Authors note: This is my first story so please be kind. English is not my first language, and I don't have a beta, I apologize for any mistakes in the story. And believe it or not, I don't own anything! :(

Apparently, the people that live in Storybrooke do not need a curse to do the same things day after day. Every day is the same, with pretty much everyone starting the day with breakfast at Granny's and then leaving for work. All of them usually in the same place, gathering with the same people. This morning was no different, so as usual, the Charmings were all together having breakfast at their usual booth; it is "breakfast as a family" as Henry likes to call it.

But as much as everyone does the same thing every day, not many notice the woman sitting at the bar. Always there at the same time, always alone. Regina had always carried herself with elegancy, the proud figure of a true queen. But lately she is a completely different person, her presence a shadow of what it used to be. Who would have guess that all it would take to defeat the great and Evil Queen was a little boy? A little boy that she raised as her own and loved more than anything in the world. As much as everyone likes to forget about it, they all witnessed the transformation from Mayor to Mother, they all saw the smiles on BOTH of their faces, they all saw a happy child with a happy mother sharing snuggles and hugs and love, a lot of love.

Once again, the routine plays out, the new normal if you would. Henry gets up from the table, goes to the bar and orders yet another milkshake. While he is there, Regina approaches him "Hi sweetheart, how are you?" she asks, even though she wants to hug him, kiss his forehead and pull him into her arms like she used to do. But she knows he doesn't want that, and knows he will reject her, so she settles for small talk. "I´m ok" he answers uninterested, not even bothering to look her in the eyes. It's obvious it hurts her feelings, it shows in the tears that are welling up in her eyes, but she pushes through and tries to catch his interest. "Is everything ok with school? Do you need anything? I heard there is a new comic book of the ones that you like out, we could go and buy one…" but again he answers without looking up "No, it's alright, my mom will get one for me" and then he leaves her alone again. Like he didn't just crush her heart with one simple conversation. She stares after him, hopelessly for a minute, but then she sees the pity look Granny sends her way, so she shakes it off as much as she can, and leaves the restaurant.

Granny seems to be the only one that remembers how Henry and Regina used to be. She is conflicted, because she remembers the loving mother as much as the evil queen, so she doesn't know how to act. But the one thing she knows it's not right, is how that kid is treating Regina. It's almost as if he doesn't know her, like she is a stranger to him. That makes Granny angry, because she knows that the real problem between those two started when he found out he was adopted. It was not because of the book, nor was it because of her past. Henry just never came to terms in a healthy way with the fact that Regina hadn't given birth to him. It was painful to watch, because he was the one that pulled away. Emma thinks that Regina was never very loving with Henry, but it was the other way around. At the end, there is so much rejection a mother can take.

Granny noticed something was wrong with the queen, but she didn't worry much at first. But as the days went on, it was more and more obvious that Regina was far from fine. She goes in the restaurant, sits at the same stool, and orders the same breakfast. But it's been weeks since she ate it all, now she takes a few bites on a good day. So, when Granny notice the queen's wrist, and how thin she is, she decides that enough is enough and goes to talk to her.

"Regina, I am not going to let you leave this place until you finished at least half of that plate" Regina looks up with hollow look in her eyes, almost as if she is not even sure Granny is talking to her, and with surprise answers "Excuse me? Since when do you 'let me' do anything? Do you forget who I am? What I am capable of?" "Cut the sass kid, I know exactly who you are, and I mean every word I say. I'm not going to sit by as you waste into nothing, I'm going to make sure you keep on living long enough so that you can fix your relationship with your son". At those words, Regina's eyes tear up and she looks down desperately trying to not be seen by anyone, so Granny graves her hand gently and softly says "I know you are in a bad place, and I know you got yourself in it. But I also know how much you love Henry, and how good of a childhood you gave him. I don't agree with most of the things you have done in your life, but I think we both know you did right by Henry" Regina can't believe a word she is hearing, let alone the fact that somebody else is recognizing her place in Henry's life as his mother, so she just stares at Granny. "Look, I know we are not friends or anything, but if you ever need to talk, or if you need some advice on how to make the right calls for his sake, I am here. But don't forget he is just a kid, and he is a little overwhelm with everything that it's been happening, give him time and he will realize how much you mean to him and he will let you in again. Don't give up on him". And with that Granny leaves Regina to her breakfast.

It's weeks later that Regina finally approaches Granny. Everything was just too much for the queen, and she was desperate for somebody who would listen to her, anybody how would at least try to see things from her perspective. So, this morning Regina walks in the diner and goes directly to where Granny is standing "Can we talk please?" and when she notices the curious looks from the dwarfs she adds "In private". To that, Granny answers without looking surprise by the sudden appearance of the queen. "Sure, just wait till the rush hour finishes. Have some food while you are here".

When Granny finally has some time to rest, she motions to Regina to follow her to the office in the back. When the door is closed, she just looks at the queen, not saying anything, just waiting for her to start the conversation. But a conversation is not what comes out of Regina, instead she opens her mouth and a dry sob escapes. A broken sound from a soul that is just tired of dealing with everything. So, Granny does the only thing she can think of, and lets the queen cry her eyes out on her shoulder. The scene is heartbreaking, the mighty queen has fallen, once again robbed of the person she loves the most. After a few minutes, Regina calms herself enough to speak "I've been sending him text messages every day since he moved out, at first I asked him to have breakfast or lunch or dinner with me, but he always answered that he was busy, that that is his 'family time'" Granny expected rage to come out of the queen at those words, but she only saw hurt, a true mother hurting and longing for her son's love "so I changed my texts, and I invited him to just spend some time with me." The queen takes a shuddering breath and continuous looking down "he didn't even respond to those. Now I just send him good mornings and good night texts, telling him I love him every day, because even if he doesn't see me as his mother, he is still my son." Granny looks at the hurt expression on the woman in front of her and says "That is what you have to do, don't give up on him, and keep away from your dark past. Trust me, he will come around" "But what happens if he hates me for the rest of his life? How am I supposed to keep on living knowing that my own son hates me? How much longer do I have to look from afar as he plays with his 'real mother' and he's newly found grandparents when he doesn't even look me in the eyes when I greet him on the streets?" Regina starts crying again and in between sobs says "What's the point in living when I know he thinks his life is so much better now that I am not in it? He rejects me completely, he doesn't want anything to do with me" and she finally whispers, "I am sure he wouldn't care if I died anyways." After a few more minutes of crying, Regina looks up again, and says "I usually follow them when they go to the park or the beach. I can't help but worry whether he will be safe, so I follow them and stay far enough so that I don't even hear them, but close enough to see him smile. It hurts knowing how happy he is without me… but I would do anything for him, I am not going to put my happiness above his, so this morning I resigned myself to a lifetime of watching from a distance how my son grows up without me, to see him grow up without really being in his life. Because that is what he wants, so I am going to give it to him, even if it kills me to do it." Granny doesn't know how to answer her, because she is not sure if Henry will change his mind or not about the mother that raised him. So, she just stands there, being with this broken woman, thinking about all the times life has burned her and how much she has survived. Granny prays for Regina to have strength to survive this challenge, but most importantly, she prays for Henry to realize how much he is hurting Regina, and for him to notice how blind he is being if he really thinks he can live without his mother. Because for Granny that is what Regina is to Henry, and she knows that the kid thinks that too at the bottom of his heart, she is that boy's mother and nobody should take that away from her, not even 'the savior'.