Regina noticed the time as being five minutes before she had to leave to pick up Henry so to keep herself entertained, she put her headphones in and began playing some of the new Taylor Swift songs that had somehow become her favourite things to listen to and she hummed along under her breath as she walked down the tiny stairwell and then across to the school.
Regina stood out like a sore thumb among the other parents and older sisters collecting children; Regina was petite, her hair was neatly brushed, and her teeth were white and naturally even. Without makeup, she looked a lot younger than her twenty-four years but she still looked naturally beautiful. With the tiny touch of concealer and foundation, her sharp features had been softened and she looked more vulnerable, more easily hurt. Her brown eyes flickered towards a huddle of other adults who seemed to be looking her up and down, trying to suss out who she was and why she was here.
She was obviously uncomfortable and fidgeted excessively, first with her coat, then with her phone, and then with her hair while she waited for Henry.
After five minutes, Henry appeared with a teacher by his side, and his small face was flushed a soft shade of pink, even his ears were tinted pink and he looked shifty, he wasn't looking Regina in the eye and Regina knew that something was up.
"Are you the parent or caregiver for this child?" the teacher asked, jerking his head at Henry.
"Yes, I'm his babysitter. What's the problem?" Regina asked coolly.
"He has been involved in a fight with another student and was threatening them. This behaviour is not tolerated at afterschool club and if it persists, he will not be allowed back. Hear that Sonny? You're on your last warning." The teacher shrugged and made to walk back into the school but Regina stopped him.
"In my experience with Henry, he has never once been violent and never once used threatening language towards me, his mother, or anyone else. I would suggest that Henry was threatened by another child and had to defend himself. Have you even taken the time to ask Henry why he was acting so out of character?" Regina asked, cornering the teacher who looked like he was seriously regretting crossing the petite brunette
"No, not exactly but that doesn't mean…" he started to say but Regina cut him off and knelt down to Henry's level and asked him gently
"Henry, is there a reason why you behaved like that? You can tell me anything"
"Brandon was picking on me, he was calling me names like Short-stack, half-pint, runt, and weasel. Then he started saying mean things about my mom and he said that my mom obviously didn't love me because she hasn't married my dad. Then he called me the B word and I lost it! I punched his nose and pushed him over. I said that if he ever said anything like that about me or my mom again, then I would throw him off a cliff." Henry whispered but his voice kept catching in his throat and it broke Regina's heart that this little boy was being subjected to this kind of treatment while he was supposedly under the supervision of other teachers and members of staff.
The teacher stood and when Regina rose to her feet, he was trembling.
"I can only apologise Miss?"
"Mills" Regina answered indifferently
"Miss Mills, I promise I will speak to Brandon and his parents and this will not go on Henry's record. He is usually a delightful little boy and this was not his fault. Brandon will apologise to Henry tomorrow in class and he will serve a week of detention. Henry, I am very sorry and I will not accuse you or anyone else before I hear the whole story."
With that, he almost scurried into the school and away from Regina who gave all the other parents a smug smile, picked up Henry's hand and the pair walked off swinging arms and chatting.
"How was your day Henry?" Regina asked as they began to climb the narrow stairwell up to the apartment.
"It was okay, we had to read a new book in English class today and it was quite difficult but my teacher helped me understand them. I really like stories but sometimes the longer words trip me up a little bit" Henry said as he hopped up the stairs before waiting for Regina at the top.
"What's your favourite story? I used to love stories when I was your age as well" Regina asked, smiling as she remembered her beloved father coming into her bedroom and reading her stories to help her sleep when she was a child. She could still hear his voice as he read out the chapters of Jane Eyre and The Hobbit.
"I don't have a favourite yet. I like fairy tales, but I don't like that there's always something bad before the princes and princesses live happily ever after." Henry huffed slightly as he pulled his backpack more securely onto his shoulders.
"Fairy tales can be very dark at times can't they? I remember some of them being quite scary" Regina said as she fumbled with the door key until the lock gave way and the door swung open
"I guess so, but I like the story behind the story. Like in Beauty and the Beast, the story is that you shouldn't judge people because of how they look and I really like that even though Gaston is awful to the beast and Belle because he thinks that only looks matter instead of the person inside" Henry said solemnly as he kicked off his school shoes and hung up his coat on the already-full coat hook.
"That's a very mature way to look at it Henry, I'm so impressed. My niece Robyn, she just likes looking at the pictures and hearing about the princesses. Would you like something to eat? Your mom said she might be late tonight" Regina explained, and Henry nodded, picking out a ready-meal from the freezer which Regina heated up in the oven and poured Henry a glass of apple juice and then one for herself while they waited for the oven timer to go off and Henry read aloud from his new book. He was a strong reader for a boy of only six, but he did occasionally need prompting or help with some of the longer words, but he still read very well.
After dinner they sat and watched some cartoons until Henry had to go to bed. He declined the offer of bath or shower, saying that he was too tired and just wanted to go to sleep and Regina happily obliged, tucking him in and reading to him.
After checking the time and realising that she had over two and a half hours until Emma came home, Regina decided to do some light cleaning.
Cora had schooled her daughters well on how to become perfect wives and home keepers, giving them lessons from when they were barely toddlers on how to clean and dust and cook.
Regina rolled up her sleeves and washed the dishes that had been sitting all day in murky water and quietly swept the floor, not wanting to risk the vacuum with Henry being asleep. She also wiped down the surfaces with a damp cloth and arranged the shoes by the door neatly. After plumping the cushions on the sofa and fanning out the magazines on the freshly cleaned coffee table, Regina sat down and booted up her laptop and began to watch an old episode of the Golden Girls to pass the time, her cleaning had taken her just over an hour, meaning she still had more than an hour and a half until Emma was due home so she relaxed, feeling safe and, well, like she was home.
The sound of a key scraping in the lock made Regina startle awake, her heart thumping like she had run a marathon until she realised where she was and what had happened. She was still at Emma's house, and she must have fallen asleep while she was waiting for Emma who was clearly just arriving home, bang on time.
"Regina?" Emma called out quietly and she took off her boots and her leather coat
"In here Emma, how was work?" Regina said, stifling a yawn.
"Work was just work I suppose, quite busy thankfully but my God! My feet are killing me. Did you clean up after us?" Emma asked, noticing that everything was nice and tidy for a change.
"Maybe a little bit. My mother can't bear mess, and she taught me to clean well enough. I did it without thinking, I'm sorry if I've overstepped slightly…" Regina started but Emma held up a hand and laughed lightly at her, not mocking her in the slightest, more like she was an old friend who didn't need to explain herself anymore.
"Don't worry, I will never get annoyed with someone for cleaning up after me and my son. I never seem to find the time to keep the place shipshape but Henry insists on keeping his room completely spotless. One less room for me to mess up I guess!" Emma laughed lightly, offering Regina a can of coke, which Regina took, thankful for the little amount of caffeine that was contained in the beverage and the pair sat down on the sofa and spoke about Henry and his day at school.
"He said that Brandon had called him the B word because he doesn't have a dad. Henry was told off for fighting and threatening the other boy but I made sure that didn't go on his record. That other little boy deserves a good smack" Regina said angrily but she noticed that Emma didn't seem to share her frustrations.
"He's only repeating what he's heard at home. If all you hear at home is that your life is the right way to do things, and that other people who live differently are wrong and called horrible names, then they'll repeat it. I don't think they even know what the words mean but its awful to know that they hurt him" Emma sighed, fiddling with the tab on her can of soda.
"Henry knows that he doesn't have a father. He doesn't have anything that remotely resembles a father. There's someone out there somewhere, but he doesn't know about Henry. A sperm donor, that's what he has. This guy and I met at a party when I was and thought I knew it all at seventeen and that meeting gave me Henry and I don't regret it one single bit. He's my son and no one else's. We made our own family here." Emma said fiercely but not angrily
"I respect you for that Emma, and you're very lucky to have such a lovely son. He loves you with every fibre of his being and he has the most incredible honour for you. Its really quite touching to see" Regina complimented the blonde who gave her a beautiful smile which sent Regina's heart thumping anew and confused her tired head.
"I'd better get going Emma, when you next need me to come and get Henry, just pop me a text. I'm always free. Thanks for the coke but its getting late and you've got an early start tomorrow" Regina said regretfully as she packed her bag and pulled on her coat.
Emma got to her feet and gave Regina a warm hug, reminding Regina for a second time that night what feeling loved and safe truly felt like and almost didn't want the younger blonde to remove her arms from around her shoulders but when she did, Regina gave a shy smile and left, closing the door quietly behind her.
"You're hiding Regina. I don't know why, and I don't know what, but you don't have to hide when you're here" Emma whispered.
Little did she know that Regina had heard her.
