Comfort Food

Meeting the Parents

            Regina was usually a morning person. Even on the days when she didn't have to be at work, she tended to rise no later than nine. She would make herself breakfast and then decide what she was going to do with her day—even if she decided just wanted to lounge about in her pajamas.

This morning, though, she found it difficult to wake up before nine. She knew why at least, having gone to bed late after being at a wedding. It had been a fun—if emotional—night. And she didn't even know the bride!

Robin popped into her mind, dancing around in his tuxedo and spinning her around the floor. It was his smile that got her to finally push back to the blankets and get out of bed. He was picking her up at nine and she wasn't going to be late. She doubted his father liked to be kept waiting.

She frowned as she shrugged on a sweater to go over the sundress she chose to wear. Her interactions with George Locksley had been brief but already left a bad taste in her mouth. It hadn't helped that he spent most of the time berating his son for ending his relationship with Marian, last night's bride. And though Susan Locksley, Robin's mother, seemed nicer than her husband, Regina felt that she believed Robin's happiness lay only with Marian. Susan couldn't stop talking about the woman's merits and how she and Robin had been so perfect for each other. Breakfast, no doubt, was just going to be more of the same from both.

On the ride down to her lobby, Regina decided to be more of an optimist—just like Mary Margaret was always telling her to be. After all, George had specifically told Robin to bring her. Maybe they wanted to get to know her. Maybe she could convince them she was just as right for Robin as they believed Marian had been.

She opened the door to her building as Robin's forest green SUV pulled up to the curb. Regina opened the passenger side, hopping in. "Good morning," she said.

Regina turned her head to be greeted with a long kiss. She leaned into it, letting out a soft moan. When they broke, she licked her lips. "Well, that's a great way to start the morning."

"And I brought coffee." He held up a cup with her name on it. "I think I remembered how you like it. Skim milk with one sugar?"

She nodded taking a sip before looking at his. "Is there so much sugar in that it would make my teeth stand on edge?"

"I like sweet things." He winked at her before putting the car into drive. As he pulled away from the curb, Regina felt her cheeks heat up.

"No one's ever called me sweet. Would you really use that word to describe me?" she asked him.

"Well, it probably wouldn't be the first one."

"Then what would be?"

"Bold...Maybe audacious. No, wait." He glanced at her, smiling. "Stunning."

Her cheeks grew hotter. "You're just trying to flatter me."

"Maybe," he agreed. "You could be the serial killer, for all I know."

"Nope, pretty sure that's you."

He laughed before growing serious. "But I mean every word. You are all of those and more."

She was certain her face was on fire by now. "You are certainly smooth, Robin Locksley."

"You make it easy, Regina Mills." He chuckled. "But really, do you have any questions before we get there?"