Her head was pounding something wicked by the time she'd made it through the throng of customers and into the cool haven of the diner, Ruby looking just as frazzled as she felt even as the younger woman danced around the place with more grace than Regina thought possible in this ungodly heat. It wasn't the brunette's fault that she'd been left unavailable to fulfil her duty as deputy now that summer had arrived and brought with it something of a roaring tourist trade. Granny had made it clear that, although she was to be on hand for Graham on the days he needed her, the diner always came first. She was to inherit it, after all. Still though, the situation wasn't ideal for the Mayor's office, particularly with the overspill of complaints she'd had to deal with on top of actually running the town.

She needed to find a replacement deputy and soon if she were to remain sane.

She swept a hand through her slowly frizzing locks, trying not to openly grimace at her already dampening hairline. Power suits in this weather were absolutely unthinkable but still, she had to maintain an air of professionalism and so, she'd had to make do with a skirt just long enough to be passable and a sleeveless silk blouse she was quite sure would keep her cool enough to avoid the dreaded sweat patches.

Regina hated that such lovely weather could still put her in something of a mood, if it were a degree cooler she was quite sure she'd be able to enjoy it for the blessing it was but instead, she found herself wishing summer was over already.

Still, seeing her little town lit so beautifully by the summer sun did manage to pull a prideful little smile from her whenever she had the chance to step outside – particularly on the evenings she was able to join her son for a walk around the park. Soon he'd be too old for such things so, despite the pang of unease that always came with the thought, she managed to push her sadness away and revel in the moments he still allowed her to hold his hand or put her arm around his shoulder.

Perhaps she'd take him for ice cream in the park again tonight.

Regina smiled and nodded politely to those who greeted her as she made her way through the diner and towards the counter. The line wasn't obscenely long, not like Regina had thought it would've been with the amount of people who'd been occupying the various benches installed outside, it seemed the old woman had hired a few more kitchen staff, something Regina had advised not so long ago only to have been scoffed at by the prideful owner.

She couldn't help the smirk that crossed her features as the woman in question emerged from the door leading to the kitchens and behind the counter intent of gathering more supplies, it seemed. She caught Regina's eye and only scowled in response to her raised eyebrows – don't be smug, it read as - the woman had always been a maternal figure in Regina's life, one she wished could have been her real kin as opposed to the cold figure that had raised her.

Mother had loved her, her Daddy had always insisted, in her own way and Regina had been foolish enough to believe such a thing – her father had meant no harm, blind as he was to Cora's ways – up until she'd come to adopt Henry and found that unconditional love flowed from her heart to his own in an unbreakable cord. Cora hadn't known love nor how to give it. It was something that still struck a dull chord in Regina's heart whenever she allowed herself to dwell, which was more often than she liked to admit.

She blinked out of her thoughts when the line began moving once more and she found herself standing before a girl she hadn't seen all too many times before, probably a student from one of the colleges just out of town. Many of them migrated to Storybrooke during the holidays to pick up the extra work.

"What can I get you ma'am?" the girl's voice shook slightly as she greeted Regina with a strained smile. Her dark hair was pulled back into a sleek bun, errant strands falling about her pretty face no doubt from the exertion of the morning.

"Please, call me Regina." The young girl nodded her understanding before recognition dawned on her features and her eyes widened slightly. It wasn't an unusual reaction from a non-resident and so Regina leaned in close with a kind smile, "I don't bite sweetheart."

"I'm sorry Madame May- " at the brunette's feigned stern look she amended, "Regina, I didn't recognise you, what can I get you?" she had blushed deeply at her idiocy but maintained eye contact, something Regina found extremely commendable in a person, particularly one so young.

She smiled warmly once more before her aching head took president and she straightened up once more, "I'll take a club salad and a mineral water to go, please," hoping a little food and hydration would ease the pounding. She hadn't managed breakfast, what with the sheer number of calls she'd received that morning. As the young woman took down her order, Regina frowned gently before she continued, "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name…"

"Naya," she responded when Regina trailed off, "my name's Naya." Her smile seemed a little easier to give now that she'd found the Mayor wasn't quite the bitch most thought her to be.

"Great, thank you Naya," Regina smiled. As the girl turned to leave she placed a warm palm over her slim forearm to halt her gently, "Can you do me a favour?" When Naya nodded, she continued, "when you relay the order to Granny, please give her my congratulations, she'll know what you mean, dear."

Naya walked away with a nod as Regina made her way over to the other end of the counter to wait for her food. She had to stifle her laughter at the sounds of a disgruntled diner owner coming from the back room just before Naya returned with her eyes slightly wide but the only indication of her shock. She stopped before Regina with a bottle of water in her hand and explained that her food would be ready in just a moment.

"Oh," she added rather hesitantly as she moved to walk back to the line of customers, "Granny said…thank you."

Regina did laugh this time as Naya blushed and turned her attention back to the next person. She slowly made her way over to the condiments cart just beside the jukebox, righting the skewed bottles of ketchup and salt before grabbing a disposable fork for herself.

The sounds within the diner were loud, conversations between families, friends and lovers the soundtrack of the day. She smiled as she turned and took in the sight of the happy faces that adorned each table, something that had been quite rare in the time before her time in office.

Adrian Gold, the Mayor before her and her former employer, had been completely disconnected from the townsfolk, uninterested in anything other than gaining more power. She'd been a runner in his office, kept on the side-lines to file and sort and take on much more than should have been expected of her. Most of Gold's responsibilities, the ones he was able to shirk onto her, were taken on by Regina. It was how she'd managed to gain the knowledge she needed in order to run for the next election. She'd won by a landslide and Gold hadn't taken it too well. Even now, whenever they were to cross paths, he'd pretend she was nothing but clear air. She'd given up trying to be civil with him long ago.

The relationship she'd built with the townsfolk, especially those Gold hadn't had the time nor care to tolerate during his time in office, had served her well both in the election and after. People respected her but they weren't afraid of her. She'd been unknown only a few years ago – something of an enigma when she'd arrived alone in town with a toddler, no husband to speak of and had taken up residency at Granny's for almost six months before she'd managed to save enough money to buy an apartment of her own – yet now, she was well loved. A big part of the town.

It was something she took great pride in.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't see the young boy running straight for her until it was too late.

He bounced off of her legs and hit the ground with a heavy thud that had her wincing and completely ignoring the rather large dollop of ice cream seeping through her skirt and dampening her leg as she immediately crouched and placed her palms on his upper arms, her disposable fork pressed lightly against his tee-shirt.

"Are you okay, sweetheart?"

Big brown eyes lifted to her face, the young boy looking a little dazed and confused as he peered up at her with an ice cream cone squashed in his fist. Her stomach dropped when his mind seemed to catch up with his body and his lower lip jutted out as a fat tear came rolling from his eye.

"Roland?" she looked up at the sound of another's voice, heard over the din of conversation already filling the diner, to see a man she'd never seen before with a smile on his face as he looked about the place, "Where are yo- Oh my God!" he exclaimed the moment his gaze fell upon both Regina and – she assumed – his son on the ground.

He wasn't so much crying as he was sniffling, eyes still on Regina as he whimpered, "I'm s-so-sorry…I didn't mean to-"

"Oh, don't you worry about that, little one," she shook her head at him with a warm smile even as the stranger came to kneel beside her, fussing over his boy as he asked what had happened, "you just didn't see me there, did you?"

"I am so sorry," his assumed father told her as he turned his face to look at her – God, his eyes were blue – "we were playing a little game and it seems we got carried away."

Regina was still holding the boy upright as she shrugged at the man and gave a reassuring smile, "It's fine, no harm done," she pulled her gaze away – she definitely hadn't seen this man before, she'd have remembered those eyes – and looked back to find his son still fretting as he wiped at his cheeks with his free hand. "Hey now," she soothed on a gentle laugh, "I'm not worth spilling any tears over, will you allow me to buy you a replacement ice cream seeing as my skirt stole yours?"

"Oh no, really you don't have to do that," his father assured her as he moved to his feet and offered her a hand, "honestly, I shouldn't have encouraged him, not when the place is so busy."

"Nonsense," she waved him off, accepting his help up before bending to offer his boy a hand as she told him, "it would be my pleasure." And then, remembering it was rather rude to be speaking with someone and not tell them her name, she moved to do so, interrupted only by Naya as she moved from around the counter with Regina's order.

"Here's your club salad, Madame May- I mean, Regina," she amended quickly, smirking at the brunette's scolding look, "sorry, I hope you enjoy," and with that she rushed back to the never-ending line.

When she returned her gaze to the two she'd been speaking with, she found the stranger to be looking at her with absolute mortification on his face as he rubbed a hand at the back of his neck and asked, "You're the Mayor?"

"I am," she confirmed with a soft chuckle before she looked to his son and back again and told them, "but I prefer Regina. And may I ask what your names are? I should have done so earlier, awfully rude of me not to."

He took her offered hand and shook it, her palm tingling where it touched his as he replied, "My name is Robin, Robin Locksley," his touch and his gaze lingered for a moment, those kind eyes moving over her face before he inhaled a sharp breath and – regretfully – let go of her hand to nod down at his son as he continued, "and this little ice cream assassin is my son," she was right then, "Roland."

She smiled politely at Robin, nodding at his introduction before turning her attention back to Roland and asking, "Well, now that we're friends," glad to see a small smile curling at his lips even with eyes still wet, "what do you say we go to the park and get you some more ice cream?"

The park had been restored and updated in Regina's time as Mayor, she'd wanted it to be the safest place possible for children and so had set about ensuring that not long into her term. The whole play area had been built upon a shock absorbing tarmac meaning if a child should fall, as they often did, the actual impact would be minimal. A brightly coloured fence had also been placed around it, tall enough to stop the little ones from climbing over but short enough to stop it from feeling as though they were caged in like animals.

She had, with the help of the school teachers, created a tally of which playground essentials the children (and parents) wanted with an option to add something of their own wishes. The usual elements had been voted for; a swing set, a seesaw, monkey bars etc. All of which had been erected with the addition of one thing more – a castle.

A vast majority of the students had requested a castle, somewhere they could go should they ever want their own escape from reality and she had been more than happy to oblige. It was an extremely popular attraction and she revelled in the times she frequented the park and was able to see just how much enjoyment the children got out of it. It was normally at least once a week she would be stopped and gushed over by a satisfied parent. It was reassuring, affirming even. She was doing okay.

"It's a beautiful town," Robin mused, pulling her out of her thoughts as she turned to glance at him. His eyes were roaming about the park, taking the area in before he looked back to his son currently swinging with abandon. He'd finished his ice cream a little while ago as she'd taken them on a tour of the lake and its surroundings before bringing them here much to Roland's delight.

"Thank you," she replied graciously, flushing with pride as she always did at such a compliment before turning the subject on him, "I hope you don't mind my asking but, what brings you here?"

"Not at all," he replied with an easy smile that she couldn't help but look at for a moment, feeling like a damn schoolgirl with her crush – you're a grown woman, Regina, pull it together! – before he explained, "I actually have a friend in town, I haven't seen him for a while and have been meaning to come out here with Roland so when he sent an invitation out for his restaurant opening, I thought, why not now?"

"I'm sorry but, do you mean John? John Littleman?"

"That's the one!" Robin beamed, shifting a little on the bench to face her better. "Do you know him?"

She shook her head with a breathy laugh, "Extremely well."

"Wait a minute…"

She eyed him suspiciously when his eyes narrowed – his grin remaining.

"You're not the, and I quote, 'beautiful brunette' that talked him into finally opening his own place, are you?"

"He did not call me that."

"Oh, but he did," Robin chuckled good-naturedly before throwing her off a little with his rather flippant remark of, "with good reason, I see," before continuing as though he hadn't just short-circuited her brain and telling her, "thank you for getting him to do this. He's been wanting to for as long as I've known him but he's never taken that leap."

She was still a little shell-shocked but managed to shake herself out of it enough to reply to Robin. "It was more a case of me forcing his hand, in all honesty." Robin's smile remained still as he tilted his head and frowned at her in gentle confusion. She exhaled a deep breath and rolled her eyes almost self-consciously before explaining, "He's always talked about doing it, like you said. Every single year he'd grouse about not getting around to it but still, he wouldn't do anything about it so when a place became available, I bought it and asked if he would begin teaching cooking classes there for those around the town that had always wanted to learn."

"People loved it and, pretty soon, he had to open more and more nights a week in order to allow everyone a chance to learn from him so after a month or so, when he'd finally realised how much people loved his cooking and had made more money than I think he knew what to do with, I asked if he'd finally turn it into a restaurant and give the people what they really wanted."

"And he agreed?"

She shrugged, a soft smile curling her lips at the memory of John's acceptance and the relentless fretting that had come before it. "You have the invitation, don't you?"

"That I do," he grinned with a nod.

She laughed in response, was about to ask how long he was going to be in town for when her phone buzzed to alert her to the end of her lunch break. "I'm terribly sorry," she sighed regretfully – she wanted to stay, she realised – "but I have to get back to work."

"Shit," he replied, looking guilty as he stood from the bench with her, a frown creasing his forehead, "we've eaten up all of your free time, I'm so-"

"Don't apologise," Regina cut him off quickly and with a smile, "it sure beat sitting in that stuffy office trying to ignore the phone."

They laughed together for a moment, both casting eyes over to Roland when he let out a melodious giggle as he took turns on the slide with an easily made friend, before looking back to one another and shifting awkwardly for a moment. She was reluctant to leave but, still…

"It was great to meet you both."

"You too," he quickly took her offered hand – that tingly feeling shooting up her arm once more, not at all unpleasant – shaking it with enthusiasm before asking, "we'll see you around?"

Her insides warmed with the question as she nodded and replied, "Yes, I suppose you will."

"Uncle John!"

The man in question lifted his eyes from the paperwork on his makeshift desk – a pasting board it looked like – and beamed at the sight of Roland, both ignoring Robin's warning, "Careful!" as his boy jumped over paint pots and tool boxes on his way to John. "There's my favourite merry man!" he cried out as he hefted Roland into his arms and threw him up into the air a little, revelling in his giggles as he caught him with large hands beneath his armpits. It was a joke they'd instantly brought Roland in on the moment he was old enough to understand – Robin and his Merry Men, something he and his friends had been called since high school – and he absolutely loved being a part of it. It only warmed Robin's heart more to know that John was keeping up with it for his son's sake.

"The place is looking good," Robin mused as he took a much slower path towards the pair, casting a glance about the large space. He could see the layout well enough – it seemed the heavy-set counters that had most likely been used for John's cooking classes were being ripped out to make way for tables and chairs with a bar already erected along the back wall – and it really was looking great.

"There's still a lot to be done," John shrugged as he settled Roland on his hip and met Robin in the middle of the room, still smiling widely at the sight of them both, "but we're getting there. I can't see us falling short of the deadline."

"Well, good." Robin gave his friend a pat on the arm, letting his palm curl around his bicep and squeezing gently, "I'm proud of you, mate."

"Thanks."

Robin grinned at the slight colour to John's cheeks as he shifted Roland needlessly on his hip before he gave a light cough to clear his throat and turned his attention back to the four-year-old. "So, how're you liking Storybrooke, Ro? Made any new friends yet?"

His boy nodded enthusiastically, grinning that adorable grin before telling John all about the boy he'd met at the park and the games they'd played before revealing that, "Papa made a new friend too!" which had John's head turning in time to catch the widening of Robin's eyes before he'd been able to mask his surprise.

"He did, did he?"

"Uh huh," Roland confirmed – how Robin wished his son was old enough to understand tact and all that it entailed – "she was really pretty and nice to me and she bought me an ice cream in the park 'cause I squished mine on her skirt by accident."

"A pretty friend," John teased with raised eyebrows to Robin, "and here's me thinking I've got that role all covered."

"You're funny, Uncle John," Roland giggled in his friend's arms before squirming a little, wishing to be put down it seemed.

"There are some toys in the back room, Roland," John pointed to what looked to be his actual – or soon-to-be – office in which Robin spied a box full of said toys and a plush little bean bag that he was quite sure the man had probably picked up especially for their visit, it wasn't unlike him to have such forethought. "Why don't you go play for a little bit while your Papa and I have a little boring grown-up chat?"

He'd always been an easy child – save for the odd tantrum – and so it was unsurprising when Roland simply nodded and skipped off on his merry little way – with another warning of safety from Robin – and settled down in John's office, happily distracted for the next ten minutes or so.

"So," John grinned with a teasing tilt of his head as he crossed his arms over his chest, "who is this 'pretty' friend and do I know her?"

Robin's eyes rolled as he replied tiredly, "It wasn't like that," even though the words felt wrong on his tongue – it hadn't been like that, she'd just been kind to them, had taken pity on the new tourists because she was the Mayor – "and yes, you do know her. In fact, you called her far more than 'pretty' on the phone when you described her to me."

It took him a moment but, with a few seconds thought and a furrowed brow, realisation slowly coloured John's features as his eyebrows lifted and he replied, "Regina? That's who Roland is talking about?"

"One and the same," Robin confirmed with a nod and another eye roll when John made a comment about him getting his 'feet under the table' so quickly. "Roland accidentally gave her a lapful of ice cream so she insisted on buying him another," he shrugged.

"That sounds like something she'd do," John laughed softly as he shook his head, "she's the best thing that ever happened to this town, I swear."

Warmth spread slowly through Robin as he allowed himself a moment to think of those dark eyes and full red lips of hers, of her bright white smile and kindness with Roland. "She seems nice," he mused after a long moment, ignoring John's knowing look as he pushed past him on his way to his son and shaking his head when he heard a muttered "I'm sure that's all you think."

Still, he couldn't quite shake the hope of seeing her again, sooner rather than later if he was lucky.

She startled at the knock at her door, mortified that she'd fallen into a daydream when she should've been sorting through the ridiculous amount of emails currently awaiting her attention. "Come in," she called, silently praying that it wasn't yet another problem for her to sort and trying not to appear too relieved when it was Graham that appeared in her office rather than an angry townsperson.

"Bad time?" he asked with a small smile the moment he caught sight of her fully – apparently her poker face wasn't what it once was.

She took the reprieve for what it was, however, and heaved a deep sigh as she slumped a little in her chair and shook her head, "Definitely not," she chuckled breathily before narrowing her eyes and feigning suspicion as she warned, "unless you're here to pile more problems on my head because in that case, yes it most certainly is."

"I come in peace!" he lifted his hands and grinned, looking just as tired as she felt. She beckoned him towards her with a nod of her head and a warm smile. "I actually came to talk about hiring a new deputy," he winced – he liked Ruby very much, they worked well together – "I'm not trying to discredit Ruby, she's been a great addition to the office but-"

"Her availability is a little non-existent at the moment," she finished for him with an understanding nod, "I was actually thinking the same earlier. You need someone on-hand permanently, I understand."

"Even if only for the summer," he shrugged as he dropped down into the seat on the other side of her desk, crossing one leg over the other and leaning back into it, "until the tourist trade has died down and Ruby can pick up the extra shifts again."

Regina nodded as she used a heeled foot to rock gently in her chair, something of a soothing side to side motion as she let her mind run. In all honesty, there weren't too many people physically available to commit their time to such a hands-on position.

"I was thinking of asking one of the elementary school teachers, now that school's out for the summer, perhaps they'd be willing to help out a little."

Her brow furrowed – there was Mary Margaret, not Regina's favourite person in the world but trustworthy and certainly caring about the community, she often took an interest in the goings on around town but then, if Regina remembered rightly, she was terrible at keeping secrets. They couldn't have a known gossip dealing with the more sensitive of people's issues on a daily basis. The women knew how to be professional but could she keep quiet when presented with the more sensitive of subjects? – her head tilting as she shook her head 'no,' to that decision.

"What about David?" Graham suggested after a moment, pulling Regina from her thoughts. "He hasn't been here all that long but he's well liked enough now that…well…" he trailed off awkwardly.

Regina's eyebrows raised though she said nothing in response. It'd been quite the scandal, the vet's affair with the school teacher. She still remembered the bright red lettering that had adorned Mary Margaret's car for a few days after it had gotten out. Kathryn had promised she'd known nothing about it but Regina had had her suspicions – not that she'd pressed the matter further. It had been rather humiliating for her friend and, luckily, not something that the Mayor's office had to be involved in.

Still, despite that transgression – and the fact that David and Mary Margaret seemed to be something of an official couple now that his divorce was final – it seemed he'd managed to gain some favour back from the town with his easy charm and though it still left a bad taste in Regina's mouth – endless nights she'd spent on the phone to Kathryn or holding the sobbing woman in her arms flashed through her mind – it was none of her business.

"I suppose he could be something of an asset to your department," but then, "what about the shelter? I know it's not exactly overrun but could he juggle both?"

Graham shrugged lightly as he too thought through the logistics of the situation, "I suppose the best thing to do would be to ask him outright. If he thinks he can handle both and it won't be too much of a stretch then, why not? He's the only option we have at the moment and I think we're both at about breaking point, yeah?"

"You can say that again," she breathed as she lifted a hand to press a finger to her temple, still aching though not quite as much as it had been this morning.

"Look," Graham began as he lifted himself from his chair and rounded her desk to stand behind her, curling his palms over her shoulders and using his thumbs to knead at the knots in her upper back – she had to fight not to moan outright at the sensation – "leave it with me, I'll set up a meeting with him, something informal just to see where he stands and then we can set something up a little more formal between the three of us before any decisions are made. Let me take this little bit off of your plate and you just focus on something else, okay? I don't like seeing you this way when it can be helped."

"What else would you expect during the summer?" she laughed humourlessly. It was like this every year no matter how much they prepared. Something always happened. She shook her head as the inevitable feeling of guilt rose within her when her mind wandered back to the same thing it had been on before he'd walked into the room. Henry. "I just want to be able to spend time with my son when the sun is still in the damn sky. He deserves more than to be left with someone else every day because his stupid mother can't seem to get her shit together and run a town."

"Hey…" Graham soothed, cutting off her self-deprecating thoughts before they were able to go any further with a soft kiss to her cheek before he crouched enough to wrap his arms around her shoulders and hold her against him as best he could for a little while, "Henry knows how important your work is but he also knows how much more important he is to you. You're not choosing the town over him, you're keeping the place from falling apart and providing him with a stable home. Anyone that sees you with him can see how wonderful a mother you are. Stop giving yourself such a hard time."

"It's just-"

"Regina," he cut her off once more, unwrapping his arms from her shoulders and moving to crouch beside her, using his hands on the arm of her chair to swivel her around to face him so that she could see his face properly. "You have given that boy everything ever since he was just a baby, far more than any other would have in your situation. The people of this town may not know the ins and outs of your life before you came here but I do and I think you are the strongest, most commendable woman I have ever met. Don't discredit yourself, don't forget everything that you've given up for him."

Tears welled in her eyes at his words, at blonde curls and emerald eyes still imprinted in her mind. No one but Graham knew of her past, of her life before Storybrooke. No one but Graham and Henry. "I can't fuck this up, not just for Henry but for her."

"You won't," he assured her with a kind smile and a warm palm on her knee, his thumb stroking over the bare strip of thigh left uncovered by her skirt, "and you haven't."

It still gave her nightmares, thinking of that awful night so many years ago. "There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of her," she whispered as the tears in her eyes finally fell to trail down her cheeks. "I just want to do her proud, to raise her son with as much love as she would have if she'd gotten the chance. I need to do that for her."

"You may not think it," Graham stood from the ground, using his hands to scoop back her hair from her face and pressing another kiss to her cheek, "but you're already doing that, Regina." He stayed for a moment after pulling back, eyes moving between her own – no doubt realising that a few words weren't going to squash the feeling of inferiority she'd held for years now – before he sighed softly and smiled once more, "Do you want me to come over tonight? Cook for you and Henry?"

She appreciated the offer, she really did but, "No, it's okay," because, "I want to spend some time with my son tonight, just me and him. I feel like it's been too long since I've been able to give him my full attention but thank you," she tilted her head, lifting a palm to his cheek fondly before adding, "for everything."

He grinned, no worse the wear for her rejection, before he shrugged and replied, "It's no hardship, trust me. You're very special to me, Regina. You and Henry. Whatever you need, whenever you need it, just ask."

She nodded gratefully before wiping away the last of her tears and promising, "I will."

The kiss that he pressed to her palm had her smiling once more before she watched him take his leave with nothing more than a reassuring wink and a teasing smile that pulled a wet laugh from her.

She turned back to her desk, scrolling quickly through the emails still awaiting her attention before taking a deep and decisive breath and turning on her 'out of office' response email. There was still plenty for her to be doing for the next few hours but, for once, she was going to cut herself a little slack and spend the rest of the day with her boy.

Regina couldn't stop smiling.

They'd waved goodbye to Marco – Henry thanking him for allowing him to help with the large commission he'd just taken on for the nunnery whilst Regina had promised to call by more often (he'd been a good friend and something of a confidant when she'd first moved here, mainly due to the amount of time he spent in the diner speaking with Granny – something she still kept an eye on presently, hoping they'd one day get their act together and just admit their feelings for one another) – before Henry had looped his arm through hers and beamed at the news that they'd be going to the park for the afternoon.

He'd questioned her early appearance having thought he'd see her well after dinnertime with the amount of work she'd been grousing about only that morning but she'd simply shrugged and told him not to worry. He'd wanted to question it, she'd been able to recognise the expression – so much like her sometimes that it physically hurt – but had let it go when she gave him the same answer once more.

He knew not to look a gift horse in the mouth, especially where her free time was concerned. It was something that she took relief as well as guilt from.

Today wasn't about feeling guilty though, it was about them and the precious couple of weeks they had left before summer was over and he'd be back at school.

"He let me help carve the rungs on the rocking chair," he grinned, practically beaming when she told him how much of a privilege he'd been allowed before their attention was caught by the shouting of her name.

Turning her head with a brow that had furrowed automatically, she found Roland to be running towards her, grinning from ear to ear with his father and John close behind. Her frown disappeared and was replaced with a warm smile as she greeted, "Hello again, Roland. Have you had a good day so far?"

"Uh huh!"

"He's been helping his Uncle John set-up, haven't you?"

Regina lifted her eyes from the boy in front of her to find John and Robin, the former leaning forward to press a kiss of greeting to her cheek with a friendly Good to see you, widening her smile. "You too," she replied before folding her arms leisurely over her chest and asking, "how is the set-up going, by the way? I've been meaning to stop by and take a look but-"

"-with your schedule? Don't be silly, Regina. I'm surprised you're still standing, never mind stopping by to my little place."

"Still," she shook her head, grateful for John's understanding but still guilt-ridden having pushed him towards the restaurant and offering no help, "I'll carve out an afternoon soon and come help out."

"Can I help too, Mom?"

She turned her head to find Henry looking up at her with wide, pleading eyes. "You want to help John with his restaurant?" she was doubtful given that he groaned practically every time she asked him to take the garbage out and acted as though she was asking him to dip his hands in acid whenever she asked him to do the dishes. "Honey, it would be a lot of work, hard work…"

"I know that," he frowned – rather adorably in her eyes – before arguing, "but I could do it, I want to do it. Plus, then you won't have to worry about where I am in the daytime because I'll be with John and you get to stop by when you finish work later on."

"I honestly don't mind him helping, if that's okay with you, Regina. An extra pair of hands would be great."

She looked from her son, to John and back again. It wasn't a bad idea, in all honesty. It would save having to move Henry around day by day – a little easing of her guilt – and if John needed the help... "As long as you don't mind," she looked from John to Robin – because the man was here to spend time with his best friend after all.

It was Robin who replied with, "It would actually help to know that someone else was about to keep an eye on Roland whilst we work," and then, looking to Henry kindly, "if that's okay with you, that is?"

"I can watch him!" Henry replied eagerly. She knew the source of his enthusiasm – for once, he'd get to be the babysitter rather than the babysat – and she couldn't help but smile as she shrugged and agreed that from tomorrow morning onwards, she would drop Henry at the restaurant before she went to work and stop by for a chat in the evening when she picked him up.

He couldn't stop staring at her. Literally, could not stop staring at her as she spoke with John and glanced towards where their boys were playing. He'd thought her beautiful that morning anyway but something about seeing her again, a little more relaxed now that work seemed to be over for the day and she was in the company of her son – his admiration (and attraction) for her had only grown knowing that she was also a mother as well as the Mayor of this town – had him unable to look away from her.

Her dark hair fell in luscious waves around her shoulders, bouncing lightly with each turn of her head and he was mesmerized. The late afternoon sun was lighting her skin, warming her enough that she'd taken off the blazer she'd arrived in and was back in just that sleeveless blouse she'd been wearing a few hours earlier when they'd met at the diner. Her arms were shapely, emphasised by the way she had them crossed over her chest – covering that wonderfully strained button – as were her lean legs. Toned and tanned and left bare in the summer heat. She was an absolute marvel.

Robin blinked, acutely aware of something missing within him. Something that had been present for the past three years – guilt. He didn't feel guilty for looking at Regina as he was – perhaps a little lecherous (though his thoughts were perfectly pure and merely admiration) – didn't feel that sickening stab of grief when he remembered why he always felt so guilty thinking of any woman other than his Marian.

She'd told him, right before she'd succumbed to her illness, that she wanted him to carry on, to find someone to make him as happy as he'd made her and he'd nodded but shushed her, told her to save her breath, her strength. She'd pushed on though, well aware that he'd had no intention of following through with her wishes – he'd made an internal vow to be a widow for life, to spend his days caring for their son and grieving for his love – and had made him promise to find someone to share his big heart with. He'd promised.

There had been women who'd caught his eye over the last three years, of course – perhaps not so much in that first torturous year – but he'd seen nothing but differences. Marian's hair had been dark, not blonde. Her nose had been a little shapelier, lips fuller…and he'd felt awful for making the comparisons but she had been his everything.

Not Regina though. No, Regina was in a league all her own just as his Marian had been.

It surprised him, the ease with which he was able to look at her and to think of her in such a way. It concerned him a little too, if he was honest.

He shouldn't be thinking of Regina in such a way – thinking of nights spent dining out and days spent like this, with their boys playing in the park – when this town wasn't his own. He was merely here to visit. Getting into something would be far too complicated – not that she was interested in him, for all he knew – but still, the desire to get to know her better was still simmering in his belly.

Particularly so when it seemed like she was now making her way back over to the bench on which he was sat with an easy smile on her face.

"Are you sure you don't mind my son joining you in the restaurant?" John rolled his eyes with a laugh as he followed behind the Mayor, "I don't want him under your feet all day."

"Not at all," Robin assured her, shifting a little on the bench to allow her room as she took a seat beside him – he fought hard not to inhale too sharply at the subtle scent of her perfume wafting over him – "in fact, he'd be a great asset in terms of some of the lighter lifting and keeping an eye on my boy, if that's okay with him and with you. I don't want him to feel like he's a babysitter for Roland."

"I actually think he'd enjoy it," Regina replied honestly, turning to glance at the two boys, smiling at the way Roland was copying Henry as they ran through a pretend battlefield to get to Henry's beloved castle. "He's always wanted a sibling, someone to look after and set an example for. I think Roland would be a great way for him to do that."

"Well, as long as you don't mind," Robin repeated her own words, pulling a soft chuckle from her that he rather enjoyed hearing before they were interrupted by something of a loud sigh of feigned annoyance from John as he put an end to their circle of polite parenting and told Regina to drop Henry by as early as she needed in the morning.

"We'll make sure he's kept entertained, don't you worry."

"Oh, I'm sure you will," she rolled her eyes with a laugh, "but thank you, again."

"You're welcome."