Chapter 2

As the weeks turned to months, Regina's campaign was gearing up for the upcoming election. In this term she had a real live opponent, and the press was having a field day with the gossip mill considering her recent spectacle.

The man who was running against her was Gaston LeGume and what made him an actual competitor wasn't that he was backed by any of the major players such as the Spencer Family or the Boyd's or even the French's despite the family's obvious allegiances to anyone that opposes Mister Gold and his gilded empire; It was his popularity amongst the middle-class of the small town. He positioned himself as a man who would stand up to the upper class and fight for the commoner. Most of what Mister LeGume promised as part of his campaign was lip service, and anyone with a mind for politics knew that once elected, he could never actually do any of the things promised; however, the strategy thus far was successful, and people inside Regina's campaign were starting to get nervous about their chances of winning.

The main thing Mister LeGume had in his corner, that Mayor Mills did not, was the overwhelming support of the local paper. He was continuously painted as some sort of savior against the tyranny of the Mills reign. Regina's camp was doing massive damage control, and that took up a great deal of her attention.

During that time, Henry had become increasingly despondent toward most everyone in his life, and even after several logical discussions with his mother on what the boy was feeling and why, he wasn't getting any better. It came to a point where Regina had no choice but to seek professional help from Doctor Hopper.

Archie Hopper was two grades Regina's senior in school and during their academics; Early on, he developed a crush on her. He wasn't aggressive, taking her polite rebuffs at face value periodically, but he still lingered. Any place she was, he was never very far, standing anxiously, tumbling his fingers, and staring. Always staring. Regina was two grades behind him, so when he went from grade school to middle school, she was free from him during the day, but he still managed to be around after school. Volunteering as a tutor at the elementary school when he no longer had cause to be on campus, and then again when he went to high school, and while she was still in middle school, kept him within an uncomfortable range.

As adults living in the same town, they've come to a strained yet cordial relationship. Regina, for the most part, kept her distance from the man. After she wed, the message had finally been delivered to the good Doctor, and he lost most of his creepy tendencies toward her, but the awkwardness of her youth was a direct result of his presence, and Regina had never forgiven him.

Needless to say, she was not overly thrilled about having her son be exposed to the likes of Archie Hopper, and of course, she could have taken him out of town for his therapy sessions, but her life was as hectic as she could handle with the election prep and campaign obligations. The Don't Worry, Be Hoppy clinic in town was between Henry's school and their home, so with little option, she signed her son up for six weeks' worth of therapy.

After a few sessions, a call was placed to her office, and a message was left instructing her to meet Archie as soon as she was able at his office. All that she knew was there was an incident that the Doctor needed to speak with her about Henry.

Regina rushed to the office, and when she entered, Henry had his arms folded over his chest, his eye was red and swollen, and his face was stained with the tears he'd shed. Moving to her child's side, she demanded, "What on earth happened?"

Shocked when Henry batted her attempts to console him away, she looked to Archie for answers. "Who would dare do this to my child?"

"Henry, will you go wait in the car for your mom, please?"

With purpose, the child got up and stomped out of the room. Shocked at her son's behavior, she asked, "What the hell was that?"

Taking a deep breath, the Doctor asked in a soothing tone, "You've never told him that he was adopted. Why?"

Bewildered, she exclaimed, "He's nine! I would have when he's old enough to understand!"

"He understands, Regina. He found out at school and got into a fistfight over it. He's angry, and he feels like you lied to him."

"I didn't LIE! I'm his MOTHER! How DARE you!?"

"I didn't say you lied. I said that's how he sees it."

Irritated by the smug look on Archie's face, she pulled her purse higher onto her lap and snipped, "I didn't want to bring my son to you, but you've monopolized the entire industry here, and I had little choice!" She cleared her throat and stood up from the couch, and stated factually, "I don't like you, Mister Hopper, and I don't trust you with my son. I brought him here out of desperation, and I fear I've made a huge mistake!"

"Regina, he needs time to process this. It is a major blow to his world view so soon after his father's death."

Gathering up her belongings, she stood to her full height and exclaimed, "Graham Humbert was no father to my child! Henry isn't getting any better. If anything, things have gotten worse!"

Archie stood and held his ground against the flighty Mayor, "Sheriff Humbert lived in your home and interacted with your boy on a day-to-day basis! Do you think that isn't going to affect him? Just because he stepped out on your marriage, Madam Mayor—"

The slap was instant, and Regina's face tightened into a dark warning. "You know nothing of my life or the relationship I have with my family." Taking a deep breath, pulling herself back together, Regina turned toward the door, "It is clear we are wasting our time with this two-bit show of smoke and mirrors!" Grabbing the door handle, she gave a glance his way before saying, "Good day, Mister Hopper."

Outraged and on edge, Regina thought over what Archie had said to her in his office as she rushed down the stairs. Remembering the anger in her son's features, she mindlessly burst through the doors of the office building, smacking right into Mary-Margaret Blanchard. Dropping books to the sidewalk, the pixie-haired brunette's startled cry had her cringing back from the taller woman. "Oh, Regina!" With fear in her voice, she added, "I'm sorry."

"You should be!" Regina barked back. "Why don't you watch where you're going, Miss Blanchard?"

A sympathetic hand touched Regina's forearm, and Mary-Margaret said, "I mean it. I heard what happened, and I'm so so sorry, Mayor Mills."

Flustered, she shrugged away the attempt at comfort and demanded, "What on earth are you talking about?"

"Henry overheard Mother Superior and me talking about Graham and how you adopted Henry long before the wedding, and I'm not one for gossip, I'm really not…"

Realizing this woman was the reason her son found out he was adopted, Regina felt the rage she felt from the office feed her fury, and she demanded harshly, "What did you do?"

Startled, Mary-Margaret defended herself meekly, "I didn't know his adoption was a secret! Half the town knows!"

Stepping forward, resentment burning in her eyes, Regina shouted, "Will you ever learn to keep your mouth shut? Or are your lips as hard to close as your legs?"

Taken aback, the younger woman lifted her trembling chin and defended, "Well, I don't think that is any of your business!"

Exasperated, Regina shouted, "It's all over town! Try acting like an adult rather than a hormonal teenager!" Turning, before she ended up in a physical altercation with Henry's teacher, she marched toward her son, who was waiting, brooding, in her Benz.

After receiving the silent treatment on the way home, Henry bolted from the car as soon as she pulled into the driveway and ran to the house, disappearing through the pristine white door of the mansion. Her phone rang off with incoming text messages from Katherine, "I heard about the fight at school. Is everything okay?"

Typing furiously into the phone, Regina replied, "Our town tramp has struck again! I'll call you later."

Shaking her head, remembering the look of betrayal on Henry's face, she squeezed her eyes tight. Her mind spun at what she was going to tell the boy. How was she going to say the words? How could she tell him about the daughter she lost and the void that loss left? How could she explain to him that he wasn't a replacement? Could he ever understand? Is she going to cause more damage to his already frail emotional state?

After taking a deep breath, Regina exited her vehicle and purposefully made her way into her house. As she starts up the stairs, she finds one of Henry's tennis shoes discarded mid-way. Leaning over, she picks up the footwear and marches straight to her son's bedroom. Hesitating before opening the door, she takes a breath and enters the room. "Henry, I –"

Her son's partially bruised face was red under the pressure of his upset, and she rushed to the boy's side, "Darling! What happened?"

As he did in the Doctor's office, Henry pulled away from her touches and yelled, "What do you care? You're just like Graham!"

Shocked and angry at the mention of her dead husband, she demanded, "What the hell does that mean?"

"You're not my mom!"

With her worst fears coming to pass, she stumbles, "I—"

"You lied to me! You said I was your little prince!"

"I didn't lie, goddammit!" Regina snapped defensively. "You are my son!" Her mind reeling with emotion, she spoke to him as if he were an adult capable of understanding her situation. "I didn't have you, Henry. I chose you! I knew the moment I saw you that you were my child!" Taking a deep breath, she struggles, having difficulty finding the words to explain.

After a moment, her little boy says, "You said a swear."

"I know." She brushes a piece of hair away from his face, "I'm sorry, Darling."

"If I'm adopted, then why are you my mom, but Graham wasn't my dad?"

"I chose you before I met Graham," she answered, hanging her head. "You probably don't remember; you were only three when we were wed."

"So, he wasn't my dad, and I shouldn't feel sad that he's gone?"

"Baby, you can feel however you want about losing him. We loved him, Henry. Of course, we're allowed to feel sad."

"You're still lying, Mom! Stop treating me like a voter!"

Warming her cheeks with blush, caught so blatantly in her lie, she asked knowingly, "What am I lying about?"

"We didn't love him."

Feeling as if that were more of a question than a statement, she clarified, "I didn't love him in the romantic sense, but I did care about him. I shared my life, my child, with him. I am sad that he is gone. You're allowed to be sad, too, if that's how you feel."

Without answer, the boy burst into tears and fell into his mother's arms. Letting him cry out his emotions, she felt as though this was the breakthrough they needed as a family. Honesty. Honesty and trust in a way she never had with her own parents. She vowed to herself that she would be more open with her son moving forward.

"How about we get some dinner and watch a movie? What do you say?"

Mumbling against her shoulder, he asks quietly, "Can we get pizza?"

Considering the leverage he gave her so easily, she decided to use it, "Only if you tell me who gave you that shiner."

Pulling back from her, timidly, he informed, "Snitches get stitches, Mom."

"Snitches get ice cream," she offered, sweetening the bribe.

With wide, wanting eyes, he blurted, "Jeremy Booth. He's a fifth-grader."

"Booth, huh? I don't recognize the name," she said almost to herself.

Regret filling his eyes, he begged, "Please, Mom, can we just forget it happened?"

"Absolutely not! You're not getting out of this that easily!"

Remorse filled his eyes when he bargained, "Okay, I mean, yeah, we can do punishment, but can we leave Jeremy out of it?"

Folding her arms, she offered, "Give me an excellent reason why, and I'll consider it."

Pulling his legs up against his chest, he wrapped his arms around his knees before informing, "I started the fight."

"Henry Daniel Mills!"

"I know! I just got so mad! I'm sorry, Mom!"

Hearing the genuine remorse in her son's voice, she conceded, "Alright, but you promise me, no more fights."

With an anxious side-eye, he countered, "No more lying to me?"

"I didn't lie. I…" she considered the truth before continuing, "…didn't know how to tell you. I don't think about it because it doesn't matter to me. I don't see you and think, 'that's my adopted son.' I think, 'that's my son.' I love you more than anything or anyone. You are my child."

Pulling him into a hug, she held him tight before agreeing, "I'll try really hard not to keep things from you from now on, alright?"

Returning her embrace, he agreed, "Okay. I'll try not to get into any more fights."