It all starts with a wish. And shouldn't we all be careful what we wish for! 'Cause before you know it, a boy shows up at your door. Your boy. And not only do you not spend your twenty-eighth birthday alone, but pretty soon you get a feeling that you'll never be alone again.
That boy has a rich imagination, well, that's how Jiminy Cricket puts it anyway. But little by little, you find out maybe he's not that crazy. Maybe he sees who people are on the inside more accurately than us rational grownups. Maybe he's right to call Regina evil, and maybe, just maybe, there is a curse on Storybrooke. If only metaphorically.
And what's so wrong about dreaming anyway? Just because you didn't get a chance to as a child, or well, ever, doesn't mean you should steal it away from Henry. Plus you're getting used to checking out what Regina does and considering the opposite as right.
But I guess you're scared that she might be right. That he may need to grow out of it, soon. And you still remember the terror you felt when he went into that old mine to get proof. Proof that the fairy tales in his storybook are true.
Maybe you should just save yourself the trouble and get the hell out. Hasn't that been your MO since, like, forever? The weird thing now is you want to stick around. You want to be there for him and build a genuine relationship, brick by brick, for the first time in your whole life.
But what if you can't? What if you get his hopes up, then fall short and disappoint him? What if you blow it? Let's face it, you're no hero. You're a screw-up, always have been, always will be. Right?
Maybe that's why you're staying. Because nobody had ever believed in you before this little boy turned up on your doorstep. So who cares if he also believes in fairies and evil queens and the power of true love's kiss?
And the truth is you'd love to believe, too. You'd love to believe that your parents weren't some junkies and that they only abandoned you so you could escape the curse and come back to save them. You'd love to believe that Mary Margaret is your mother, because she's sweet and has faith in you and gave you the first home you've ever had.
And you'd also love to believe that Regina is the Evil Queen, because it would make it so much simpler to hate her no matter what and not feel guilty about it. Not feel like you're just jealous of what she has. What you gave up a long time ago.
But it's not just about that, is it? You haven't been dreaming the way she scares everyone, the way she treats Henry, the way she uses him sometimes, right? After all, he didn't just take the bus to Boston on a whim. Or to go get the Savior. He came looking for affection, for someone who wouldn't disapprove of everything he is.
And you don't. He's a wonderful kid, with great instinct. And after all, he's right that the clock started to work after you arrived in Storybrooke. He's right that bad things happen when people try to leave. And what if he's right about their happy endings too?
It took an abduction by a mad hatter to start you questioning your beliefs. Or well, non-beliefs. It felt awkward and ridiculous and it hurt a bit, but it was worth it. If only to see that look on Henry's face, when you asked him if you could hold on to the storybook for a while… Joy. And faith.
