The Road to Forever ~ The Sequel to Modern Fairytale

Cupcakes

April came to a close and May finally began. The weather was starting to turn from unbearably cold to pleasantly chill. The commuters and students had packed their winter coats away and were spotted strolling along the busy streets of Manhattan in light jackets and knitted sweaters. Before they knew it, even those would be put away to make room for tank tops and flip flops.

Regina's stress continued to build after that argument with Robin. He made more of an effort to be home in time for dinner a few nights a week and made sure to never forget to let her know if he wouldn't be making it home in time. She was thrilled that she finally got through to him and found that a lot of her anger with him had subsided and instead was replaced with worry.

She was worried about work, but that was a constant in her life. However, with an ever-growing clientele came an exuberant amount of weight placed on Regina's shoulders. She was overwhelmed with the needs of their children: Henry had grown another two inches and needed new pants, Roland needed help with his homework, Henry needed his permission slip signed in order to go on the museum trip next week, Roland needed that new toy he saw on that commercial yesterday. It didn't help at all that they disagreed on what they wanted for dinner every night.

On top of work, her children, and her lover's sporadic hours, now she had to worry about this pain she felt during her most intimate moments with Robin. They'd made love since the incident and Regina was discouraged when she found it was still present and only getting worse. She thought maybe it was the positions they chose or that she wasn't wet enough for him so she tried to correct those things without any luck. It was still the same pain every time. She researched online and tried to convince herself that it was psychological, but she knew better. Something was wrong with her body.

On the last day of Finals Week, Robin came home early to surprise Regina. He knew his absence was taking a toll on her so he decided he would be home for the kids when they returned from school and have dinner made by the time she was finished with work. The boys were thrilled to see him home and and working hard to tidy up the apartment. Regina tried her best to keep up with the laundry, but having a dirty eight year old and a smelly teenager was more than she could handle under stress. So Robin got started on the little boy's laundry and told Henry he needed to start keeping a schedule to do his own. He taught the teen how the washing machine worked and was relieved when he didn't protest.

With the clothes started, he noticed it was nearing five o'clock. He opened the fridge and saw chicken defrosting, realizing it was her intention to cook it when she came home. He took it upon himself to get creative and made a grilled chicken topped with sweet peppers and mozzarella cheese, drizzling a bit of balsamic vinegar on top. He paired it with a beautiful salad and completed his task just in time for her to walk through the door.

He noticed how heavy her steps were as she barely made it into the kitchen. She dropped her purse and keys on the table beside the door, struggling to pull off her heels to let her feet breathe. She looked overworked and exhausted, causing a feeling of guilt to erupt within him. He should have been more aware of the situation; he should have been there to help her.

She turned and noticed him watching her from the kitchen. She blinked her eyes, unsure if he was really there or if she was hallucinating. She checked the clock on the stove and realized she hadn't lost track of time, but that he really was home before her for once.

"Hello, my love. How was work?" He asked, leaning down to kiss her as she walked around the island.

"Long," was all she had the energy to say.