We Can Love Again

Caving In

When Robin saw Roland interact with the tiny beagle puppy, something instantly sparked inside of him. Seeing his child so full of life made him think about how happy it would make him if that puppy was his. Of course, this thought got bombarded quickly by one big roadblock- Regina.

Robin cursed himself for thinking such a thing, seeing it was only his first day at his new job. But he knew Roland would love having a pet dog, someone to always be there for him.

"Sorry little man, but I think it's time to say goodbye to Jupiter- Mom will be here soon to take you back home."

Upon hearing this, Roland gave him a pouted look. "But she'll be lonely without me..."

Robin gently lifted the puppy out of his hands. "I'll take care of her while I finish up some things here. Why don't you start tidying up the toys?"

The day had been quite slow for him. Only a few people came into the shop, most of them just to say hello and to wish him luck. For the most part, it was just him and Roland; he would watch his son run and chase the poor beagle until they would both fall short of breath. Seeing them both so active made Robin feel exhausted, yet it was a relief, almost like a weight lifted off his shoulders.

Then, he knew- Roland needed that puppy. He would just have to deal with how Regina would react to it. Pulling out his newly acquired flip phone, Robin attempted to put his little knowledge to use. He tried to remember what she had instructed him to do, but it proved to be difficult. There were so many different buttons. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he found the contact titled Regina and pressed it. There was a ringing sound that emitted from his phone for quite some time, making him think he had done something wrong. But Regina eventually picked up, and he could hear her voice from his phone.

"Robin? You figured it out!" She exclaimed, causing Robin to make a tenacious look.

"Of course I did, it wasn't that hard." Total lie, but he had to start somewhere.

She chuckled a bit; Robin could almost see her prideful expression. "Well, any reason for calling? Henry just now made it to Emma's. I was planning to drive over and get Roland in a few minutes."

He took a deep breath. If the question was going to be proposed, it was going to have to be then. "I just... I had a thought. Roland had a lot of fun today with the puppies, one in particular-"

"Oh no." Regina cut him off in an instant, sounding fearful, "you're not suggesting we get him a dog, are you?" She didn't wait for a response. "Robin, I know you're trying to good dad to him but I really don't think-"

"His party ended with Neal and Killian nearly starting a fight at Granny's. I feel really bad about that, because it made him sad."

There was silence on the other end. Regina let out a long sigh. "I'll be there as fast as I can. Just don't do anything before I get there, okay?"

Jupiter squirmed in his arms, aching to become free once again. "Alright. We'll both be here."

Regina really didn't tell him how to end calls, so he waited until he heard the line to dead to set his phone down. After setting the puppy back in her kennel, Robin began pacing anxiously around the store, trying to think about what he was going to say to Regina. He always hated to see her angry with him, mostly because of the sole fact that she was definitely not the person anyone would want on their bad side. She had been an evil queen for heavens sake, he knew exactly what she was capable of. Robin just prayed she wouldn't send him off to another realm for wanting to get their son a dog.

Then, he heard Roland's voice from the front entrance; he was talking so someone. Robin swore under his breath, wondering how Regina got there so fast. But, when he arrived at the front door, he was more than relieved to see it was only Will stopping by for a visit. He had Roland laughing and smiling faster than anyone else was capable to.