The next day, Regina’s eyes were puffy and red as a result of crying and the lack of sleep. Anny woke up jumping happily, asking for her father. Regina pretended that she was happy and told her that he would come soon to spend time with her and the girl didn't do anything else but waiting right in front of the door for him.
In less than thirty minutes they heard the doorbell and Anny run and opened the door. As soon as she saw her father, she jumped in his arms and buried her face on the crook of his neck.
Robin wasn't better himself. His eyes were red from crying and from the lack of sleep, but now they looked much worse. He didn’t have a peaceful night’s rest. Regina noticed that.
How could he? He had hurt the woman he loved, his soulmate. How could he be fine after this? Still, he hadn't regretted it. Regina had hurt him too. Taking herself away from him was not enough, she had took their daughter too.
After a big hug, Robin let Anny on her feet and asked her to get her coat cause he wanted to take her for a walk. Anny nodded and disappeared towards upstairs.
Then, they were left alone in silence. When Regina locked her gaze with his, Robin saw her puffy eyes and he felt a wave of guilt inside him because he had caused this. He didn't feel the urge to take her in his arms though. The old Robin would have already taken her in his arms and he would whisper sweet nonsense, in order to comfort her. But this Robin wasn't the same anymore. Now he was cold and kind of harsh. He wouldn't be touched so easily anymore.
Regina was looking at him without saying anything but her eyes were telling him everything.
Please forgive me, I love you.
That was what her eyes were eagerly telling him. But Robin just took his gaze away from her and looked towards the stairs, as Anny was walking them down.
He smiled at the sight of his beautiful daughter. Her long raven hair was matching perfectly the pink dress she was wearing today. She was a brunette angel.
Anny walked closer to her father with a smile and grabbed his hand, ready to leave. But then she looked at her mother and noticed that she wasn't ready to leave too.
''Mommy, go get your coat,'' she said happily. ''Daddy is going take us for a walk.''
Regina looked at Robin but he avoided her gaze. Of course he didn't want her to come with them.
''Honey, I have to stay here,'' she said sweetly and knelt in front of her daughter. Anny made a sad expression and pleaded her mother to go with them but Regina found a good excuse quickly. ''Mommy has to stay at home sweetheart.'' Regina tried again. ''I have to clean our home. It was closed for too long. You don't want any cockroach to come to you while you sleep, right?'' Regina said seriously. She knew her daughter was afraid of the cockroaches. She knew what was going to be Anny's answer, and it was exactly what she expected.
Her daughter flinched and made a sound like ''ewww'' and both adults laughed at the three year old kid's reaction. But when they looked at each other, they got serious again.
Regina cleared her throat, awkwardly putting a strand of her hair behind her ear and looked at him.
''You should go now,'' Regina said, looking at him in the eyes. No matter how much she tried, she couldn't prevent her voice from being cracked.
Anny looked at Robin and then at her mother with a questioning look on her face. ''Daddy, won't you kiss her for good day?'' she asked innocently without knowing the situation between them. ''Parents always do that when they have kids.''
Robin cleared his throat and approached Regina slowly. Her eyes widened and she looked at him because of his intentions to kiss her and she really couldn't believe that he wanted to do that.
Slowly Robin cupped her face and brought his lips on hers. Regina desperately gripped his jacket and brought him closer to her. Her lips were desperate against his and the tears were ready to run down her cheeks.
''This doesn't change anything between us. I’m doing this only for Anny,'' he whispered against her lips and Regina couldn't hold back her tears anymore, she murmured something like ''please'' but Robin turned his back quickly, took Anny in his arms and left, shutting the door behind him. And for once again, Regina was left alone with tears in her eyes.
Later at lunch, a knock on the door interrupted Regina's cleaning chores. She wanted to clean the house, take a shower and then find Henry. She desperately wanted to see her son. She had missed her little prince more than anything.
She quickly walked towards the door and opened it, then she was left speechless. A young man was in front of her, who had nothing to do with the Henry she knew three years ago. She looked at him and tears picked in her eyes.
''Henry,'' she whispered and she smiled sadly.
''Mom.'' Henry walked closer and hugged his mother as tight as he could with his own tears in his eyes. He was taller than she was. He had grown up so fast.
''Mom, I've missed you so much''
''I've missed you too baby.'' Although she noticed very well that her son was anything but the baby she had raised so many years ago, to her he was still her kid, her son , and she would always be his mother.
''Will you ever forgive me for leaving you?'' she cried and pulled him back, her thumbs caressing his face and she wiped his tears away. Henry brought his hands to her face and he did the same with his thumbs though Regina's tears wouldn't stop running down her cheeks.
''Mom, there is nothing to forgive. You were hurt and broken, I don't blame you,'' Henry said in a warm and understanding manner and Regina couldn't stop sobbing.
''Oh… Henry,'' she whispered and Henry circled his arms around her again. ''You have become a wonderful young man, I'm so proud of you.''
''It's because you have raised me well, mom,'' he said back and Regina buried her face in the crook of his neck. He was much taller than her indeed.
She couldn't believe how lucky she was, having a wonderful son like him. He didn't blame her, he was completely understanding and Regina couldn't thank him enough for this.
Henry took her hand and led her on the couch. He asked her to tell him everything about her life there, every single detail she wanted to share with him. And she did so, she told him everything.
''So, I have a little sister?'' Henry asked amused.
''Yes,'' she nodded.
''Where is she?'' Henry asked and that was the difficult part for Regina because she had to tell him about Robin and that was what hurt her the most.
''Mom, you can tell me anything,'' Henry said, not aware that he could make her feel better if she talked to him.
''She is with Robin,'' she answered, avoiding his gaze. ''Robin says he won’t forgive me, I kept Anny away from him for all those years,'' the words slipped out of her mouth and Henry's eyes widened.
''He said what??'' he asked again and Regina saw his fists clenched, and that was the first time she had seen Henry so angry.
''He is right,'' she breathed and took her son's hand on hers, caressing it in her effort to calm him down.
''No mom.'' Henry stood up and shouted. '' He is not right. This is his fault. He left you in the first place and now he wants to be the victim here?''
Regina was left speechless at the sight of how much Henry had grown up and how much he had changed.
A knock on the door interrupted them and Regina's heart started beating faster when she stood up and walked towards the door.
''It must be them,'' she whispered and looked at Henry, who seemed nervous about the meeting with his sister.
As soon as she opened the door, Anny jumped in her arms and immediately started talking about her day with her dad. She said he took her in the forest, then they went at the ''Old lady'' place and ate burgers and then cookies, and after that they went to the park.
Robin pushed his hands in his pockets awkwardly after he received a deadly gaze from Henry.
''I should go now,'' he said walking towards Anny and Regina, and kissed his daughter's temple.
''Daddy, where are you going? Won't you stay with us?'' she asked, making the atmosphere more awkward.
Regina took a deep breath and talked first. ''No honey, I'm sorry. Your dad has things to do but he will come for you tomorrow, right Robin?'' she faked a smile at him.
Robin nodded, faking a smile at Regina too and left as soon as he could, saying a goodbye to Henry without even looking at him.
Henry still couldn't stop looking at Robin without clenching his fists. Robin was the reason his mother left, he had hurt her, and he was still hurting her. He knew Robin had been through too much, he was understanding to that but he couldn't forgive him for hurting his mother like this.
As soon as Robin left, Anny continued telling her mother about her day with Robin, but her gaze fell to Henry and her small features frowned slightly. Henry smiled at her and started walking closer.
''Mommy, who is he?'' she asked looking at Regina.
''Anny, I've told you to be more polite, honey,'' Regina scolded her daughter.
Anny immediately apologized to Henry, and Henry looked at his mother with a gaze of nostalgia. She was telling him exactly the same thing when he was a kid.
''Anny, this is Henry,'' Regina announced. ''Do you remember when I told you that mommy raised a kid some years ago?''
''The one who didn't come from your belly but from another woman's?'' she asked Regina.
''Yes, honey.''
''But you are still his mom, right?'' Anny asked. Regina had told her, a mother is not always the woman who gives birth to a child. A mother is sometimes the one who loves, cares for and protects a child.
Regina nodded and indicated Henry. ''This kid is Henry, honey,'' she said smiling.
''So, he is my brother?? '' Anny asked amused. Regina nodded and let Anny slip away from her arms.
''Hey, Anny.'' Henry smiled and walked closer.
Anny gave him one of those perfect smiles, showing him her beautiful dimples. When Henry dropped to his knees in front of her, Anny ran and jumped in her brother's arms. Henry held her close and Anny couldn't stop telling him about her friends and how she was jealous of them when they had siblings. Though, now she wasn't jealous anymore because she had a brother ''so big'' (spreading her arms as much as she could, explaining how much older her brother was).
Regina couldn't stop smiling when she saw the way Henry was looking at Anny when she was talking, how his gaze was showing so much attention to her, as if she was saying the most serious thing in the world.
The three of them spent the night together. Regina cooked pizza as both of her kids loved it, and when Anny feel asleep in Henry's lap, tears ran down her cheeks, watching Henry caringly tucking Anny in her bed.
Now the only person she missed was her Robin, the one to sleep with in her big bed.
She might be grateful for Henry and Anny, and how her son was taking care of her little daughter, but the other half of her heart was with Robin, suffering because of his absence.