A/N: I ended up deciding to write an extra chapter before the next thing I had planned in the timeline, so here's a bonus/early mini update. I will likely post the original planned next chapter over the weekend instead of Friday just to put more time between updates, but I won't leaving you hanging too long since this is so short lol. Enjoy!

Tuesday, March 26, 4:30pm

Regina returned home that afternoon in a huff, slamming her purse into the wall and letting it fall onto the console table in the entryway. "Fuck," she exhaled as she shrugged off her down parka, throwing it against the closed door behind her. It didn't make a noise when it hit, but the action itself was satisfying.

"Regina?" Emma called, coming out of their bedroom in her sports bra and leggings, her iPhone in one hand and taking her earbuds out with the other. She had heard the door slam over the sound of her music, so she had stopped her ab series workout to see what the commotion was all about. "What's going on?"

The brunette growled as she stormed into the kitchen, ignoring Emma for the time being. She pulled open the refrigerator door as she searched for something, ultimately settling on a bottle of water. "Goddamnit I can't even have wine. Being pregnant sucks."

Emma held back an eyeroll. At nearly five months pregnant, Regina's hormones were all over the place, causing her to be moody and easily riled up, but also much more horny than usual. But, Emma had decided that putting up with the constant mood swings was totally worth it due to that little perk. "Regina, what happened?" she tried again, hoping to get an answer.

Regina took a long swig of her water and finally made eye contact with her girlfriend as she set the plastic bottle down on the island and moved to the tin of brownies on the counter, opening it and taking out a large chocolate square. "My mother happened."

The blonde raised her eyebrows. "Wait, what? What does Cora have to do with anything?" It had been well over a year since Regina had last contacted her mother, so Emma was perplexed.

"I ran into her today."

"Shit."

"Yes. Exactly," she mumbled, polishing off the last of her brownie.

"How though? Where? She doesn't even live here."

Regina shrugged. "I guess she's in town for a meeting or something. I don't know. Robin and I were meeting with another one of the producers and someone from the network at the Ritz Carlton after we got done filming to discuss the promotional strategy for the show. And lo and behold, Mommy Dearest walks into the restaurant just as we walk out. I guess she's staying there for the time being."

"Shit," Emma repeated. "What did she say?"

"Oh, you know, just her usual passive aggressive comments and thinly-veiled threats."

"Did she notice…?" Emma started, glancing down to Regina's stomach.

The brunette had a noticeable baby bump, but had been doing her best to disguise it thus far in the pregnancy. She hadn't announced her pregnancy to the public yet, as she wanted to keep some elements of her life private for as long as she could. The local paparazzi and fans had been mostly leaving her alone since she was no longer on a show, and she didn't want to invite the added stress. Regina had all but taken a break from social media, deciding to make her Instagram comeback when it was time to promote Kitchen Masters later in the spring. But, Emma had continued to stay active, mostly to promote her dance work. She occasionally posted a photograph of Regina on her account, but she was always careful of the angle, avoiding any indications of Regina's baby bump. Regina had been able to easily cover up her growing baby bump with long Canada Goose parkas in the freezing Montréal winter while out in public, and she dressed in oversized layers when she knew she would have to be indoors without the protection of the fluffy coat. Chunky cable-knit tunics and sweater dresses had become her new favorites, along with loose oversized sweaters for more casual occasions. She didn't bother hiding the pregnancy during the filming of the episodes, though, as she would be nearly eight months pregnant by the time the show aired, and therefore there wasn't a reason to hide it on set. But, everyone involved with the show had been required to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement to ensure that they wouldn't leak the news. It was also a closed set, and there were very strict instructions about what the competitors, judges, and even Regina were allowed to photograph for the purposes of promoting the show later in the spring. They were under orders not to post anything prior to a certain date, as they wanted an air of mystery and intrigue. There was only three days of filming left, and it hadn't been a problem thus far. Everyone had been supportive yet appropriately disinterested in her pregnancy.

"I don't think she noticed…at least she didn't seem overly suspicious," Regina said, addressing Emma's implied question. She subconsciously brought a hand to her belly, flattening out the thick cream-colored turtleneck sweater dress and allowing the swell of her growing child show. "She commented on my weight and said I should lay off tasting everything the chefs on the show make because it's all high in fat, calories, and salt, and God forbid I should look puffy on camera. But that's nothing new. She's never not commented on my appearance or made some snide comment whenever I gain more than two or three pounds."

Emma let out a breath. "Well, that's good at least," she commented moving closer and pulling Regina in for a hug, kissing the top of her head. She could tell the woman was still stressed, so she rubbed her hands up and down her spine. "How'd it go otherwise? Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine, and it went exactly as you'd expect," Regina sighed as she pulled back from Emma's embrace. She at least felt a bit calmer, but she was still frustrated. "She was condescending as usual and seemed to know way too much about our show given that aside from announcing that I'm hosting a new cooking competition series, nothing has been mentioned in the media about it yet."

"Are you worried?"

Regina shrugged. "I'm not thrilled. I want to believe that her staying at the hotel where we were having a strategy meeting was simply coincidental, but when has anything with that woman ever been just a coincidence?"

"You don't honestly think she's planning something or is somehow manipulating some master plot, do you?" Emma asked, concern evident in her voice.

Regina shook her head as she went to the fridge and pulled out a bowl of strawberries, deciding that binging on brownies was probably not the answer to her stress. "The thought crossed my mind, but I don't see how she could be. I haven't talked to her in over a year, and she's not that connected. Her only connection to the industry is through me and Gold, and God knows I made sure he hasn't come anywhere near this. Before I signed on I did full recon on everyone involved in the production, and I had my lawyer do the same with the network before I signed the contract. He has no ties to anyone with the lifestyle network or the production studio, so we're in the clear there."

"That's good, then," Emma said.

"Yeah," Regina replied. "I'm sure she was just able to put two and two together. I mean, there were audition notices for the home chefs online, and there was the formal announcement that the show was picked up, which said that I'm hosting and Robin's judging, and that it'll air this summer, so it's not like it's been completely secretive. I'm sure as soon as she read of my involvement she started tracking it…ugh," she sighed. "I just need to forget about it. I'm sure everything's fine and I'm not going to let her stress me out. There's only a few days left of filming, including the finale, and it's been amazing. I'm not letting her ruin that for me. I want to enjoy what's left in case this is only a one-season show."

Emma smiled. "Good. I'm sure it'll be fine, and you should enjoy it. I can't wait to see it. You've put your heart and soul into this, so I'm sure it will be incredible."

"You're right. It'll all be fine," Regina nodded, hoping that her words were indeed true.

A/N: Has anyone else missed Cora? No, just me? Okay then. (I almost had her show up in the last chapter at the gala just for fun, but I decided to make it its own thing instead. It's been too long since she's poked her head where it doesn't belong, and I wanted to check in to make sure she was still alive and kicking and her usual potentially sketchy self.) Back to regularly scheduled programming this weekend.