"Regina, hi!" A muffled voice distracted Regina from her son's poor romantic choices, and caused her to completely forget her unsent email to Robin Hood.
"Mary Margaret, how are you?" Regina greeted the sheriff's wife with a friendly smile as she opened the car window.
"I'm well, and how are you, how are the kids doing?" Mary Margaret asked, her kind face and stylish pixie cut dropping into view as she crouched outside Regina's car, and propped her arms up on the door.
"I'm doing as well as can be expected." Regina said dryly, aware that Mary Margaret would be well aware of her marriage situation and of Damon's newly acquired criminal record. "And the boys are fine. It's hard for them to adjust."
"I'm sorry to hear about everything that's happening Regina, I hope things settle down soon." Mary Margaret said kindly.
"Thank you. Anything new with you? I hear they're building a new wing on the sheriff's station." Regina attempted to make small talk and return the kindness Mary Margaret was showing her, even though, right now, it felt like a chore.
"It's great, David is just thrilled." Mary Margaret mentioned her husband fondly, before changing her tone to one that was slightly sheepish. "Actually I did have an ulterior motive when I came over."
"Oh?" Regina raised an eyebrow, interested. Mary Margaret didn't seem capable of having an ulterior motive.
"Next week the high school is running a workshop, one to help motivate teens to quit smoking. We need mentors who have experienced the addiction and successfully quit, I think the kids will connect better that way." Mary Margaret seemed apologetic as she continued.
"Normally people volunteer to be mentors but we're running short. I remember you quit a few years ago, and I wondered if you would mentor. It's a lot to ask, but it would be such a help." Mary Margaret paused for breath, and she looked so hopeful, despite herself, Regina couldn't turn her down.
"Sure, I can mentor." Regina agreed quickly, cringing as Mary Margaret literally clasped her hands in delight.
"Thank you so much Regina. It's at 1 o'clock, Tuesday, next week. I'll see you there!" Mary Margaret hugged Regina through the window and bade her goodbye, her excitement palpable in the air.
"Terminally delightful. Terminally." Regina muttered to herself as she closed her window, grateful to shut out the cold. "But still a friend." She conceded, because even though she was grating at times, she was a good friend and Regina had grown to like her.
She looked back out her window and was relieved to see Damon was already approaching the car, alone, luckily, with the food in tow.
The drive was quiet. Regina didn't mention what she'd seen, and Damon spent the ride holding the delicious smelling food and intently texting on his phone.
They stopped at her father's to pick up the younger boys and she listened to their news of the day until they reached home. Once there, she set them at the table with their burgers and some juice.
She didn't feel like dinner, though her gaze did rest longingly on the case of fine wine in her pantry before she sighed with resignation and made herself a cup of herbal tea.
Later, once the younger boys had showered and been tucked into bed, and Damon had withdrawn to his room, and she'd made school lunches for the next day, and finished the laundry, and prepped her case for the next morning, Regina found a moment to herself.
Unwilling to go to bed, still all too aware of how alone she was, she ran herself a bath. Her bedroom had an en-suite, which featured a huge claw foot tub, and she had been longing to use it.
She used a bath bomb Mary Margaret has sent her in one of her many care packages, and soon she was resting in sparkling, silky, peach-coloured hot water that smelt of jasmine, orange flower and lemons. Steam and the waters delicious scent filled the room as she sank down into the tub until she was submerged up to her neck.
The relaxation was a much needed reprieve from her life, and it made her drowsy. Later, after she reluctantly climbed out of the tub and towelled her soft skin dry, she sank into her bed and went to sleep, suffering her loneliness without tears.
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Though it was out of character for her, and entirely thanks to an overwhelmingly enduring court case, Regina was later to Storybrooke's high school the following Tuesday.
Still dressed in a stylish, pin-striped pantsuit, complete with heels and a briefcase, she slipped into the assembly hall.
She gave Mary Margaret, who was the only one who noticed her entry, an apologetic look, and sat in the back row of chairs, behind where the students were siting listening to the principal announce a guest speaker.
Regina smoothed her jacket over her baby bump and crossed one leg over the other, collecting herself as she settled into her seat.
"Regina?" A familiar voice whispered, causing her to pay attention to the person seated next to her for the first time.
"Robin?" Regina whispered back, slightly astounded to see the man who was half of her children's donor here.
"What are you doing here?" They whispered the same question over top of one another before both stopping to allow the other to speak.
"You're a former addict as well?" Robin said quietly, his blue eyes kind when they met Regina's dark gaze.
"Indeed. I've indulged during at Christmas once or twice, but its ten years without for me." She answered, careful to keep her voice low because of the assembly, but unashamed.
"Half that and add in a relapse or two, and that's me." Robin admitted with a frown.
Regina smiled comfortingly, all too aware of how much a cigarette could make you feel better when you were down, and add to your enjoyment when you were happy. She hadn't noticed the first time she'd met him, but Robin had little creases around his eyes, a sign of aging maybe, but a sign of years of laughter no doubt. And really it only increased his roguish good looks, and added an air of kindness that well suited what she had seen of his personality so far.
She was pleased to see him, but that pleasant, painless feeling felt somewhat foreign to her, all she'd felt was pain, disappointment and apprehension for weeks.
"I'm sorry if this feels like all too much. I had no idea you'd be here today." Robin whispered to her, bringing Regina out of her thoughts and back to the present. "When you didn't reply to my email, I accepted that you wanted our meeting to go no further."
Regina looked at him in confusion, about to argue that she had replied, but when she ran over the scene in her head, she had been distracted by a hussy tonguing her son. Which she still hadn't confronted him about. And it was entirely possible she hadn't sent that email.
She pulled out her phone and checked her email, and sure enough, there was her reply, still in drafts, never sent.
"No, I wrote you a reply, it's only now you've mentioned it that I've realised I hadn't sent it." Regina whispered apologetically, showing Robin the message on her phone.
Robin looked immediately more cheerful and as he read the email and smile lit up his features.
"Regina that means a lot to me. Of course I want to meet your kids."