We sat and enjoyed each others' company. Regina started to bake while we talked. She was right; it wasn't until noon that the next customer came in. "Hello? Can I get some service please?"

"I'll be right back." I gave her a nod as she walked up front. "How can I help you sir?"

"Yes, I'd like two apple turnovers and an apple pie." It was a man's voice. I moved to see him through the doorway. Regina had left the door cracked. He was taller and had straight dirty blonde hair.

"That will be thirty dollars." The man raised an eyebrow and shot Regina a crooked smile.

"That's a lot for baked goods." He leaned on the counter. "Is there another pie thrown in there?" My blood started to boil. I was about to burst through the door when Regina spoke.

"Everything is homemade and all natural products are expensive so yes, my deserts are expensive. And no, you pay thirty dollars and you get your order; nothing else." The man huffed, gave her the money, and left. "Have a nice day." I watched as she walked back through the door.

"I guess you deal with that a lot don't you?" Regina raised an eyebrow at the question and grinned mischievously.

"What makes you think that Emma?" The way she says my name sends shivers down my spine and I loved it.

"Uh…no reason. It's just…" She tilted her head. With each second of my blabbering the grin became bigger. "Never mind." She chuckled. I need to watch what I say to this woman. I thought I had feelings for her but that was just from my dreams. The feelings weren't real. Besides, she doesn't seem like the type who's into women. "Well," I stood and stretched. "It's been nice talking with you but I need to get a few things done before Henry gets home from school."

"Of course. You seem like a good mother." I followed Regina to the main shop area.

"I do what I can. I'll be back tomorrow for the cookbook." Once again, I felt drawn to the woman and didn't want to leave.

"I'll see you then. And have coffee ready if it's around the same time."

"Sounds perfect." My eyes lingered on the brunette a moment. "I'll see you tomorrow Regina." I started for the door.

"Emma?" I stopped; my hand on the doorknob. I looked over my shoulder. "How did you know my name?" Panic filled me. I couldn't tell her the truth.

"The person who told me about the place told me your name." With that, I was out the door. As I drove home, I thought about Regina and all we talked about. From what she told me she had no one. Maybe my dreams were the future? Since the three of us were together? "Nah. What am I thinking?" I got home and decided to watch TV until Henry came home.

"You're making it worse!" Regina was yelling at me and we were around what looked like an old mine. She had shorter hair and wore a black turtleneck and dress pants.

"I'm trying to save him! You know why he went down there don't you? It's because you made him feel like he had something to prove!"

"Why does he feel like he has something to prove? Who's encouraging him?"

"Do not put this on me."

"Oh lecture me until the oxygen runs out!" Regina walked away and I could tell her voice was about to crack from being upset.

"We have to stop this. Arguing won't solve anything." I was sick of yelling at her.

"No it won't." She was upset. She was close to breaking down and crying I think.

"What do you want me to do?" I stood there with my hands on my hips.

"Help me." There was pain in her dark eyes. Worry, pain, sorrow. Soon we were standing near a shaft that went down into the ground. "Lower me down."

"Oh no way. I'm going." I slid off my jacket.

"He's my son." Regina looked me directly in the eyes. They were full of worry.

"He's my son too. You've been sitting behind a desk for ten years. I can do this." Regina took a quick step towards me.

"Just bring him to me."

"Mom! Mom!" I jumped as Henry shook me.

"What's wrong?" I looked up at Henry. My heart was pounding in my chest.

"You were tossing and turning in your sleep. You looked upset. What were you dreaming about?" I wasn't about to tell him the truth.

"Just a weird dream." A weird dream indeed. I helped Henry with his homework and we ate dinner and watched TV. "Time for bed kiddo." As I tucked Henry in I saw the stack of comics on the nightstand. "Can I look at these?"

"Sure. Night Mom." He turned over as I grabbed the stack of comics.

"Night Henry." I took the comics and headed to bed. I sat and thumbed through each book. It was strange; the "Queen" looked like Regina and the "Savior" looked like me. The comics told how the savior came into town and the mayor wasn't very happy. They shared their son. The Savior gave birth to the young boy and the Mayor adopted him. By the time I got to the last issue the savior ended up making the mayor a better person and helping her. They both got their happy ending but it wasn't what either of them thought it would be. Their happy ending was with each other raising their son. Something felt so familiar about the stories but I couldn't place it. I shook my head and put them down for the night. I needed sleep and I needed to get up in time to take Henry to school.

I woke up at seven so I could make us breakfast and pack his lunch. Since I was going to see Regina again, to buy the cookbook, I'd come back and take a shower. "Yummy. Homemade waffles, eggs, and bacon." I set the plate on the table as Henry slid into his seat.

"No good morning? I see how you are." He chuckled as he said good morning before shoveling food into his mouth. We ate in silence as I looked at the sales papers.

"So how did you like my comic books?" I stopped and looked towards him. "The resemblance between you and the Savior is uncanny. And the same with me and the boy the Queen and Savior share."

"How did you find those by the way? Out of all of the thousands of comics in that store you stumble across those." Henry shrugged his shoulders and took a sip of orange juice.

"I don't know. I was just drawn to that isle, then that shelf, and then those comics. It was weird." That's how it was with me and Regina's bakery. "They were good comics. Very different and that's what I was wanting. They were real-life styled versus all the superhero ones. I mean this one could happen. Take out the queen part and all, but the mayor and stranger part sounds life it could really happen."

"And how old are you? Twelve right?" I tilted my head. I knew Henry was always smarter for his age but geez. He smiled and shrugged again as he finished his breakfast. "Alright, finish getting ready and I'll take you to school. With time to spare." I dropped Henry off at school and went back home to get ready. It was crazy that I cared so much how I looked around Regina; but I did. It was about nine thirty when I pulled up to the small store. Butterflies filled my stomach as I walked up to the door.

As I walked in, the smell of apples and fresh coffee filled my nose and I took in a deep breath. "Like what you smell dear?" With a big smile on my face my eyes fell on Regina.

"Indeed I do. The smell of coffee always makes me happy." She smiled and walked towards the back. I followed and she already had her a cup and me an empty one. "Started without me I see?" Regina chuckled as she poured coffee into my cup.

"I've been up since six this morning so yes I had to start without you." She handed me the cup and I blew on it. "Come back to get the book?"

"Yeah. And I thought I'd thumb through it now and if I have any questions I can ask the chef. If that's okay?" Regina always had such a sweet smile.

"That'd be fine. The guy came to fix the card reader a few hours after you left." Regina went to the counter and started mixing stuff into a bowl and started to cut up an apple. They were the same apples that were in the basket at my door. I watched as she mixed and I guess she realized it. "I could use some help if you don't mind." I snapped out of my daze and looked to her face.

"I don't want to burn down your place of emplacement." My cheeks were warm. I was caught watching her. I didn't mean to…she's just so hypnotizing.

"I have good insurance. Now come here. You can peel the apples." I washed my hands and started peeling apples. It was a comfortable silence between us. Regina pounded out the crust for an apple pie and placed it in the aluminum container. She instructed me on how to cut the apples and mix them with the ingredients. We finished putting together three pies and Regina put them in the oven. "So how does it feel to have successfully mixed and prepared three apple pies that I'm sure will be delicious?"

"Good." I poured me another cup of coffee and sat on the stool. "What next?"

"You want to keep helping? I thought you hated cooking." I frowned my brows at her comment. I never told her I hated cooking. "You don't seem like the type who loves to cook."

"I'm not. But if I'm just mixing the stuff…it's different." Regina crossed her arms and thought a moment.

"I'm guessing if I were to hire you, you'd work from eight thirty in the morning to two thirty in the afternoon?"

"I could work longer. Henry can ride the bus home. He already does. So I could work until four or five. Depending on what time you close."

"I normally close at five but it takes until six to clean everything." She thought another moment. "That'll work. Eight thirty until five." I smiled. I didn't have a stable job. I just did odd-ball jobs and got paid when I finished each one. I got really bored between jobs. This way I'd have a stable paycheck and not be bored during the day. "You can talk it over with your son and if you take my offer, I'll see you bright and early tomorrow morning. We're normally closed on weekends and Friday's we close at noon."

"You'll see me. I need something to do during the day." That night over dinner, I talked to Henry about it. He was on board with me getting a stable job. He could tell that I got bored during the day. "You know that nothing will change right? I'll still be home and have dinner ready like normal."

"Mom, I know. I'm glad you're getting a job that you'll like." Henry was a good kid. He was always on my side and supported me. And I did him.