FUTURE TED: "Kids, in the summer of 2011, after I had just broken up with Zoe, I tried to stay out of the dating scene for a while, and started to focus on building the new GNB building."

SON:"Dad, for the love of God, we have been sitting on this couch for what feels like 10 years. Please, please get to the part where you meet Mum. I don't think I can sit here for much longer."

DAUGHTER: "I know! I haven't updated my Facebook status in like 4 hours."

FUTURE TED:"Kids, this is where the story gets interesting, not long to go, promise."

I sat at the desk behind the lounge watching Wheel of Fortune pondering on my concept for the new GNB building. I waited for a distraction, I had to get out of the house, it had been a week since Zoe and I had ended things and it was the day before my first day at GNB. As I reached for the remote my phone rang, it was Robin. I picked it up.

"Robin! Hey, everything okay?"
Robin had finally become excited about her job, and it wasn't like her to call from work.
She waited before she replied, almost hesitating. "What are you doing for lunch, I'm in the mood for tacos. Wanna catch up?"
Finally, the break I had been waiting for. "Sure, meet you out front of McLarens; we'll go to that Mexican place around the corner. See you soon."
"See you."
This isn't like Robin, I was anxious to find out what was wrong, it was obvious something was.

As Ted waited out the front of McLarens he threw around assumptions in his head about Robin. By the time her cab pulled up he was stumped. All Ted wanted to do was get the information out of Robin's mouth. He knew how tense she becomes in situations like this. But maybe he was overreacting. Maybe Robin was just having a really bad day.
As Robin slowly stepped out of the cab after passing the payment over the backseat to the driver, she looked at Ted and her lip shook.
Ted leaped for her, like she was falling; he grabbed her and gripped onto her, Ted was soon coming to the assumption something was wrong, he wasn't a hundred percent sure until Robin let out a wail and, struggling to speak.
"Ted, I h-h-have to tell y-you something, I c-c-can't handle not telling you."
"Come upstairs." Ted said turning, literally forcing Robin up the stairs.

As Ted sat Robin on the couch he asked her what was wrong.
Robin wiped the mascara from under her eye and managed to quietly clear her throat.
"Remember a while ago; it was a couple of weeks before Barney and Marshall found Jessica..."
Ted, looking confused, asked, "Jessica?"
"Glitter." Robin answered, reminding Ted of how much he had missed the previous year.
Ted urged her to go on.
"…Well, I got a phone call from my mother. She told me that they found something on her X-ray that morning."
Ted thought of the worst.
"Ted, my mum has cancer."

Robin started balling.