Chapter Nine
Regina checked her make up for the third time in her rear view mirror. She had also suddenly become obsessed with ensuring her dark hair fell perfectly just above her shoulders as though somehow if she looked perfect, it would erase all of her past misjudgements. But she was not perfect and no one knew that more than her son. Still, she had to try.
She had been sitting outside Henry's school for almost fifteen frustrating minutes. She had left the house too early. It was not because she feared being late to meet her son. Rather, it was because she could no longer stand staring at the walls in her house pretending to be composed. The silence maddened her. Any speck of dust she found had her bringing out an arsenal of cleaning agents ready for attack. Every outfit she tried on had her feeling like she was going on a first date.
Emma had called it: Regina Mills was nervous. It had felt like a lifetime since she was last alone with her son. And even though he had not objected to their temporary reunion, she was still not sure whether he wanted to spend the afternoon with her. The absence of a 'no' was not exactly a resounding 'yes'.
She had not slept the previous night. Nightmares of the various ways she could ruin her son's visit plagued her subconscious. Then there were the images of a crazed Charming and Snow White dancing gleefully as she burned at the stake for trying to steal her own son back. Fortunately, she had refrained from retreating to Henry's bedroom again. She was certain he would be able to smell the sad desperation in his room if she had done that. She was vigorous with her morning cleaning and returned to buying wholesome and high in nutritional value groceries. Henry hated healthy food and cared nothing for the state of the mansion but she wanted it to seem as though time had stopped in that house in anticipation of his return. She wanted to scrub away any trace of the deep depression that had settled within its walls.
And then she waited.
Every minute in the mansion felt like hours of waiting. She jumped in the car and took the longest and most meandering route around Storybrooke to get to his school. And then she sat in the car and checked her make up.
It was finally three 'o clock. Show time.
Regina stepped out of the car and tightened the belt of her coat as if to fortify herself against her own anxiety instead of the chilly air. She crossed the street and took measured steps toward the school building chastising herself for her weakness. Once, she had the power to strike fear in the biggest and bravest of both beast and man. She had those grown men quivering in their little leather boots. Now Regina was the only one squirming because of a pre-pubescent boy. A year ago, she would have laughed in disdain at herself.
She reached the waiting area where a few parents were standing and stopped a short distance behind the group as they chatted amongst themselves. Even before the curse had broken, she had never been a part of the 'parent community'. No one asked her to bake cupcakes (which really was their loss) or host play dates at the mayoral mansion or even speak on career day even though she was the most successful person in Storybrooke. She was now more alienated from them than ever. Not that she thought any of them were worthy of her time and effort anyway.
Subconsciously, she lifted her large collar so that it covered half her face. She watched as children began to emerge from the building and make their way to their respective owners. Henry walked out with two boys and she instantly straightened at the sight of him determined to become the personification of a woman in control of her emotions. He looked over at her and she put up a hand in greeting.
The boys stopped. Henry looked away from her. He turned is back to her. He kept talking to the boys. Minute after minute passed as Regina waited for Henry to come to her, look at her, acknowledge her in absolutely any way. But there was nothing. Had she gotten the day right? Had her depression run so deep that she had conjured up Emma's request in her imagination? Had she been shown to be a complete fool by the Charmings?
Regina's blood ran cold even as her body burned feverishly hot. Her heart beat thudded in her ears and she struggled to catch her breath. She could feel a strange older body bump into hers. Its distant voice professed sincere apologies and excuses. But then its eyes recognised her. Its eyes shamed her telling her she did not belong there- she had no right to be there. Regina had been subjected to many of these looks from the residents of Storybrooke and she could usually ignore them. But not now. Not in this moment when she finally had all this hope for a change in her life only for it to be dashed by a pre-pubescent boy.
Her survival instinct kicked in and she fled. She had to retreat, regroup and strategise. She dug into her coat pocket and pulled out her keys as she reached the car. Her shaking hands fumbled with the key ring and they slipped through her fingers before she could find the right one. She leaned her palms against the car as she crouched over and took a deep breath. The unbearable pounding of her heart beat still rang in her ears. She took another breath before bending over and retrieving her keys and then finally escaped to the sanctuary of the driver's seat of her Mercedes Benz.
She hit her forehead against the cold steering wheel. She could feel her chest constricting as the image of her son blatantly ignoring her threatened to tear her insides apart. How could she have gotten this so wrong? Despite their clashes and the tension between them, Regina had never known Henry to be intentionally cruel. Had she not raised him better than that?
A jolt crackled through her body at the sound of the passenger's door opening and closing. She looked up to find Henry sitting beside her.
"What are you doing?" she asked. Her voice was hoarse and her mind swirled in confusion.
"Emma said you were picking me up," Henry responded. He was just missing the 'duh' but his tone hinted at it.
"But beforeā¦" Regina could not bring herself to say it out loud. She would be happy if she never relived that moment ever again. Henry gave her a look that suggested that he felt exactly the same way. There was a mild panic in his eyes and, even though she had one hundred questions and three hundred ways of scolding him for his abhorrent behaviour, she resolved not to push it any further for the meantime.
She stuck the key into the ignition and started the car. She looked at Henry who stared straight ahead and pulled out of her parking spot.
"Grandma and grandpa don't know about this- that Emma asked you to do this," Henry offered out of nowhere. They had been driving in strained silence for almost ten minutes. "I was scared if someone saw me with you they'd tell and then you wouldn't be able to come get me from school again."
Regina looked at Henry in shock. He had hung his head and was looking at his lap. It was like he was a six year old boy again sitting and waiting for his punishment after he broke his mother's favourite crystal vase. He then turned his head up to look back at her and she realised how much he had grown since then. Really, over the past year. But what truly floored her was that Henry, the person who had been hell bent on exposing her lies, was protecting her. He was protecting their relationship or, at least, the chance to rebuild their relationship. Regina had never been a sentimental mother but hearing that from her son had her tearing up.
He raised an eyebrow at her much like Regina would have done if their roles were reversed, "Mom."
"Yeah," Regina's voice was worse now that it was thick with emotion.
"Stop sign," he pointed ahead.
"Shit!" Regina turned her attention back to the road and hit the brakes hard causing them both to lurch forward from the impact. She instinctively held out a protective arm across Henry's body to secure him and exhaled in relief. "Sorry."
Henry giggled at his mother's contrite expression. He looked down at Regina's arm. "I'm not a kid anymore more, Mom. And I'm wearing my belt."
"I know but you're my son. I'll be doing that when you're forty."
Henry rolled his eyes and shook his head and Regina could not help her secret smile. She removed her arm and continued driving them back home with one thought:
He called me Mom.
A/N: This was supposed to be longer but I kinda fell in love with this ending. But there will be more about the visit in the next update. So consider this part one:)
