Regina was waiting on the other side of the door when Henry knocked.
"Mom," Henry wrapped his arms around her waist and she melted as she hugged him back. She loved the way he said 'mum' when he was talking about her. Pulling away he slid off his back pack and led the way into the kitchen.
"I made lasagna… and a special desert." Regina was nervous and she rung her hands together behind her back before pulling their dinner out of the oven. Henry brightened when she cut his piece and put it in front of him.
"It looks perfect, mom. Thanks." There was that word again. I'm his mom. Regina thought it to herself with pride and a renewed sense of purpose. She pulled up a chair across from her son and peppered him with questions about school and who caused the power out. She didn't really care about the power out or Elsa, but she liked watching Henry explain it. He talks like a hero. She was strangely pleased that he was growing up to be so much like his grandfather. She had changed for him and now he can be the first generation in her family to have always been good.
"Ready for dessert?" He smiled and pushed his empty plate away from him in preparation. "I made something special." Regina explained as she pulled out the cupcakes and set one in front of him and kept the other for herself.
"Why are there candles? It's not a spell is it?"
Her heart sunk a little bit lower in her chest - this was a silly idea. She couldn't fix things with cake, but still she had too explain it now. "I thought… these are the kind of cupcake Emma had on the birthday when you found her and… I bought the same candles. I just thought that it would be a way to show you that I'm not going anywhere and I - you found me too Henry."
Henry blinked tears away from his sweet, innocent brown eyes and he came up to hug her. "I love you mom," he said. His voice was muffled because he'd buried his head in her stomach, but Regina heard it and she had to brush the tears away.
Eventually, Henry remembered that there were actual cupcakes to go along with the loving promise and he slowly turned his head to take in the tray. "Mom?"
"Yes Henry," Regina whispered into his hair.
"Can we eat them all?"
Regina gave a half sob, half laugh and smiled, "how about 3 each?"
Henry smiled like he knew he could convince her of anything because she loved him so much, but he shook on 3 each. Regina went to sit back down, but Henry picked up the tray and marched into the living room.
She laughed getting back up, "Henry, where are you going?"
Henry set the treats down on the coffee table and came to pull her onto the couch. "You remember those home videos you made when I was little?"
Regina was crying again, but only because she was so happy as she pulled the dusty DVD cases off the shelf, pulled her grown boy close, and watched him grow up.