Home Run

Chapter 1

Twenty eight year old Regina Mills was getting ready to take her six year old son Henry to his first t-ball practice of the season. Henry was ecstatic about being able to play again and meeting some new kids that didn't go to school with him. He was just like his mother in that sense, always meeting people. Regina Mills was an employee for the Make A Wish foundation in which she met with kids and their parents to give them the dream of a lifetime. She loved helping people and getting to know almost anyone she could.

Henry got dressed in his Nike knee length shorts and a t shirt that said 'Just Do It' on it before packing up his baseball bag that had his glove, bat, and helmet in it. He couldn't wait. "Mom!" He whined up the stairs. "You're taking forever!" Regina chuckled and walked down the stairs in her work outfit from today, black jeans with a red blouse and wedges. She didn't plan on staying at the practice so she would drop him off and come back. She didn't think she needed to be in 'baseball attire.'"Henry, we still have twenty minute before we have to be there," she informed. Henry frowned and grabbed his bag, putting it on his shoulders. "Can we go now?" He asked. Regina sighed. "I guess so. You'll just be early," she commented.

She led the young boy out of the beautiful white mansion and into the Black Range Rover, Rosaline as she had named it, in the garage. She closed Henry's door once he was in the back seat. She moved to the front and climbed into the car before driving off to the nearby public baseball fields.

"Mom, can we listen to Mumford & Sons?" Henry asked. Regina smiled proudly at her son for loving such good music and turned on the song 'I Will Wait.' Henry sang as Regina drove and helped him with the background singing. Regina lived for these moments with her handsome son. This was the kind of thing she used to do with her boyfriend, Daniel Colter, Henry's father, before he got a rare form of cancer and passed within a month of finding it. Regina was just pregnant with Henry when they found it. She missed Daniel like crazy but was happy he left her with the most wonderful thing he could have, Henry. She wanted to help children with cancer or other life threatening diseases get the trip of a lifetime so she applied for a job at Make A Wish and has been working there every since Henry was born.

They arrived at the field ten minutes before practice was to start, and just as Regina expected, no one was there yet except for the coach and what appeared to be maybe one other kid. Regina climbed out and helped Henry out before walking up to the field with him. She wouldn't lie, this coach was very attractive. She smiled and walked up to him. "Hi, you must be Coach Locksley," she said. The moment Coach Locksley opened his voice, Regina just about melted. He smiled, "Yes, ma'am. Robin Locksley, you can call me Robin," he said in a British accent. The accent. His body. His face. Regina was in love with everything about this man already. Snap out of it, Regina, she thought. "Alright, Robin," she said and smiled. "Um-... This is Henry, my son. Henry Mills. And I'm Regina Mills," she said. Robin smiled at her. "It's nice to meet you, Henry," he said and turned to the young boy. Henry smiled at Robin. "It's nice to meet you," he responded. Robin turned to the other boy there and smiled. "Roland, come here," he said. The boy, apparently named Roland, with brown curls and dimples runs over. "Yes, papa?" He asked. "This is Henry, your teammate. And his mom, Mrs. Regina," Robin informed. "Ms," she corrected. She didn't want Robin thinking for some reason that she was married. "Ms. Regina," Robin corrected and Roland smiled. "Nice to meet you," he said. "This is my son Roland. He's five," Robin said. Regina smiled at him. "You're adorable," she said. Roland smiled, showing off his dimples. "Thanks," he said. Robin chuckled. "You boys go throw," he said. Henry nodded and ran off to throw with his new found friend, Roland.

The baseball coach looked at his player's mother and smiled. "You might get a little bit of dirt on those nice shoes," he commented. Regina chuckled. "I'm not staying," she said. "Well, you should," he countered. "Give me one good reason." "Hmm... Because I want you to," he said. Regina blushed lightly. "I'll stay but only because it's an hour practice," she said and headed over to the bleachers to sit.

Many kids and their parents showed up and introduced themselves, but they didn't get nearly as much attention as Regina did. As practice began and Robin helped the kids with throwing and catching, he kept glancing over at Regina and smiling. Regina couldn't take her eyes off of him for most of the practice but every once in a while, she turned to look at something else so it wasn't too obvious. This was going to be a long season. After practice ended, Regina stood and walk over to the field. Henry ran over and hugged her with a smile. "Hi, buddy," she said. "Did you have fun?" "Yes ma'am," he said and smiled. Parents took their kids and left but Regina stayed and talked to Henry for a moment. Henry then ran to Roland and begin to talk with him.

Robin was cleaning up water bottles that the kids had left, and Regina walked over to help. "I bet you feel like a mother out here," she said and chuckled as she picked up two bottles. Robin smirked a bit. "Yes, I do. They'll learn to clean up by the end of the season," he said. Regina nodded and threw away the bottles. "It's going to be a good season," she said. "I can tell there will be a lot of home runs with this team," Robin added with a smile.