Regina walked along the boardwalk in Camden. She had driven straight there from Storybrooke, never intending to go very far. She had checked into a hotel and had stayed in the room that day alone with her thoughts.
She couldn't really say why she had left Storybrooke, only that she needed to get out. A month ago she felt like her life was in complete order but now she felt like she had lost control. A month ago she had been happy that she had repaired her relationship with Henry. The people in the town, while many would never be friendly to her, they at least weren't treating her like a pariah. Then there was Emma.
The woman she had once tried to force out of her town and life had somehow become a friend.
Then that damn parent-teacher conference happened.
She still didn't understand what went wrong exactly. At first she thought she had unknowingly insulted Emma and her sexuality. But it was more than that and it took Regina's mind to thoughts she didn't want to deal with.
When she saw Emma yesterday morning coming down from what was clearly Ruby's place she felt like the world had stopped, even if it was only for a few seconds. Suddenly Regina was thinking what it would be like sharing Henry not only with Emma but Emma and Ruby or whoever she chose to be with.
She took a seat on a bench to look out at water and a coastline very similar to Storybrooke and she felt a little homesick. What was she doing here? She had essentially abandoned her son without warning. Yes she hadn't meant to be gone long but she worried often of doing something that would cost her Henry again.
"Excuse me ma'am."
She looked up to see an older gentleman probably in his 80s. He walked with a cane and looked to weigh about 100 pounds.
"Do you mind if I sit?"
"Of course," she said fearing the might collapse if he didn't sit. She slid over to the side more. He sat down, positioned his cane between his legs and with both hands perched on top of it he leaned forward a bit.
"I come here to this bench every day," he said. "I met my wife Karen just over there." He pointed to a spot by the pier. "We were married for 59 of the best years. She passed two years ago."
"I'm sorry," she said.
"Thank you. Karen, she loved to come down here so that is why I come here and sit on this bench. A lot more tourists now than when we were starting out. But I like to come here and not just watch the water and remember my wife, but to watch the people. Every once in a while I see a couple who reminds me of me and Karen. That look of true love is unmistakable."
"Now I come here today and I see a young, beautiful woman who looks like she is one of the pieces of driftwood that floats on the currents until it finds the shore. Only one thing puts a look like that on a pretty young thing like you - a lost love. Am I right?"
She gave him a half smile. "I lost the love of my life when I was younger, a teenager still. His name was Daniel."
"That is a tough loss at such a young age."
"Yes it was."
"Were you thinking about him before I interrupted?"
"No."
"But you were thinking of someone?"
"Yes. A friend, well we were friends I think. To be honest I am not sure."
"Did you have a falling out?"
"Yes, it was ... I don't know. Emma is hard to read sometimes. Her casualness at times throws me off because it wasn't that long ago that we hated each other so now I can't always understand if she means something different when she says something. It is frustrating beyond belief."
"Have you told her this?"
"No. I mean ... I would like a clear definition of our relationship and I don't think that is too much to ask for?"
"Have you asked her for this definition you are looking for?"
"No."
"Why not?"
Regina couldn't think of what to say.
"Let me ask you this ... sorry, I never probably introduced myself. I am Frank."
"Regina."
"Good to meet you Regina. Now like I was about to ask, what do you think is the definition of your relationship with this Emma?"
"Well it is complicated."
"Most great relationships are. When I met Karen she actually wasn't from here. She was visiting with family over the summer. She was from Ohio. We spent the summer seeing as much as we could of each other. I wasn't even from here just stationed up at the naval base. We wrote letters to each other for a year but it seemed like that was all it would be. I got injured in an accident. Had to take a medical discharge. I had spent my whole youth drifting, even in the navy where I was drifting literally. I got out and I hitchhiked to Ohio, knocked on her door told her I fully intended on marrying her but I wasn't going to officially ask for her hand until I showed I was committed. I got a job with her cousin on a farm. Two years later I asked for her hand. That's not to say it was easy from there on out, but complications aren't a barrier in a relationship unless you decide not to find away around them."
"I think our situation is a little different. We share a son. Emma is Henry's birth mother and she gave him up. I adopted him and I raised him until he was 10 until one night there was Emma on my doorstep. Henry and I had been having a rough time and he sought her out.
"Despite saying she didn't want to stick around or be a part of Henry's life which I was thankful for, she ended up staying. We butted heads constantly and her family, well I had a history with her parents which weren't pleasant. It was my fault but still. Then Henry was kidnapped and Emma and I had to work together to get him back and things started to change. Then slowly she and I weren't butting heads we were ... friends."
"But something happened to change that recently I take it?"
"Our son got this crazy notion that my relationship with Emma was more than just friendship. I thought we should sit down with him and talk to him like adults. And so we were discussing how to address this and I think I said something that made her mad and she stormed out saying maybe we should restrict our relationship to town business and our son. She can be a little hot headed at times so I thought she would cool down after a few days and we would talk again but that didn't happen. Next thing I know she is dating anyone with two legs and yesterday ... yesterday I saw her coming out of the home of a woman who she had gone on some dates with and ...I don't know."
Frank laughed, "Sorry," he said after seeing the look on her face. "I stand by initial assessment of you. But tell me Regina when did you figure out you were in love with this Emma?"
She opened her mouth and then closed it. She turned and looked back at the ocean.
"Based on your reaction I am going to guess you figured it out in the last 30 seconds or so," he said laughing again.