True Love's Gift

Chapter 11

Arena's Point of View

I walked timidly into her bedroom holding a glass of water in one hand & the newspaper in the other, Mother Superior & were very firm that she must stay hydrated & rest as much as possible. I quietly set the glass & newspaper on the night stand before moving to sit on the edge of her bed gently.

"Regina…" I whispered her name, lightly moving her bangs out of her face with my fingertips when suddenly she gasps awake full of terror "hey, hey it's just me, it's Arena, its okay "I soothe in a calm voice in response to her fearful awakening.

She looked at me in a dizzy with sleep gaze of confusion before exhaling deep with relief & slight annoyance as she laid her head back on the pillow mumbling "it's just you."

'Yeah just me..." I smiled slightly before picking up the glass of water & extending it to her "here drink some of this; Archie said it's important for you to drink lots of water to wash the crud out of your system."

She looked at the glass then up at me in hesitation with pursed lips of both suspicion & disbelief that I thought I could order her to do anything.

"Would you like me to take the first sip your majesty to ensure there's no poison? " I sarcastically ask raising an eyebrow & am pleased when her face softens as she rolls her eyes with a slight chuckle before taking the drink " that's more like it, now we just have to work on the attitude."

Awe both exchange eye rolls & grins before sighing; the a silence fell in the room, it was almost a heavy silence but I didn't know why, thing seemed to be going well – who knew perhaps it was just a case of two socially awkward introverts attempting to be social together which is obviously doomed to fail. My eyes wandered the room, landing on a picture frame displaying a photo of Regina & the little boy in all the frames around the house – I wondered who he was, a nephew or maybe her little brother? Whoever he was he made her very happy, a happy I certainly hadn't seen since I had arrived.

" He's my son…" I heard the smooth voice say softly, bringing me out of my thoughts, I turned to her in respons as she continued speaking " the little boy in the pictures, he's my son, his name is Henry, he's eleven."

She instructed me to bring her the picture frame, I obediently did as asked, once in her hands she stared at the picture as if she were admiring a rare jewel, something of great value & worth , she smiled with a new found warmth that till now had only been seen within the perimeters of the frames along the walls.

"I adopted him when he was just 3 weeks old." she finally began, leaning her head back on the pillow with a soft sigh, her eyes never leaving the photo "due to some different events in my life, I never had a child of my own – I focused all of my times & affections on being Queen and later on, Mayor once the curse was cast. However one day I met a little boy – Owen " she said his name with a longing tenderness " who made me realize that a new start was worthless without someone to share it with.." she introspectively commented " I'll never forget the first time I laid my eyes on Henry, he was so tiny – so perfect…I've so enjoyed spending these past 11 years with my little love – teaching him to talk , rooting him on as he took his first steps, crying on his first day of kindergarten…it's been such a wonderful journey, I wouldn't trade it for all the worlds."

"So where is he now? Will I get to meet him? "I naively asked her with a genuine smile.

And just like that the light in her dark brown eyes was snuffed out by the wind of my ignorance. She bit her lip slightly, grief filling her gaze that still rested on the memory she held in her hands. She took a deep breath, laying the frame face down on the night stand before looking up at me with a tight smile.

"He's with his birth mother now." She curled her lips almost gagging on the word "she came into town and, apparently too stupid to know what 'closed adoption' means, took him away from me."

"That's horrible, why would she do something so awful?" I ask baffled by the information.

"Well her parents & I, it ends up, have known each other quite a while & due to some things that happened between us…" she takes a deep breath looking down at her hands where she spins a simple brass band around her ring finger "they don't see me as a fit mother, despite the 11 years of love and care I poured into him, they've taken him from me."

"When will you see him again?" I timidly ask with a quiet voice.

" I-I don't know …" she stutters looking around the room distressed as if looking for the answer in the shadows of the rooms corners before her lips pout in emotion & her eyes go hollow in sad defeat as she slowly looks up at me " perhaps never if those self-righteous idiots get their way."

" Regina you will see him again " I firmly respond with no hesitation, laying my hand gently on her arm " there is something about the bond between a mother & her child that time, space, & people simply cannot sever – your hearts are knit together & can never truly be pulled apart."

In that moment I was fearless of any wrath she might have saved up for me , my words full of conviction and a determination to see Regina reunited with her child that even I didn't understand. She looked up at me wide eyes with confusion & disbelief at my compassionate concern, her eyes pooling with emotion as their gaze shifted to my hand that rested lightly on her arm, she tilted her head examining the gesture as if it were something foreign. She began to reach her other hand over to , I thought, place it on top of mine but as her hand neared mine she closed her eyes sighing heavily & re-establishing her well-developed mask , she gave me a tight smile as she removed my hand from her arm.

"I think I need some more rest dear." She robotically said before turning over in the bed so that her back faced me.

I stood there a bit bewildered by how quickly the mood of the situation & her countenance had shifted – from seemingly letting me in to completely shutting the door of any vulnerability or relational openness. I blinked in confusion and slight offence as I started to walk out , but not before I heard the sniffle & saw the shimmer of the tear on the side of her face, my heart broke to pieces at the sight – everything in my heart wanted to stay but everything in my mind demanded I go & not let on that I had seen the breach of her emotions over the walls she desperate tried to keep up around her heart . I backed quietly out of the room with a heavy heart of defeat.