We Can Love Again

Talk of an Adventure

Two months later...

When Regina went outside to go grocery shopping, she was greeted by an empty driveway. Confused, she glanced at it for a moment, as if thinking it could magically appear again. Then she turned around and walked back towards the front door, keys in and hand purse over her shoulder.

"Where's the car?" She asked Robin, who was occupied with the task of helping Roland with his breakfast while trying to feed Caroline.

"Oh, it needed an oil change, remember?" He replied over his shoulder.

Regina made a face. "No it doesn't. The oil light would be on if it needed a change," she argued, watching him balance their daughter in one arm with practiced skill.

To further her confusion, Robin let out a sly smile. "I think you're forgetting, dear. I told you it needed one last week."

Knowing arguing would get her nowhere, Regina simply sighed and placed her purse back on the table. "Well boys, it looks like we're not having pancakes for breakfast."

That resulted in two simultaneous groans from the boys as they swirled around the milk in their cereal bowls.

"Something to be ready for next time," Robin added encouragingly, just as Caroline began to fuss in his arms. "Now Roland, think you can make your sister happy?"

The five year old perked up when he heard his name. His father lowered the baby down to his level, where Roland stuck his tongue out at her, shaking his head side to side. He was used to doing this- it never failed to make his little sister laugh. And, after a few seconds, it did.

"You're a lifesaver, little man!" Robin exclaimed, making Roland beam with an unquenchable success.

"Such a good big brother," Regina chimed in, just as the doorbell rang.

She had no idea who could possibly want to visit any of them so early.

"Rumple... Uh, come in." She said, almost rendered speechless when she saw the dark one standing at her doorstep. He accepted the offer, and suddenly the Hood-Mills family breakfast had become awkwardly silent.

"My apologies for taking so long to get this finished," Rumple began, pulling out a small box from his pocket, "but here it is. I thought you'd want it sooner rather than later."

Regina's eyes widened slightly as he opened the box, revealing a pair of turquoise earrings, ones made for a tiny person.

"I thought she could use something that would be difficult to take off, so her magic stays non threatening to others. But if you don't want to get her ears pierced, I made one into a rattle and another into a soother."

All the two parents could do was stare back at him in awe. It was a lot of information to take in at once; Regina never expected her old mentor to put so much time and effort into the endeavor.

"We didn't discuss getting her ears priced, but..." She began, giving Robin a look. He simply shrugged back at her, giving all the permission to her.

"It wouldn't hurt her, right? Using magic?"

Rumple shook his head. "I'll be honest, I've never attempted anything like this before, let alone on an infant. But she really shouldn't feel anything except a little pinch."

Regina wasn't about to lie to herself; she was beyond nervous when Rumple closed his eyes and lifted his hands up towards their child. But, once the purple smoke cleared, she let out a breath of relief when she saw her daughter was perfectly fine, now with blue earrings on both of her itty bitty ears.