So here is the next chapter. Again a little time jump to Regina being 5. Hope you all enjoy.
Two years later…
Regina was now five years old and really happy. Her mother spent more time with her now that it was summer time and there wasn´t much to do at the office and she and her friend Tina saw each other almost everyday after school to play. They would either go to Tina´s home or to the mansion to play their games. Recently though Tina had started ballet and didn´t have much time anymore. Now it was Saturday and the little blonde was staying for a sleepover at the mansion. They were both playing in the backyard under Regina´s apple tree as Tina showed her little friend some moves she had learned.
"It looks fun." the small girl watched in awe as her best friend did a piroette over and over again. " I wanna be ballerina too, Tink." she exclaimed and did as the blonde showed her. She did very well for the first time and was very proud of it. She loved art and music and therefore dancing was something she really enjoyed and Cora had always told her she should do some sort of sport like Zelena did. Dancing was a very hard sport to learn so she decided that was what she would learn next. She already was a master on the piano and with the violin and she recently started cello. So ballet didn´t seem that hard for her. She had rhythm in her bones so dancing seemed perfect.
"Yeah, that would be fun and we could be together all times. You should weally ask your mommy. Ballet is weally good for your body and you aren´t as restless as you had been before cause you must to be very still." Tina explained as they went inside to talk to Cora and Leopold. The parents had prepared a little snack for both girls. Two sandwiches with peanut butter and homemade applesauce since Regina loved apples so much. The mayor laughed lightly as they dugged into the sandwiches as if they hadn´t eaten in days and ruffled her daughter´s very long dark hair.
"Mama? Can I´s learn ballet with Tink?" the little brunette looked up from her snack with puppy dog eyes, silently pleading with her mother. Cora however wasn´t so sure. Ballet seemed like the wrong hobby since the girls were drilled to perfect little puppets even at such a young age and she didn´t want that for her daughter. Besides, dancing wasn´t really a sport in her eyes and her daughter already had so many hobbies that kept her from learning.
"I don´t think that´s such a good idea, sweetheart. It´s very expensive and you already have so many other hobbies. Besides, I´m not so sure you would stand the pressure. You are only five after all and only the best have success. I don´t think you are strong enough, Regina." she told her young daughter who crossed her arms over her chest and began to cry. Cora really hurt her with her speech and she didn´t even notice. She wasn´t weak! She knew she was just as strong as Zelena and Mary were but her mother always told her she was too weak, too small or too naïve. It wasn´t fair.
"Cora" her father hissed and dragged her into the living room to talk privately. He couldn´t believe his wife had just crushed their daughter´s dreams. That was not the way one should talk to a child. But then again it was Cora Mills talking. The older brunette had given almost exactly the same answers when Regina had begged them to learn violin and cello. In the end Cora had given into her daughter as she promised she would practise everyday however he sensed that the convincing would be much harder this time. Cora had been right to say it was expensive and hard but she shouldn´t have said the other things. He knew how stubborn and determined his little one could be when it came to learning things to make her mother proud.
Making Cora proud was very hard for the five year old. She was always reminded how perfect Zelena was even when the ginger got bad marks. Only the swimming was important but Regina´s many talents were completely ignored because she didn´t win any trophies to show of.
"You can´t tell her that she isn´t good enough. You know how she gets. She will sulk for days and give us the silent treat until you apologies. She is so sensitive and the only thing she wants is to make you proud and to have fun. You know she isn´t really the type for sports so be grateful that she wants to learn dancing which is rather hard." he reminded her sternly. Leopold couldn´t stand it whenever Cora spoke to Regina like that. The girl was already shy and insecure enough without his wife reminding her everyday that she was a failure. Ever since the small girl started school Cora had distanced herself and stopped caring. Sometimes he blamed it on her job as mayor were she always had to be firm and direct but there were other times where he wasn´t so sure if really the business woman was talking or the actual Cora.
"I can tell my daughter whatever I think is right! She needs to learn that life sometimes isn´t fair and that she won´t get what she wants all the time." Cora shouted stubborn and he heard a slight bit of bitterness in her tone of voice. This clearly wasn´t about the dancing anymore. She was referring to her cancer again. "Besides, dancing is not a real sport." she added after a dramatic pause. Her husband really didn´t recognize the woman in front of him. It couldn´t be the happy and carefree Cora he fell in love with after Eva had died.
They had met after Eva´s death in the hospital. She was waiting for her treatment and saw him crying in the waiting room and wanted to cheer this poor guy up and he fell in love with her right there. She had been diagnosed with cancer when she was pregnant with Zelena but decided against treatment to be able to keep her child. She started treatment right after birth and was cancer free for almost a year until it started again. After Regina was born she still had to take chemo but shortly before Henry had died she was able to beat it completely. Leopold had been her friend through all of this since Henry was too busy at work and with caring for Zelena.
"It damn right is a sport, Cora! And if you think it´s too expensive then I´ll gladly pay the money for you. It will make her happy." he then decided and Cora nodded. She finally realized that she had been in fact too harsh and should apologies. They hugged each other after calming down and went to tell Regina the news.
The little girl was crying into her friend´s shoulder as they entered the kitchen and the older brunette picked her up and kissed her head lovingly. "You are allowed to start ballet." she whispered into her little ears and smiled when Regina stopped crying and beamed up at her.
"Weally?" she asked unsure.
"Really!" Cora replied and hugged her little girl tightly to her chest.