The Road to Forever ~ The Sequel to Modern Fairytale

Why Do You Leave The Door Open?

The Thanksgiving festivities went on as normal, Robin feeling a bit shaken after the topic of marriage took him by surprise. He watched as Regina spoke with her friends, taking a moment to sit with Mr. Gold and thank him, no doubt, for everything he'd done for the couple with the move to the new apartment. She seemed to be in good spirits, completely unfazed by the idea that the entire building expected the announcement of a marriage proposal.

Robin, on the other hand, couldn't stop thinking about it since Emma brought it up. It was interesting to him that his lover never mentioned it to him or even tried to push the issue after all they'd been through together that year. He wondered if she felt the way he did, if she understood that marriage wasn't necessary for them. But what if she didn't feel that way? Of course, Regina had been engaged once, but she'd never been married. Perhaps it was something she wanted and even expected in her relationship with him. The uncertainty he felt throughout the rest of the feast was closing in on him, clouding his thoughts and making it damn near impossible to appreciate what he already had in front of him.

They returned to the apartment after assisting with the clean up of the potluck. Robin helped Roland get ready for bed while Henry and Grace retired to the teenager's bedroom. Regina went to the kitchen to clean the plates she'd brought to the feast, completely empty and practically licked dry. It made her proud that hers were the dishes that never left evidence that there had been anything on them at all. When she was through with the dishes, she went to Roland's room to find him already fast asleep, worn out from his busy evening of adventure with the Nolan twins. She smiled as she watched his chest rise and fall at a steady rhythm and admired the way his dimples poked out amongst the blankets pulled to his chin and various stuffed animals cuddled close to him. She shut the lights and closed the door gently behind her before she made her way down the hall. She stopped at Henry's room and heard the two teens giggling together on the other side. She sighed, but it was immediately followed by a smirk, happy that her son was happy and able to spend time with his girlfriend for the holidays. She turned and entered the master bedroom, closing and locking the door before making her way into the walk-in closet to fetch her pajamas. She didn't know why she bothered with getting into them at all when she knew they'd end up scattered on the floor the moment she crawled into bed beside her lover. She chuckled under her breath at the thought, realizing that it was part of the fun and anticipation of being with him.

She emerged from the closet and was about to enter the bathroom when she noticed the way Robin was sitting on the edge of the bed. She stared at him briefly, observing his body language for a hint at what was on his mind. His shoulders were tense, his elbows leaning against his knees as he held his head in the palms of his hands. She didn't move closer to him, but kept her eyes locked on his figure when she asked, "What's the matter?"

He kept his focus on the floor. She shook her head and went into the bathroom, calling out to him from inside, "Is it your stomach? I noticed you enjoyed Emma's cornbread a little too much tonight and I don't remember you taking your pill before we left."

Again, he didn't speak. She brushed her teeth and wondered what could possibly be bothering him. It was actually a pleasant evening spent with friends. No one was at each other's throats and she was sure Robin hadn't spoken a word to Graham the entire evening and vice versa. She sat down on the toilet to pee as she continued to think. The door remained open as she thought to herself.

She finally looked up when she heard Robin speak from the door frame, "Why do you leave the door open?"

She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, "What do you mean?"