*4 Months Ago*

Regina walked into Granny's Diner, hoping she wouldn't see the Charmings there. She was now four months pregnant and she hated seeing them after she'd erased their memories of everything.

She let out a sigh of relief when she opened the door and saw that the only customers present were herself and a young girl whom she had never seen before. The girl was sitting at the counter, a few stools away from Regina's regular seat.

"Hello, Ruby. A tea please." She was hoping for something stronger, but no caffeine allowed in pregnancy, unless she wanted the baby to be dancing around and kicking her insides all day.

"Sure." Ruby said. She didn't sound very sincere, but Regina ignored it. She knew that people still didn't trust her, but she would prove them wrong.

Regina rested her elbow on the counter and put her head to her hand. She jumped at the voice of the girl next to her.

"You seem to be having a rough day." The girl said, looking straight ahead.

Regina put her head up and looked at her.

"I-" She had no idea how to respond.

"A rough decade maybe." The girl said before sipping some orange juice.

"Me too. I've been spending the last few years searching for my mother. Well…actually, I can't really say how long I've been searching, because you cast the curse, but…I've never had much luck anyway. Perhaps it just wasn't meant to be. But I can accept that. And I guess it was because of the fact that you cast that curse, but….I won't sit here and tell you how much you ruined my life or any chance at me finding her….I'd actually like to thank you for casting that curse. If it wasn't for your curse, a lot of people in this town, you for example, would've never become the people that they are today. Including myself. Yes, others would sit here blaming you, but all I can say is, that's not what life's about. It's about making choices. You can sit here blaming others for your misfortune, when truly, it's up to you how your life turns out. I mean….it's the way you react to certain situations and what you make of yourself. Life is a test. A test on you and your actions. A test of give and take. A test of your own success and a test of just living, no matter what others do or say. "

The girl finished her glass of orange juice and left a tip by her plate. She stood up, grabbed her purse, and put it on her shoulder, smiling at Regina.

"No one should live worrying about the actions of others. You are the author of your own life story." She began to walk passed Regina and she stopped next to her stool. "But for some reason, I feel like you already knew that."

The girl left and Regina just sat, thinking about what she had said. How could a girl of such a young age, speak so wisely, so experienced?

Ruby set down Regina's tea in front of her and she sipped it, still thinking about that girl. Where did she come from? Regina had truly never seen her before, and part of her wanted to chase after her. But she just sat and thought.

"Can I get you anything else?" Ruby asked.

"No, I'm fine, thank you." She stared off into space, pensive about that teenager. Regina knew that she had to be a teenager. Or at least in her early twenties.

Ruby was shocked. She had never heard Regina say 'thank you' before. She turned and went back to the kitchen, smiling.

Regina snapped out of her thoughts when she heard the on the door of the diner ring when it opened again. She turned her head to see the Charmings standing at the door, also surprised to see her.

"Hello, Regina." Mary Margaret said.

"Hello." Regina said in a monotone. "Henry, how are you?"

"I'm fine." Henry answered, as if he wasn't happy at all to see her. She frowned.

The four of them found a table to sit at and Regina turned around again to take another sip of her tea. Emma walked up to the counter to give Ruby the order. She turned to Regina when Ruby had gone.

"How's the life of freedom?" Emma asked, referring to her not being mayor anymore.

"It's alright." Regina said, but Emma could tell she was lying. "How's life with my son?" Regina said, nastier than she intended.

"Look, Regina. We-"

"I don't need to hear your pity." She snapped.

"I know you don't. I just- Look, we didn't want any of this to happen either."

"Sure you didn't! You just took my son like you said you would."

"We didn't take him, Regina. He chose to come with us, just like you chose to let magic and evil run your life...Life isa about making choices, Regina."

'That's what she said.' Regina thought of the young girl.

"And I'm sorry if you chose wrong."

Emma took the plates back to the table and Regina felt a pain in her stomach...something wasn't right.