The Road to Forever ~ The Sequel to Modern Fairytale

A Family Affair

The beginning of April arrived before they knew it which meant Regina was busy planning Henry's 15th birthday. Her son never liked making a fuss about his birthday, but she always made a point of throwing him a celebration. As he got older, she stopped having parties for his friends, but she took it upon herself to make a big lasagna and invite the family over to honor her Little Prince.

"That's a lot of food for just us and your mum," Robin commented as he entered the kitchen that evening.

"Robin, sit down," she said, causing him to feel anxious about what he was about to hear next.

Regina liked getting a head start on cooking, especially when it came to her lasagna. She knew she wouldn't have enough time to put it together by Saturday, so she decided to stay up late Friday night and she would just reheat it the next day. With the boys finally in bed, she thought it would be the best opportunity for her to tell him.

"Oh geez, Regina, just tell me who else is coming instead of making this into some dramatic event," he begged.

"Hey, that's not fair. This is a really big deal for me and Henry," she snapped back.

He sighed, "I'm sorry, love. You just make me nervous when you do this."

She rolled her eyes and chose to ignore his comment. She took his hands in hers and looked into his eyes, "Cora isn't Henry's only grandparent. Daniel's parents are still alive and they come to visit for his birthday every year."

"Well, I think that's wonderful," Robin said and he watched as Regina finally exhaled with relief. He chuckled and kissed her knuckles, "How did you think I would react?"

"I'm not sure, but it's certainly not going to be easy having them here. I'm the mother of their only grandchild and now I'm seeing someone who isn't Daniel. I guess I'm more nervous about how they will react to meeting you."

"I'm sure it will be difficult for them at first, but as you always say, I'm quite the charmer. They'll see Henry is in good hands and be grateful for that because they'll know that's what Daniel would want," he said softly.

Regina nodded and smiled, thankful for being with someone as understanding as Robin. She turned to continue cooking the lasagna when he added, "I just wish you'd given me more notice."

She whipped her head up and looked at him. He wasn't joking. Robin was completely serious. He was upset with her. Her initial reaction was to freak out, but she took a deep breath and got back to cooking. She needed to remain calm in order for this to be a civil conversation that didn't end up waking their children.

"Regina, I don't mean to make you angry. I just hope you can understand where I'm coming from. If I hadn't commented on the amount of food you're cooking, would you have told me at all or sprung them on me?"

She went to answer him, but realized exactly where he was coming from. What was wrong with her? How could she forget to mention Daniel's parents to him until that moment? It wasn't fair to spring it on him like that. Her shoulders fell in defeat, giving him all the answer he needed.

"I just thought you'd have a bit more respect for me than this," he said as he stood from the stool and began heading toward the hall.

"Robin," she called after him.

He turned and sighed, "It's disappointing, but it's not something we can change. It's okay, Regina. Finish what you're doing and we can talk about it later."