The Secrets Her Heart Keeps

Chapter Five

After more rides, games, and junk food down at the Santa Monica Pier, they had to rush back to the hotel room, so they could shower and change for their three o'clock appointment at The Los Angeles Film School.

The three of them walked the campus, inside and out while peeking into classrooms and admiring the beautiful scenery. If she's being completely honest with herself, the school did not hold Henry's interest. She and Emma made sure they took some brochures home with them, but Henry just tossed the pamphlets on the seat beside him on their way home, never once taking a gander at them.

"May I ask what it was about that school that you didn't particularly care for?" Regina inquires, setting a water down in front of her son as they gather around the small kitchen table.

"I don't know..." he trails off, glaring at the different brochures laid out in front of him with such disdain. "It just didn't feel right."

"Well, that's okay, maybe you will like one of these," Emma cheerfully concludes as she steals a pamphlet out from under him. "How many schools did you book appointments for?"

"Four, we can always schedule more if they don't meet your criteria," she recommends, scrutinizing as Henry's face drains from all color, leaving behind an ashen sickly hue to his cheeks.

"Mom, every school you picked out is at least forty grand a year, that's insane."

"Not every school," she lamely protests, her fingers snatching up the pamphlet she knows is far cheaper than the rest. "University of California Los Angeles, this is a wonderful art school with film as well and it's around twenty-three thousand a year. Besides, there's no need for you to fret over money," she assures him with a confident smile, but he's not returning the gesture.

"Seriously Henry, please don't worry about money," Emma urges, gently resting her hand upon his shoulder, but the anxiety knotting his tense posture is far too obvious to ignore. "Between your mom and I, we can cover this."

"The first curse really out shined itself in the wealth department," she chuckles to help ease her son's apprehension about the situation. "I don't pay a mortgage, or a car payment, we don't travel, I promise money is not an issue, my dear."

"I guess," he shrugs, expressing how he doesn't believe a word either of his mothers are feeding him.

"Please, hold back some of your enthusiasm," his blonde mother remarks playfully. "Come on kid, this is your dream! Cali, film school, this is what you've been talking about for a while now."

"Maybe something's missing," he confesses, his lips pressing firmly together as his mind tries to sort out his feelings. "Maybe this..." his words trail off into an oblivion where she and Emma are banned from, never allowed to see their son's true emotions and anguish. "Maybe I'm just feeling overwhelmed. I think I'm going to head into my room and relax."

"By relax, you mean call Violet," Emma lightly teases in an attempt to blow away the dark storm cloud hovering over their son.

"Yup, exactly," Henry grumbles under his breath before he treks into his room with heavy feet and an even heavier heart.

Once his door slams shut, Emma slouches back against her chair and fiddles with the corner of a brochure. "What the hell is his problem? We had so much fun all day."

"Something has been off with him for a while now. Every time we discuss his future he shuts down, clams up and becomes very defensive," Regina explains.

Emma sighs heavily, slumping even further into her chair as she absorbs the information Regina just handed her.

As of lately, Henry's been sleeping at Regina's house more often than he did a year or two ago. After everything she went through with Robin in the beginning of their relationship, and Henry had showed up at her door, demanding that she stop hiding out and that he actually missed her, she and Emma have shared custody with Henry ever since. There was never a set schedule in place, wherever Henry wanted to sleep was fine by them, they never commented or made a fuss because they wanted what was best for him. For the most part, he would always spend three days with Emma and then three days with Regina and he would just continue this cycle.