The Other Swan Sister: The Sequel

Chapter 2

"Your house is beautiful." You admire it as you step into the foyer.
"Thank you." She gives a tight smile, clearly not wanting the pleasantries. "How would you like a glass of the best apple cider you've ever had?" She asks, relaxing the mood slightly.
"That sounds lovely." You chuckle slightly.
"What is your name, dear?"
"Oh, uh- Ivy." You forget it briefly as your eyes meet hers.
"Ivy."
"And your's is Regina?" She looks surprised for a moment. "I heard Emma say, earlier." You clarify.
"Miss Mills is preferred." She softly shakes her hair. "It seems Miss Swan always has had an issue with respect." She mutters, before finally reaching the kitchen, you're close behind. "So, I presume Henry has told you that I am the not-so-popular mother." She says it casually though you can tell it stings.
"No, he didn't, actually." You lie. It seems like the woman needs it. "And I presume that is far from true."
"You do?" She passes you a glass of cider and you mutter a thank you.
"I mean, you're his mother." You shrug. "You love him. Besides, I could tell how upset you were." You suddenly feel guilty. "I'm sorry for not being able to let you know. I did ask him what your number was but he never- he didn't know it." You attempt to console the woman's opinion of you.
She sips her drink for a moment, watching you intently.
You feel insecure under her dark stare.
"How do you know Miss Swan?" She investigates.
"Oh." You chuckle. "She's my sister."
Regina's knuckles clench around her glass for a brief moment and as she sees you notice she relaxes.
"I had no idea Mary-Margaret and David had another daughter." She grins a little too wide.
It's fake.
"Well, I don't really see them all that often, I assume that's why." You smile, though it's uncomfortable.
"Yes I'm sure that's why, dear." She busies herself, fiddling around with her bowl of pristine red apples.
"Those apple's look amazing." You change the subject.
"Would you like one?" She offers you.
"Oh- no thank you." You shake your head. "They're just so shiny and red. How do you find them like that?" You admire the almost shimmering bowl of fruit.
"I have an apple tree that grows the best apples in the world." She smiles.
"And that's what makes the cider too?" You smile back.
"It does indeed."
"I'm sure you're popular then." You assume a beautiful woman like this, with all this skill and wealth, would be the talk of the town.
"I would seem you're a bad judge of character, dear." She becomes uptight.
"Maybe everyone else is the bad judge of character." You quip back, taking her by surprise.
She watches you once again, a slightly more pleasant look on her face this time.
She inhales deeply.
"Am I going to have any trouble with you?"
"Trouble?" You practically choke on your drink. "What do you mean?"
"My son, Henry, seems quite infatuated with you and I can only hope that you will not encourage this endeavour any further." It's like being in court or something. All you can do is stare blankly. Your heart pounds in your chest but you cannot understand why. "And from what I have discovered of your family over time, it seems you enjoy taking a liberty to make my life harder. Can I trust that you do not intend to do so, Miss Swan?"
"That's the last thing I want to do." You frown at this woman.
Who hurt her?
"I appreciate that." She nods. "Now, what exactly did my son say to you?"
You tell her every detail.
From how he knocked on the door to how you rang Emma in disbelief... all leading up to this point.
"I see." She nods. "He seems to think you are a necessary part of this town."
"He said I would look at you and remember a life of memories- or something." You blush, though you desperately try not to.
She merely frowns and blinks at you, as if she's trying to see if he's right.
"Are you planning on staying in town?"
You hadn't even considered it.
But it's not like you have anywhere to go back to, now.
Maybe you'll spend the time visiting your parents.
"I might take a couple days to catch up with my parents." You shrug and she continues to look at you blankly. "But no, I'm not planing on staying."
"Very well." She nods pleasantly.
That was clearly the answer she wanted.
You admire her for a moment, taking in her dark beauty as she looks at yourself across the counter.
"Regina." You hear a male voice call out.
Of course, she's married.
You quickly look down at her fingers and notice no ring.
Perfect.
Wait.
What?
No.
Just because she's hot doesn't mean you can go there.
She's definitely straight.
A straight up bitch, nevertheless.
"In here Graham." Her eyes never left your face.
You blush, she probably noticed you looking for a ring.
Hopefully not.
"Oh-" he stops as he enters the room, watching you.
"Graham, this is Ivy. She's just visiting."
"Hi." You shake his hand.
His eyes shift as he shakes your hand, as if he's nervous.
Maybe Regina had words with him, just as she did Emma.
"Yes, what is it Graham?" Regina snaps him out of his stare.
"Oh- uh, Henry's upstairs in bed." He blushes. "He's knocked out. Probably super tired from his journey."
"Thank you, deputy." She smiles and dismisses him.
Deputy?
And no kiss as he leaves?
Maybe they're not together...
Who cares... oh my god.
"Thank you for this evening, Regina." You smile as she walks you to the door.
"Please, call me Mayor Mills." She smiles.
What?
"Uh- okay, Mayor Mills." You frown. She's a funny woman, this one. "I didn't know you were the Mayor." You smile at her.
"You assume I wasn't because I'm a woman?" She starts.
"No. Of course not." You protest, to her surprise. "I've just never seen a Mayor who's so..." you shouldn't have said that out loud.
Fuck.
"So, what, dear?" She waits with an eyebrow raised.
You try desperately to think of something else.
This is gonna be embarrassing.
"Beautiful." You finally blurt.
She looks at you wide-eyed.
That is not what she expected.
You've rendered her speechless for the first time in, probably, her whole life.
"Thanks again for the drink, Mayor Mills." You thank her once again as she stands in the doorway.
Once you finally walk away she snaps out of it and waves politically before abruptly shutting the door behind her.
This town is weird as hell.
But kinda fun.

What you didn't notice, that is, was Henry watching and listening from his bedroom window.
Grinning to himself as he watches his story come to life.