Henry's a smart kid but when his grades start slipping, Regina decides to hire a tutor.
"Henry! Get down here this instant!" Regina paces the room wondering how it got to this point. Eyes ablaze on the letter in front of her, she wonders how it got to this point. When Henry started acting out, she tried to ignore it hoping it was just a phase but now it's affecting his grades, "This has to stop, now." She whispers out loud not believing what she is seeing. Henry has always been an A student but this past year his grades slowly slip to B's, she let it slide hoping it was just a onetime deal. But now, now she knows something must be done.
Henry rushes down the stairs, he gets half way but when he sees his furious mother walking back and forth, it stops him dead in his track. He watches her eyes rush up and down the white paper his eyes widen. Regina certainly heard her son stomping down the stairs and stop, her eyes meet his. He can't help it as he makes a mad dash back to his room knowing exactly what she held in her hands. "Henry! Don't you dare take another step!" He almost topples over as he freezes his last step. "Now get down here, we need to talk about something." Henry sighs with defeat, and starts his agonizing walk of shame down the flight of stairs. Regina doesn't want to yell at her son with his mind still so fragile but what else can she do? She's tried everything in her power to keep her son in line but nothing seems to work for her. "I know you've been acting out lately and I find it's my fault, with long hours at work, I haven't been able to spend much time with you but this?" She holds up the letter like a white flag, a defeated mother waving it high. "This is just unacceptable, you received a D! A D Henry! And of all classes in math, I thought you liked math." Her voice wavers, not quite sure how to take such a disappointment in her son. "Your father…" His face twisted at the mere mention of him. "Don't bring him into this mom he's dead, he can't say anything!" Storming back to his room, Regina can't help but see the evident pain emanating in his eyes. "Henry! Come back here and talk to me." Regina's heart clenched at her sons suffering of his father's death.
"I have to do something about his grades, I can't make him talk about Daniels death but I can help him with school." Regina whispers under her breath as she heads out the front door for her car. Tears fall as she makes her way to his school to find some help with her son's grades.
After Daniels sudden death last year, Regina placed Henry in therapy hoping he can talk to someone about the loss of his father. Dr. Hopper has tried everything in his power but Henry refuses to talk during the hour long segments. He has gotten a little better lately, conversing with the doctor about school and friends but when his father's name is brought up, his mouth closes.
It breaks Regina's heart to hear that from the doctor, she knows it's not healthy to keep such a burden inside, even Regina is seeing Dr. Hopper to let out her emotions, her anger, her sadness.
She takes a moment to gather herself before entering the small class room.
"Madam Mayor, how can I help you?" Henry's teacher, Mary Margret stands to greet the brunette. "Hello Miss Blanchard, I'm here about Henry."
"Ah yes, Henry. Well he is a really sweet kid normally but recently he's been acting out and his grades are slipping increasingly fast. Since it is the beginning of the school year, with his grades already this low, I thought I would inform you about the situation with an early report card. He still has plenty of time to make up the loss in his grade I want him to succeed but I'm worried about him." Mary Margret says softly flipping through Henry's recent weeks of works.
"As am I, which is why I wanted to meet with you, I don't have much time with working long hours at the office, but was wondering if you had any tutors on staff?" She asks hoping for something, anything to help her only child.
"I have had one in mind, she's kind of new around here but she has already helped a few kids get back on track. They all seem to love her, and I think she would be a great fit for Henry." Still flipping through henrys file, she pulls a small rectangular card from the mess of papers. "Ah here I was going to wait to give you this when parent teacher conferences are held but seeing as you're here now." She says offering a business card to the Mayor.
She holds the card as if it was the most fragile object on earth. Her eyes trace the black ink, Emma Swan, Student Tutor.
"Thank you Miss Blanchard you have no idea how much I appreciate this." She brings the card to her pocket never letting her fingers away the smooth paper as if it were her life line.
Her drive home was full of anticipation, the highest hopes to get her son back on track.
She almost couldn't wait to dial the number on the card, with each ring in her ear, brought a new louder thud in her chest, hoping beyond anything this woman can help her son. "Emma Swan speaking."
"Hello, Miss Swan? Yes I was told you can help tutor my son, Henry?"
"Yes you must be Regina; Mary Margret told me all about Henry's recent troubles with school and I would be more than willing to lend a hand," The smile on Regina's face had only been a part of few shared since Daniels passing. "Seeing as its Saturday tomorrow would you mind me coming over then? Say three o'clock?" The sweet voice flows through her ear. "I don't see a problem with that Ms. Swan, I will see you at three tomorrow… and thank you." Regina nearly whispered the last words. "It's not a problem Regina, everyone needs help at some point in their life. I will see you tomorrow at three Madam Mayor." Regina hated that she needed help especially with her own son; she has been such an independent woman, asking for help seems foreign. "Goodbye Miss Swan." Her voice sounded cold at the last words spoken, she's going to have to remind herself that this is for her son, and not be selfish in this delicate matter.
Dinners have become silent this past year in the Mills household. The scraping of silverware against plates are the only sounds in the room. Regina would try to talk to her son, but his answer would only hold a few words until silence fell once again. "I talked to Miss Blanchard today; I signed you up for a tutor. You may have heard of her, Miss swan? Isn't that exciting Henry? She's going to help you bring your grades up." Every dinner she tries to have a normal conversation with Henry. "Yeah, I guess." It's always the same; his eyes stay low pushing his unfinished dinner around his plate. "May I be excused?" He asks but doesn't even wait for a reply as he grabs his plate and brings it to the kitchen, leaving a torn Regina behind. I miss you Daniel. Regina thinks as a tear streams down her weak, fragile face.
Regina cleans up nice considering she cried herself to sleep like many nights before, hiding her pain behind a mask of makeup. The clock strikes three o'clock signaling the arrival of Henry's tutor. She hears a quiet knocking on the door. She finds herself rushing to the door, not wanting to keep her sons savior waiting. Regina's fingers wrap around the handle pulling gently, gracefully peeking through the crack of the door. She was expecting a short old woman with graying hair to greet her but what she finds is something totally different. A tall, confident, blonde woman about the same age as her, smiling warmly at her. "Hi! You must be Regina; I'm Emma Swan, Henrys tutor." She holds out her hand to greet Regina. The brunette almost missed her heart flutter to life in her chest. Almost.
