Zelena's laughter echoed through the foyer as Regina got off the elevator on the ground floor. As she stepped into the entry way, her sister rounded the corner, her white pumps clicking on the marble.
"Oh!" Zelena paused at the sight of her, her face flushed with mirth and, Regina suspected, several glasses of champagne, "Regina, what are you doing here?"
She raised her eyebrows, "Where else should I be?"
Zelena shrugged, "It's Sunday, maybe out living your life? Well...if you had one!"
She rolled her eyes at the jab. As she turned away Zelena whined, "Oh, come on! Don't be like that, Sis! I was only kidding!"
Regina sighed, "How was brunch?"
"Very nice, thank you."
"Good mimosas?" she jabbed.
"Poinsettias, actually," her sister hiccuped.
"What about Blake? Is he still out with the boys?"
"Yes," she answered, "Actually, I'm not here. I just came into change. Lucretia and Drizella are taking me to the spa, then we'll probably have drinks and dinner...and drinks."
She smirked, "Well, have fun."
"Thanks," Zelena slurred as she hit the elevator button, "Blake knows I'll be out late, so don't worry about him."
Reinga was relieved to hear that. The last thing she wanted was to end up in the middle of an argument between her sister and brother-in-law. The two were leaving in a week, and their respective groups of friends had decided to throw both of them farewell get togethers this weekend.
As the elevator doors dinged open, Zelena sauntered inside without bothering to wait for confirmation of her instructions about her husband.
With a sigh, Regina made her way around to the kitchen. Opening the regular fridge she stared inside.
Behind her, the door to the cooking area swung open with a squeak. As she turned around, she saw the diminutive figure of their chef emerge. The older woman blinked in surprise at the sight of her and demanded, "What are you doing here?"
Regina laughed bemusedly, "Just looking for late lunch, Mrs. Fa."
"No!" the small woman barked, "I mean what are you doing home? I thought everyone was out today?"
"Everyone keeps asking me that," she sighed. It was true that the rest of her family was out. Zelena and Blake, of course, were out partying, and her parents had gone into the city to have brunch with associates.
Turning her attention back to the old woman, Regina answered, "I don't have any plans to go out today, Mrs. Fa."
"Oh," she frowned, "Well do you need me to make you something?"
Regina turned to her, "Would you mind? I'm sorry, I didn't think to tell you ahead of time that I'd be home."
"Sure, sure," Mrs. Fa answered matter-of-factly, "What would you like?"
She thought it over, "Soup and salad?"
The tiny woman nodded, turning back through to the larger food preparation area.
Regina followed, leaning against one of the counters as Mrs. Fa retrieved ingredients from the larger storage fridge. As the chef filled a bowl with water and white beans, and then laid out celery, carrots, and tomatoes, she smiled. Minestrone soup had always been one of her favorites.
"So how is your son doing?" she asked while Mrs. Fa began chopping the vegetables, "Has his physical therapy been working at all?"
The old woman sighed, "Barely. The arthritis is pretty extensive, so, from that his doctors have said, hip replacement is pretty much inevitable."
Regina frowned, "Oh, I'm so sorry."
"Yeah," she answered ruefully as she dumped the cut vegetables into a pot and added the beans and fresh water, "The poor boy just can't catch a break! I don't understand it either, my joints are as healthy as they were when I was your age!"
She twirled the knife in her hand to demonstrate. Regina laughed, she did have to admit that their chef had impressive dexterity for someone her age...though, just in case, she did subtly step back a few feet.
"Well, if there's ever anything I can do to help please let me know," Regina told her.
Mrs. Fa smiled, allowing herself a brief moment of softness before planting the knife in the counter top and puttering past Regina to wash lettuce at the sink.
"So, what are you doing home?" the older woman changed the subject artfully, "Shouldn't you be out having some fun?"
Regina laughed, "Doing what, exactly?"
"Your sister's out isn't she? Why didn't you go with her?"
"Well, for a start, I wasn't invited-"
"She didn't invite you to her going away party?" the chef asked, "That isn't right!"
"Oh, believe me, I'm not offended at being excluded! Zelena's friends don't care for me, and I'd rather tear my own heart out than spend a whole day with them!"
Mrs. Fa harrumphed, but didn't comment. Regina knew that Mrs. Fa was a very family oriented woman...her culture dictated it. However, things had always been different in the Mills family. An undercurrent of tension was always present, and space from each other tended to help keep everyone sane.
"You've been moping around here all day," the chef continued to scold as she stirred the soup, "Even if you don't want to go with Zelena, why aren't you out doing something?"
"I have not been moping," Regina protested, "It's just been a quiet weekend."
"You could've at least tried to find yourself a date!" Mrs. Fa shot back as she got a bowl and plate out from one of the cabinets, "It's what I'd do if I were your age!"
She frowned, feeling the sting of rejection and embarrassment last weekend rearing its head again.
"Well then maybe I should ask you why you aren't out looking for a date?" Regina teased, trying to deflect.
The old woman scoffed, "Honey, my love life is just fine!"
"Oh, is that so?" she raised her eyebrows.
"Yes, but it's also none of your business!" Mrs. Fa rebuked the implied question, transferring the plate of salad and bowl of soup to a tray, "Though, I will say, if Chi Fu from the market doesn't stop calling me, I may have to get you to show me how to block someone on that darned phone!"
Regina laughed incredulously as Mrs. Fa handed the tray over to her, "Would you like to join me? I was thinking I might make some tea to go with the soup."
"I can't, Dear," Mrs. Fa said as she ladled the rest of the soup into a container to put in the fridge, "I'm going with Marco and Constance to play Mahjong this afternoon."
"Oh," Regina answered, hoping she didn't sound disappointed.
Mrs. Fa elbowed her in the ribs, "Maybe I'll see if I can get those two to try improving their love lives?"
She laughed again, shaking her head at the old woman's antics as she hung up her apron and made her way out of the kitchen. Mrs. Fa had been the family's cook ever since Regina was a little girl, and she'd always been the most charmingly eccentric person.
With a sigh, Regina carried her tray into the outer, communal kitchen area and set it down at the small bistro table.
She looked over at the kettle on the counter, but changed her mind and instead went over to the pantry. Through the shelves there was an open doorway at the back that led to the wine cellar. She selected one of her favorite reds, opened it back in the kitchen and added a large glass to her tray.
She considered eating at the bistro table, or possibly in the formal dining room, but both seemed very uninviting with the house empty and cave-like.
Making a snap decision, she picked up the tray and carefully carried it to the elevator and up to the second floor. She breathed a sigh of relief as she shut the door to her suite behind herself. At least here she had privacy and could relax.
And, since she had nowhere to be and no one would be looking for her, she decided to make the most of it. She took her meal into the bedroom and set it on her dresser while she filled up the bathtub and added bubbles.
The edge of the tub was wide enough to hold the tray while she stripped down and pinned her hair up in a clip.
After settling into the water, she leisurely ate her salad. By the time she was done, the minestrone had cooled to a pleasant temperature. The first bite was heavenly. Perfectly seasoned and comforting.
She savored every bite until her spoon scraped across the empty ceramic bowl. Setting the dishes aside, she picked up her glass of wine and took a large sip.
As she swallowed the mouthful, Regina allowed herself to slide down into a lounging position. Resting the glass against the edge of the tub, she flexed her toes under the water and stared up at the ceiling.
She stared at the light fixture silently for a few moments, her thoughts wandering.
Letting out a bored sigh, she mused to herself that Mrs. Fa might have been right. Maybe she should have gone out that day. Of course, she didn't exactly have anywhere to go.
Most of her friends from college, those she still spoke with, summered at the beach or overseas. On Friday Lily had mentioned going to wine country with her new girlfriend. The only other person she was close to in the city was Daniel, and after the disaster last week, she obviously wasn't going to call him up and asked if he wanted to see a film…
Swallowing the last of her wine, Regina set the glass aside, leaned her neck back against her bath pillow and let her eyes slide shut.
She supposed that she shouldn't be moping, as Mrs. Fa had put it. This weekend wasn't really that much different than any other. Just, maybe because everyone seemed determined to comment on it, that it seemed more acute today.
Letting an annoyed sigh slip through her lips, she pushed those thoughts from her mind and determined that she was just going to relax and enjoy herself.
* 0 * 0 * 0 * 0 * 0 * 0 *
Regina jolted awake with a rather undignified snore, her lower back aching and numb from sitting on the bottom of the hard tub for so long. Glancing around the gray haze of the bathroom, she realized that she'd dozed off long enough that the bubbles in the bath had dissipated, and the water was cold.
Shivering, she leaned forward and pulled the plug to empty the drain.
Goosebumps broke out on her skin as she climbed out of the tub, her pruney feet sensitive against the bathmat.
Quickly, she padded to her closet and picked out her warmest set of pajamas. Comfortably wrapped up in them, Regina gathered up her dishes from the bathroom and carried them down to the first floor.
After going through the outer kitchen, she set the tray down on a counter for one of the housekeeping staff to take care of later...they were probably all sleeping right now.
She was walking back to the elevator when her attention was drawn by muffled voices coming from her father's study.
Wrinkling her brow in confusion, she slowly made her way toward the study. It was late, nearly 9PM, and she couldn't remember the last time her father had guests over at this hour.
Slowly, she padded toward the study.
"Are you going to spend all night deciding your move?" her father's voice echoed down the hall.
"Are you in a hurry to finish the game?" Locksley's voice followed, causing Regina to pause in her tracks in the doorway.
As she glanced inside, Henry laughed as he took a sip of scotch out of a tumbler, "Not particularly. I just think you know that you're only delaying the inevitable…"
The younger man looked up at him from across the chessboard as he clarified, "When I checkmate you."
"Yeah, well, we'll see about that," Robin answered as he moved on of his pieces. Henry simply laughed in response, taking a slow sip of his drink. He sighed as he swallowed a sip, looking approvingly at the liquid in his glass.
"This vintage is excellent. Did I tell you I got this as gift from the distributor in Dunbroch?"
"You did," Robin answered, "...and who's stalling now?"
Henry laughed, "I'm going to have to teach you a lesson, young man!"
"Be my guest," Robin teased.
The older man moved to lean intently over the chessboard, but paused as he caught sight of her.
"Regina," he said in surprise, "You're up late. Is everything alright?"
Stepping into the study, Regina answered, "I was just about to ask you the same thing."
"Ah, well, yes, everything's fine. Just finishing up a chess game."
"I see that," she observed, "I didn't know the two of you were...friendly."
Locksley paused mid-sip of his own drink at the words, eyes narrowing intently. For her part, she could barely keep from rolling hers. He certainly was a sensitive one.
Her father shrugged, "Always good to keep a friend around who's easy to beat at chess."
"Hmm," she hummed, not sure of what to say, "Alright, well, I'll...leave you to it then. Goodnight."
"Goodnight, sweetheart," Henry called after her as she turned from the room.
Making her way back to the elevator, she couldn't help but feel a little rattled by what she'd just walked in on and she wasn't sure why. It was far from the first time her father had gotten friendly with a staff member over the years. He and Mrs. Lucas had practically grown up together.
With a sigh, she stepped onto the elevator and let the doors slide closed behind her.
* 0 * 0 * 0 * 0 * 0 * 0 *
As the front gate slid open, Regina held the warm styrofoam container steadily in her lap. She could tell that Locksley had been curious when she made him take a detour to the other side of town after she left the office that night, but he hadn't said anything.
After he dropped her off at the front driveway, she climbed the front steps. The azaleas and dandelions around the steps were in full bloom and buzzing with bees. She dodged a couple on her way up before shutting the door quickly behind her.
In the outer kitchen, she pulled a bowl down from the cabinet and carefully poured the soup in. It had been a long drive home, so, just to be certain it was warm, enough let it heat in the microwave for a couple minutes.
Mrs. Fa was in the main cooking area standing over a pot of something. Regina smiled as she caught sight of her, "Evening, Mrs. Fa."
"Hello, Dear," she said absently, "Need something?"
"Yes, actually, I could use a tray for Daddy. I picked up some of his favorite soup."
"Ah," Mrs. Fa nodded hopping down off the step stool that allowed her to see inside the tall stock pot, "How is your father doing? Is he feeling any better?"
"I'm not sure," she answered as Mrs. Fa handed her a tray, "He stayed home from work today."
"Oh," the old woman frowned, "Well let me know if there's anything I can do. I have plenty of teas that are good for colds."
"Thanks," Regina answered, "Hopefully the soup will make him feel better."
Carefully transferring the steaming bowl to the tray, she added a spoon and carried it to the elevator. The doors dinged open on the third floor. This floor contained two large suites with bedrooms, bathrooms, and living areas. Her parents had occupied one ever since she was a child, and, when they married, Blake and Zelena, had moved into the other from a smaller one on the same floor as Regina's.
Pushing open the door to her parents' suite, she made her way around to the bedroom where her father was lounging under the covers, watching golf on television. She smirked at the amusing sight as she stepped into the room.
"Hi Daddy."
"Oh," Henry sat up, muting the television, "What's all this?"
"I brought you some tortilla soup," she answered as she set the tray down next to him, "How are you feeling?"
"Better now," Henry answered, "Thank you, Sweetheart. You didn't have to go to all this trouble."
"You always do the same for me when I'm sick," she commented.
"That's my job," he answered, "But, thank you again."
She laughed, kicking off her heels, and tucking her legs up under her to relax next to him as he ate his soup, "The thrilling world of golf, huh?"
He glared good-naturedly at her, "A lot of people like watching golf."
"It has a reputation for being boring for a reason," Regina pointed out.
"Well, no one's forcing you to watch it, my dear."
She laughed.
"So what about you?" Henry asked as he ate a bite of soup.
"Me?"
"Yes, are you alright?"
"Of course, I'm alright," she answered, "Why wouldn't I be?"
"I don't know," he responded, "But you haven't seemed like yourself lately. Did something happen?"
She bit the inside of her lip, simply answering, "I'm fine, Daddy."
Thankfully, he didn't push the subject. Instead he allowed them to fall into a peaceful quiet as Henry finished his soup and Regina simply enjoyed his company.
They sat in comfortable silence for about 20 minutes before the main door to their suite clattered open and closed, Zelena's voice echoed through the rooms as she and Blake discussed their travel plans.
As she stepped into the bedroom, she stopped, blinking in surprise.
"What are you doing here?" she asked when she caught sight of Regina.
"I brought home some soup after work."
"Oh," Zelena answered, not looking totally happy, "Well I'm here to say goodbye."
Setting the tray aside, Henry rose from bed, "Are you heading out now?"
"Yes," Blake answered, "They're expecting me at the political office tomorrow morning, and we need to get on the road if we're going to make it to the Federal District at a decent hour."
"I'll walk you down to the car," Henry said.
"No, Daddy!" Zelena protested, "You're sick. You should stay inside and stay warm!"
He smiled indulgently, "It's not all that cold outside, but if you don't want me to walk you down, do I at least get a hug?"
Ducking down to his height, Zelena eagerly stepped into his arms and squeezed him tightly, sniffing into his shoulder, "I'll miss you so much."
He patted her back soothingly, "I'll miss you, sweetheart, but it'll be alright. This'll be a new chapter for you."
Standing up from the bed, Regina slid her feet back into her shoes and drifted to the edge of the room to allow the three a little bit of privacy. As they broke their hug, Zelena wiped away tears, allowing Blake to step forward to shake Henry's hand.
Unexpectedly, Zelena grabbed Regina's elbow and dragged her to the bedroom door.
"Ow!" she exclaimed, "Zelena, what?"
"You look out for him!" she hissed in whisper, "Do you understand me?"
Regina looked at her incredulously, "What are you talking about?"
"If I'm not going to be here, I need to know someone cares about Daddy!"
"Well, of course I do, Zelena!"
Before the argument could escalate further the suite doors opened and closed, and their mother's heels clicked as she made her way around to the bedroom.
"What's going on in here?" she asked.
"We're just saying goodbye, Mother," Zelena answered, immediately plastering a smile on her face.
"I see," Cora answered, "Is it really necessary for everyone to be in my bedroom?"
"I wanted to say goodbye to Daddy."
"And you, Regina?"
"I brought home some soup after work," she explained. Immediately, Cora's eyes went to the tray on the bed.
She sighed heavily, "Henry, you know I don't like it when you eat in bed."
Before her father could answer, Regina replied, "Mother, he's sick."
"It's just a cold," Cora answered evenly, "He's well enough to walk downstairs to the dining room. Honestly, you girls are acting as if he's dying!"
"Your mother's right," Blake said, "Anyway, we should be going anyway. The car's waiting for us."
"Is one bowl of soup really that big a deal?" Regina argued. Normally, she wouldn't argue when her mother was in this type of mood, but she was getting irritated.
"Excuse me?" Cora asked, looking at her in surprise, "This is none of your concern, Regina-"
"It's alright!" Henry jumped in, "I'm finished anyway. Cora if you're going with Zelena and Blake down to the car, I'll call Mrs. Lucas to have someone come up to change the sheets before you get back up."
Her mother frowned, but seemed satisfied with that answer, "Alright then. Shall we go meet your car?"
Blake, naturally, immediately agreed. Zelena paused to give Henry one last tearful hug and kiss goodbye before Cora led the four of them downstairs to the front entrance where a towncar was waiting to take them to Misthaven Federal District.
"Call me when you get in," Cora instructed as she gave Blake and Zelena each a quick hug, adding to Blake, "I'm sure we'll have things to discuss tomorrow as well when you start at the political office."
"Of course, Cora," Blake said smugly.
With that Regina also gave Zelena hug goodbye, and even shared a very awkward one with Blake before he dragged his wife into the car and it set off down the drive away from the Mills estate.
As she watched the car's tail-lights disappearing into the distance, Regina sighed. She and her sister weren't exactly close, but this was the first time, other than a very brief few months when Zelena started college, that she'd ever left the estate.
"Regina!" Her mother's voice snapped her out of her musings, "Are you coming inside?"
"Yes, Mother," she answered, following up the steps.
As the heavy front doors slammed shut behind them, the two women silently made their way to the elevator.
"You know, dear, what you're feeling right now is entirely of your own making," Cora said.
"Excuse me?" Regina asked.
"I'm just saying, Regina, that if you applied yourself more you could easily find a job in the Federal District too. Probably even one in government."
She stared at her mother quietly, hiding her reaction. Her mother thought she was jealous!
"Just something for you to consider," Cora said as the two stepped into the elevator.
"Alright," Regina answered, trying not to let her amusement show in her voice, "I'll certainly...consider it."
Cora, naturally, noticed the pause and pinned Regina with probing look. Thankfully, however, she chose not to comment further.
TBC...
A/N: Sorry for the short and somewhat boring chapter that took so long to get up. It was necessary for set up, and, now that I'm done with moving into a new place, I hope to get really cranking with this story.