Seventeen
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NAOMI LEANED AGAINST THE WALL of the mayor's office. Regina had asked her to watch Henry for a bit before dinner, but first the wanted to give him something: a gift. The teen waited by the door, watching from a few meters away.
Regina and Henry sat on the couch. Henry was holding a silver, metal box with a blue bow on the lid. "Go ahead, open it," Regina said, smiling.
Henry looked up, his face filled with slight skepticism. "What's the occasion?" He asked.
"The occasion is 'I love you'," his mother said simply. Naomi arched an eyebrow. Henry looked back down to the box.
"Go on."
Henry took the lid off the box, removed some wrapping paper, and revealed a game system. Regina smiled.
"Now, I know you miss your book, but now with this, you can do the heroics," she explained. "You can save the princesses. You can be the hero."
Naomi mentally face palmed. A bribe. That's what this was. A bribe. Henry stayed silent.
Regina sighed. "Henry, you have to believe me when I say I tore down the playground for your safety." She put a hand on his arm. "Please don't be mad at me. I didn't mean to destroy your book."
Henry put the game back into the box. "It's not just the book."
"Then what is it?" Regina asked softly.
"It's Emma," he answered. "I wanna see her."
Naomi sighed and glanced down. It'd been about two weeks since Emma had been restricted from seeing him. And since Regina now had Naomi watching him 24/7, it had been an awful two weeks.
During the morning, she drove Henry to school. When she drove, he always asked how Emma was doing. During the day while she was at work, she got just a little bit of freedom. Evenings, Regina usually had Naomi stay with Henry for half an hour or so until she came back for dinner.
And when Naomi went back home, Emma was always there to immediately ask how Henry had been that day. Naomi was growing sick of it.
The door opened next to her, and Kathryn stepped through. "Regina, do you-" Kathryn stopped once she saw Naomi and Henry.
"Oh, I'm sorry-" she quickly started to apologize.
"No, it's fine, Kathryn," Regina said as Henry put the lid back onto the box. She glanced to Naomi.
"How about Naomi takes you home, you can start your homework, and I'll be there in a few minutes for dinner?" She told Henry. He nodded And stood up, heading quickly out the door.
Naomi gave one last glance to Kathryn, who looked very upset. She gave her a small wave, which Kathryn returned, before following Henry out of the office.
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𝐅𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒 ➶
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