him on it, just so happy to see a real smile on his face.
Soon Henry is tucked in bed, Emma finishing up a story that he’d begged for, at the foot of his bed while Regina runs soft fingers though his overgrown hair, sitting right next to him.
“Good night Henry,” the brunette calls softly as she closes his door.
“Night Kid,” Emma echoes
“Night moms”
The pair shuffle down the stairs in a pensive yet comfortable silence.
“So,” the blonde breaks the moment. “I guess I’ll just head out. Dinner was amazing Regina. Thanks for letting me stay.”
“Emma.”
“Yeah?” She turns.
Regina wets her lips. “Would you like to stay for a drink?”
The sheriff bites the inside of her cheek to stop herself from smiling like a maniac. “Sure”.
-
The silence is no longer comfortable but awkward. Both women sit stiffly on the couch in the living room nursing their drinks.
It’s once again Emma who tries to break the frosty wordlessness. “You did a really great job with him Regina. He’s an amazing kid”. Seeing the other woman’s frown she continues. “Seriously. He’s kind and caring and incredibly smart. That was all you Regina. I don’t think I could have done it.”
The brunette sips her cider slowly working the words through her head before she says them. “Despite what I may have said in the past Ms Swan-“
The blonde cuts her off teasingly, “hey hey, where’s this Ms Swan coming from, what happened to Emma?”
Regina rolls her eyes “Despite what I said in the past EMMA,” she emphasizes, “he would have been just as wonderful with you.”
Emma scoffs and downs her drink in one gulp. “Yeah right. I don’t know what I’m doing.”
Narrowing her eyes, the former mayor responds “you would have learned”
She shakes her head “I would have screwed him up the same way I was.”
Regina leans back into the couch, relaxing somewhat “We’re all screwed up Emma.”
The sheriff raises her empty glass, “Ain’t that the truth.”
Somethings been nagging Regina all night “Why are you so insistent on letting Henry see me? We both know a year ago I would have taken him from you without even blinking.”
Emma sighs. “That’s the thing Regina, a year ago you would have. You wouldn’t now. I can see how much you love him, if I had even half of the love you give Henry growing up, he probably wouldn’t exist. I had a shitty childhood and I gave him up hoping he’d get more than I did. You gave him that. Who am I to take it away when that’s all I wanted as a kid.” It’s so earnest that the brunette can’t meet her eyes.
After a brief moment Regina offers a piece of herself. “My mother-“ she stops. What was she trying to say? -couldn’t love me -didn’t want to love me -hated me … hurt me.
The blonde nods slowly. “I know.” She recognized the look of a lost child when they first met. It was so obvious to her that Regina held on to Henry so tightly because he was all she had. She tried to do the same. “I understand.”
And for the first time in a long time, Regina thinks that might actually be true.
——
A few days passed since Regina woke up on her couch, a blonde head of hair resting on her shoulder snoring ever so softly. Henry had come around the corner all sleep mussed hair and rubbing his eyes.
“Did you guys spend the night down here?”
She hadn’t seen either one of them since but there was a calmness to her despite having nothing to focus her attention on now that the office was handed over to the not-so-Charming’s. It tickles her to know that there’s already a full complaint box on Snows desk after only 1 week.
She sighs, dropping her book into her lap. She can’t focus on the page anyway. Peering out the living room window she jumps when a flash of something passes by too quick to recognize. Leaving the comfort of the couch, she opens the front door looking left and right before a white pot on the bottom step catches her attention. She huffs out a smile and picks it up.
Regina drops gracefully back onto the couch, lifting the card she knows will be there.
You had me at Hy-drangea - Yours Truly
Sure enough the pot is filled with blue and white sweetly scented hydrangeas. This is the third batch of flowers that have been left for her. 1 seemingly each week. Whoever is leaving them sure as hell doesn’t seem to want to be seen though. Either way, the stupid puns that leave a dumb smile on her face are quickly becoming her favourite part of the week.
She reaches for the flower book that’s nearby at all times. Flipping to the H section she spots her flowers.
Blue and White Hydrangeas: Understanding and Gratitude
Huh. Now who would be sending those to her?