The Life We Will Fight For

Cora

She placed her hand on his, unable to take her eyes off him, smiling. Once more, she shook her head in disbelief.

„I can't believe it", she whispered, „My sweet, little Roland... You're really here! I thought I'd never see you again. You know, you look just like him... your father."

The young man sighed, lowering his gaze. Through the years and decades, he had learned to live with it, but in his heart, it still hurt.

„Something I hear fairly often", he replied, „And it is an honor."

„How did you, I mean... I never really got to speak with you after your father... passed away. And then... you were gone."

„I know. Leaving was never my wish, please don't ever think that it was."

„I know!", she replied, nodding, while gently squeezing his hand, „I knew you wouldn't..."

„It was just... I was just so... lost and confused, and... the Merry Men, they made it sound like it was for the best. It's what my father would have wanted."

„Yeah", she sighed, „You know, maybe... maybe it would have been. Who knows. I'm pretty sure he'd have wanted you to grow up in the forest, that's true. And not in... Storybrooke, Maine."

„I think he'd have wanted you to come with us though."

„Possibly. But... I think he also knew that I couldn't have come even if you asked me to. I mean, I was thinking about it for a second, I'm not gonna lie. But the thing is... I'm just not a forest gal, you know? And Henry was still young, he was in school... Our life was here. I'm sorry..."

„Oh no, don't be! Not once have I wondered why you didn't join us. I think... even if it was hard, it was best the way it had gone. Storybrooke was always difficult for me. There were happy days for sure, but most of the time..."

„Oh...", she scoffed and took a sip of her tea, „tell me about it... Please, Roland, you really don't need to apologize. I was just always worried that I wasn't there to help you. We were both mourning, we could have been there for each other. And it drove me insane... not knowing how you were holding up."

He nodded, understanding.

„So how... how did you cope?", she asked carefully.

„Oh well", he sighed, „I'd probably be lying if I said it was okay. I lost my mother... twice, then shortly after I lost my father, and then somehow I lost you too. But what can I say? Had to pull through somehow."

„Right. I was just worried that, you know... I know all too well, better than most people probably, how pain and anger can fester inside your heart and change you... make you bitter, drive you to become a person you were never meant to be. I would have loved to be there with you and guide you, keep this from happening, but... when you were gone, all I could do was hope and think of you. Send you... positive energy or whatever. And after a while, once I never heard of you again, I could at least find some solace in the thought that that most likely meant that you found peace, somehow... somewhere."

„I did. When living with the Merry Men, there isn't much time for grief or worries of any kind other than figuring out how to survive the next day. And not long after, I met my best friend. Until, well...", he looked over to his wife who was carrying their son on her lap who had fallen asleep. Liliana smiled back at him.

Regina smiled, feeling a warmth inside her heart. „Sometimes friendship can turn into something more over time, am I right?"

She placed her hand on Killian's that was gently resting on her slightly swollen stomach. The pirate had not left her side, overjoyed by being reunited with his love, his fiancée, and by the news she had given him. He couldn't wait to hug and kiss her, to celebrate and be alone with her, but he also understood that she hadn't seen her stepson in even much much longer than him.