Comfort Food

The Cowgirl and the Astronaut

The last warm days of summer gave way to the first crisp days of autumn as October started, bringing with it days where one started wearing warm clothing but shedding to lighter ones by the afternoon. It brought a city awash in brightly colored foliage as pumpkins began to make their appearances everywhere.

It also brought Robin and Regina's four month anniversary.

"You are going to celebrate it, right?" Mary Margaret asked as she placed Regina's latte on her desk.

Regina raised an eyebrow. "Do I have to? Doesn't that seem like something you stop doing once you graduate high school?"

"Regina," Mary Margaret sighed. "I know you have some romance in you somewhere."

"Of course I do. It's just past high school drama and into romantic comedy territory."

Mary Margaret laughed. "Fine. Especially because that includes going to parties together as a couple."

"We have done that," Regina replied, confused until it dawned on her. "Is that a segue to a certain annual invitation?"

"Oh, yes." Mary Margaret placed a piece of paper down on Regina's desk. "It's time for David's and my annual Halloween party. This year's theme is Disney couples."

Regina leaned back in her chair, smirking. "Anything to break out the Snow White costume, huh?"

"It's my favorite," Mary Margaret admitted. "And people still talk about the year you showed up as the Evil Queen. It was perfect."

"I could pull it out of storage again."

"And what? Have Robin go as the Huntsman? They weren't much of a couple."

Regina shrugged. "Depends on how you look at it."

"Regina..."

Holding up her hand, Regina smiled. "Relax. Robin already knows what he wants us to go as. And I have strong suspicion that it'll fit your theme."

"That's great! I can't wait to see you two then." Mary Margaret excused herself, leaving Regina's office.

Once the door closed, Regina leaned back in her chair as her eyes swept over her desk. She wasn't one for personal knick-knacks on her desk and that had extended to photographs. Except for one, now sitting in a stylish black frame next to her computer monitor. It held a beautiful black and white photograph, showing her in a ball gown wrapped in the arms of a handsome tuxedo-clad man.

She picked it up and smiled. The photograph had arrived a few weeks ago with a note from Tink, Marian's wedding photographer. She had taken it at the reception, a quiet moment between Regina and Robin after deciding to make their relationship official. Regina was glad she had kept her promise to send a copy and immediately decided to keep it on her desk, so she could look at Robin whenever she wanted.

They had made it the entire summer and now into the fall. Given her past relationships, that was a huge accomplishment but at the same time it didn't seem special, like she expected to do this. Because Robin was different. He was kind and seemed willing to do anything to make her smile. She found herself wanting to do the same, loving the dimples that his smile revealed. And if that meant making a fool of herself sometimes...well, she found Robin was worth it.

Like the last weekend of summer, when they had gone to her friend Kathryn's barbeque. With Kathryn's permission, they had invited some of Robin's friends and they convinced Regina into a water balloon fight. She was a thirty-something year old woman, an award-winning ad executive and she had ran around her best friend's yard tossing balloons at supposedly grown men. It had been the best time she had had in a long time. Especially when Robin had tackled her, sending them both into the kiddie pool they had set up. They had sat in the water, cuddling until Kathryn told Will to dump them out, smiling the entire time as she teased Regina.