The Nanny

Be Mine, Valentine

"Are you sure you can handle this, Daddy?" Regina asked as she helped her father into his coat.

Henry chuckled. "It's only across the street, Regina. I think I can make it there and back with no problems. Especially with two beautiful escorts."

"Aww, I love it when he butters us up," Emma replied, buttoning her coat. She held out her arm to Henry. "You ready?"

"I am." He took Emma's arm before taking Regina's. "Lead the way, ladies."

Together, the three of the them exited the apartment building and crossed the street to Granny's diner. Its lights shone in the dark night like a beacon welcoming them home and Regina could already smell one of the woman's famous burgers. Her stomach rumbled.

As they entered the diner, the bell over the door summoned Granny to greet them. She hugged Regina. "Happy early birthday!"

"Thank you, Granny." Regina squeezed her before letting go. "I couldn't break with tradition."

Granny chuckled. "Of course not. I even saved your booth for you. Come with me."

She led them to the booth next to the middle window, the one that had the best view of the street outside. Regina had always loved people watching from Granny's diner, imagining the lives of the people of Storybrooke.

Once they were seated, Granny handed them menus. "I don't know why. You all are just going to get the same things," she said.

"You never know," Emma replied, opening her menu. "One of us might surprise you."

Granny hummed. "I doubt it. But if anyone will, my money's on you."

Emma beamed as the older woman walked away. Regina shook her head, turning her focus onto her father. "What do you want, Daddy?"

"I don't know," he replied. "I'm not very hungry. The chemo has once again robbed me of any appetite."

"You have to eat something," she told him.

"You can't let the cancer win," Cora said, sickeningly sweet. "Of course it did finally get rid of that pudge I always complained about."

Regina's stomach dropped as she looked up to see her mother standing next to their table. She looked out of place in the predominantly working class eatery, wearing a mink stole and gaudy but no doubt expensive jewelry.

Henry gave her a disgusted look. "Glad to see you're still passive-aggressive, Cora."

"I could say the same about you," she snapped.

Emma glared at her. "What are you doing here?"

"Celebrating my daughter's birthday," she replied. "I figured Robin gave her Sundays off, just like Will, and that she would then want to celebrate with you tonight. I chanced that she would still have a fondness for this grease trap."

Granny approached them, frowning. "Cora, I thought I'd never see you again. Someone up there must hate me."

"Granny! Shouldn't you have retired and moved to Florida with all the other old people waiting to die?" Venom dripped from Cora's words though she kept the fake smile pasted on her face.

"Mother, enough." Regina slid out of the booth and took Cora by the arm, dragging her toward the counter.

"Regina, darling, stop being so rude. You're making a scene." Cora pulled her arm from Regina's grasp and fixed her stole.