Regina was getting into her car after leaving her peer counselor Annie's home. She felt better after talking to her and knew that everything was going to be okay. She sat down and took a deep breath when her phone notified her of a text message.

Belle: Gina, babe, I miss you. I hope you can find a way to understand soon. Killian and I will be home on Wednesday and I would love for the four of us to get together and talk. If you take some time to get to know him better you will see he is different from any other man I have ever known. Anyways, I love you….oh, and I quit La Pomme. I told that asshole off real well too ;-)

Regina couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. She still loved her friend dearly and knew that in time she could be happy for her but it was still too soon. There was far too much going on right now and she was hesitant to reply in fear of saying the wrong thing. She slid the phone in the console next to her and turned the car on heading to her next stop of the day, Mr. and Mrs. Swan's.

….

The end of the school day arrived and Henry was walking with Emma out to her Jeep.

"So where am I taking you today kid?"

"Oh, just to my house."

"Is your sister not working at the diner today?"

"Nope," Henry replied as they climbed into the car.

The car ride was a quiet one as Emma pulled up to the house and this time she turned the car off earning a questioning glare from the boy. Emma jumped out of the car at the same time as Henry.

"What are you doing?" Henry snapped at her as she met him around front.

"I'm going to go up and meet your sister. You said she isn't working today."

"Oh, um, I think she is…yeah she must be…her car isn't here…" Henry said looking around nervously.

Emma could tell something was up and her gut was telling her that it wasn't okay to leave him here.

"Well then maybe I should wait with you until she gets back?" Emma said as she began walking up the cracked pavement to the front door.

Henry quickly followed her trying to reach the door before she could.

"No, that's okay. She would get mad if I let a stranger in the house."

"I'm far from a stranger Henry." Emma replied sternly.

"Well…the house isn't clean. I haven't been doing my chores and she is mad at me so she will just get even angrier if I let you in and you see it…"

"Oh it's okay I will tell her that I insisted and then I will make sure you do your chores. Hell, I will even help! She will thank me really." Emma said raising her eyebrows at the boy who was running out of excuses.

"Um…" Henry looked around trying desperately to come up with something else to say.

"Henry come on now just open the door. I want to make sure everything is okay."

Henry fidgeted in his jacket pocket and then pulled out his house key. He opened the door and both of them walked inside. Henry wasn't lying about the mess. There were clothes, books, and dishes everywhere.

"Well I would be upset too Henry. You definitely need to get cleaning!" Emma smiled at the boy.

Henry nodded and set his book bag down on the kitchen table.

"Why don't I help you while you get me the number for your sister's diner? That way I can call her and make sure it's okay that I wait here with you. If she doesn't want me to then I will leave okay?"

"Um…yeah…okay…" Henry responded nervously as he began looking through kitchen drawers for a phone number.

"How about I make you a snack while we wait," Emma said and opened the refrigerator. She gasped as she opened the door and saw nothing but some butter and a small bottle of juice. Her eyes filled with tears as she spun around and saw the kid already staring back at her.

"Henry…"

Henry took a deep breath and shrugged his shoulders.

…..

Regina arrived home a little after six and was surprised that Emma's Jeep was not in the driveway. She had met with Mary and David to begin working on plans for the restaurant and it was a mentally exhausting day on top of the agonizing headache that she had.

She walked in the house and was happily greeted by Skittles as she slipped out of her heels. She let the princess out in the backyard and began looking through the cabinets and refrigerator for ingredients for dinner. As she began dicing onions she heard the blonde walk into the house.

"Babe, I'm home!" Emma yelled out. "I'm sorry I'm late…"

"No problem, I just got home myself. Did you stop at the gym?" Regina asked as she looked up and saw the blonde turn the corner with a brunette boy she had yet to meet. "Oh…hello?"

"Hey…" Henry looked at Regina and then back at Emma with a surprised face. "I thought you were single?"

"No, I said I didn't have a husband." Emma laughed.

"Technicality," Henry shook his head and half smiled. "I'm Henry."

"Regina, nice to meet you," Regina replied smiling at the boy.

"Yep." Henry nodded.

"Okay…um…so, kid, why don't you go around to the living room there and make yourself at home. There's TV and Playstation and I will let you know when dinner is done okay?"

"Cool." Henry said and trailed off into the other room.

"Okay so another seat for dinner?" Regina laughed unsure of what was going on.

"Yes, babe please don't get mad but holy shit this kid." Emma collapsed on a kitchen chair and her head fell in her hands.

Regina tossed the onions in the oil on the stove and grabbed a dish towel and walked over to the table by her love.

"Of course I'm not mad. What is going on?" Regina brought a hand to Emma's back and began rubbing lightly.

"So, that's Henry right, the kid I was telling you about that I have been giving rides home. Well his sister Naomi never showed up to the meeting I wanted to have with her. So, I take him home from school today and I walked him up to his door because I wanted to talk to her. She wasn't there. I go in and the house is a complete mess. Okay, whatever she's a teenager raising her kid brother working all the time not that big of a deal right? Well then I go to make him a snack…there is no food. Like no food at all. I ask him about it and he gives me the run around. So I get pissed off and I make him come with me to the diner where she works and guess what she's not there. Her boss said she hadn't been there in days! I get out to the car and tell Henry that he has to tell me what is going on before I go to authorities…and finally he told me she left him! She just fucking left him Regina! She said she couldn't do it anymore and she took off with her boyfriend and fucking left him with like twenty bucks."

"No. Really? How could someone do that?" Regina was in complete shock.

"Right? I just don't understand."

"Oh my god babe; I'm so sorry that is horrible."

"I know. This poor kid. First his parent's die in a car accident, then he has to leave his whole life like all of his friends, his school, his house and move all the way across the damn country and now his only family just fucking leaves him. Just makes me sick."

"It's pretty despicable." Regina sat there shaking her head in total disbelief. "So what are you going to do?"

"I don't know. I mean the kid has nobody."

"Well he has you now. That's a start."

"Yeah but Regina… Jesus… I can't take care of him. Hell I don't even have a place for him to sleep!"

"Tonight he can stay on the couch."

"And after that?"

"I don't know…" Regina bit her bottom lip.

Emma sighed, "I can't do this Regina. I just can't."

"Are you guys done talking about me yet? I'm really hungry…" Henry smiled sarcastically his head peaking around the corner.

Regina couldn't help but laugh, he really was quite cute. "I'm working on it. Here, have a cookie while you wait."

Henry took the cookie from her and smiled taking a seat next to Emma.

"Hey where is my cookie?" Emma pouted up at the woman.

"Oh goodness here," Regina handed one to her.

"Wow these are good," Henry said shoving the whole thing in his mouth.

Regina raised her eyebrows, "Here dear…" she handed the boy a napkin and giggled.

"Where did you get those and what kind are they?"

"I made them this morning and they are apple oat cookies." Regina smiled as the boy reached for another.

"Wow, you're awesome!"

Regina felt her heart warm over as she began adding chicken to the onions. "Well thank you. Now don't spoil your appetite dinner will be ready soon."

Emma smiled at the boy and then back at Regina and took a deep breath.

"Got any milk?" Henry mumbled with a mouth full.

"Manners much?" Emma laughed as she stood up to retrieve a glass for the kid. "Here," she handed him a glass of milk and smiled.

"Thanks," he smiled back at her. Not a sarcastic smile. Not a half smile. He smiled a true authentic happy smile.

Maybe I can do this.