But leaving her son was horrible of her–especially without at least a goodbye. Or letting Rumpelstiltskin think she was kidnapped when she could have just told him or at least left a note.
I agree that it’s horrible, but I think it’s in character for her. For years, she’d been telling Rumpel — and probably the rest of the town, given that they all picked on him — that it’s better to die than to run away. Then she had a chance to run away, and she needed a cover story.