Seven months had passed since Regina roamed the back roads and highways of Maine and since then she only left two other times but for much shorter lengths. She had left to meet and then pick up her son, a three year old orphan with reddish brown hair that was just beginning to encroach on his browline. He had chubby cheeks and was too shy to talk to her yet, though the orphanage managers had heard him talking to a stuffed cat on more than one occasion so he had the capability. His eyes were a soulful light brown, almost golden, with tiny flecks of green scattered in his irises.

He seemed lighter on his feet being out of the orphanage, but cautious and curious of the new place in which he found himself. The mansion Regina gave herself for the curse was so big in a child's eyes, especially one as petite as he. He clung to the stuffed cat like a lifeline as he toddled around the living room. The orphanage had informed Regina that they were going to give him a name in the next month or two because none had been given on his birth certificate and he was more aware, so it was fortuitous she came and adopted him when she did. She wasn't sure at first what he reminded her of, and she knew that Henry and Daniel were out of the question; it would hurt too much to use their names so much right now. Despite all the years after losing her beloved, it still ached. A good friend had once told her that a person's first love changes them forever, they will always live on in their heart and no matter how hard you try, that feeling will never go away.

She eventually settled on Kadenn, which she would come to learn means 'companion' and that is exactly what she needed to move on with her life, caring for such a sweet, cute little boy was but a cherry on top.

"This is your home now, sweetheart," Regina said, pausing after the term of endearment came from her mouth. She was trying it out and it didn't sound horrible. Kadenn turned to blink at her with his wide eyes. "Do you understand?" Slowly he nodded then moved toward the fireplace, head tilting one way to inspect it. He moved over to his personal backpack-he had a larger one with a few more amenities and goodbye gifts from the other kids that Regina had set near the stairs-and brought it to the fireplace. Carefully setting his cat down, he unzipped the bag and pulled out his baby blanket, methodically placed it on the ground and sat cross legged on it before reaching over and pulling the stuffed cat onto his lap.

Regina watched his movements silently, smiling at how particular he was, how carefully he maneuvered his belongings, clearly intent on ensuring no damage came to them. She sighed, a lightness in her chest she hasn't felt since… No, she shouldn't think about that. It was the past and that's where it should stay. She had burned that bridge one too many times and besides, they didn't want to see her now.

Collecting the larger bag of her new son's, Regina climbed the stairs quietly but swiftly so she wouldn't be leaving him alone for long. She wanted to get his bag into his room and get back down to make him a snack and keep an eye on him; answer any questions, help him get used to her presence. When she had been doing her research she had quickly gotten overwhelmed with how newborn babies were and knew that wasn't something that presently appealed to her and for a second she wondered if that was due to the barren potion she had drank to prevent her mother's meddling to continue. All the same, she had eventually come to the conclusion thanks to several blog posts and forums for mothers of all shades, including those considering motherhood, that a slightly older child might be in her best interest. At three years old, the child wouldn't have much recollection of life before being adopted and for the most part were potty trained. Kadenn wasn't fully potty trained yet, but Regina had gotten a quick lesson on diaper changing with one of the younger babies when she had visited the orphanage and was glad for a little challenge here at the start of her son's life.

When she returned down the stairs, she thought she heard some noise and softened her footfalls, hoping Kadenn was talking to himself or his cat, Chip was its name, she recalled. A Beanie Buddy of calico coloring, but without the tags for safety's purpose. That's alright, though, Regina didn't understand the collecting of stuffed animals and this one was more of a comfort toy, a safety blanket for her son. He had a couple others in his large bag, but Chip was his favorite.

As the stairs curved and she was able to get a glimpse at her son, he was investigating the fireplace again, poking at the grate with one of Chip's paws. "Chip, how? Fy-wah," he said, Regina's ears focused on listening barely picked up. She smiled widely, eyes glinting with mirth. Not wanting to invade his privacy more than she had, she continued down the stairs at a normal pace, noting his head snapping to look at her before he settled on the blanket again.

"Would you like me to start a fire, Kadenn?"

Kadenn looked up at Regina as she came to kneel beside him. He gave what Regina could only assume was a three old's idea of a shrug. She smiled warmly at him. "It is getting a little chilly in here," she said, moving to her knees to properly start the fire, removing the grate first. "Now, I need you to listen to me carefully, Kadenn. Fire is dangerous, that's why I have this grate here," a grate she bought after she decided to adopt. "When the fireplace is lit, you cannot sit any closer than you are right now. And Chip needs to do the same. Or you may get hurt. Okay?" Regina turned to face the boy. He looked a little confused but nodded, understanding that she needed a response of some kind. Okay, so she would need to keep a close eye on him, sit with him perhaps the first few times they have a fire going. She stood up and collected the long lighter from the mantel and lit the kindling before replacing the grate and sitting beside Kadenn, just off his blanket to give him his space.

His golden eyes widened as the logs came to life with brilliant fire and his mouth formed an 'o' of amazement. "Woaahh," he exhaled. Regina chuckled lightly, smiling at him.

"It's pretty, isn't it?" she asked. Kadenn nodded. Regina wanted to believe that he was already warming up to her and it pulled on her heart in a delightfully pleasant way.

Eventually Kadenn had laid down and snuggled up with Chip and his blanket and passed out. It had been a decently long travel and he was still growing so Regina didn't blame him one bit. She carefully tucked the blanket around him a little better and stood to go start on a simple supper tonight. As much as she detested the box stuff, Regina had picked up some Mac and Cheese shaped meal when they had made a pit stop on the way home. She fully planned in the future to make it from scratch, but she hadn't the ingredients or the energy herself right now.

Kadenn was picky, she was warned and given a list of foods he definitely would eat to start her off, but she knew he was young and his taste buds would change, so she didn't want to know the foods he hated. She would try and introduce them slowly but surely and hopefully change his opinion, especially if she managed to make the food in a new and interesting way he hadn't tried yet. As she cooked, thoughts of her son, plans for things to do together, watching him grow up and wondering how he would turn out filled Regina's mind.

When the food was ready, she woke Kadenn gently and offered to carry him to the high chair in the kitchen. She was surprised when he agreed, her heart fluttering as she refused to blame it on his tiredness. They ate in relative silence, Regina pointing out the different shapes she was finding in her bowl, glancing at the clock and wondering if it was too early to put him to bed. His eyes kept drooping as he ate, but he was determined to finish the small bowl of food placed in front of him, clearly excited about the prospect of mac and cheese.

"So, I was thinking we could put on a movie after supper," she said, knowing his body would need some time to process the meal before he fell asleep. "Or if you would rather investigate your new room, we can do that too, unpack your bags?"

Kadenn gave his tiny half shrug again, and reached for the purple sippy cup he had picked out at the store and took a drink of his milk. Then promptly yawned. Regina bit back a chuckle, not wanting him to think she's making fun of him.

"I think we'll head up to your room," she decided, taking one last bite of her food before standing to put her bowl and glass in the dishwasher before coming to stand by Kadenn. "Are you done, sweetie?" He nodded, but clung to the sippy cup. "You can bring it upstairs with you," she promised as she pulled his seat out from the table and lifted him down to the floor. "Go ahead and collect your backpack and I'll be in in a moment," Regina said, grabbing his bowl and scraping the remaining food into the trash before placing it in the dishwasher too.

Regina took a moment to stretch her arms above her head, feeling a yawn of her own at the back of her throat. The adrenaline rush of finally picking her son up was beginning to wash off and in its place a warm fluttering she vaguely recognized as happiness. She exhaled sharply. It had been so long since Regina had been truly happy, she barely knew what it was like anymore. Cursing the entirety of the Enchanted Forest hadn't made her happy, seeing Snow separated from her Prince Charming hadn't made her happy. It was...all in vain. Regina shook her head angrily, schooling her features. No. She wouldn't dwell on that. She was making the best of the situation and moving forward. She got her revenge and now she got to live her life again. A life that hadn't been an iota her own since she was seventeen years old.

Entering the living room rewarded her with the cutest image of her son-god, she was still getting used to that word-packing up his bag, head looking at the fireplace occasionally, perhaps ensuring he wasn't too close to the still crackling logs. Pulling the bag awkwardly onto his back, he collected Chip and his purple sippy cup then turned around. He offered a small smile as Regina walked over.

"May I hold your hand?" she asked, offering hers. He reached up and wrapped his hand around her pointer and middle fingers. They headed upstairs and Regina made a note to get some carpeting, even if it were temporary, installed on the stairs, noting the difficulty Kadenn had with them. When they entered Kadenn's room, diagonally across the hall from the master bedroom, Kadenn released Regina's fingers and began to walk around.

It was completely unlike anywhere else he had been in the house thus far. It was warm and inviting, soft surfaces everywhere, brighter colors and more cluttered. Regina would argue it was a controlled clutter to make it seem more homey for her son. She had restrained herself from buying too many toys or clothes before spending time with her son, but she had found a handful of things to decorate the room with.

The wallpaper was a tasteful collection of underwater creatures closer to the floor, dinosaurs, penguins and other still living creatures mid-height, and birds, mythical creatures and...dragons closest to the ceiling, a few on the ceiling for good measure flying amongst the glow in the dark stars Regina had meticulously hand-painted. His carpet was a deep navy, tight weave, one of those cool racetrack rugs sitting near the window, a toy box and castle-styled dollhouse near the combination dresser changing table. Regina had found several years ago a handful of horse figurines, well, they were plastic toys, but she had displayed them in her bedroom and home office. They reminded her of Rocinante and the other horses of her childhood, but now they stood proudly on Kadenn's windowsill, ready for play.

Regina gulped, unsure if it would make sense to ask Kadenn if he liked the room. Talking with a three year old was awkward and much like talking to a brick wall at times. How much did he understand, how much could he communicate back? It was all a mystery to her.

"Mine?" Kadenn pointed to himself.

"Hm?"

Kadenn bobbed his finger back and forth toward his chest a couple times.

"Yes. This is your room. Everything in here is for you," she said, kneeling down on the soft carpet. His eyes roamed the room again, and then he nodded.

"Cats," he said with a slight lilt to his voice. Regina's eyes narrowed for a second. Was that a question?

"Would you like to find a place for your cats?" she asked and he finally met her eyes and nodded enthusiastically. She pointed him in the direction of his larger bag and he got to work. For the most part the cats were placed on the bed alongside the panda plush already present. Regina had wanted to give him a normal life, but wanted to make it a little less expected, a little less ordinary and cliche, hence no teddy bears, and varying animal life on his walls. She was intrigued to learn he liked the color purple, not a traditional boy color, but since when did Regina follow traditions herself? She had always been far more comfortable in trousers than dresses and the one thing she liked the most about this world was her various options of pants. And no one batted an eye anymore.

Kadenn had finished bringing the last stuffed cat plush to his bed when he crawled up and yawned. Regina smiled and moved over to the low bed and reached to the bookcase to pick up a short book. "I heard that The Very Hungry Caterpillar was a favorite of yours," she said, positioning herself so he could see the images as well. She began to read and slowly Kadenn tucked down into his bed, gripping his blanket and Chip as his eyes began to droop of their own accord. "Good night, sweetie," Regina whispered, pulling the blanket up a little tighter. She hesitated for a second before leaving a light kiss on his forehead.

Regina replaced the book on the shelf, setting it where he could reach if he wanted and went to turn on the nightlight, a revolving starscape. As quietly as she could, she set up the baby gate at his door so he wouldn't wander out in the middle of the night, then turned off the room light and closed the door until it was just a crack open. She turned and leaned against the wall beside the door. That went surprisingly well for their first night together, she thought.

He was such a sweet little boy.