Cursed Hearts

The Cost of a Secret

Regina couldn't keep her eyes off the front door.

With every second that ticked by, her worries grew stronger and stronger. She just wanted her daughter to come back, for the last twenty-four hours of their lives to have never happened. There was an ache in her chest, a twisted, heavy knot that she recognized all too well. Regina hated herself for letting things spiral out of her control; she did that with Owen what seemed like centuries ago, and she even did that with her own son. It alarmed her, this strange connection to her former self. After everything she had endured though, with Robin and with herself, she thought she had left the last traces of that Regina behind.

"Regina, if you continue to stare at that door any longer, it'll probably burst into flames."

Turning her head towards her husband, Regina realized there were tears pooled in her eyes.

"I just... I want her back. I want her in my arms, Robin."

Seeing her distress automatically softened his emotions. Walking over towards her, he gently encased her in his arms and pulled her close.

"I know. And she will come back- she loves you."

Regina allowed herself to loosen up in his arms, though her nerves were serving as an electric current throughout her body.

"But that doesn't change the fact that I messed up," she stated bluntly, a tear trailing down her cheek, "it's my fault that this has gone as far as it did. I should've spent more time with her instead of getting my job back. If I would've known she was spending so much time with that woman..."

"Regina, stop that. This has nothing to do with you. And this woman... She seems alright. I think she's just trying to be nice to Caroline."

Letting her tears soak into the fabric of Robin's shirt, Regina tightened her grip around him. "She's our age! I get it if she gave her a tiny bit of pity, but not like this. I don't feel right about this at all."

When Robin didn't respond, she assumed it meant he felt the same way.

"We should've went with her, why didn't we? She's out there somewhere. And the earrings... That can't be a coincidence." The last words lowered her voice as if they had fallen down a sharp cliff. Her eyes connected with her husband's in search for confirmation. In the ten years they had been married, all of their decisions had been mutual.

His face set in perplexity, Robin took a few moments before providing an answer.

"Uh..."

"Are you saying Caroline is in trouble?" The voice of their fifteen year old intervened from the top of the staircase.

Both Robin and Regina swirled around, completely off guard. Neither of them knew who was going to take charge of the upcoming conversation.

"No, your sister is not in trouble." Robin finally answered, before the silence became too unbearable. "We're just... Discussing the gift Zelena got her, that's all."

Remaining on the top of the staircase, Roland did not seem impressed with his father's answer.

"You seem to forget that I've been here the entire day. After you forgot about me at Granny's, Will had to drive me home because Henry left with Grace." He paused, a teenage glint of betrayal in his eyes. "I heard you two chewing her out- I heard the whole thing. Why does it matter if some lady with an English accent gave her some earrings?"

Regina drew in an uneasy breath. Battling with two out of three kids wasn't what she was expecting to accomplish on the date of her daughter's birthday party.