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"There's a special level of hell for teachers who get crushes on their students isn't there?" Regina mumbled, finally able to say the words out loud after downing the glass of wine Katherine had handed her just minutes earlier.
"Probably." Katherine paused at the look of horror that flashed across Regina's dark features. Hoping to help make her friend feel better she continued quickly, "But maybe you aren't like, on the lowest level. Are we talking a crush on a jailbait freshman? Or a senior who's actually 18 and therefor only 5 years younger then you?"
Regina ran a single finger around the edge of her glass, picturing the blonde girl-no, woman-she was certain she'd fall for under different circumstances. "Senior. And I think that she's missed some school between foster homes so she may even be 19."
"Foster homes? Regina Anne Mills…It's the Swan girl isn't it? You've always had a soft spot for the bad girls."
"She's not a bad girl," Regina vehemently defended her student. "She's just had a rough life and I think she doesn't know any different. I can..."
"Whoa, ok-I was just kind of joking with you. You really like this girl huh?" Katherine back peddled quickly, realizing that maybe she had misjudged the severity of the situation.
Regina sighed loudly. "Yes. And because of that I found myself treating her worse then the other students." Regina looked up, sheepishly, knowing that her wording would make it clear she'd keeping this from her best friend and it wasn't just a sudden realization on her part. She continued when Katherine's eyes widened in comprehension. "I was always making things more difficult on her. And that makes me feel like a monster...I mean who's horrible to a foster kid?"
Katherine silently poured her best friend another glass of wine and simply sat next to her, waiting for her to continue.
"Not that it matters now I guess. The school year's finished and I won't have to worry about it any more." Regina gazed out off the deck, looking into the tree line at the edge of the lawn and not really seeing it. She thought back to the graduation ceremony earlier in the day when the girl in question had approached her afterwards, cap in hand and awkwardly pulled her into a hug. She had cursed herself at the time for enjoying something so innocently given, but when Emma had pulled back from her and thanked her—actually thanked her for treating her so harshly, the exact same way she did all the other students the teacher felt her stomach roil with guilt. The blonde told her she felt normal in her class, not just like some foster kid everyone tried to be extra nice to. And then she smiled, only one corner of her mouth lifting, the emotion not reaching her eyes and walked away with a half-hearted "See you around, maybe…"
Which had sent Regina running to her best friend's door that evening, knowing that she had to spill her secret so that maybe it wouldn't consume her anymore and she could move on, just as Emma Swan was doing.
She hadn't thought about that graduation day in a very long time, purposefully trying to put the blonde that had captured her attention during her first year at Storybrooke High out of her mind. Until today, when she had glanced up from her coffee at the sound of the bell above the doorway and found herself staring into the blue-green eyes she had only dreamed about during the past ten years. They were wide with surprise and a hint of something else, causing Regina's heart to flutter unwantedly, feelings bubbling up inside her that she shouldn't, couldn't be experiencing from just a simple look. After a few beats—which seemed much longer to Regina—the blonde turned her gaze away to hold the door open one handedly. A dark haired boy suddenly ducked under the outstretched arm and glanced around excitedly.
Regina's stomach plummeted at the sight. Emma Swan had returned to town, with a son in tow. The resemblance was uncanny—not so much in features, but mannerisms. They both had swung their attention to her since she was the only patron currently in the diner and both wore the same half-grin. Emma pulled the young boy in front of her, keeping her hands on his shoulders. Cocking her head to the side a little, a nervous tick Regina remembered her having in high school, she finally greeted her, "Hey."
And all Regina could think to say back, with an awkward shrug of her shoulders was, "Hey."
After a few beats of uncomfortable silence Regina was the first to recover her manners. "Emma Swan. It's nice to see you back in our town. Who's this young man?" Regina approached the two and bent slightly at the knees, resting her hands on them and made eye contact with the boy, unable to look at his mother much longer without revealing too much with her gaze.
"You remember me?" Emma shook her head slightly, shaking off the question and deciding instead to just answer the woman's. "Sorry, I mean this is Henry. My son." The blonde waited for the older woman to look back up at her, wanting to see how she was going to react. She knew the other woman had to be doing the math and would realize she'd had him shortly having leaving Storybrooke 10 years ago. Emma was surprised when all she received was a quick cursory glance revealing nothing, Regina's focus returning quickly back to Henry.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Henry. My name is Regina Mills." She stuck her hand out and was surprised when the boy smiled and grasped her hand firmly, shaking it.
If Emma was surprised that she still had her maiden name after so long she didn't show it and didn't miss a beat in informing the boy of what to call her. "That's Miss Mills to you, kid."
"Please don't call me that!" Regina blurted out, cheeks coloring slightly at her outburst. There was no way she wanted Emma to think of her as a teacher any more. "I mean…its Madame Mayor these days anyway. I don't teach anymore. But you can call me Regina." She directed the comment towards the boy, but raised her eyes up and met Emma's letting her know she was included.
Emma was surprised at the title change. Miss Mills had been her favorite teacher from her time at the small high school and from what she'd seen the woman had loved her job. Emma hesitated, unsure if she should ask what prompted the new career path, but Henry stepped in to fill the silence.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Regina." Henry smiled again at the brunette, seeing the pleasure his politeness apparently brought her.
"Such a well mannered young man. Are you sure she was the one that raised you? I don't remember her being quite so polite…" She shot a smirk at the blonde, letting her know she was just teasing.
"Yeah, yeah. I was a little rough around the edges, but I seem to recall a teacher hell bent on at least teaching me at least a few manners before I left her government class. Some of it stuck with me." She smiled shyly, embarrassment coloring her cheeks.
Regina was curious as to what exactly about that made the woman blush, but realized it wasn't her place to pry. "And here I thought that perhaps your father would be the one to credit…" She trailed off when she saw the other woman's mood shift dramatically, suddenly unwillingly to look Regina in the eye.
"I don't have a dad. My mom's a lesbian." Henry supplied helpfully.
"Henry!" Emma exclaimed and Regina coughed a little to cover the bark of nervous laughter wanting to escape.
"What? You said it was nothing to be ashamed about." Henry gave his mother an epic eye roll before turning his attention back to Regina. "She said I was the only good thing that came out of her last ditch effort. Whatever that means." He shrugged his shoulders, not understanding how much information he had just revealed about his mother.
"Uh…" Regina couldn't think of anything to respond with, and was saved only by Emma scolding her son.
"Henry James I don't even know where you heard that…"
"You were talking to Ruby on the phone and…" Henry tried to plead his case, knowing he'd ultimately said too much.
"Ok, doesn't matter." Emma said, waving her hand in front of his face to silence him. "Just go sit over there—silently-and I'll buy you a milkshake later." Once her son had dragged himself over to the corner booth, Emma finally drudged up the courage to make eye contact with the brunette again. "Sorry about that…he…uh…he's incredibly perceptive for his age. Which is great sometimes. Other times not so much."
Regina felt herself wanting to reach out and take the woman's hands-which were currently twisting themselves together nervously-to comfort her, reassure her there was nothing to be embarrassed about but she stopped just short of doing so. She reminded herself that the woman standing in front of her was not the same girl she'd once had a crush on years ago and more than likely she had never given Regina a second thought after she left the small town behind. "Don't trouble yourself over it, dear."
Emma continued on as though she hadn't heard what the mayor had just said. "And about what he said about his dad…that's not exactly…"
Regina cut her off quickly. She needed to get out of the diner and away from this ghost from her past and process things. She didn't need to hear any more information about the blonde today. "No need to explain. I really need to be going, perhaps I'll see you around?" She didn't wait for an answer before turning and making a swift exit from the diner, leaving behind a very confused woman.
Emma shook her head a little at the odd exit and made her way over to the booth her son was currently occupying. "Henry." She narrowed her eyes at him, knowing full well he knew exactly what he'd just done.
"What?" He smiled at her unrepentantly.
"You can't just go around and tell every attractive woman you happen to see that I'm a lesbian." Emma slumped down into the booth rubbing at her forehead a little.
"That was the deal though Mom. If we moved we promised to both make a fresh start. I have to make friends and you have to date. I was just trying to help." He smiled at her cheekily. "Besides, you said she was attractive. That's good right?"
"You've got to stop watching Dr. Phil in the afternoons." Emma shook her head, amusement in her eyes. She couldn't stay mad at him for long, he was right after all. They did have a deal. Deciding that she wasn't going to convince him he'd done anything wrong she changed tactics. "There are like 100 problems with me finding her attractive…it doesn't…it doesn't mean we're just going to start dating…you know what? How about we agree that I'm in charge of finding my own dates and you don't tell randoms I'm a lesbian?"
Henry shrugged offhandedly and nodded his head, turning his attention to the menu in front of him. He wasn't about to out right agree with his mother, because as far as he was concerned she'd been in charge of finding her own dates for 10 years and it hadn't worked very well for her. It was time he stepped in to help her, but he wasn't about to let her know that. "I want pancakes." He finally said, effectively closing the conversation.