A/N: This is a one-shot that takes place shortly after "A Land Without Magic." Thanks for reading and reviewing!
Regina held the photo album in her hands. Did she really want to look through these pictures right now? She kept picturing Henry's face after she told him that she loved him. Did he believe her? She could still see and hear the heart monitor flatlining, and her own heart skipped a beat as she thought about it. Her attempt to poison Emma had nearly killed her son.
Regina opened the album. She needed better memories right now.
She smiled as she looked at the first pictures in the album. Henry was so tiny in her arms. That first night, she had gotten up so many times to check on him. She flipped through pages of the many pictures she had taken when Henry was a baby—pictures of him smiling, playing, waving, and occasionally making a mess.
Regina picked up another album full of pictures from when Henry was a toddler. There was the swing set he loved so much, the stuffed bear that he adored, and the hammer toy he had so much fun playing with. There were plenty of pictures of him in superhero costumes.
"Mommy, I'm going to be a superhero when I grow up."
Now Regina was looking at pictures of Henry's fifth birthday party. He had such a big smile on his face when he opened up that Spider-Man action figure. He had run up and hugged her.
"I love you. You're the best mom in the whole world."
Regina was looking through yet another album. There was Henry's favorite Lego set and the train set he enjoyed so much. Her heart skipped a beat again as she looked at a picture of Henry recovering from the flu. He was smiling in the picture, but she remembered how scared she was when his fever had gotten so high.
When Henry was 8, he had spent the day at Regina's office for a school project. He looked happy enough in the photo, but she laughed a little when she remembered how bored he was. She had taken him out for ice cream afterward for behaving himself so well.
"Mom, I don't know how you do that all day. It must be the most boring job in the world."
Henry was such a smart boy. Regina had put so many good grades and nice notes from teachers on the refrigerator. As she continued looking through the album, there were more pictures of her and Henry with his various art projects. Most of them were still around the house. She looked through a box of cards that Henry had made. One was a Mother's Day card. In big red letters, Henry had written: "I love you Mom! I'm really happy to have a mom like you."
She smiled as she remembered Henry giving her the card.
"Happy Mother's Day, Mom!"
"This so sweet, Henry," Regina said. "Thank you very much."
"I made you this, too," Henry said as he handed her a box.
Regina opened the box, and inside was a decorated photo album. She remembered buying the album for him to decorate a few weeks before. There were all sorts of superhero stickers on the front with the word "Supermom" in the middle.
"Oh, Henry," Regina said. "This is a wonderful gift."
Regina gave Henry a hug.
"I love you, Mom."
"I love you, too, Henry. I'm very lucky to have such a wonderful son."
The photo album Henry decorated was now sitting on the coffee table. She had been lucky, and now she didn't have him anymore. She had really been losing Henry for a while. Less pleasant memories started coming into her mind. She remembered how scared she was when Henry didn't home from school. When he did finally come home, he had brought a stranger with him.
"I found my real mom!"
She had been afraid, too, when Henry had gotten trapped in the mines.
"What's down there?"
Apparently she hadn't really destroyed Henry's beloved book, but she had truly felt bad when she thought she had. Henry used to cheer up when she would give him gifts.
"It's not just the book."
"Okay, then, what is it?"
"It's Emma—I want to see her."
He wouldn't believe any of her lies anymore. He truly thought she was horrible.
"Of course. You're the Evil Queen."
She was no longer "Supermom." She wasn't even "Mom." She was just "the Evil Queen."
"The curse will end. Good will win."
The curse had ended. Regina could live with that, but why did she have to lose Henry? Why did "the savior" have to be his birth mother? She could see Henry lying there again in the hospital bed. It was her fault. Could he hear her apology? Did he know how sorry she was? Did he know how much she loved him?
"No matter what you think, no matter what anyone tells, I do love you."
Tears filled Regina's eyes again. She let a few tears run down her cheeks before she wiped her eyes and put the albums away.
She would find a way to get Henry back. Henry might hate her now, but he had loved her once. She would find a way to earn his love again.