We Can Love Again

One Big Happy Family

She hadn't realized how much she had missed out on Snow's infamous Thanksgiving dinners. It didn't take long for everyone to show up; they all came in with smiling faces, all bringing some sort of food item with them. The last time Regina had been inside Snow's apartment, it had been when she had just found out about her baby dying. Then, everything about the home felt solemn and empty. But now, it was quite the opposite. Laughs and lightweight conversations filled the air, people were chatting away on empty stomachs, eagerly awaiting the delicious meal they all knew was on the way.

Both of Regina's children got the day off from school, and Robin easily kept the closed sign on the front doors of the animal shelter. She couldn't persuade Roland to leave his puppy behind at the house, so she reluctantly agreed to bring the beagle with them.

"There's a lot of people here, Mommy." Roland remarked, clutching her hand as they began slipping past the crowds.

"I know. We have a big family, don't we?"

The citizens of Storybrooke had always irritated her in the most subtle of ways, how they all adored Snow White and Prince Charming. Though now, Regina understood why they loved them- they were completely selfless, friendly to everyone, and full of such comfort and solace. They really did deserve the kingdom.

"Hey Mom, did you make some of your food for dinner?" Henry asked, smiling when he saw her.

His mother nodded. "Granny and I made apple turnovers for dessert," she told him, with a flash of pride.

"Awesome!" He beamed, reaching out to hug her. "I missed you. Mom, Killian and I have been thanking of game ideas all weekend."

It was then she realized how tall he was getting.

"That's great! Are you having fun?"

Henry gave her a pointed look. "Of course I am! Oh, Dad, Killian's looking for you. He said something about... Beer pong?"

The mention of it made Robin's attention snap back into focus. "I completely forgot we were doing that," he remarked, "will you be okay Roland?"

The boy nodded, already scanning the room for his best friend.

"Be careful," Regina told him, giving him a dubious look. Robin left in pursuit for the pirate, and Roland quickly went off once he found Alex. That left Regina and Henry both stranded amongst the sea of familiar faces. But it didn't last for long, not if Charming had anything to do with it. He introduced the both of them to a young couple with matching smiles on their faces, Jack and Jill. They were both more than interested to hear the story on how the once evil queen transformed into a caring mother.

Regina was never the most sociable girl; her mother had made sure to hinder her interaction with children her age as much as possible. She enjoyed getting to know people who were actually interested in what she had to say, but it happened so little it was a struggle to know what to say. Thankfully, Henry helped her out as much as he could. And after a few minutes of chatting, unbelievably, Regina could say without a doubt that she had made two new friends.

"Do you think Will is here? Ruby invited him." Henry asked, a sly smile on his face.

"Well, if she invited him, he'll be here alright. Why don't you start looking around?"

With a nod, Henry was soon swallowed up by the sea of people around them. On the far side of the apartment, David, Killian, and Robin were carefully aligning plastic cups in a large triangle, all of them filled about halfway with beer.

"We're gonna need one more person if we're going to play..." Charming stated, sweeping the room for second before spotting his grandson.

"Henry! Get over here; we need one more player if we're going to play!"