The words filled her ears like fire; they were powerful, beautiful, frightening.

They sent a bold of energy cascading through her body and she couldn't find her breath.

Full eyes searched her son's face.

The young boy looked alive. His eyes shone with a light and innocence that was so common in young children and those good at heart. It made her chest feel warm; he was fourteen now and that light was getting scarcer and scarcer. She wanted to make him happy; she wanted this light to last in his eyes forever. But she knew that was impossible and it only added to the sense of fear that was slowly creeping up on her.

"Mom," Henry said, his whole body dancing with energy and life. "I can't believe it."

And Regina couldn't believe it either. She'd always known it; she had felt in growing in her chest since the day that annoying blonde had shown up at her doorstep. She had felt that sickening, wonderfully longful ache growing inside her every day for over four years. She'd known it, but she had denied it. She couldn't believe it. She didn't want to believe it. It sent her into panic.

And yet, the thing her son had told her just a moment ago had sent a rush through her that Regina Mills hadn't felt in years: her heart had started beating again.

Henry could see the disbelief etched across his mother's usually so carefully masked face, so he repeated the words again to make sure she understood the full scope of their meaning.

"Mom," he repeated. "Emma is your true love."

And Regina couldn't help it; she smiled. It was a smile full of fear, and yet so full of hope. She did the impossible; she let her so-carefully-built-walls crumble down for just a moment and let all of her light shine through. Her heart was beating rapidly, rapidly, rapidly, trying so desperately to figure out if she was more happy or terrified by the news. She let herself smile, just for a moment longer, and her watery eyes shone brightly.

Henry looked over his mother's expression and his own face broke into a goofy grin. The special light in his eyes only shone brighter, brighter, brighter. This was the only thing he could ever ask for—a family. Operation Charming Swan Mills family was finally piecing together. It had taken four years, but it was finally piecing together.

Henry had never seen his mom smile this much. "How do you know?" she asked, although he had already told her three times.

He pulled out the storybook again. "It just appeared today," he said, opening the book to the very last page.

The illustration was gorgeous. Two women—the blond and the brunette—stood facing each other, the years of want and longing and ache and pain and love etched so clearly onto their faces as they edged towards a kiss.

Henry read the chapter outloud. "And so, after years of denial, the Savior realized that she had fallen hopelessly in love with a gorgeous woman known to all the land as "the Evil Queen". The Savior had been sent to save Storybrooke, but as she stared into the face of the woman before her, she knew that all was not as it seemed. She hadn't been sent there just to save the city; she had been sent to save The Evil Queen from the most dangerous villain of all—herself. The Savior stared into the Queen's eyes for a moment more, before finally leaning in, capturing her lips in her own, and for not the first time they produced magic. A spark flew out from between their lips, filling up both of their veins with the contents of their very souls, and spilling out towards the world in a blinding light-magic known to the world as True Love's Kiss. They wrapped their arms around each other, not ever wanting to let go, and the Evil Queen and her Savior lived Happily Ever After."

A cute little grin played across Henry's lips after he read the last line, snapping the book shut with a sharp sound. His mom's eyes were watering and he felt a sense of pride warming his heart. That was truly all he had ever wanted—his mom to have a happy ending at last.

He set the book down, clearly noticing how overwhelmed his mother was. He took her in his arms, holding onto her tightly, and the "evil queen" nearly collapsed into his arms. She buried her face into his shoulder, becoming unbelievably nostalgic as she realized that her little boy was growing up. Look at this: after years and years of her comforting him, he was finally the one providing refuge for her. She was filled with a sense of overwhelmingly bittersweet pride as she drank in his warm, good smell, and held onto him a bit too tight.

"It's okay, Mom," he told her gently.

She closed her eyes, drinking in the words. It's okay.

"I know that you're scared," he continued, gently rubbing her back as she had done to him so many times before. "I know that you're scared to love again, because every time you open up your heart you just end up getting hurt more. I know that you're scared to show someone your soul, because it's so scratched up and scarred and you're afraid that it can't love anymore."

Regina's finger's dug into Henry's flannel shirt, his words hitting so very close to her heart.

"But it's okay," he said gently. "You don't need to be scared anymore."

He moved them apart, looking into his mom's face, his eyes shining with such an adult sense of confidence and security. When had he grown up so much? Where had all the time gone?

"Emma loves you. I know she does. It shines in her eyes the way it shines in yours."

"What if she runs?" Regina suddenly blurted out. Her throat burned with the word vomit. She shouldn't have shown her weakness. She couldn't let her son see how scared and vulnerable she was.

But he already knew that. He held onto her tighter, smiling at her gently, and Regina couldn't help but think how much like David Charming himself he really was.

"She won't. I think she's found something worth staying for."

He smiled at her, and Regina found the strength to softly smile back, but she wondered to herself if his words were really true or still full of a childish sense of optimism.

Her soul was churning as it always did when she felt love creeping into it. It writhed and slithered inside her core, screaming at her bleeding brain: please don't fall in love again, it warned her. We'll end up getting hurt again. Whenever you show anyone the real us, they only end up getting hurt. Loving us is dangerous.

Regina knew that. She knew it too well. Loving her was dangerous. It was dangerous to herself and to whoever fell in love with her.

And yet, even despite this well-rehearsed worry squirming in her chest, Regina still felt that dangerous, hideous feeling of hope.

Maybe no one would get hurt this time.

She pulled her son back towards her, kissing the crown of his head softly.

She smiled gently, inhaling a calming breath.

Maybe, this time, no one will get hurt.