Her palms are clammy, hopefully she can get that under control before the woman arrives. Her mouth is watering like a damn fire hose from all the anxiety pulsating through her blood and the way her stomach is in knots. She's pleading with herself not to vomit. So, she swallows again, rubs her hand furiously against her thighs, hoping the denim will absorb the moisture and inhales a slow breath to calm her nerves.

She hears the little bell above the diner, forcing her neck to snap up her heavy head to discover if it's the woman she has been obsessing over for two weeks now. Her face falls when she locates her best friend's long mane peeking through the door like some cheesy sitcom. When agitated green eyes meet ecstatic emeralds, Emma groans and Ruby beams brighter than a headlight in the dead of the night.

"Rubes," she hisses as her friend scurries across the diner and plops down in the booth that is supposed to be reserved for her guest.

"Hey-"

"Get out," she growls, "come on, I'm nervous enough. I don't want you hanging around and spying on us."

"I know. I know. And I will. Promise. I just want to sneak a peek. I'm so curious."

"No," she firmly demands, but then her voice is flicking to whiny in an instant. "Please, just go. I don't want it to seem like I need you for emotional support."

"You do need me for emotional support," her best friend deadpans. "How clammy are your hands? Maybe don't shake her hand, keep them busy, so she won't have to touch them."

"Ruby!"

"Alright, alright, I'm gone."

"Yeah, right. You better not spy through the window."

"I won't," Ruby slyly claims, but Emma just glares at her, sensing the inflection in her voice and noting the mischief twinkling in those eyes, accompanied by the smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth.

Through squinted eyes, Emma observes as Ruby stands from the booth and doesn't head for the door, but sashays toward the back of the restaurant. Her heart sinks.

"Where are you going?" She demands to know, but Ruby shrugs noncommittally and peeks over her shoulder.

"It's not my fault Granny is short for the dinner shift."

"Bull!"

And with that, Ruby winks and disappears into the kitchen, leaving Emma a floundering mess that is somehow, even more jittery than she was when she arrived. A high voltage of anxiety poisons her blood, sparking and buzzing just as bad as the day of her surgery. She immediately slaps her palms down against her jeans and scrubs away the nervous sweat.

She quickly checks her phone, her mind barely registering that it's one o'clock in the afternoon, exactly when they had agreed to meet two weeks ago, because she knew Granny's diner would be dead for the next four hours until the dinner rush hits. That offers them plenty of time to speak with some privacy and safety for Emma.

But Emma's a hot mess inside. After she and Regina agreed on a time and place, their emails completely stopped. She's not sure why Regina stopped communicating with her, not that she owed her anything, their conversation was technically over. However, Emma missed the one email she received a day that broke up the monotony of her painfully boring life. She wanted to reach out, just to keep the steady flow between them, maybe that would have eased away some of the tension knotting in her stomach right now, but she couldn't find the courage. A part of her felt like she would be pestering the stranger and she definitely didn't want to keep speaking to the woman if it brought up bad feelings about her deceased husband.

"Emma?" And it's a soft, yet rich, seductive tone that drifts through the air, wraps around her veins and sends shivers down her spine, persuading her heart to spread its wings and soar.

She's startled, because she was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn't even hear the tiny bell warning of a new customer moments ago, but that's not why her heart is hammering in her chest.

"I'm sorry, are you not-"

And Emma's to her feet in record time, jutting her hand into the space between them with a sheepish little grin.

"I'm sorry, yes, I'm Emma. Regina?" She meekly inquires just to confirm, watching as the woman's shoulders slump in relief.

And oh my god, this woman is so beautiful.

Her heart rattles with excitement.

"Yes, nice to officially meet you," Regina replies with a shy smile as she gently shakes Emma's hand as if she's made of glass and might shatter between her own delicate fingertips.

"You too," she breathes out, grinning from ear to ear because her heart won't stop flapping around like an over-ecstatic little puppy coming home for the first time.

And that's...foreign to her. Her tarnished heart that she was born with, never fluttered in response to any human before. Maybe a tickle, but never a raging flutter like this. That probably has everything to do with the fact that she always pushed people away, so they didn't get attached to her...so she wouldn't get attached. Either way, her heart has never reacted in such a way to another person and she can't seem to stop smiling because of it.

"Thank you for meeting with me," Regina kindly says, slipping into the booth and placing her purse down on the table to her right.

All while Emma can't stop admiring how beautiful this stranger is, especially the way her midnight black hair falls effortlessly passed her shoulders and rests against her chest and Emma is sure it's just naturally perfect like that. There's also this scar embedded deep into the woman's upper lip and okay, Emma has never found scars particularly attractive, but dear god, this one is so unbelievably sexy.

And then Regina peeks through her thick, dark eyelashes, those chestnut irises curious and stern as they meet Emma's inquisitive eyes and her heart does a backflip.

"Uh...of course. Um, thanks for driving here," she sheepishly says, knowing damn well she was caught staring.

"Not a problem, it was my idea to meet in person," Regina vacantly says just as someone approaches their table to take Regina's drink order.

"Hi!" Emma's entire body deflates from the voice alone. "I'm Ruby, I'll be your server. Can I start you off with something to drink?"

"Oh, you know I haven't had a chance to look over the menu."

"I can come back, but I suggest Granny's lattes or cappuccinos if you are a caffeine junkie," Ruby cheerfully replies, her days of waitressing coming right back to her like the old saying, riding a bike once again.

Emma tries, she really tries not to stare at how regal and confident this stranger just oozes as she sits in some dinky diner, but it's so hard not to. So, she quickly averts her eyes to her menu, even though she has it memorized by now, her fingers fiddling beneath the table in her lap as a distraction.

"I'll take one," Emma suddenly chirps, just to fill the silence as Regina's dark eyes sweep across the menu with the different varieties, but then those eyes are on her, pinning her with a look she can't really decipher.

"Are you allowed to have something with that much caffeine?" Regina sternly blurts out before she can stop herself, and by the blush spreading up her neck, Emma knows she wasn't planning on saying that out loud. "Oh, I-I apologize, I didn't-"

"It's alright." Emma smiles, to help ease the worry clouding over Regina's expression because she can tell she genuinely feels humiliated for the word vomit.

"Emma drinks decaf," Ruby acknowledges through a broad grin that's ready to split her face right in half while Emma narrows her eyes at her friend.

"Oh, are you the friend?" Regina sweetly inquires. "Your grandmother owns this restaurant?"

"Yeah, I am," her friend slowly says through a wolffish grin before her eyes flick to Emma's and her eyebrows skyrocket in amusement, but Emma scowls in return. "So, what'll it be?"

"A skinny cappuccino, please."

"Sure thing," and with that Ruby saunters away, okay, so she's practically skipping away with joy, provoking Emma's eyes to roll in annoyance.

"Sorry, I don't even know why she's here. She hasn't worked here since we were in high school," Emma confesses, her own cheeks flaring up from embarrassment, worrying this stranger may think she needs a babysitter.

"It's quite alright. I'm sure she was just nervous for you," Regina nonchalantly waves off the moment, her fingers moving to unbutton her black peacoat and make herself a little more comfortable. "You never know who you are going to get behind a screen nowadays. I could be a serial killer."

"You still could be," she reflexively blurts out because she is so used to the back and forth banter with Ruby and Neal, that she couldn't really stop her big mouth.

One perfectly sculpted eyebrow slithers up Regina's forehead, causing a tiny scar near her temple to make itself more prominent. "I could be," she coyly quips. "And I have been getting away with it for years because by day, I'm a lawyer."

Emma barks out a laugh, one that has her cheeks stretching to produce her dimple and her stomach tightening those abs that haven't been worked out properly in too long and god, she hasn't laughed without a little strain or force in a very long time. There's just something about the way Regina delivered the line, so casual and careless, yet pristine and a hint of smugness. Emma can already tell she's going to enjoy this woman's sense of humor.

"You're funny."

"I am?" And by the incredulous expression contorting Regina's features, Emma knows she doesn't hear that quite often.

"You are," she vows, complete with a sharp head nod and a bright smile to solidify her answer, but Regina's face is suddenly falling, draining from all color and worry instantly sizzles in Emma's chest. "Are you alright?"

"Y-Yes, I'm...I'm sorry," she stammers through a whisper and Emma cannot peel her eyes away from the watery ones trying to avoid contact.

"You don't have to apologize, Regina, you didn't do anything wrong."

Emma has to physically restrain herself from reaching over the table to comfort this stranger because her body is urging her to do just that. So, she slips her hands beneath her thighs to keep her anxious body in control, yet, her chest is leaning forward until the table stops her from swaying any closer.

Luckily, Ruby stops by to drop off their drinks, a real manic grin set into place before she drifts away. Regina quickly latches onto her mug like she desperately needs the warmth to settle down whatever chill is tormenting her from within. She takes a very small and timid sip before she speaks again, her eyes never meeting Emma's.

"My husband was the only person who ever found me funny," she reveals, her voice trembling violently despite how in control she's attempting to sound.

Emma thinks she should apologize again for her loss, but then she thinks about how robotic everyone has sounded to her lately and she's sure this woman is so sick and tired of the same mantra over and over again.

So...

"How is that possible?" She chooses to say instead. "You have spoken to other humans before, right?" Regina's wet eyes slowly crawl away from her mug and latch onto Emma's shinning orbs. "Some people think they are so funny and it comes off as trying too hard, you know? It's all about delivery," she states, lifting her latte up and smirking before she takes a tentative sip as well.

Regina though, is assessing her very closely and Emma hates feeling like she's an ant under some damn spy glass. It always makes her fidget and sure enough, her steaming liquid almost topples over the rim from her shaky hand. Luckily, she doesn't spill...this time.

"Well...thank you," Regina timidly whispers, just a hint of a shy smile ghosting over her lips and Emma's heart leaps forward, reaching for this woman only to collide brutally against her sternum and be rejected.

And something tells Emma that specific smile is reserved for only a select few lucky ones and somehow, it settles the jittery nerves rattling her bones.

"So," Emma breathes out, her shoulders rising as she attempts to start this conversation she knows is going to be overwhelming. "Uh...do you want to start?"

It's so hard not to notice the way Regina's grip tightens around her mug.

"I suppose I can." Regina produces an audible gulp that expresses her true nervousness, but she straightens her posture, oozing that confidence once again that has Emma a little intimidated. "The reason why I asked to speak with you in person is because Naveen and I were in a horrific car accident that lead to his death," she pauses, because her voice won't stop trembling and Emma opens her mouth to apologize, but Regina pushes on. "I-I don't remember the accident, in fact I was in a coma for six days after...and then five days after that, I was in and out of consciousness."

Emma watches, frozen in place as a single tear rolls down Regina's cheek, leading the way for the rest of its companions to follow. She feels so utterly helpless in the moment because she wants to comfort this person, but she's a stranger, besides Emma has never really been good at consoling people.

"You didn't get to say goodbye," Emma's broken voice barely croaks out the words as she stares wide-eyed at those tears that keep trickling down the woman's face.

"No."

"That's why you came here?"

"I needed...I needed something. Some type of closure. None of this feels real. I still feel like I woke up in some horrific nightmare and it just won't end," she confesses, much to her own mortification because she really didn't want to get too deep and personal with a perfect stranger.

"I get it," Emma sheepishly reveals. "I needed something too." This gathers Regina's attention, the tears stilling and sticking to her rosy cheeks as she meets Emma's shimmering eyes. "It's kinda overwhelming. I-ugh-this is so hard to explain to you." Regina doesn't say a word, she's too busy regarding Emma so intently. "I feel...really...really guilty," she whispers, terrified of revealing the truth.

"Guilty?"

"Yes," her voice cracks and her fingers itch to fidget, so she presses her thighs down firmly to keep them trapped beneath her. "For nine months I was on the waiting list and every day I begged and pleaded for a heart and the minute I received that phone call, I was drowning in guilt. I feel like I was basically begging for someone to die, so I could live," she confesses, provoking her nose to tingle and her vision to blur from the tears lurking inside of her. "That's a horrible thought and I'm so so sorry that it was your husband," she chokes on her sob, quickly rushing to wipe away the liquid dribbling down her cheeks and through her wet eyelashes, she witnesses the tears cascading down Regina's cheeks as well.

"I-" Regina's voice squeaks out before she inhales sharply and reaches for a napkin to wipe away those salty tears clinging to her face. "I can only imagine how you must feel. However, I don't blame you, Emma," and her voice is so fragile, so delicate that Emma has no choice but to meet the woman's gaze.

"You don't? You don't hate me? I mean it's not fair that you lost your husband just so I could live," she cries out, attempting to sniffle away her emotions.

"I don't hate you. And I didn't lose my husband just so you could live...I lost my husband by a terrible accident and because of the incident, you were able to live."

"I-I never really thought of it like that," she murmurs, using her sleeve to clean the mess across her face.

"People pass away every day, it's unfortunate...it's awful, but the people that choose to be an organ donor, aren't sacrificing their lives for another. They are simply helping someone in need after they are gone," she whispers so softly that Emma's heart flutters once again in response to that silky tone.

"I'm glad you see it that way, because I really felt guilty and I thought you were going to hate me. And honestly, this is what I needed to help me move on."

Regina nods just once, her eyes crinkling at the sides as she observes the blonde closely, Emma still sweeping away the liquid pouring from every which way. There's a heavy moment of silence and Ruby must be watching from afar because she chooses this moment to pop her little head in.

"Hey, are you two thinking of eating this afternoon? Or just coffee?" Ruby gently questions, her eyes flicking from green to brown ones warily.

"I should probably eat," Emma mutters under her breath, passing her menu to her friend, knowing what she's going to order. "What do you think, Regina? Wanna join me?" She hopefully asks, flashing this dorky little smirk that has Regina visibly relaxing before her.

"I believe I can manage that," she says, but there's a hint of teasing in her tone, maybe it's a dab of seduction, either way, this woman oozes sex appeal, even if she is unaware.

"What salad today?" Ruby questions, her pad and pen ready to scribble down Emma's order.

"I'm so sick of salads," she grumbles. "How about a grilled chicken wrap?"

"Ugh, I don't blame you. I'm sick of seeing you eat salads," her friend chuckles. "Fruit? Or you want granny to do some steamed vegetables for you?"

Emma smiles, knowing that's not really an option on the menu, but for her it is. "Fries," she says, provoking Ruby's eyes to narrow. "I'm just kidding, fruit."

"Good, because I'm not about to wrestle Granny for you over fries." Her friend laughs lightly before she turns her attention to the other brunette. "And you?"

Something that resembles conflicted flashes across Regina's face as she studies the menu before her. She nibbles on her bottom lip and Emma hates the way her heart thumps a little faster, like even the organ finds the action irresistible.

"I'll have the avocado chicken wrap, thank you," Regina quietly orders, handing over her menu.

"Fruit or fries?"

"Fries," she blurts out all too quickly.

And then Ruby is gone in a flash and Emma is beaming at Regina, she never really gave her face permission to do so, but here she is, grinning like an absolute fool. Regina nervously fiddles with the utensils, her eyes scrutinizing her own fiddling fingers and Emma knows something is on her mind.

"I'm willing to answer anything you want to know," Emma pipes up, hoping to coax the brunette into speaking her mind before it's too late and she regrets it.

Dark eyes peek through even darker lashes curiously, inspiring her fingers to stop fidgeting. Regina nods curtly before she straightens her posture, the stern lawyer taking over the conversation in the blink of an eye.

"Do you feel...different?" Emma blinks, but Regina rushes on. "I mean, do you have any weird cravings or find that your mood is different?"

"Ummm, no strange cravings." Emma shrugs, both hands finally slipping out from their prison to rest on top of the table. "I do feel a little different, like I have these mood swings, but I'm pretty sure that's all the medication I'm on, not because of him."

"Right," Regina impassively says with this look of defeat that crushes Emma's soul.

"I-I don't know if this is the heart's memory or what, but since the surgery I've been kinda down and everyone says that's normal, I'm supposed to feel blue, but I've been sad like I've been grieving or missing someone."

With that, Emma pauses, allowing the words to dangle in the air, granting Regina the opportunity to interpret them however she wants. She doesn't necessarily want to tell this stranger that her new heart misses her, but by the way her heart is reacting to this interaction, she really feels like she's been missing Regina.

"Does that happen often? Have you known anyone to experience anything similar?" Regina barely says the words out loud, like she's desperate for the answer, yet petrified of it all at the same time.

"I've done research, I've spoken to some people as well. Doctor's say there isn't enough evidence to prove that someone's personality can change or that the muscle remembers things or craves stuff, but I've also read quite a few remarkable stories, so I'm not willing to rule it out just yet."

Regina nods again, seeming lost in thought as she picks at the corner of the napkin once again. Ruby uses this time to swoop in and drop off their lunch, asking if they need anything else before she rushes off.

"You have to watch what you eat now, correct?" Regina unexpectedly questions as Emma's mouth is biting into her over-stuffed wrap. Regina has yet to make a move toward her food, her fists clenched on either side of the plate. "I've read that your diet is very important after a transplant."

Emma quickly chews, nodding along and wiping her mouth. "Umm...yeah." She swallows quickly and meets Regina's intense glare. "But I've always had to maintain a very strict and healthy diet, so I'm kinda used to it. It's also all about moderation, too."

Regina nods just once again, her eyes trailing to her own plate. "May I ask about your history? Did you always have problems with your heart?" She tentatively investigates, slowly lifting her eyes to meet Emma's once again.

"Oh boy," Emma chuckles, but even to her own ears she hears how flat she really sounds. "It started at birth."

"Really?"

"Yeah, basically it was a birth defect where the valve that controls blood flow from the right upper chamber of my heart, didn't form at all and there was an obstruction of blood flow in my right ventricle as well. So, I had to have surgery right away. I was alright for a while, my parents were always worried and I had a lot of doctor's appointments as a kid. But my ventricles were not working properly and kept failing me and by the time I was ten, I already had my chest cracked open three times," she admits, noticing the way Regina's breath catches in her throat like most people, but Emma is so accustomed to the procedures now, it really doesn't phase her. Just hazy memories left behind.

She swallows thickly, hating that sinking sensation in her gut whenever she has to explain the next part that leads to the scare of a lifetime.

"Then at seventeen, I was diagnosed with sinus node dysfunction, which means my heart couldn't keep a steady pumping rate that is appropriate, so I had to have a pacemaker put in. I thought for sure I was good then. I was ready to put all of this behind me and live my life, take my next step with college and enjoy my life. And I did, for about eight years, until I noticed I couldn't workout regularly like I used to and I was having difficulty breathing with very simple activities," she inhales sharply, still hating this next part with a fiery passion from the unfairness of it all. "It wasn't until I was twenty-five, that I was in and out of hospitals. They assumed it was my long history that was causing problems, but I was later told that my heart was failing."

"Emma, I...I am so sorry you had to go through all of that. I could only imagine how difficult that must have been as a child."

"It was rough, for sure. My parents were always so amazing and positive, but they have been very strict. Then again, I have to be thankful for that, because I highly doubt my heart would have made it for as long as it did if I didn't have hovering parents."

"They sound wonderful," Regina concedes, finally picking up her wrap and taking the smallest bite imaginable.

"How about your parents? Are they...hovering because of everything you have going on?" Emma casually asks, volleying the conversation right back to keep a steady flow between them before she gets all awkward like she normally does.

Regina exhales the deepest breath that already answers Emma's question wordlessly. "Dear god, yes. My mother and my sister have moved in without my permission and apparently made a babysitting schedule, so I'm not left alone during any moment of the day," she scoffs, rolling those big brown eyes and taking an aggressive bite out of her sandwich.

"Ugh, I know what you mean. I had to move in with my parents before the surgery, in case of any emergencies and so they could help post-op, and I'm grateful and all, but oh my god, my mom is always up my ass."

Regina breathes out a small laugh through her nose. "My mother is always staring at me, like I might implode at any moment."

"My mom is constantly spraying every surface with disinfectant. Someone walks in, she attacks them with masks and hand sanitizer."

"My mother keeps stealing my laundry basket, like I cannot possibly wash my own clothes. I could use the distraction and I definitely don't need her touching my underwear."

"My mom prepares my meals like a toddler."

"My mother keeps climbing into bed with me."

Emma giggles, a full belly giggle at that. "Yeah, my mom watches me sleep from the doorway," she confesses through a hearty laugh which inspires a broad smile to take over Regina's face.

Emma's sure the woman is moving in slow motion when she slowly plucks a fry off her plate and extends her hand over the table. "Everything in moderation?" She repeats Emma's words from earlier, a dazzling smile dancing across her face and there goes Emma's heart once again.

Emma's curious eyes flick behind Regina's shoulder, making sure her friend isn't spying on them, even though Ruby would probably just smirk.

"I haven't had a fry in years," Emma confesses, snatching up the potato before the woman changes her mind.

"Naveen's heart was very strong. I won't tell. It'll be our little secret."

Emma grins like a buffoon, popping the fry right into her mouth and moaning at the glorious salty taste. She notices right away how Regina's eyes soften.

Her heart skips a beat.

They both turn their attention back to their meals, Emma making her way through her wrap while Regina hardly finishes half. No more fries are offered and Emma has a sneaky suspicion this woman is usually very strict and the one fry leniency was probably a novelty. Especially since Regina neglects them as well, never eating a single one.

Ruby drops off a box for Regina, even offers a cappuccino to go, but the woman declines and asks for the check. However, Ruby shakes her head, laughs and waltzes away.

"Granny never charges us," Emma whispers, producing a scowl upon Regina's face.

"I can't leave without paying."

"You can try tipping Ruby, but she doesn't work here and she will probably hand it back."

"Well, then you give it to her grandmother."

"I'm not fighting that woman, she's feisty," Emma declares with her adorable dimple on display while Regina huffs out her annoyance. "So, ummm...is there anything else you would like to discuss? It's only two o'clock."

And Regina seems queasy at this question and Emma has no idea what she could possibly be stressing about. Suddenly, those dark eyes are lingering on her warily and Emma feels the heat bubbling from her heart and rising to her cheeks.

"You," Regina's voice cracks, her breath snagging in her throat and now they are both blushing for some peculiar reason. "You obviously know that I asked you here, so I can close this chapter in my life and move on since I was never able to say goodbye."

"I know," Emma softly whispers.

"I know this is...oh, this is awkward-"

"Regina, you can ask me anything. I feel like I owe your husband and if I can't repay him, I would like to repay you," she sincerely states, causing those tears to well up in Regina's eyes once again.

"I want to hear his heart beat one last time."

Emma's heart violently shudders, instantly agreeing to the request without Emma's permission. Subconsciously, she places her hand over her heart and swallows down the mass of emotions swelling in her throat.

It's an awkward request, especially coming from a complete stranger, but then again, she can only imagine what this woman is going through. She lost her husband, doesn't even have any recollection of it, and was never able to say goodbye properly.

So, without truly comprehending her actions, she nods.

"Not here though," Emma's mouth speaks for her and then her body is moving to stand from the booth, all on its own.

She feels almost as if she's out of her own body, watching as Regina sets down some cash onto the table...far too much, and then she is following Emma right out the door. Emma walks numbly to her car, unlocks the passenger side and holds it open, never saying one word. Regina blinks at her, blinks at the silent invitation of an open door, and then slips inside without a word spoken.

Emma's trembling viciously when she closes the door and rounds the car to slip into her own seat. When she slides into the driver's chair, she starts her car and cranks up the heat. There's a static electricity that sharply courses through her tiny Volkswagen Beetle as she searches her mind for something to say.

"Yellow?" Regina's raspy voice murmurs.

"Huh?"

"Yellow? Bold choice."

"I like yellow, is this really the time to be questioning what color my car is?" Emma squawks, but she's slightly amused.

"I'm sorry, I'm just trying not to think about how uncomfortable this situation is," Regina admits, glancing out the window as a distraction.

"Lucky for you, I have a lot of strangers feeling between my breasts." Regina's shocked face is comical and Emma can't suppress the snort that explodes from her own face. "They are all doctors but still strangers."

Regina slowly nods along like she understands but is still skeptical. Tentatively, Emma reaches across the center console, her heart hammering from what's to come and her palms sweating at the idea of touching this breathtakingly beautiful woman. She gently gathers Regina's right hand and slowly brings it up to her chest, ignoring the way they are both trembling. She swallows down all her trepidation and nerves and reminds herself that she owes this to the man that saved her life.

His wife deserves one final goodbye.

Delicately, she places Regina's hand over her heart, inspiring the damn organ to leap abruptly, taking them both by surprise. Regina's eyes instantly fill with thick tears that make her chestnut irises sparkle into a honey hue and it takes everything in Emma not to hold her close to stop those tears from falling. Emma presses a little further, allowing Regina to soak up the strong rhythm beating beneath her touch and that's what encourages those teardrops to fall.

"You can listen," Emma nervously whispers, but Regina doesn't dare make eye contact.

Instead, she nods once and leans forward to memorize the thumping that she fell asleep to every night. She misses the sound so much, she misses lying on his chest and drifting off to that sweet lullaby. For a moment, her eyes flutter closed and she absorbs the sound, but then the realization that she will never hear this sound again becomes too much and she jerks away.

"Are you-"

"Thank you for meeting with me," Regina blurts out, her hand popping the door open in a rush to escape the confines of the tiny bug. "Goodbye, Miss Swan."

"Regina, are you-"

The door is already slamming in her face, but she's not flinching from the sound, but the ache in her heart instead.