I sat in a booth across from Henry while we had a hot chocolate with whipped cream and cinnamon on top and a medium pizza to split. I heard the bell jingle, but I didn't raise my eyes, not bothering to think that it was Regina walking through that door. I heard a soft gasp emit from Henry's mouth and Henry began to look nervous. I raised a brow. "Henry, what's wrong?" I asked him. His eyes were shifting from me to something behind me and I turned my head to spot Regina, speaking to the waitress, Ruby. I froze in my seat when she turned and her eyes landed on us.
She bared some of her teeth and approached us. Henry scooted back until he was sitting next to the wall, while I stayed in place. Regina crossed her arms over her chest, glowering at Henry. "What is the meaning of this Henry? I thought you and I were having dinner here tonight," she said, her tone borderlining pissed. "There was no mention of Miss Swan joining us." I cleared my throat and she turned her gaze towards me. People had begun to look over their shoulders at us, and my cheeks turned a pale pink at the thought that this looked somewhat like a marital dispute.
I licked my lips and she raised a brow at me. "Regina-" She interrupted me before I could continue.
"I told you to never call me that again, Miss Swan," she growled. I cleared my throat and glanced at Henry, who started to scoot out of the booth. "Where do you think you're going, young man? Sit back down." Henry sat on the edge of his seat and looked nervous to speak up.
"I have to go to the bathroom," he replied calmly. Regina's face softened and she nodded her head, allowing him to pass her. She glared at me, still towering over me.
"Why are you here with my son?" she asked rudely. I squinted my eyes up at her, not willing to be intimidated in front of people, even if I didn't exactly know them.
"I wasn't aware that you'd be here either, Madame Mayor. Henry got ahold of me and asked if I would pick him up after school from your house. When I objected, he said that he was told by you that it was okay. I didn't think I'd have to call and ask you, especially when you make it very obvious that you don't want to see me. I'm just trying to spend some time with my kid...and frankly, I don't give a damn if you don't like it." Regina's eyes darkened and she cleared her throat, her nails digging into her palm. "And people are beginning to stare." Regina turned her head, and everyone went back to eating their meals in silence, trying to catch a smidget of the conversation.
She rolled her shoulders back and sat down across from me. She clasped her hands together, clearly pissed. "Miss Swan, I did not tell Henry that it was okay for him to go with you. In fact, he never asked. He knows better, Miss Swan, and I don't like it when someone encourages this horrible behaviour." This lady really knew how to push my buttons. It took everything that I had not to slam my hand into the table.
"Look, Miss Mills, I don't know where the hell you get the idea that I'm encouraging this kind of "behaviour" out of Henry, and honestly, it just pisses me off to be accused of such things. I told Henry no and he said that it was okay with you. I was under the impression that maybe your cold heart had finally warmed up to me, or that you had come to terms with the fact that I wasn't going anywhere until I got to spend some time with Henry. Clearly that isn't the case." I got up and dropped a twenty dollar bill on the table in front of her. "And thanks for making Granny kick me out this afternoon, it was great." I turned and walked out, the bell jingling as I threw open the door.
I crossed my arms over my chest and walked over to my little yellow bug, that still had the boot on it's front tire. I slid into the drivers' seat and turned the car on, trying to keep warm. I felt hot tears fall down my face and I brought my face down to rest in my hands. I started to shake from the crying and I wiped my face, sniffling, but that wasn't the end of the crying. I just leaned my forehead against the steering wheel while I cried. A knock at the window caught my attention and I turned my gaze to see Ruby outside without a coat.
