Author's Note: I don't the show have had too much focus on Henry's early life, so I wanted to make a story about that and try picturing Regina as a single mother. It was meant as a one-short, but as I came to think of more I put it together.

Her only joy

Mommy is here

"Shhh, it's okay, little one, mommy is here," said Regina, holding her four week old son in her arms. She rocked him ever so gently singing softly to him, holding him so close to her heart as possible.

His screams were slowly to fade away, and he fell asleep again. Regina kissed his forehead gently, and then put him carefully down in his bed, not to harm him. She just stood there for a couple of moments, watching over him with loving eyes, before going back to bed.

It was the third time he had woken her, first because he needed changing, second because he was hungry and now third she assumed was because he needed her love. She couldn't help but to love him, she had done so the very moment that she had gotten him from the adoption agency. Not having a child before him, of her own or otherwise, the young woman of course would be worried if she could handle this on her own or not.

If you didn't count her stepdaughter that was, but her father and nanny had been somewhat in the picture there, besides she was seven when she and her father got married, and Regina never seemed to love her.

Her son on the other hand was another thing, of course Regina knew she wanted a child, not only did she want it, she needed it. She wanted a family, someone to care for, and someone that might love her back. Maybe to show she was less evil. Not that anyone here remembered anything anymore, so maybe it was just to prove to her that she was still capable of loving another human being and that she could care for him. Which she had done from the instant she had gotten him. She had before his arrival, made sure to have the nursery ready, diapers, clothes, bottles and anything else she would need. In addition she had of course gotten formula as she could not breastfeed her little one.

When she had driven home with him that very first day after signing the papers, a soft smile had graced her lips. He was sleeping in a car seat on the passenger side, probably not knowing what was going on. That she were to be his mother.

Regina parked in the driveway, and carried him inside saying, "This will be your new home, Henry, and I hope you like it."

The young boy didn't say much; after all he was too young to talk. His eyes seemed to move around though, his head resting against his mother's shoulder. She stroked him gently whispering, "I'm your mommy, little one, and now I'm going to show you your room."

She carried him up the stairs and did just that, aware he was most likely was getting very little of it all, but it couldn't hurt to try. After all she wanted to be a good mother, unlike her own.

The young woman startled when he started to scream, not yet used to them as it was her first day. She went into the bathroom to check his diaper, it was clean. So he was either hungry or something else was wrong. She carried him down the stairs, and into the kitchen where she warmed a bottle with formula, and he soon started to feed. A warm, fuzzy feeling of joy went through her; she knew she was doing it right.

Now about one week later she was starting to learn what his different screams meant. She smiled as she lay down in her bed, slowly closing her eyes, expecting him to scream in another couple of hours, in which she for the first time would let him spend the rest of the night with her, too tired to go back and forth.

Feedback always welcome and very much appreciated :o)