A/N: Based on an idea from lovelymaura on Tumblr. Meant to be an OS but it really depends on whether you want to read more of it or not. Just let me know. It was fun to write, I hope you'll enjoy reading it. =) * Oh and just so you know, I love receiving prompts so you can PM me whenever! ;) *
It was Friday night and Regina was cooking dinner when she heard the muffled sound of footsteps in the staircase announcing Henry, who came hurtling in the kitchen a few seconds later.
"Mom, have you seen my backpack?" he panted, trying to catch his breath.
"Your backpack?" Regina turned away from the stove to look at her son with a raised eyebrow. "What do you need it for?"
"Uh… packing?" Henry answered, slightly confused.
"Are you going somewhere, Captain Obvious?" Regina clarified, turning her back to him to pick up a spoon and taste her preparation.
"You know I'm spending the weekend with Mama, right?" Henry said hesitantly. "We've been planning it for weeks now…"
His voice trailed off when he saw Regina stiffen noticeably, the spoon hanging in the air midway to her mouth. She slowly placed it back on the edge of the pan and put on her best smile. Was it this week already? She had completely forgotten about it.
"Of course Henry, how could I forget?" Regina smiled as she turned around to her son once again, but her heart wasn't in it. "Last time I saw it was when you dropped it in the middle of the foyer," she indicated.
Henry ran out of the kitchen to fetch his bag and Regina reached for the necklace around her neck, safely hidden from everyone else's sight under her blouse. She slightly tugged at the silver pendant that once had been her wedding ring. Coming from anyone else, it would have been interpreted as a sign of nervousness, but of course Regina Swan-Mills could never be nervous. Regina Mills, period, she mentally admonished herself with a frown.
"Is he going to spend the weekend with you two?" she asked as she came to lean against one of the walls in the foyer, looking down at Henry who was now kneeling on the floor, rummaging through his stuff scattered all around him.
"Pete, his name is Pete," he answered, shaking his head with a smile at his Mom's determination not to ever pronounce the name of his Mama's boyfriend unless it was absolutely necessary. A necessity that obviously never occurred.
"And yes, Pete is spending the weekend with us." He lifted his gaze just in time to catch his Mom rolling her eyes at his underlining, which only resulted in turning his smile into a laugh. "He's a basketball player, you know. He promised he would teach me some moves," he added after a few seconds as if to justify his enthusiasm.
Regina didn't really care about the stranger and truth be told, she'd rather not think of all the aspects of Emma's life that man was now a part of. She tried to keep in mind that the blonde's well being wasn't her responsibility anymore, but she failed every time she asked Henry about her and today was no exception. Failing at everything concerning Emma –except Henry of course–, seemed to be her thing. Obviously she hadn't been able to make her happy; otherwise they wouldn't have broken up in the first place. She might as well let someone else take care of it.
"What about your Mama? How is she?" Regina finally inquired against her better judgment.
Before Henry could reply, they both recognized the distinctive noise of Emma's yellow bug pulling over in front of the house.
"You should go, don't make her wait," she smiled at Henry.
He nodded, then swiftly got back on his feet and ran back upstairs to his room. When he came back a few minutes after, Regina had gathered his belongings and was patiently waiting for him at the bottom of the steps, holding his bag open. He hastily shoved his pajamas and his favorite book inside before swinging it on his left shoulder.
Regina opened the front door to let her son go, but instead of storming off after waving goodbye as he usually did, he stood on the porch and hugged her for a long time. When they let go of each other, Regina was surprised by the sudden seriousness on Henry's face.
"You always ask me that before I go, you know?"
"Ask what?" Regina knitted her brows in confusion.
"If Mama's happy," Henry explained.
"So, what?" Regina was being defensive and she realized it showed in her voice but she couldn't help it.
"So, that means you miss her," Henry shrugged as if it were obvious. "I mean, she is happy… Most of the time. And Pete's really a nice guy…"
"But?"
"But… I think she misses you too," he blurted out. "It's not the same without you, and I think she misses it. Us three, together, being a family."
Regina glanced at the blonde still waiting for Henry in the car, while apparently trying to fix the radio. Again. A tender smile crept up Regina's face. This was so typically Emma.
As if she had felt Regina's look weighing on her, Emma lifted her head up and their eyes locked. Emma waved with a bashful smile and for the first time in ages, Regina thought that perhaps, everything was not lost. Hope was a powerful force indeed.