"So, a whole year, huh?" Henry said as he sat across the table from Regina. She just couldn't get over how much he had grown, his face was leaner and his voice was changing; he was growing up.
"Yeah," Regina looked at the coffee cup between her hands and then raised her gaze back to Henry. He tilted his head and looked at her, a full cup of hot chocolate topped with whipped cream and cinnamon was clutched between his hands.
"I know it's weird for me to say this, especially when I couldn't even remember everything that happened up until yesterday. But I missed you," He pressed his lips together and took a sip of hot chocolate, some of the whipped cream smearing on his nose. Regina chuckled and reached across to wipe the sugary stuff off of Henry's nose.
"Well, I definitely missed you. A lot." She moved her hand to touch his cheek and then pulled away. "So, New York...what's it like?"
"Busy," Henry laughed, "I have some really good friends, you'd like them."
"Any special girl friends?" Regina asked raising her eyebrows and taking a long drink of coffee.
"What?! No. Eww, Mom!" Henry complained covering his face with both hands.
"What? I'm not allowed to ask those questions? I am your mother Henry," Regina teased. Henry still had his face buried in his hands muttering things like "I can't believe she just asked that,", "Really Mom, could you make it any more awkward?" and other things along those lines.
"Make what awkward?" Regina looked up, Robin. Her eyes went wide with surprise before she glared at him. "I let myself in," Robin shrugged.
"Clearly," Regina muttered, just then she noticed the small face peeking out from behind Robin's legs. "Hi there," she said getting off her chair and walking over to Robin and kneeling to look into the boys eyes. Robin walked away and went to greet Henry, leaving Regina alone with the small boy. His stocking cap made his face seem so much smaller and his baggy coat did the same for his body.
"Thank you for the monkey," Roland said suddenly, his face smiling. Regina looked at him confused for a minute before she remembered. She smiled broadly and gave the boy a quick hug, his little arms going around her neck. Henry was this small once.
"You are very welcome," Then she picked Roland up and went to join Henry and Robin where they were engrossed in a conversation about weapons or something.
"Roland and I just stopped by to see if you would want to go to the park...and then for ice-cream," Roland bounced happily in Regina's arms at the word "ice-cream" and murmured, "Chocolate" over and over to himself.
"What do you think Henry?" Regina asked looking at her son, he smiled at nodded. "We'd love to," then she set Roland down on the ground. Robin grabbed the lad's hand and Henry stood up to stand beside his mother. "Henry, this is Robin's son, Roland."
Henry knelt down and smiled at him, "Hey." Roland buried his face in his father knee before a weak, "hello" could be heard, muffled by the fabric of Robin's jeans. "Do you like to swing?" Henry asked -still kneeling-, Roland pulled his face out of Robin's pant leg and nodded. Henry motioned to the door, "You wanna go?" Roland smiled freely then and held out his hands to Henry.
Henry grinned and picked him up before looking at Regina and Robin, "You mind if we go on ahead, I'm sure you two have got...things...you want to "talk" about." Henry smirked at Regina, before turning to look at Robin.
"I don't mind, do you?" Regina looked up at Robin, he shook his head.
"No, I don't mind, we'll be right behind you anyways." Robin tousled his son's hair before clapping Henry on the back.
"Alright, then! Off we go to the swings!" Henry shouted as he head to the door.
"And then chocolate!" Roland cried, throwing his arms out -nearly smacking Henry in the face- Regina grinned as Henry chuckled, then the door closed behind them.
Robin crossed the room and held Regina's face in his hands. "So, how do you feel?"
"Well, you know, I'll feel more when I actually get my heart back." Robin raised his eyebrows at her and gave her a look only Robin could give. "But," Regina continued, "I'm happy," Regina closed her eyes and smiled. She was truly happy.
"Any way I could make you happier?" Robin grinned, leaning closer to her. Regina felt her blood grow warm.
"I can think of a few ways." She pulled Robin to her by his coat collar and kissed him. Her hand creeping up his chest and-
"EW!" A collective cry pulled her and Robin a part, Henry stood holding Roland in the doorway. One of the little boys hands over his eyes and the other trying to cover Henry's. "Mom! Really?"
"Daddy, yuck!" Roland's voice whined.
Regina and Robin looked at one another and shrugged, "Sorry," they said in unison.
"Can we just...go get some ice-cream now? Please?" Henry said pulling Roland hands away from his eyes.
"Chocolate." Roland agreed, Regina and Robin walked over to the two boys and Robin tousled Roland's hair as Regina kissed Henry on the forehead.
"Of course, let's go." Then she grabbed Robin's hand and followed Henry and Roland out the door. Right now life couldn't get any too much better, but she knew that it could get worse. Much worse, she smiled up at Robin and the smile stayed on her face as her gaze followed her son. But she wasn't going to worry about that right now, because she had everything that she needed in her life. And now that she had it, nothing, absolutely nothing was going to take it away from her.