A/N: Thank you for the wonderful response to this story. This chapter is all Regina and Emma. It's set on Henry's birthday, and there will be a part two of sorts to continue the celebration (with the birthday boy) in the next chapter. I hope you enjoy the chapter, and should you feel so inclined I am always grateful for feedback.

"I can't believe that you make cheesecake from scratch?"

"It's Henry's favorite."

Regina opens the refrigerator and begins handing the necessary ingredients to Emma who sets them on the counter. Regina peeks her head into the living room to check on Henry before getting the dry ingredients from the cupboard. He's still sleeping soundly on the sofa.

"What's first?" Emma asks, setting down her glass of cider.

"The crust. We're going to need the whole box of graham crackers. You can start putting them into the food processor."

"Do you make Henry cheesecake every year?"

"It's the only birthday cake he ever wants. One year I decided to try something a little different, and I made blueberry topping instead of strawberry. Henry was not pleased."

"Kid had you wrapped around his finger from early on huh?"

"Indeed," Regina agrees. She unwraps a stick of butter and places it into the microwave to melt. "Now we add the butter and a teaspoon of cinnamon."

"On it," Emma says, mixing the ingredients. She helps herself to a spoonful of crust. "Mmm…I didn't know that butter and graham crackers would taste so good."

Regina takes a spoon from the silverware drawer and takes a bite of the mixture herself. Emma stares at Regina as she sucks on the spoon. "What?" Regina asks.

Emma shrugs with a smile. "I just never thought that you would be an eat of the bowl type of girl."

Regina raises an eyebrow at Emma. "How could I know if what I'm cooking is coming out well without tasting it?"

Regina looks down at her watch. "12:56." She steals another glance at Henry's sleeping form. "Henry always insists on staying up to celebrate the minute of his birth. I let him have one present before bed."

When Regina turns to Emma, she sees that green eyes are glassy with unshed tears. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."

"I'm ok," Emma says turning away from Regina.

"I can imagine that today must be difficult for you."

Emma feels hot tears falling down her cheeks. No one has ever acknowledged her pain on this day before. She had always spent Henry's birthday trying to push the pain away, drinking enough to pass out and sleep through the moment of her son's birth.

Emma feels ridiculous, but here - in the house where her son grew up - with his mother looking at her with more understanding than Emma has ever known, she is unable to stop the tears. Emma buries her face in her hands, embarrassed.

Then there is warmth surrounding Emma, and Regina is hugging her with the same strong arms that embrace their son. Emma doesn't know what to do with comfort like this; it is so foreign from what her life has been. She cries into Regina's shoulder.

Regina says nothing. She just holds Emma tightly and rubs soothing circles on her back. When Emma's sobs quiet, Regina presses her lips close to Emma's ear and whispers, "Thank you."

Emma looks up, surprised by the words. Her face is impossibly close to Regina's and there are tears in brown eyes. Regina's eyes are wide with an expression that seems to go so far beyond compassion and kindness.

Regina stands holding Emma in her arms, learning that Emma cries in exactly the same way as their son, in short bursts of sobs that leave her breathless and gasping for air. It feels impossible for Regina not to love this woman who made their son. Henry – her beautiful Henry – is part of Emma. She had grown and nurtured him for nine months, and then she had the strength to give him up. Emma gave Regina the very best thing in her life, and Regina can't help but love her for it.

Emma feels too close and vulnerable with the way Regina is staring at her, the way Regina's arms are still wrapped around her, fingers moving gently and soothingly. Emma wipes the tears from her cheeks and smiles her thanks at Regina.

"Ok, what's next?" Emma asks turning back to the cheesecake.

Regina doesn't skip a beat. "The crust needs to be pressed into a springform pan."

"A what?"

"I see that I have a lot to teach you."

"Thank you for doing this," Emma tells her mother when she stops by early the next morning to drop off Henry's presents. Henry has refused to be separated from either of his mothers and so they had been unable to purchase his presents themselves.

"Of course." Snow hands her daughter a large bag full of beautifully wrapped gifts. "I picked up everything that you asked for, and there are a few presents in there from David and me."

"Thanks."

"How is he?"

"He slept through the night." Emma has begun to measure progress in this way, in these small accomplishments that should be unremarkable to the parent of a 12 year old.

Snow smiles sadly. She rests her hand on Emma's forearm. "He'll get better," she promises. Emma wonders if Snow believes it or if she thinks the lie will help Emma get through the day.

"Henry'll be awake soon, so I better get going."

"Tell him that his grandparents love him and wish him a very happy birthday. And when he's well again we can all have a party."

Emma grits her teeth. She hates the way Snow says when he's well again as if Henry has come down with the flu. "Thanks again for this," Emma says indicating the presents in her hand.

Emma returns to Regina's bedroom where Henry is asleep in his mother's arms. Emma decides to lie back down with them for a while. She pulls back the covers and tries to be as quiet as possible.

"Good morning," Regina says opening her eyes.

"Sorry. I was trying not to wake you."

"I wasn't sleeping."

"Henry still doing ok?"

"He's fast asleep. I can't believe he made it through the night." Henry had barely even stirred when Regina had carried him from the couch to the bedroom.

"I know." Emma wonders if this is what it would be like to have a baby: worrying over every noise and movement, being grateful when he finally sleeps through the night. "Was Henry an easy baby?" Emma isn't sure whether she has a right to ask. She chose to give her child up; these memories are things that Regina has earned, not her.

"He was colicky for the first six months, but after that he was an angel." She gazes fondly at Henry, curled against her chest. "He was an angel from the start, but an angel who barely let me sleep for months."

"Thank you," Emma whispers. She has to wipe away the tears that have begun to fall.

Regina frowns slightly at the gratitude and shakes her head. "Henry is my whole world."

"Yeah, I know." Emma wonders how she ever doubted Regina's love for Henry. "This is why I put him up for adoption." Regina raises a questioning eyebrow. "I wanted Henry to have everything that I never did. Birthdays that make him feel like the most special kid is the world. A mother who would do anything to make him happy."

"He has two of those now."

A sob escapes Emma's lips. She and Regina have fought over Henry for so long, and although Emma had insisted that she was Henry's real mother, she had never truly believed it. Regina smiles and nods reassuringly. Emma thinks that maybe this time she can be the mother that Henry needs, because unlike 12 years ago, she won't have to do it alone.