Date.
The one little word echoed in Regina's head as she drove back from Steveston.
Date.
Date.
Emma Swan had asked her out on a DATE.
Regina felt stunned and a tad naïve because she clearly had missed all the signs of interest coming from Emma.
She had missed all the signs because she had not looked for them. She had thought that Emma merely wanted to be friends.
But Regina did not feel betrayed in anyway. Nor did she feel like Emma Swan had invited her for coffee and to the Harvest Festival because she had an ulterior motive. There was nothing ulterior about asking her on a date. As for inviting Henry along to the Harvest Festival... Well, Regina merely found that to be sweet.
Emma Swan was sweet.
Emma Swan had a great smile.
A really great smile.
And lovely golden hair.
The few women Regina had dated in her time had been blonde, so she supposed she had a certain type.
But it was not just the color of Emma Swan's hair that had prompted her to say yes to a date. It was Emma's openness. Those big, honest smiles she had been giving Regina all night. Emma Swan didn't strike her as the type who had a hidden agenda or an ulterior motive.
Regina liked Emma. Perhaps she had not known her for very long, but she could tell that she was a lovely person. And the fact that she had made such a genuine effort to get to know Henry... Well, that was more than most people would do.
Having a child often made potential dates back out.
But Emma Swan had not.
That meant something.
As she adjusted the mirror, Regina wondered what her therapist would say about this. Would she think that it was too soon? Despite not knowing, Regina found herself getting a little defensive. Surely, it was up to HER and not her therapist to decide whether it was too soon for her to date or not, right?
And her therapist had made a point of continuously telling Regina that she should do things that made her happy. That was what her new life was all about. Doing things that made her happy.
Going out for dinner with Emma would make her happy. Regina could feel that. Once the anxiety over the surprise date suggestion had dialed down, she had felt something else. Joy.
Of course, she was still anxious. She couldn't remember the last time she had been on a good date. A date where she didn't have to worry about looking too long at a waiter or waitress. A date where her shoulders had been super tight upon returning home because she had been tensing so much throughout the 'date'. She was anxious about getting flashbacks.
But she knew that her date with Emma Swan would not be like those so-called 'dates' she'd had with Killian.
Emma was different.
Emma was not interested in hurting her.
This was a good thing.
She had been looking for a fresh start, and here was a nice woman who was interested in dating her. A woman who knew nothing of her past. A woman who thought that her voice was gone due to an accident. A woman who did not care that she couldn't speak. A woman who did not pity her in the slightest. Emma Swan had treated her exactly like she would treat anybody else, and Regina had felt so gloriously normal in her company. More herself than before. Just Regina and not Regina 2.0. This was the freshest start she could possibly have asked her. And it was not pity who had prompted her to say yes to a date with Emma Swan. No, Regina did in fact genuinely like Emma. She liked her kindness. Her ability to go with the flow. And the strength Regina suspected the younger woman possessed. With the past she'd had, Emma Swan was bound to possess some strength.
Regina adjusted the mirror again, and while waiting for the light signal to turn green, she smiled at Henry in the mirror. He had taken off his headphones and was now trying to hide a yawn behind his hand. It had been a while since he had been out of the house so long. He was tired. And so was Regina. But the headache that normally accompanied the fatigue did not come, and Regina allowed herself to feel a bit optimistic. Perhaps she wouldn't even get a headache tonight. Maybe she would in fact be able to go to bed without having taken an aspirin. That would be great. Regina wasn't too keen on keep on taking so many pills. It wasn't good for her. Which reminded her of what her doctor had said. That she could start to gradually take a smaller dose of the painkillers. It would undoubtedly be hard, weaning herself off the medicine, but Regina did not want to take painkillers for the rest of her life. She did not want it to turn into an addiction. The wound of her throat was healing up nicely, so really, there was no reason as to why she should not start to take smaller doses of the medicine. It was another step towards 'better'.
"Did you have a nice time tonight?" Henry asked and interrupted her train of thoughts.
Regina nodded in confirmation and flashed her son an affirming smile. And an honest one too. She did have a really nice time tonight.
"Me, too," Henry said, grinning. "Emma's really nice."
Another nod. Yes, Emma was nice.
"I like her," Henry continued and gave Regina a look of curiosity in the mirror. "Do you like her too, mom?"
Regina tilted her head. What? Did her son have a sixth sense now? Was there any way that he could possibly know that Emma had asked her on a date? Had the car window been open? Had they been standing too close to the car? Had he heard what Emma said?
But deep down Regina knew that he had not. He had been wearing headphones for goodness' sake. He just had a really good intuition. He always had. Even as a baby, Henry had been a sensitive child. When he was only a couple of months old and Regina had been sad about the loss of her father, tiny Henry had suddenly pressed a palm against her cheek in a manner that could only be perceived as soothing. He had been trying to comfort her.
Remembering that she owed her son an answer, Regina nodded.
"Do you like her a lot?" Henry asked casually.
He of course knew that she was bisexual. That was no dirty little secret or something to be ashamed of. They'd had a whole conversation about that when he was seven and had stumbled upon a picture of a teenage version of Regina and Malena kissing each other. He had toddled over to Regina with the picture held tight in his little hand and asked questions about why 'mommy is kissing auntie Mal'.
Regina had calmly told him that she and Mal used to be 'girlfriends' and that 'mommy falls in love with both boys and girls'. They'd had a whole talk about how it was okay for boys to fall in love with other boys. And okay for girls to fall in love with other girls. And that it was okay to fall in love with both too. Henry had been a little surprised because he had no idea that it was possible to fall in love with both. He'd asked a couple of more questions, including whether Regina was still kissing auntie Mal (the answer had been no), but after that, nothing. He didn't care whether she kissed boys or girls. As long as she was happy.
Oh how wonderfully simple.
"Mom?"
Regina's head snapped up. Oh. She had been getting lost in her own head again.
"Do you like her a lot?" Henry calmly repeated.
A lot. Regina tasted the word as though it was foreign food. Was she even capable of liking someone 'a lot'? She wasn't so sure about that. She wasn't sure if anything or anyone could make her heart beat in that special way it once had.
But she did like Emma.
She really did.
And if she could grow to like ANYONE a lot, Emma was a very good possibility.
Kind Emma Swan.
Open Emma Swan.
Emma Swan with the nice smile and the brilliant, golden hair.
Yes.
If Regina once upon a time would be capable of liking anyone 'a lot', it surely would have to be Emma Swan.
But it was much too complicated explaining to Henry how her heart laid shattered somewhere in the pit of her chest and only barely functioned.
He would never understand.
Regina didn't WANT him to understand.
No child should understand what she had been through.
What she still was going through in this very moment.
So she settled for a slight nod and a faint smile.
"Do you think I'll see her again?" Henry asked eagerly. "I wanna talk more about her fairytales!"
Regina's smile was more genuine now. Perhaps that was what the two of them had talked about in the Ferris wheel. Emma's fairytales. It could be nice if Emma and Henry could spend more time together. Emma had made Henry smile a lot tonight. And she had made Regina smile too.
Perhaps that was just the kind of effect Emma had on people. Maybe she just instantly made them feel relaxed and calm. Regina's shoulders certainly had not bunched at all tonight. She had not tensed anywhere at all. A completely new feeling. She had become to accustomed to feel tense somewhere in her body, and it felt completely foreign to be so relaxed tonight.
Another brilliant reason to go out with Emma Swan.
Now Regina just had to remember how one acted on a date. How one smiled without it seemed forced. How one did not have to be nervous about making eye contact with one of the waiters.
Really, a dinner was not much different than a coffee appointment. It would still just be the two of them. And a bunch of post-its. There would be nothing awkward about it. Right?
Regina bit her bottom lip. Willed herself not to be worried. It would be fine. It was just a dinner. With a nice woman. She could do dinner with a nice woman without freaking out...
Henry looked beyond tired when they finally arrived in the driveway. He nearly stumbled as he exited the car, and Regina rumbled with silent laughter as she took his hand to support him. Together they walked through the gravel in the driveway, and Henry erupted in a massive yawn when he opened the front door.
Regina completely shared her son's feelings. She too was tired. She was not used to being up this late. Tonight had been a long night. And an unexpected night too.
"Hi, aunt Z," Henry sleepily called as he shrugged off his coat and scarf and toed off his shoes.
"Hey, Hen," Zelena returned the greeting as she came into the hallway. Her green eyes were gleaming, and Regina could just see that her older sister was itching to ask her questions. But she was wise enough to wait with the questions until Henry was gone. Instead she asked: "did you have a great time tonight, Henry?"
"Yes!" Henry beamed. "And so did mom. Right, mom?"
Regina nodded in affirmative. It had been a very good night. Now she was a bit tired, but in a comfortable manner. And there was not a trace of headache to be found. She felt oddly up for sister-talk with Zelena. As Henry chitchatted with her aunt, Regina took the opportunity to crouch down and unzip the high heeled boots she had been wearing tonight. Her coat followed suit, and she delicately brushed a hand over her blazer which looked a bit crumbled after having been hidden away under a coat all night. Last thing she did was to unfasten the scarf. It had made her neck itch slightly, but she reminded herself that she could not scratch. That would only make the wound on her throat pull tight and hurt. And obviously, she was not interested in that. Definitely not.
"-And then she went into the Ferris wheel with me, and that was so awesome, aunt Z! She's really nice and-"
Henry was babbling. He clearly had too much sugar and greasy food tonight. But Regina still smiled and found it to be pleasant. She would not trade that sparkle in his eyes for anything. Nor the high pitched squeak in his voice as he gradually got more and more enthusiastic.
"Wow," Zelena said, smiling widely at her nephew. "That sounds really nice, Hen. So you like Emma, huh?"
Regina squinted at her sister. She was clearly fishing. It was painfully obvious. But it was way too soon to be fishing.
It was just a casual dinner at a laid back restaurant. Nothing fancy.
Emma had said so herself.
Regina could do a casual dinner at a laid back restaurant.
"Yeah, she's really great!" Henry chirped. "She's so smart and knows lots about fairytales! And she's really funny too! Right, mom?"
Regina nodded. Yes. Emma Swan had made her smile several times tonight. Which was actually somewhat of an accomplishment.
"How wonderful," Zelena said, and now there was definitely something else in her voice. Something that only adults like Regina could trace. There was something in her eyes too. Something that went above young Henry's attention, but Regina had absolutely no problem with deciphering it.
She reached out and put a hand on Henry's shoulder. A well known signal.
"Can't I stay up a little longer?" Henry asked immediately. "Just five minutes. Please?"
But Regina shook her head. Perhaps it was Sunday tomorrow, but it was still getting late, and she did not want him to sleep the day away tomorrow. She had plans for them tomorrow. Plans that involved a snowman.
Henry pouted rather dramatically. But Regina could see the spark of mischief in his eyes. He wasn't all that upset about being sent to bed. "Ooooookayyyy," he said.
Regina lifted her hands and wiggled them in the air. Did her best to sign: 'be a good boy and put your pajamas on.', but she was fairly certain that she messed up a few signs. Oops. Perhaps she was too tired to sign.
"You'll come and tuck me in, right?" Henry asked. He always did. Always wanted to be sure.
And of course Regina nodded in affirmative. She would indeed come upstairs to tuck him in. No doubt about that. He did not need to check. Tucking him in every night was a given.
"Okay." Henry turned to Zelena and gave her a big hug. "Goodnight, aunt Z!"
"'Night, Hen," Zelena chuckled as she ruffled his hair. "Sleep well. And don't wake up too early tomorrow, okay?"
"I'll sleep until eleven," Henry vowed and grinned. Because he never slept until eleven. He was a natural early riser. Exactly like Regina was. Or had been. Before 'it' happened. She had been prone to sleeping in. But she was trying to turn it around and get up a little earlier.
"That's my nephew," Zelena joked as he hugged him one more time. "Hurry upstairs, go-go-go!"
He didn't need to be told twice. In a matter of seconds, he barreled upstairs and sounded more like a horde of elephants rather than one little boy.
Regina scowled at her sister. She should not be encouraging him to run up the stairs.
"Sorry, sis," Zelena half-chuckled. "My bad. Anyway." She clapped her hands. "I've happened to open a bottle of wine? Would you like a small glass?"
Regina nodded eagerly. Oh yes, she would like some wine! She wasn't driving anywhere, so it was quite safe.
"Come, come, come!" Zelena said eagerly, putting a hand on the top of Regina's shoulder to guide her inside the living room.
Regina found herself making a slight rumbling sound at that. Zelena was undoubtedly eager to hear about the evening, and even though Regina would have liked to go upstairs and change into a pair of sweatpants, she still chose to go into the living room with Zelena. There was no reason to drag this out.
Both of them slumped down on the couch. Zelena instantly grabbed her glass of wine and took a sip, and Regina tugged her legs up under her to just be a fraction more comfortable. Then she reached for her own glass of wine and took a sip. Mmm. Perfect. Sweet and crispy. This was definitely another thing she was starting to enjoy more.
"So?" Zelena asked. She was clearly trying to sound casual, but the eagerness seeped right through, and Regina found it to be mighty entertaining. "Wanna tell me about tonight?"
Regina nodded. Sat her glass of wine down and let her fingers dance in the air. 'Yes, Henry and I had a very nice evening. The Harvest Festival was exactly as I remember it Henry had a corndog, and Emma and I had a pumpkin spice. And I even had pie.'
"That sounds really nice," Zelena said warmly. "And Emma and Henry got along from what I could hear?"
Regina nodded again. That was to put it lightly. She lifted her hands again and did her best not to get the signs wrong. 'Oh yes. Henry fell head over heels for her.'
"How wonderful. He seemed completely high on sugar, the little guy."
Regina's chest made another rumbling sound. Henry was most definitely high on sugar. She should not have let him eat that slice of chocolate pie.
"Was it okay being out amongst the crowd?" Zelena asked between sips of wine.
The corners of Regina's lips turned upwards. It was actually very okay being out. She had barely noticed the large crowd of people. She had been so busy having fun with Henry and Emma. It had seemed so natural to walk around with them and let Henry translate for her. The three of them had been in a right little bubble all evening.
"And.. Emma?" Zelena asked. Her voice was nonchalant, but her green eyes sparkled. "Can I ask about Emma?"
Regina shrugged to indicate 'sure'.
"So, she asked you out," Zelena began, nonchalantly flicking a lock of red hair behind her ear.
Regina nodded.
"And you said yes."
Regina nodded again. Indeed she did.
"You like her then," Zelena concluded with a little smile. "I had no idea, sis."
To her annoyance, Regina felt a slight blush rise in her cheeks, and she quickly took a sip of her wine to buy herself some time. But Zelena kept looking at her. Waiting for an answer. Regina sat the glass of wine down again and let her fingers wiggle once more as she formed a longer and more complicated sentence: 'she's a nice person. She really is. Very kind and considerate. And she was great with Henry. I could tell that she was nervous about him being there at first, but she did a fantastic job. And when she stood there and asked me out, she was so nervous, I could tell. And she looked like I had already said no. I don't think she's used to people saying yes to her.' Regina had the feeling that nothing ever had come easy to Emma Swan.
"I see," Zelena said, nodding a little as she frowned slightly and pushed a lock of curly red hair behind her ear. "But sweetie, you shouldn't say yes just because you feel sorry for her. I don't want you to feel pushed into doing something you're not ready for."
No. That was not how things were. Regina shook her head. Emma Swan had not pushed her into doing anything. She had given her every opportunity to say no. She had EXPECTED Regina to say no. And even though Regina had been both surprised and intimidated by the idea of a date, saying no hadn't really crossed her mind.
She signed once more although she was getting a little tired of it. 'I like her. I really do.' For a moment, she felt tempted to add how pretty a smile Emma Swan had, and how much her green eyes sparkled. How her entire face just lit up whenever she smiled, but she figured that would be a bit much, so she chose to hold this information back. She had already given Zelena plenty of information.
"Oh," Zelena was smiling now. "That's great. I'm very happy for you." She shifted on the couch, smile fading slightly. "But I must admit that I'm also a bit worried."
Regina nodded, making sure to keep a smile on her face. That was okay. Zelena worrying about her was okay.
"I mean, I am not worried about her," Zelena quickly clarified. "She gave me nothing but good vibes when I met her. I think I'm more worried about the dating thing itself. It's a big step, and you've been through... so much."
Regina reached out and patted Zelena's hand gently. Dating was a big step. A very big step. She completely understood where Zelena was coming from.
"I just want to make sure that you're ready for it," Zelena said gently. "That you don't feel pressured into doing something."
Regina allowed her sisters words to sink in for a moment. She took a sip of her glass of wine and checked herself. Did she feel pressured into doing this?
No. She did not.
She was not certain of how 'ready' she was. If she followed her old plan, she would wall herself off completely in Zelena's house and only ever go out when she had to pick up her son from school.
But that was not healthy.
She could not hide herself away for the rest of her life.
If she did so, she would never be ready for anything.
Sometimes you just had to take a risk and get out of your comfort zone.
Regina still wanted to be that person. The person who took risks and did 'things'.
She was worthy of this.
She was worthy of being asked out on a date with a beautiful woman.
She DESERVED to be asked out on a date with a beautiful woman.
After having swallowed the mouthful of wine, Regina began signing again: 'I want to give this a chance. I want to do things that makes me happy, and this does. Being in her company makes me happy. She's a complete breath of fresh air, and I feel like I can be myself around her. She did not know me before. She only knows this version of me, and she does not walk around on eggshells around me, and in a way that's very refreshing.'
"I understand that," Zelena said softly, the hairbun bopping slightly as she nodded. "You want to be treated 'normally'. I know I'm bad when it comes to walking around on eggshells..."
Regina shook her head and quickly signed: 'I don't blame you for that. You almost lost me.'
"I did," Zelena acknowledged, gaze flickering slightly. "And I don't think I'll ever be able to forget that. A small part of me will always be worrying about you." She shifted on the couch and gave Regina's hand a little squeeze. "But of course I want you to move on and all that." Another squeeze to Regina's hand. "Though on one hand I'd love for you to keep living here until we're old and gray so we could have wine and sister-talk every Saturday night..." She chuckled and Regina's chest rumbled in silent amusement.
"But in all seriousness, I have to get better at getting used to the idea of you and Henry moving out at some point," Zelena continued.
Regina nodded. Yes, that would be nice. She wasn't particularly brave when it came to moving out, and Zelena's very obvious apprehension did nothing to stiffen her confidence.
"Alright, alright. I'll try," Zelena assured, nose scrunching slightly. "But I think we were talking about Emma, weren't we?"
They were. Regina nodded.
"I understand why you appreciate how normally she treats you, sis," Zelena said carefully. "And I know why you chose to go with the car-accident explanation..."
Regina instantly felt herself stiffen, and if it hadn't been for Zelena's hand squeezing hers reassuringly, she probably would have excused herself.
"But suppose the two of you grow close?" Zelena continued, voice still gentle and soft. "Don't you think there will be a point where Emma has to know what really happened?"
Regina's shoulders crawled up towards her ears. She had not thought about that. But now she had to. Suppose she and Emma really did grow close? What if their one date turned into a relationship of sorts?
She could not start a relationship with a lie, could she?
It was bad enough that she was already lying to her son.
And what about all the other things that came with a relationship?
Like kissing.
And the... physical stuff.
Regina's body instantly locked up, and she felt a flare of pain in her abdomen. She was not ready to think about that. Not yet. It was just one date.
"Mom? Are you coming?"
Saved by the bell.
Regina downed the last of her wine in one go and quickly rose from the couch. She gave the coffee table a light tap to let Henry know that she had heard him.
She walked upstairs and did her best to push the thoughts about dating and all the things that came with it, away.
Henry waited for her at the top of the stairs, and Regina really appreciated that. She still felt a little strange about staircases. Kept seeing herself running up the stairs in the house in Montreal. She hoped those damn flashbacks would soon disappear. It was just a stupid staircase, got damnit.
Henry was in his checkered pajamas and seemed to have calmed down a little. The effect of the sugar had finally fizzled out, and now he looked exactly like a tired little boy who needed to sleep.
Hand in hand they walked inside his bedroom, and Henry climbed under the covers. Yawned loudly before sleepily proclaiming: "I really like Emma. She's nice."
Okay, that was the second time he said that tonight. Either he was getting really tired and had forgotten that he'd already said it, or he could for some reason sense that something was going on.
Regina settled for flashing her boy a smile as she perched herself on his bedside. He settled in and pulled the covers up to his chin. Regina started to gently stroke his hair in that manner she had done ever since he was a very small boy.
"I would really like to see her again," Henry sleepily continued. "She was so much fun. Don't you think so, mom?"
Regina nodded. Indeed. Emma was very fun. Had a decent sense of humor. One of the things Regina appreciated about her company.
"What are we gonna do tomorrow?" Henry yawned. "Do we have any plans?"
Regina wiggled her fingers and let them flutter downwards to make the sign for 'snow man'.
And luckily, Henry understood. "Awesome," he grinned. "Can we have cocoa afterwards then? I mean, it's pretty cold being outside..."
How clever of him. Regina tapped his forehead to tell him just that, and earned herself another sleepy grin. She went back to gently stroking his forehead in an attempt to make her chatty little boy fall asleep.
"You know what?" Henry mumbled. "I don't think I'll have any nightmares tonight."
That was the best possible thing. Regina had a feeling that she herself wouldn't experience any nightmares either.
Because tonight had been a good night. Tonight she had felt more relaxed than she had in a long, long time.
Once certain that he was asleep, and once she had changed into a pair of soft sweatpants and a hoodie, Regina returned downstairs to the living room. Zelena was still sitting on the couch, and Regina wasted no time in walking over to her and signing: 'is there anymore wine left?'
"Yes!" Zelena said, pleasantly surprised. "Sit down, little sis."
Regina plopped down on the couch and let Zelena pour her a glass of wine. She had decided that she would not be spending the time worrying. Instead she chose to look forward to her date with Emma Swan. She was certain it was gonna be a pleasant evening. Not much different from their coffee-appointments, really. The only difference would be lit candles on the tables. And perhaps a nice dress.
Yes. Regina wanted to wear a dress. That was a normal thing to wear on a date. And honestly, she had been a little tired of wearing slacks all the time.
Oh. Great sign. Wanting to wear dresses rather than fearing them was good. Regina made a mental note to tell her therapist about it. Any little progress was good.
"You look happy tonight," Zelena observed as she lifted her glass of wine.
Regina smiled a little. She supposed she was. Happy. As happy as she could get, anyway. She certainly was relaxed, and that was pretty much all she could ask for. She'd just enjoyed a very successful night out with a friend and her son. And then said friend had asked her out on a date. Unexpected, but not a bad thing. No. Regina could look herself in the eye and tell herself that she was looking forward to her date with Emma without lying.
It had been quite a while since Regina had been looking forward to anything.
Another foreign feeling.
She would tell her therapist about this.
She would tell her therapist about Emma Swan.
Regina mulled over it as she sipped her glass of wine. She had been convinced that nobody would be interested in her. And more so, she had convinced herself that she would not be interested in anybody.
But now...
As she sat here and sipped her wine, she could not stop thinking about Emma Swan's pretty smile.
Her golden hair.
The way she had been calling Henry 'kid' and been so great with him.
But mainly her smile.
God, Emma Swan had such a pretty smile!
"What are you thinking about?" Zelena asked and tilted her head slightly. Curious.
Regina settled for shaking her head mysteriously and lifting her glass of wine.
"Alright, alright. Keep your secrets," Zelena chuckled. "Cheers, sis!"
They toasted in wine, and Regina fully appreciated the taste.
When she went to bed a few hours later, she was not exactly drunk, but not really sober either. She was pleasantly bussed and in quite the good mood.
She was asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow, and for once, she had no nightmares. Instead she dreamed of Ferris wheels and slices of pies with whipped cream. And strands of golden hair blowing gently in the wind...
She was still in a good mood when she woke up the next morning. Had no desire to stay longer in bed than usually. She got out of bed, took a quick, warm shower and dressed warmly. Then she woke up Henry. He was a sleepy boy this morning, but when she reminded him of their snow man plan, he perked up and promised that he would be downstairs in five minutes.
Meanwhile, Regina went downstairs on her own and took a peek inside their cupboards. What to make for breakfast? She found a box of pancake mix. Normally, she wasn't too keen on things coming from a box, but it was Sunday. She wasn't really in the mood for whipping out the big frying pan, so to speak.
Something out of a box would have to do for today.
And Henry happened to love these fat, fluffy pancakes.
Once that had been decided, Regina grabbed her phone and typed in a message for Emma Swan. 'Thank you for last night. Henry and I had a wonderful time. He hasn't stopped talking about the Ferris wheel since. In fact he had trouble going to sleep because he was so happy and excited. And dozed up on greasy, sugary food.' She sent the text and realized that she should have texted Emma Swan last night. And she had meant to. But all her good intentions had disappeared in the wine she had consumed with Zelena.
A couple of minutes passed and then her phone buzzed. Regina swiftly checked the message: 'I had an awesome time too last night! And let's be honest, having trouble sleeping because of excitement and an overdose of greasy food is better than having trouble sleeping because of night terrors, am I right?'
Regina grinned. Grinned. That word again. 'Awesome'. 'Indeed so. Last night was delightfully free of night terrors. I believe that's your doing, so thank you for having made his night a bit more peaceful.'
Who was she kidding, Emma Swan was most DEFINITELY responsible for Henry's peaceful sleep. And to some degree, Regina's too.
'No need to thank me. I'm just happy he had such a good time last night. He's a very sweet kid.'
Upon reading that message, the last bit of doubt was evaporated from Regina's mind. Henry and Emma Swan most certainly had to hang out again.
'That we can only agree on.'
That seemed like a good way to conclude the conversation. For now. But Regina suspected that there would be plenty of more texting until next Saturday.
Henry came downstairs wearing his thickest pair of pants and not one, not two, but three pairs of shirts. A thick sweatshirt, AND a fleece jacket on top of that.
Regina suffocated her amusement. Well. He had certainly taken the whole 'dress warmly' thing seriously.
"I'm ready!" Henry proudly declared.
Yes. Regina could see that.
Henry glanced down at himself and then frowned slightly. "We're going outside before breakfast, right?"
Well. They certainly would be now. Regina doubted that he wouldn't even be capable of sitting down in all that clothes. She nodded and gestured at him to come forward, and together they walked into the hall. Where Henry put on another coat. And a hat. And thick gloves. AND his scarf. By the time he was done, he looked completely overstuffed. Like if he had been a little snowman. When Regina signed that to him, he of course did his best imitating Olaf's voice, and Regina rumbled with silent laughter. Henry laughed along with her. He didn't find the sound to be remotely scary.
They actually managed to build a rather impressive snowman. One that of course happened to look like Olaf. And when Henry turned his back to her, Regina could not resist scooping up a handful of snow and throwing it at him.
Henry of course reacted to that. He threw a handful of snow at her, and soon it turned into a rather epic snowball fight between mother and son. Henry laughed his head off and squealed in protest when Regina managed to knock him over and into the snow.
"No, mom!" he cried. "That's creating!"
"It was. She would be the first one to admit that. But she didn't care. She just smirked as she washed his face with snow.
He of course 'returned the favor', and if Regina had been capable of laughing, she surely would have. Now she had to settle for letting her chest rumble. And revel in the wonderful feeling.
She felt so good this morning.
So happy as she tumbled around in the snow with her little snow man.
If only this feeling would last...
Time went fast.
Regina had kept herself wonderfully busy over the last week. She had read an almost indecent amount of books. Had done something serious about the house hunting. Gone as far as getting herself and Henry written up for an apartment. It wouldn't be available until in six months, and she saw that as both a blessing and curse.
And then perhaps the most important thing of all had happened.
She had been offered a job opportunity. One of her old colleagues suddenly reached out to her and told her that there was a job that would be right up her street.
A teaching job. Online classes in literature at the University of British Columbia. She would be in charge of deciding the subjects, set up the modules and help the students via electronic correspondence.
The offer had taken her completely by surprise, and Regina had no idea whether she would say yes to the offer. It was overwhelming.
She had thought that she would spend the rest of her life doing some kind of small job she didn't really enjoy but could manage with her 'condition'.
She had never expected to return to her old field.
And now she was sort of scared to say yes.
Maybe she wouldn't.
Maybe she would say no.
She hadn't decided yet.
And suddenly it was the night before her date with Emma.
Regina had no idea where the time had gone, but there was little she could do about it.
She was not as nervous as she had expected herself to be.
Perhaps she would be tomorrow night, but as of right now, she was feeling rather good about her upcoming date with Emma Swan.
She had even gone over what she would be wearing.
And she felt excited.
Genuinely excited.
Perhaps that feeling wouldn't last either, but she would be enjoying it for as long as it did.
And tomorrow night she would go out on a date with a sweet woman.
A job offer.
A new apartment to move into in six months' time.
Things were going pretty good as of right now.
Perhaps it was a dangerous thing to be optimistic, but Regina could not help it. Her life was going rather well at the moment. Many things were working out for her. And she was looking ahead to most of them. Her therapist would be proud of her.
And frankly, Regina was fairly proud of herself too.
To Be Continued...