A/N: Thank you all for your lovely comments. :) It warms my heart that you are all enjoying this story, even though Emma had to go away for a little while. But fear not... She is coming back in the next chapter. ;)

Regina hurried her son into her Mercedes the next morning, rushing over to the driver's side, starting the engine and driving out of there before Graham could even have a chance to talk with her again.

"Bye, Graham!" Henry waved a hand out the window, while Graham stood just outside his booth, watching the beautiful brunette drive away.

Regina sighed in relief, keeping her eyes on the road ahead of them.

"Mom?" Henry kept his eyes on his mother. He always thought she was so pretty, and looked so cool wearing her sunglasses as she drove.

"What?"

"Why aren't you with anyone?"

"What? What do you mean? I'm with you right now." Regina turned her gaze toward her son for a short second.

"No. I mean… Why don't you have a girlfriend like dad?"

Regina held back the urge to roll her eyes. "Oh, Hen…"

"Is it because of Emma?"

"What?" Her head snapped over to her son.

"Grandma told me-"

Oh, for the love of God. "Henry," she scoffed. "That was all make believe." She nodded over to him with a tiny smile tugging at her lips. "I was a child, around… Your age. Whatever it is that I said or did as a child…" She shook her head, trying to remember one thing she did.

"So, why don't you date someone?" Henry asked her.

This time, Regina chuckled, "What is it with you and wanting me to date someone?"

The boy shrugged.

"Henry." Regina glared, and Henry didn't have to see through his mother's sunglasses to know her gesture of a glare.

"I just don't want you to be alone." He looked at his lap.

"I'm not alone." Regina leaned over, her hand cupping her son's head while her lips gave his temple a loving kiss. "I'm with you."

"I know that, mom," Henry rolled his eyes. "But you aren't happy."

Regina's brow furrowed. "What are you talking about? I'm happy. I have you, your grandmother, and my job. I'm very happy."

Henry sighed, reaching over for his book which he brought along with them and decided to read one of the many stories it contained instead. He knew his mother wasn't happy, he didn't have to be an adult to see that.

The crowd of parents cheered on another playing team just as Regina rushed over with Henry to his side of the field.

"Dad!" Henry rushed over to his father, who scooped him up in his arms to give him a hug before setting him down.

"Hey, Hen!" Robin smiled, kneeling in front of the brunette boy. "Look who decided to come."

A beautiful brunette woman smiled down at Henry, "Hi, Henry."

"Hi, Marian." Henry hugged her, turning his attention back to his mother who just caught up with them.

"Hi, Regina," Robin greeted, placing his hands against his son's shoulders.

"Robin," she nodded curtly before her eyes moved over to his girlfriend. "Marian. How are you?"

"I'm just fine. How are you, Regina?" She smiled. "I hope it's alright that I join you all in watching Henry here play."

"Oh, well…" Regina smiled. "If Robin wants you here. Who am I to say any different?"

Regina didn't hate Marian. Quite the opposite. She liked the woman, she just worried about Henry liking her just a little more. But it wasn't her fault Marian had a more flexible job where she could get off any time she wanted. And she would never understand how it was that Robin found someone else so quickly after their divorce.

A whistle was blown, indicating the start of a new game with new teams.

"Come on, Hen, let's get you all settled." Robin rushed his son over to his team and his coach, leaving both girlfriend and ex-wife alone.

It was sunny today and ridiculously hot, so Regina stepped back underneath a tree for shade, leaving her sunglasses on. Her eyes looked anywhere but at Marian.

"We are so glad that you are here for a game." Marian broke the silence. "It means the world to Henry when you can be here for him."

Regina smiled over at the woman, trying to find a different source of conversation. "So, how's work?"

"Oh, good!" She smiled. "I've always been so passionate about teaching. I was fortunate to take a week off for this trip we are all going to."

"That's wonderful," Regina murmured. "Where are you going again?"

"San Francisco."

"Right," Regina nodded. "Well, I hope you all have a wonderful time."

"Thank you." Marian smiled.

Another whistle blew and Robin came rushing back, removing his sunglasses from his face. Regina stepped out of the man's way while Marian greeted him by linking her arm around his before they began to watch the game.

"You know, Regina…" Marian spoke. "I was speaking to Robin about an idea I had for Henry."

"Oh?"

"Well," she smiled at Robin, who encouraged her to go on. "Given that Henry won't be around for his birthday to spend it with you. I was wondering, maybe you and I could make a girls day once we are back from our trip and we could both plan a surprise birthday party for him. We could have it in Robin's home."

Regina's brow arched, "A girl's day?"

"Well," Marian chuckled, sharing a smile with Robin. "Just a thought."

"You're okay with this?" Regina asked Robin.

Robin shrugged, a smile tugging at his lips. "Of course. I thought it would be a great idea for you two to get acquainted."

"It was Robin's idea." Said Marian.

"Oh, it was, was it?" Regina's glare moved over to Robin. She liked the woman, but she hated the idea of going on a shopping spree with her. "Robin?"

The man sighed, turning to Marian. "Keep score for me, hm?" He turned to Regina, grabbing her by her arm. "Regina, may I have a quick word?"

"Excuse us." Regina moved over with her ex-husband and away from Marian.

"Regina," Robin looked over at Marian before looking back at his ex-wife. "Marian is trying to do a nice thing for our son. She really wants you and her to become good friends."

"I don't need any friends, Robin. I am a grown woman."

"Yeah, well even a grown woman needs friends. Maybe that's what you need to-" He sighed, stopping himself.

"What is going on with you? Why is me and Marian getting along so important to you?" Her brow furrowed.

"Because Henry likes her," Robin muttered. "And I love her. And…" He stopped.

"And?"

Robin massaged the back of his neck, a habit Regina knew too well every time the man was a nervous wreck. "I really don't wish to talk about this here in the middle of our son's game. Look… Let me come back from San Francisco and we'll talk."

Regina narrowed her eyes. "Fine."

"Just please, consider doing this with Marian." He pleaded. "I know it's a lot to ask, and I know you are a very busy woman, but… Do it for Henry."

"Fine." Regina rolled her eyes, moving back to Marian. "Marian," a forced smile tugged at her lips. "I would love to go through party ideas for Henry's birthday."

"Oh, great!" Marian grinned, clapping her hands like a kid. "Um, I will get your number from Robin and I'll call you with a good time?" She nodded.

"Sounds fantastic." Regina murmured, turning her attention back to the game, which right now seemed more interesting.

"Hello?" Regina pressed the call button on her steering wheel as she drove, her son sitting in the passenger seat with his story book on his lap.

"Regina! Thank God!" A woman's voice blasted through the speakers of the car. "It's Kathryn."

"I know who you are, Kathryn." The brunette rolled her eyes.

"Right. Well, there's a little problem."

"How little?" Regina never liked the words problem and little placed together in a sentence.

Neither did Henry. His mother promised him she would buy him some ice cream and take him for a fun Saturday of games at his favorite arcade place after winning such a good game. But he knew that with those two little words, she would break her promise.

"Well, I'm afraid I was over at the construction site and one of the workers was a no show. Again."

"Who?"

"Take a wild guess. On top of that, the lumber company brought over the wrong size of merchandise. I really- I don't know what to do."

Regina sighed, "Just call the company and tell them-"

"I already did. They hung up on me. And I can't call Marco & Son Lumber, they only want to talk with you."

Her head slammed against her car seat, a low grunt escaped her. Her gaze turned to a deflated Henry, let down yet again by a broken promise.

"Alright," she spoke, hating herself already. "Don't do anything. I'm on my way to the construction site. Give me twenty minutes."

"Great!"

Regina pressed the call button, her gaze turning to her son. "Henry-"

"I know. You have to work."

"We are still going. I promise. I just need to settle a problem with one of the houses I designed." She smiled, but frowned as Henry didn't even look at her. She knew he didn't believe her.

"Look, lady, this is what you ordered-"

"It was not! Your guys are so incompetent. One showed up drunk, is this how you get your work done?" Kathryn turned to the sound of a horn, "Oh, thank God!" She rushed over the brunette's black Mercedes.

"Henry, stay in the car. It's dangerous out here." She reached for her hard hat that she kept in the back seat of her car, placing it on her head. "What's going on here?" Her eyes on Kathryn.

"I tried reasoning with him, but he isn't listening!" Kathryn shouted over to the man. "He finally shows up, and tells me that there is no way he is returning our money. That this is the order we asked for. Any lost merchandise is our responsibility."

"Oh, for fu-" Regina pointed to her son who remained in the car. "Stay with him, please. I'll be right back." She marched over to a tall man, tapping his shoulder to gather his attention as he was laughing and chatting with a few of his workers.

"What do you want?" The man glanced down at the brunette.

"Is this how you gain more customers?" Regina motioned to the disaster built that she did not design. "How do you sleep at night?"

"I keep feathers inside my pillow. It gives it a nice fluff." He chuckled along with his buddies. "Look, lady. This was all under your order, I have the paper here to prove it."

"This isn't even close to what I designed!" She looked over at the disastrous home. "I ordered cedar!" She picked up a piece of wood from the ground that had been cut, flashing it before the man's eyes. "Does this look like cedar to you?"

"You ordered oak," he flashed the paper before her face. "It's all in here."

Regina reached over for the sheet of paper, ripping it in half in front of his face.

"That's fine. Rip it up. You still have to pay me for a day's work."

"Like hell I will. I would pay you for a job well done, but this…" Regina looked over at what should be another masterful design. She glared back, "You're fired. Mark my words, I will have your job for this."

"Hey!" The man followed the brunette a couple of steps before she faced him again. "What do you think you're doing? You can't fire me!"

"I believe I just did!"

"Well, I am talking to Gold about this."

"Go ahead! Here," Regina reached for her phone, opening her contact information and tapping on Gold's name. "It's dialing." She flashed the screen at him. "Talk to him and tell him what a shitty job you are doing. Let's see where that gets you."

The man paled. Robert Gold, he respected. What he didn't respect was a woman coming to tell him what to do.

"Everyone!" Regina shouted, seeing every worker come to a halt, some removing their hardhats. "Pack it up! I want you all gone. Kathryn, come and take pictures of their mess. I don't want any surprises." She glared at the man as she walked back and past the grinning blonde.

"Alright," Kathryn beamed, taking her phone out and snapping a few pictures here and there.

"Henry, hand me my purse, please." She reached over, taking her purse from her son's grasp. "Thank you." She fished out a business card with the name Marco & Son Lumber Co. and dialed the number.

Henry sat quietly in his mother's car, reading his stories.

"Marco & Son Lumber Company. How may I direct your call?"

"Yes, I would like to speak to Marco, please. Tell him, this is Regina Mills."

"Mr. Booth is unwell, I'm afraid and out for the day. However, I could put you through with his son. He is handling all calls today."

"Fine. Thank you."

"One moment, please."

Regina rubbed at her temple, hearing the line click on the other end.

"August Booth, speaking."

"Hi, Mr. Booth- this is Regina Mills."

"Regina!" She could hear the man's smile through the phone. "To what do we owe the pleasure of your call?"

"Well," she sighed. "We have heard nothing but the best of your company and on behalf of Golden Architecture, we'd like to do business with Marco & Son Lumber."

"Excellent! I know this great news will pick my father right out of bed and he will be dancing like grandpa Joe from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory."

Regina blinked, "Well, I'd like to set up a lunch date. Treat you both and your father-"

"That won't be necessary. I can go on his behalf. I know your work, Regina, I'm a big admirer and I know you like to get things done and we love providing nothing but the best. How about dinner Monday night? My treat, at Maggiano's. You do know the place, don't you?"

"I- yes." Regina wondered why the quick offer and without Marco but she wasn't about to turn down this deal.

"Excellent. I'll see you at Maggiano's at seven. I'm really looking forward to it."

As soon as she heard the line click, she mounted her car and drove off.