There was a knock on the front door of the Mifflin Street house. Regina ignored it. She sat on the couch in her living room alone, and that's how she wished to remain. Another knock came and then another after that. Finally, the knocking stopped. The click of the locking being turned echoed through the entryway.

"Regina?" a voice called. The mayor didn't respond. Sitting still, as if in a trance, she waited.

"Regina?" the voice came again. Emma stood in the doorway of the room waiting for a response. The dark-haired woman turned her head. Her eyes were red, but her face was expressionless.

"Miss Swan."

"Can we talk?" her tone was much different than the one she'd used the previous night. The mayor didn't respond, but Emma took a seat anyway.

"What should we do about Henry?" Emma asked, "There was a bit of an incident this morning at breakfast. He knows something's up."

Regina hinted at a smile. Of course, he knew something was up. Oblivion has never been in her son's blood.

"What should we –," Emma stopped. This wasn't her decision.

"What do you want to do?"

Regina hadn't thought this far ahead. She'd been so lost in her thoughts after her session with Archie that the idea that something would have to be done did not even cross her mind.

"I-I have this," Emma continued, pulling the folded envelope out of her pocket, "I didn't know what you wanted me to do with it."

Regina took the letter into her hands. She hadn't even remembered what she had written. Running her finger over her son's name etched onto the paper, she took a deep breath.

"Can you bring him by in a few hours?"

Swinging open the car door, Henry barreled out of his seat and ran to the front door of his house. The entire Charming family followed suit, carrying Henry's things. Barging into his house, Henry neglected to close the door behind him.

"Henry Daniel, what have I told you about leaving the door open?" Regina said as she walked into the entryway. Her son ran up the stairs and embraced his mother.

"Alright, kid, we've got your backpack, overnight bag," Emma said, walking into the house with her parents, "Your science project that, according to Miss Blanchard, here, apparently is not a real assignment and was just an excuse to eat popsicles, and David's got … What are you carrying?"

David shrugged his shoulders and set the brown cardboard box down with a huff.

"Well, you'll know where to find us," Snow said, ushering her family out the door.

"Actually," Regina said, "I'd like you all to stay, if that's okay."

Leading them into the dining room where she had prepared an assortment of baked goods, Regina asked them to all take a seat and requested a few moments alone with her son.

"Henry, can you wait in the living room? I need to talk to Miss Swan and your grandparents."

Nodding, the boy left the room. Taking a seat at the table, she began the speech she'd been practicing in her head the last half an hour.

"I'd like to start off by saying thank you for last night."

"Regina," Snow interrupted, "If this is too much to talk about with us, you don't have to."

"No," the mayor responded, "I need to do this, for me. I want to thank you and I want to apologize for last night. I know I said some things that weren't called for. I-I also want to ask you to stay until Henry is sure he wants to sleep here tonight."

As Regina walked out, the group sat stunned. What was happening?

"Henry, before I say anything," Regina started, sitting down next to her son with an envelope in hand, "I want you to read this."

Taking the envelope from his mother, he noticed it was addressed to him in her handwriting. He looked up at her to question it, but she had turned the other way.

Henry,

I never thought I would be writing this letter to you. I haven't been well for quite a long time.

I want you to know that none of this was your fault and there is nothing you could have done to prevent this.

I love you more than life itself. Keep being the brave, kind, amazing young man I know you will be.

I'll love you forever.

Mom

"What is this?" Henry asked. His mother didn't respond.

"Mom," he said more forceful, "What is this about?"

Regina turned to him, eyes red-brimmed. Knowing exactly what he had just read, a burning rose in Henry's throat.

"Henry," his mother said in a hoarse voice, "I am so sorry. I–"

"Mom, no," Henry cut her off.

"Henry, please, I need to say this. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I know I've done a lot of things to you that have made your life miserable and I-"

Regina was cut off again by Henry, except this time he was leaving the room. She didn't follow him or call out. She, instead, sat on the sofa. Staring into the palms of her folded hands, she bit her lip, trying to hold her tears in. Inhaling a long breath, Regina tried to accept that she may never see her son again. She closed her eyes and waited for the sound of the front door closing.

"I've been waiting to give this to you," a voice echoed through the entryway, "I started making it … well, I don't really remember when I started making it, but it's not finished yet."

He set a faded scrapbook down on the coffee table in front of his mother. Flipping through it, he described every photo.

"This was after my first day of school. Do you remember? I cried and you were late to work because I wouldn't let go of you?. And this was my second grade Christmas pageant. You stayed up most the night making that reindeer costume."

Turning page after page of the book her son had made, she cried tears of happiness. All of these memories were so precious to her, yet she had forgotten nearly all of them.

"I know that you've done lots of things you regret, but that doesn't make me love you any less," Henry said. Regina wept tears of relief. There were so many things she felt she still needed to tell him, but those could wait. He'd find out in due time.

The clock in the town square struck six o'clock. Regina and Henry snuggled onto the couch as a movie, one that they'd both seen thousands of times, started to play. The voices in Regina's head began to chatter as they did whenever she had a moment of thought to herself. They were interrupted, this time, by her son saying, "How have your dreams been?"

"They're getting better," she answered. She'd started gaining more control over the inner-workings of her mind and could now alter what she was seeing. She couldn't change her memories, but she could change how she saw them.

"Mom," Henry said, turning towards her, "Can I ask you something?"

Regina had been asked this same question so many times she had no doubt in her mind that Henry was sure she'd say yes. Nodding to her son, Regina saw the boy take a breath and gather his courage.

"Do you ever wish you could forget it?" her son asked, meekly, "Forget what happened to you?"

"I don't know," Regina said, entirely unsure of what her life would be if that were possible, "I don't know if I'd be the same person. All that pain, it made me who I am. If I didn't remember, I would have never cast the curse, and if I'd never cast the curse, I'd have never met you."

Pressing her forehead against her son's, Regina took a deep breath. The voices in her head quieted. Not all was right in the world, but, in that moment with Henry, she wouldn't have known the difference.

Thank you, everyone, who has followed this story! It was such fun to write and I feel like this was a great place to end it. Don't forget to leave a review and let me know what you think!