The birds chirping outside my window caused my eyes to flutter open, I groaned softly as I stretched.

I was never really a morning person but I needed to get the day started.

I glance over my shoulder to see someone under the covers, their brunette hair hanging out from under the covers.

A smile crept across my lips as I leaned over and kissed them on the head.

They groaned too, "Mom?"

Big brown eyes peeked up at me from under the covers.

I couldn't help but giggle at the sight of my son in the morning with his messy bed hair.

"Yes my little prince?"

He sat up, rubbing his eyes, "What time is it?"

I ruffled his hair, "Time to get up dear."

He was always grumpy in the morning, like mother like son I guess.

"Can't I just stay in bed? Take the day off..."

I stood up, sliding my feet into my slippers, turning around toward him as he still laid in bed, "As tempting as that sounds, I'm afraid not. We both have stuff to do today but tomorrow is Saturday and I promise we can do whatever you want. How does that sound?"

He hopped out of bed and dashed out of the room so fast, I knew that would put some pep in his step.

As he got ready for school, I went downstairs and fixed breakfast for us both, something I enjoyed doing.

Anything to see that precious smile on his face, something I hadn't seen since Emma had gotten here but now everything seemed to be going back to normal.

I had finished cooking before Henry finished getting dressed so I took that time to sit and drink my coffee, having a quiet moment to myself, at least before there was a knock at my door.

"Now who could that be this early in the morning?" I asked myself, frowning at the interruption of the little time I had for myself.

Opening the door, I saw Snow standing before me, she looked as if she had something on her mind, "Good morning Regina. I was wondering if I could talk to you for a moment?"

I nodded and stepped aside, allowing her entrance inside.

"What's so important that you had to come to my house this early in the morning?"

She hesitated, "There's something that's been on my mind for years but I've never been able to find a way to put it into words."

I arched my eyebrow, "Well what is it? Spit it out dear."

She let a tear escape her soft green eyes and it did touch my heart, I had no clue as to what was about to fly out of her mouth, "Ever since you saved me from that horse when I was a little girl, I looked up to you Regina. You were the mother I had lost. And after the huge mistake I made, I thought I had lost the only other mother figure I had wanted, little to my knowledge all those years I never knew you were so unhappy. You masked it so well, I never would've guessed what was going on but I never stopped loving you, ever after father's death."

I felt all the emotions from those memories rush into the core of my brain at once, I was holding back the tears when she continued, "I say all of this to say, I want us to work on our relationship. I never stopped seeing us as family, I never stopped seeing you as the woman who took over raising me when I lost my mother. I saw you as my new mother and to be honest, I still do, after everything we've been through. I don't want to fight anymore, hate me if you want but I just wanted you to know that."

I stood still, taking in everything and I hadn't noticed the tears strolling down my cheeks, "Snow...I don't hate you, I don't think I ever did. Even after everything we've done to each other, I've forgiven you and I hope you've forgiven me too. I never told anyone because I was in denial but you were like the daughter I never had. And I guess once the darkness took over, I had forgotten my love for you but you always seemed to see the light in me. That's why I think I was never truly able to kill you, no matter how hard I tried. Something deep down took me back to that day when we first met and you stared up at me like I was some sort of hero, even though I was far from it."

She saw my tears and allowed more to fall from her eyes, "You were a hero that day and you were a hero when you saved Henry. I believe you've overcome the darkness that once took place in your heart, and now there's light."

I grinned, "I guess you're right. I saved my son...and daughter. Snow, let's start over."

I held out my arms for a hug and she laughed a little before embracing me, "I would like that very much."

I sighed happily, "Just don't call me mom. I look much too young for that."

We both laughed, "Deal."