Regina knocked on the door of the apartment. It had been three days after Cora's death, and she was still putting the pieces back together. Today was going to be a huge step in the right direction.

The door opened and Snow's face appeared in the gap.

"I'm here to pick up Henry," Regina told her.

"Mom!"

Snow swung the door open wider as Henry came running toward her and hugged her. Regina embraced him happily.

"You have your things?" she asked, still holding him.

"Yeah."

"Well, go get them."

He released her to run for his bag.

Regina straightened as Emma walked over to join Mary Margaret. "I'll have him back in time for dinner on Sunday," she said.

Emma nodded and smiled. "Enjoy your weekend."

Regina looked up at Snow who stood with her arms folded. She was leaning against the kitchen counter, looking off in the distance.

"Maybe … next week … we could get coffee sometime."

Snow unfolded her arms and smiled. "Sure," she said. "I'd like that."

Regina still held reservations about Snow, but she was trying to mend her broken relationships. And her relationship with Snow was going to take some work. Now was as good a time as any to start.

Regina took Henry out to the stables. Archie had encouraged her to try old hobbies, and she was nervous. But Henry was quite excited to learn how to ride, and she was hoping his enthusiasm might rub off on her.

Regina fixed the bridle over the horse's mouth. It surprised her how well she remembered everything, despite having not ridden in years. Henry hovered beside her, bouncing on his heels in anticipation while she explained her riding experiences as a young girl.

"Are you and Archie dating?" he asked suddenly.

"What? Who told you that?" she demanded.

"I overheard Emma and Mary Margaret talking," he said.

Regina sighed. She was tempted to be angry with Emma and Snow, but she knew how devious Henry could be when he was trying to find something. "Would you mind if we were?" she asked, still fixing the bridle.

"I think you'd be good for each other," he admitted.

Regina took some comfort in that thought. But things were complicated right now. And she didn't have any answers to give Henry.

And then, as though on cue, there were footsteps. Regina looked up to see Archie walking toward them. She felt a pang in her chest, uncertain how this conversation was going to go.

Henry held no reservations, however. He ran out to greet Archie, who embraced him.

"Hey, Henry!" he said, holding the boy tightly. "Do you mind if I talk with your mom for a second?"

"Sure!"

Henry went running back to Regina, who was making sure the horse was properly tied while she stepped away. She moved Henry to the edge of the stall and asked him to stay while she talked with Archie. The two of them walked a couple stalls over. Henry was still in sight, leaning against the stall door and kicking absentmindedly in the dirt, but hopefully he'd be out of earshot.

"I-I want to apologize," said Archie. "Had I realized I'd be taking time away from you and Henry, I wouldn't have-"

"It's all right," she told him.

He nodded and looked over at Henry before returning his gaze to her. "You've been avoiding me." He wasn't accusatory. It was just a statement, like he understood this was just something she did when she came under pressure.

"I killed my own mother," she told him. "I didn't think that was something a conscious would approve of."

"No," he said, sliding his hands into his pockets. "But you know I'm more complicated than that. And I don't think I'm one to be lecturing you on morality." He stepped closer to her. "I got involved with one of my patients - the Evil Queen on top of all of that, and all the terrible things that go with it."

"You never saw me as that," she said simply.

He shook his head. "Not when you started coming to see me. I saw another woman, one who wanted to be so much more than what she used to be." He stepped toward her and took her face into his hands. "And she was beautiful."

Regina smiled at him, but she stepped away and glanced over at Henry, who she saw had been watching them closely before turning back to kick at the dirt.

"I can't be your psychologist anymore."

She turned back to him. "What?"

"Ethically," he told her. "I can't continue to do it."

"But what if I need help?" she asked him. "What if I slip up or-?"

He gently laid his hands on her arms. "I will always be here to help you," he said. "But I have to choose between the two, and I think I can be there for you better as a boyfriend than a doctor."

She smiled at him. "You want to date me?"

He looked into her face, leaning toward her. "Someday, you are going to realize that no matter how far you run from me, I will always coming running after you, as long as you want me."

She sighed and let her forehead rest against his, giving into the warmth and comfort of his arms. She'd been worried the events of the past couple days had turned him against her, and it was clear to her now those worries had been unfounded. But she was still uncertain about a few things. "What about Henry?"

"I think he's rather fond of the idea, don't you?"

They turned to look at Henry, who quickly went back to acting like he wasn't watching.

She turned back him. "I can't give up magic," she said, voicing the last barrier she felt hung between them. It wasn't that she found it too hard to do so. It was just that she realized magic could be useful - as it had been the past few days. And she couldn't see herself refusing to use it in times when the situation called for it. It just wasn't practical.

"I don't believe magic is inherently evil," he told her. "It all depends on how it's used. And we can work on finding that balance together."

She smiled again, and then she kissed him because there was really nothing left to speak on. She let him wrap his arms around her, and she brought her hands around his neck to pull him closer, not minding at all if Henry was watching. And judging by the laughter she heard, he was.

She didn't pull away immediately, wanting to soak in the moment - the warmth of his arms, the passion of his kiss, and the most wonderful feeling spreading through her - a feeling she hadn't experienced in a long time.

"You have any reservations," she asked when they finally parted, their faces still close together. "About calling me your girlfriend around town?"

He shook his head, his nose brushing hers. "Not at all. People will warm up to you, and if they don't, we have each other."

She kissed him again, briefly. "Why don't you get a horse and join Henry and I out on the field?"

He smiled. "I'd love to."

She left him to join Henry. She didn't comment to the boy about the large grin on his face because she was wearing was one as well.

She helped Henry onto the horse and climbed on behind him. As she rode from the stall and turned to look at the spot she and Archie had been standing in, she recognized that feeling in her chest. And she knew she had fallen in love again, and she'd done so in the exact same spot Daniel had told her to give love another try.

The coming weeks and months wouldn't be easy. There was still a lot she needed to work on and figure out. But she had Archie and Henry, and they'd work through it together.