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Saturday. A beautiful sunny Saturday. A day in which Robin would be picking up the boys and going out to do whatever it is that boys do with their fathers. She, on the other hand, had no intention of leaving the house. Her agenda consisted of one thing and one thing only; relaxing. And it all began and ended with her first cup of coffee.
The boys had been in the living room, watching TV as they waited for Robin to come get them. Regina had made her way to the kitchen, having just poured a cup of the addicting caffeinated drink when she heard the knock at the door. The mug had just touched her lips when she heard the door open, presumably by Henry. The hot beverage had just been sipped into her mouth when she heard the angry bellow from her son.
"You've got to be fucking kidding me!"
Regina choked on her coffee, the liquid spilling from her lips and back into the mug.
"We aren't going anywhere with you!"
"Henry Daniel!"
She stormed around the corner from the kitchen, fully intending to reprimand her son for speaking to his father that way. Only, it wasn't Robin that he had been speaking to. It wasn't even a man at all. It was the red wavy hair that Regina noticed first. Then it was the woman's shocked expression. Finally, it was her rounded belly. That's when it all clicked. Zelena.
Mentally taking a breath, then physically taking one as well for good measure, Regina moved through the foyer towards the front door. "Henry, go back in the living room with your brother." The look in her eyes told him that it was not up for discussion, and he went with a few mumbled words. She turned back to the woman, crossing her arms across her chest as she waited for an explanation.
"Robin said that it wouldn't be a problem if I picked up the boys." Her accented voice made Regina want to cringe. This was definitely not how she wanted her day to begin.
"Well, obviously Robin was wrong. It is indeed a problem as it has upset my son. Furthermore, you are not Robin. He should be the one to pick up the boys."
"He's busy so he asked me to come instead."
Regina's brow furrowed before she began to speak. "I'm sorry to inform you, Ms. West, but I will not allow my boys to leave with you. Please inform Robin that if he would like to see the boys that he will need to be the one to pick them up. I will not tolerate this again."
With a firm flick on the wrist, Regina had effectively closed the door in the woman's face. She took a moment to collect herself before turning around to see Henry grinning at her and Roland pouting.
"But I wanted to see Daddy today." Roland's voice sounded so small and wavered as tears filled his eyes.
Regina quickly moved to kneel before her youngest son, taking his hands into her own. Where her features had been cold and hard when speaking to Zelena were now warm and loving.
"You will see him, sweetheart. As soon as she calls him, he will come and get you. I promise."
As if on cue, Henry's cellphone began to ring in his pocket. He dug it out and made a face at the screen before answering. "What do you want?" he spat. Regina shot him a pair of eyes as she heard Robin's muffled voice come through the phone. "You aren't even my real dad!"
Henry pulled the phone away from his ear and pressed the button to end the call with a frustrated huff. Regina's glare turned into a wide eyed stare. Not once had Henry ever pulled that card on Robin. Realization about how rough this divorce was on him finally registered with her.
"Henry…"
"I don't want to talk about it, Mom. I'm going to my room."
The heavy footsteps made their way swiftly up the stairs and down the hallway, ending with a resounding slam of Henry's bedroom door. Regina sighed before turning back to Roland. Then her phone began to ring.
"Hello?"
"What the hell, Regina? You won't let me see my boys?"
She pinched the bridge of her nose as she stood, gently ushering Roland back into the living room to watch cartoons. She headed off to the kitchen, needing her forgotten coffee to help her get through the phone call.
"I never said that you could no see them," she began, making a second attempt to begin the cup of coffee. "But I refuse to let Henry and Roland leave with that woman. These are your visitations, not hers."
"I'm a little busy at the moment."
"Well make yourself unbusy. If you really want to see the boys, then you will make time to see them. Though I do believe that Henry is angry with you right now."
"He had no right to talk to her like that. I've told him that he needs to treat her with respect."
Regina scoffed. "He won't, Robin. The girl is only five years older than him."
"He had no right-"
"He had every right, Robin. She came here, nearly flaunting her pregnancy, and he answered the door. The very reason for this divorce was staring him in the face. You should be happy that all he did was shout those things at her."
She took a gulp of coffee, wincing as it burned her throat on the way down. Though Henry's outburst was a bit over the top and his use of obscene words was highly uncalled for. Regina couldn't find it in her to be angry at her son. The response seemed reasonable given the situation. No, this was definitely not how she envisioned her day when she had planned on relaxing.
[SQ]
By Wednesday, Henry's mood from the weekend hadn't improved. Neither had his performance on the baseball field. Emma Ran a hand through her hair with a sigh. The first game of the season was in two days and Henry was in no better condition to start than he had been the week before.
"Henry!" she called, blowing her whistle to halt the boys in their practice. She made her was to the mound as the teenager wiped sweat from his brow. "We talked about this, Henry. You haven't improved your game. I'm going to have to bench you."
"NO!" he shouted. His cheeks flared pink with embarrassment as the whole team turned to look at him. "No," he continued more quietly. "Please don't bench me."
Emma looked at him. He seemed so conflicted, so torn, so broken. "Tell me what's wrong. Please?"
"It's my parents," he began, shocking Emma that he would give in so easily. "They're divorcing because my dad cheated and the lady got pregnant. Over the weekend she came to get me and my little brother instead of our dad." He clenched and unclenched his hands in frustration. "I'm just so angry that he did that to my mom. Then he sent this lady to our house, like he was rubbing it in my mom's face."
Emma reached out a put a comforting hand on his shoulder. She felt the tension quickly melt away as he slumped his shoulders. "You just need to find a way to channel your anger." When he looked at her confused, she continued explaining. "What makes you more angry; your dad or the other woman?"
Henry toed the dirt with his cleat as he thought about it. "It's a little bit of both. Him for cheating and her for being the one he cheated with."
Emma nodded. That was understandable. "What I want you to do is imagine their faces in the center of Nick's glove. And all you have to do is focus on smashing their faces with the ball."
Henry raised a skeptical brow at his coach. "That sounds weird."
"It works. Trust me. Now focus and pitch the ball."
She stepped away to give Henry space. He took a breath and shook out his arms before staring at the center of the back catcher's glove. His dad's face was what he focused on. How could he cheat on his mom? He said he would always be there for her. He said he loved her. That's not something you do if you love someone. Henry shook his head, face set in a deep scowl as he wound up and pitched the ball. It made a loud snapping sound as it came in contact with the glove. Nick pulled the glove off and tried to shake the pain from his hand.
"Welcome back, Mills," the boy called out to Henry.
Henry turned to face Emma with a wide grin. That had felt amazing. "Thanks, Coach."
[SQ]
By the time Friday had rolled around, Emma was confident that her team would win. The boys had been talking about it nonstop since Monday and had only increased their excitement when Henry began pitching like he usually did. The boys where sifting through their bags in the dugout, stretching limbs and cracking joints before gathering their gear and heading out onto the field to get into position. From her spot on the edge of the field, Emma could see the Mills family sitting in the bleachers. Well, most of them.
Regina was there, sitting with a smile as big as the pair of shades that adorned her face. Instead of the usual business clothes that Emma was accustomed to seeing her in, she was dressed casually in a pair of jeans with one of the school's spirit shirts. Roland sat next to her, the pair of them waving at Henry as he took the mound. Emma watched the teenager wave back before glancing over at her with a thumbs up. She returned the gesture as the umpire called the game to begin. It was time to play ball.
The first two innings passed without fault. Henry struck out the players easily enough and the boys made a few runs when it was their turn to bat. By the time the third inning rolled around, something was up. Henry's untouchable fastballs began to be hit. He kicked at the dirt, shrugging and rolling his shoulders as his teammates shouted at him to get it together. He glanced over at the stands before dropping his head. Emma followed his gaze to see the new additions to the crowd.
Regina and Roland were no longer the only people there to support Henry. Robin had joined them, sitting next to Roland so that the young boy was between both of his parents. Next to Robin sat a pregnant red-headed woman that Emma could only assume was the woman Robin had cheated on Regina with. Her suspicion was confirmed when the woman leaned over and spoke into Robin's ear before giving him a kiss on the cheek. Then she noticed Regina shift uncomfortably before scooting a bit away from the couple.
"Henry!" Emma shouted. When the boy looked up, she continued. "Remember that we talked about!"
She saw Henry nod his understanding as he clenched his fist and took a deep breath. Then she turned her gaze to Robin and waited until the man caught her eye. When he did, she shook her head in a disapproving manner, jerking her head to motion at Zelena before jerking it to motion at Henry. She didn't wait to see the man's response, instead turning her attention back to the game.
In Henry's distracted state, the other team was able to make a few points against them. As the boys came in from the field to get in line for batting, Henry hurled his glove against the fence, letting out a frustrated shout as he did. A few of the boys passed by and assured him it was okay with pats to his back.
"It's okay, Mills. I would be the same if my dad was doing what yours is," Nick said as he grabbed the batting helmet and handed it to Henry.
"He's not my dad." Henry snatched the helmet and put it on before grabbing his bat and heading out to home plate.
He shook his arms out as he walked to the plate, looking up when he heard his mom shouting encouraging words at him. He couldn't help the grin that spread across his face as he watched her stand and start to chant "Go, Henry, go," with the rest of the crowd.
Henry got into position, lifting the bat over his shoulder. The grin was still in place when the ball was pitched. He swung with all his might and only grinned more when he heard the crack of the ball against the bat, felt the vibration run through his arm, saw the ball fly high into the air and far out over the fence. The crowd, as well as his teammates, erupted in cheers as he dropped the bat and leisurely ran the bases for his homerun.
The homerun put Henry in a better mood for the rest of the game. Emma noticed how he repeatedly looked at the bleachers before turning back with a determined look on his face before he would strike out the next player. Emma chanced a glance over at the bleachers and couldn't help the small smile that settled on her features.
Regina was standing from her spot in the bleachers, fists in the air as she cheered her son on. She looked so carefree and young, coming across as hardly old enough to be Henry's mother. Emma felt her breath catch when Regina turned her smiling face towards her and gave her a wave. Emma faltered for a second before raising her hand to wave back.
[SQ]
The boys celebrated their win in the parking lot of the school, bouncing around in their rambunctious manner. Emma stood off to the side, watching them with clear amusement on her face. She nodded as parents passed by and congratulated the boys on their victory.
"That was a good game, Miss Swan."
Emma's head swung around to see Regina walking towards her, young Roland not far behind.
"It was all the boys, Madame Mayor. I just guide them."
"You guide them well." Regina reached up to move her sunglasses from her face to rest atop her head. "And Henry's performance really picked up after the fourth inning."
"But that's when Dad left," Roland chimed in, looking sad.
Emma looked from Regina's uncomfortable expression down to the pouting boy before she dropped to a knee before him.
"I'm sorry that your dad didn't stay for the whole game," she said softly. Roland toed at the dirt. Yeah, definitely Henry's brother. "You must be feeling pretty sad about it." Roland nodded. "How about you and your mom join me and the team for some pizza? It always makes me feel better when I feel sad."
"Really?" the young boy gasped. His eyes widened and his expression brightened instantly. Then his head shot up to look at Regina. "Can we, Mommy?"
Regina looked down at Roland. He looked so hopeful that she would give a positive answer. Then she turned her gaze to Emma who was still kneeling beside her son. The blonde woman raised both brows at Regina, patiently waiting for her answer.
"I guess that would be alright," she finally said, giving in to both sets of hopeful eyes.
"Awesome," Roland cheered, lunging forward to wrap his arms around Emma. The woman blinked in surprise before she wrapped an arm around him. "Thank you, Miss Swan!"
"You are very welcome. But how about you call me Emma?"
"Okay Miss Emma."
Emma opened her mouth to correct him but stopped when she heard Regina's laugh. She looked up to see the dark haired woman with her eyes closed, lips pulled back into a smile, and a melodious laugh falling from her lips. She stared in awe at the beautiful sound before one of the boys called out to her.
"Well then," she said, rising to her feet once more. "I'll see you two at the pizza place."
Regina nodded before taking Roland by the hand and heading to the car where Henry was already waiting. They all piled in and met up with the rest of the team across town. Henry made his way to sit with the rest of the guys, leaving Regina and Roland to their own table. It wasn't long until Emma arrived, informing the waitress that it would be the usual order for when the boys won a game. She spotted the brunette sitting off to the side and strolled over.
"Mind if I join you?" she asked with a small smile. "I don't want to be in the middle of ten teenage boys fresh from the field."
Regina gestured with her hand as she let out a small laugh. "I don't blame you. We had to ride here with the windows down."
"Yeah, Henry smells like butt!" Roland added.
"Roland!" Regina chastised, looking at her son with a very definite 'mom' look. But Emma couldn't help but laugh at the accurate description.
"I agree with you, Roland. How about we decide what kind of pizza to get? You look like a pepperoni kind of guy." Roland nodded, amazing that she had guessed correctly. Then Emma turned to Regina and studied her with squinted eyes. "And veggies for you."
"Wow, Mommy. She's good," Roland said, clearly impressed.
"Indeed she is. How did you know?" Regina asked, lifting her glass to take a sip of water. Emma shrugged.
"Well, I figured that with Henry being 16, you must be in your 40s. But you look darn good for it. So it's simple deduction. What do 40-something year old woman eat? Veggies, and lots of them."
Regina stared at Emma with disbelief. She opened her mouth to reprimand Emma for assuming she was in her 40s when the waitress came up and took their order. One medium half pepperoni, half veggie pizza. Roland then asked for some quarters to be able to play one of the arcade games. To which Regina dug around in her purse for. Emma placed a hand on her arm to still her movements before digging in her pocket and pulling out two quarters for the young boy. He said his thanks before bouncing off.
"You didn't have to do that." Regina said, putting her purse back down at her side.
"It was two quarters, Madame Mayor."
"And getting our meal?" she questioned with a raised brow.
"I get a discount when the team wins. And the school reimburses me for half. It's not trouble, really." She gave Regina a playfully smug look before sipping her coke. A beer would be better, but she had given up that indulgence long ago.
The two women sat in comfortable silence until Regina broke it. "Thirty-six," she said, her eyes watching her son talk with a teammate before they high-fived. "I was married at eighteen and had Henry at twenty."
Emma let out a low whistle. "You know, if you didn't have any children, I would swear you were my age."
"And how old is that, Miss Swan?"
"I told you to call me Emma," she said. "And I'm twenty-eight."
Regina scoffed before the corner of her lip lifted in a small smirky smile. How could this woman possibly think that she could pass as being that young again. Sure, she looked good for her age. But she had always thought that she could pass as, at best, maybe thirty years old.
But then she studied the blonde sitting next to her. Though she had admitted to being 28, Regina thought she looked wise beyond her years. She certainly didn't look older than what she had claimed to be, but something had definitely happened for her to have this aura about her.
"You seem older than just twenty-eight Miss… Emma." Regina corrected after a pointed look from the blonde.
"Yeah, well…." Emma took a deep breath. "I've been through a lot in the past ten years." At Regina's interested expression, she continued. "I got signed to play pro ball just halfway through college. But I got injured early on and it ended my career. My significant other left me for someone still in the limelight. Then I turned to alcohol for comfort before I caught my head and sobered up before going back to school to get my teaching degree. Now, I'm here."
Regina watched as Emma drummed her fingers against the table top before reaching for her drink and began to chug it, eyes looking everywhere but Regina. Why had she even shared that? It's not like they were close. They were just baseball coach and team player's mother. That's it. When Regina reached out to gently lower the glass from her lips, Emma let her.
"I think it's amazing that you have been through so much and are still standing tall. You must give the boys plenty of advice about life."
Emma shrugged, feeling a bit shy at Regina's words. "I mean, I try," she said, fingering a loose thread on the hem of her shirt. "The boys feel comfy enough to share stuff with me. I try to give them good advice. Like Henry." She glanced up to see Regina's surprised face. "He said he was angry at his dad. So I told him to visualize his face in the catcher's glove and to try to smash it with the ball."
She was expecting to be scolded. She was expecting Regina to be angry with her. She wasn't expecting the woman to laugh. A good laugh that sounded like it radiated from deep within. One that caused her to lift her finger to her eye and wipe away a stray tear. The laughter quieted down into small chuckles before Henry walked up.
"Mom, would it be okay if I went hang out with Nick once we are done here?"
"That's fine, Henry. Remember that your curfew is eleven."
The boy thanked his mother before heading back to be around the other boys.
[SQ]
It was nearing midnight when Emma had finally crawled into bed. She and Regina had parted ways hours before, yet she was still riding on the high from talking with her. It felt nice to have someone to talk to that didn't question her about being a has been. Maybe Regina didn't know about her being a pro ball player?
Of course she knows, Swan. You told her. Duh.
They had talked about Emma's time in college and how she had met Lily in her first month of schooling. Emma explained how she was head over heels in love with the woman and was excited when Lily had chosen to follow Emma into the professional league and stayed by her side. Then she had told Regina about her injury and how Lily had left her as soon as they had gotten word that Emma would never be able to play professionally again. Then Emma had talked about how liquor became her best friend before saying she was nearly four years sober and that it was the best decision of her life, besides graduating with an education degree and becoming a teacher.
They had also talked about Regina's past. The older woman had told Emma about Daniel and their story, about Henry and meeting Robin, about how her marriage had fallen apart when the woman had called one day asking to speak to Robin. When she had been questioned about why she was calling, she had informed Regina that she had wanted to tell Robin that he was going to be a father. Regina had said that it was the second worst day of her life. When Emma had asked what the first was, she had just shaken her head. Emma had placed a comforting hand over hers before saying that she didn't have to talk about it. Despite the depth of the conversations, it had been nice.
Now, Emma fell face first onto the bed, arms wrapping around the pillow so that she cuddled it. With a satisfied hum, she stretched out, clad in only a tank top and a pair of boy short style underwear. Inhaling deeply, she closed her eyes and relaxed atop the cool sheets. She was just dozing off when her phone began to ring. Reaching for it, she blindly slid her finger across the screen to answer.
"Hello?"
"Emma, Henry never came home."
