Chapter 3

Ten minutes later.

"Good morning children." I say taking a deep and joyful breath in while I stood at the front of the class.

"Good morning Miss Blanchard."

They were giggling and smiling haughtily having witnessed me kissing David. I realised I couldn't go on till story-time without explaining it to them.

After completing registration I began my tale.

"Now children you know that lovely man you saw me with earlier?"

"Mr Nolan?" Rosie asked.

"Yes. Mr Nolan." I could not help but, smile at the innocence of the question.

"Oh the man who helped me choose my puppy at the shelter last week?" Thomas Green followed up quickly.

"Yes."

"We are seeing each other. That's why he kissed me earlier. I'm sorry if we what do you say Jenny? "Grossed you out"?" That got a much needed laugh from everyone including Jenny Banks.

"But, it didn't. It didn't Miss Blanchard." A lone voice shouted the voice belonging to her student and friend Henry Mills.

"C'mon guys you all said it."

"Said what?" My heart begins to melt at the passion in his voice as he rallies the class into an attempted confession.

"That the love you have is true. IT'S TRUE LOVE".

"Aw. Henry. That is so sweet of you all."

"So you do? Love each other. You do!"

I gave him a wink. The class was abuzz constantly asking question after question so many I had to shelve my first lesson on Marie Antoinette. I prayed for the recess bell when suddenly another question was asked by Grace.

"So… Miss Blanchard? Are you going to marry him?"

"Oh honey! We're a long way off that."

"But, you'd look so beautiful in a wedding dress."

"Grace you're forgetting a step. He has to ask me first." The bell rang. THANK GOD! Thirty minutes of respite.

Or so I thought.

"And what exactly would you say if he did?" A sharp voice carved through the air like a knife to my heart. Regina Mills my tormentor and Mayor of Story-brooke exclaimed hands on her hips with a look of suitable distain on her face. She was incredulous. Her eyes burned into me. My very existence offended her it seemed.

"Mayor Mills. To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Henry forgot his lunch. I was simply bringing it to him when I happened to catch the end of your delightful little lesson." Venom disguised as faux saccharine sentiment dripped from her lips and curved into a smile. She wanted to make me squirm.

"Really Miss Blanchard, encouraging young children to believe that the first man they meet will propose to them? Standards are slipping."

Fire rose within me. How dare she insult my teaching methods? Worse still. How dare she question my relationship with David?!

"Regina was always the same even Twenty…" Twenty-eight years ago runs deep in my mind, twenty eight years and a sentence that sears in my memory.

"I SHALL DESTROY YOUR HAPPINESS IF IT'S THE LAST THING I DO!"

"No you won't." I exhale calmly in immediate response to the threat.

"Excuse me?"

I move towards her calmly. "I'll take it to him." I give her a stern look while firmly holding out my hand.

"See that you do." Roughly shoving the lunchbox in my hand as I grab it she struts away. But, I'm not done.

"Regina when we do get married." My tone is silk before I strike. "DON'T EXPECT AN INVITATION. You would only ruin it."

She storms off down the corridor and I imagine dark clouds and shattering glass being left in her wake. The debris of hatred, well for once dearest Regina it's not going to happen. You may have won the battle but, good will win the war.

"On the battlefield then." I murmur to myself when she is out of sight. "Step-Mother."

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