We Can Love Again

The New You

"Alright Roland, you be on your best behavior," Regina told the boy, "Emma's going to be here any moment."

She hastily slipped his t shirt over his small head as he wiggled around blindly. She was making a habit of waking up late; it wasn't a good thing at all.

"Why do you always have to go?" Roland asked his mother with troubled eyes.

Regina sensed the pain in his voice, and suddenly felt extremely sorrowful for him. "Roland, these couple days have just been really busy. I have to finish changing up you and Henry's room, help Belle out with work stuff, and now I have to worry about this baby." She started fiddling with his hair to try and make him look presentable. "I promise we'll have lots of time to be a family soon. But right now mommy's going to the store to get some new clothes."

Roland still seemed down, but he nodded and let her help him with his Velcro shoes.

"So no more being mayor, mom?" Henry asked, coming down the flight of stairs, a toothbrush in his hand, "no more stuck up clothes?"

Regina rolled her eyes. "Don't say that just yet, I could be back in office by the time the baby is born."

Before he could say anything in return, a car honked outside. Henry raced for the door, leaving his toothbrush on the kitchen counter.

"Come on Roland, we gotta go!" He shouted from halfway down the walkway, "Emma's waiting!"

The boy looked at Regina with big brown eyes and threw his arms around her neck. "Bye mommy!"

She hugged him back, finding it hard to keep a smile off her face. "Bye Roland- you be good."

With that, he bounded off towards the door where Emma's yellow bug sat in front of her house. Regina followed him, staying inside the doorway and waving at the blonde, watching her buckle her four year old son into the new car seat in the back- something she had convinced her to get when she bought one for her Mercedes. Just as the yellow bug drove off, a red corvette came slamming to a stop outside her house. Ruby emerged from the small vehicle and waved a friendly hello to her, gesturing for her to get in.

Regina sighed- she knew she was going to have to remain positive about the ordeal no matter what happened. It was going to be one interesting afternoon.

Quickly grabbing her purse, Regina made it across her front lawn and into the passenger side of her car. "You ready to do some intense shopping?" Ruby asked, rather excitedly.

Regina managed a quick smile. "Guess so, where are we going?"

"Oh just a few of my favorite stores here, the only real fashion stores here in Storybrooke." She said, switching her gearshift into drive and pressing her foot down on the gas pedal. Regina clutched her purse tightly to her chest as the red car drove along the street.

"It's a residential area," Regina told her nervously, "Miss Swan is still somewhere around here- probably be best to slow down, don't you think?"

Ruby rolled her eyes. "Relax Regina, I know what I'm doing. I can drive."

She then preceded to pull out a tube of red lipstick from the mess beside her and apply it to her lips. The queen glanced at her little glass wolf figurine that hung from her rearview mirror as it swung anxiously back and forth. Three minutes into her adventure and Regina was already beyond done.

"So... How have you been?" Regina asked, trying desperately to keep her composure in the crowded car. There was a strange music playing through her radio- Taylor Swift, Britney Spears? Regina never really bothered to pay attention to music on the radio.