Summer Interludes
Chapter 1
Late August, 4 months before Grace is born
The Storybrooke Harvest Fair was a modest thing compared to the Maine State Fair, but Regina thought, she guaranteed this town's was better run. Regina and Robin were walking to the show pavilion with their kids. There was a dog show Roland and Henry liked to see every year. She felt a bit self-conscious now that her "baby bump" was so visible. Maternity clothes were a necessity now, not even her pajamas fit anymore. She felt unattractive, but apparently Robin didn't think so. He took pictures of her almost every day or got Henry to. Their excuse was they were figuring out all the 'neat things" the camera could do that Henry got on his fourteenth birthday. Regina was worried that Roland would be envious of yet another new family member on the way. No signs of it yet though. Beyond Roland's curiosity about Regina's pregnancy, he was more excited to be starting first grade soon- getting to be at school "all day" like Henry and his cousin Matthew. Hope had apparently decided this week she hated the stroller. She would throw a tantrum if she was put in it, so Robin was carrying her in a baby carrier on his back. Hope was now fast asleep, with a hand clutching Robin's shirt. Even with the noise of the fair hadn't woken her.
"Regina! Going to the dog show?" Snow joined them. David was close behind, pushing Neal's stroller.
"Yes."
Snow smiled "This will be Neal's first time seeing it. He loves dogs. We're keeping the apartment to be close to work; but we've saved enough money up to buy a house. I think we'll get Neal a dog once we've moved in. It's not as big as your house, but it has three bedrooms."
"Are you thinking of having another child?"
"No, Neal's enough. The third bedroom is just going to be a guest room."
"Or maybe a home office? I have one, you know. It does have its uses."
Snow nodded thoughtfully. I could do lesson plans in there when Neal gets older."
"It gets pretty noisy once they start running around."
"And you'll be adding to that soon." Snow chuckled.
"And I have no illusions about girls being any quieter than boys. I certainly wasn't when I was small."
"Nor was I, as you well remember."
"You were a noisy and nosey brat." Regina smirked. If she only thought about her annoyance with Snow as a child those memories weren't as awful as the other things and what came after she'd had the mental break…
"I truly was." Snow smiled, looking straight into Regina's eyes. "How are you feeling?"
"A bit strange, seeing most people smiling at me, and quite a few actually coming up and asking about the baby."
"Hope no one is just coming up and putting their hands on your 'baby bump'."
"They still seem to have enough fear not to do that. Only small children do, and I don't mind that."
"Good. I think it was people doing that to me, when I was pregnant with Neal that made me see some sense in making people a bit afraid of you." Snow laughed.
"So that far back? I only noticed it after our misadventure with Isaac's book."
"You've forgotten the first time I was temporary mayor."
"Oh yes." Regina laughed, "I heard about how you told Granny and Leroy to 'get a flashlight' during the power outage."
"Not my finest hour." Snow said ruefully.
"But they knew you were no pushover anymore after that, so…" Regina smirked.
"There is that." Snow smiled.
Regina rested her hand on her baby bump, and leaned against Robin's shoulder after they sat down to watch the dog show. She was enjoying the pregnancy now. The wonder of feeling the baby moving inside her womb, feeling so blessed that this little miracle happened. It may be just this one time, but everyone seemed to share in the joy about the baby coming. No, she wouldn't throw any kind of showy party when the baby was born. Just a welcome to the family celebration at home. No princess naming party for her, same as Hope. Although Hope's party was a bit delayed…
Robin grinned watching Roland and his niece and nephew in the first row along with Henry and his girlfriend Violet. The older two were trying to act like they were grown up, too old to "act like kids" but the longer the show went on, the more the teenagers forgot to act "grown up". Roland, Matthew and Roberta were cheering and clapping excitedly at each trick the dogs performed uninhibited.
Robin glanced at his sister Rowena, sitting directly behind the children with her reunited first love, Wilfred. It had been a bit more than a month since the long lost couple was reunited; but Rowena was already holding hands and laying her head against Wilfred's shoulder. Robin suspected a wedding wouldn't be far off. Matthew and Roberta had adjusted fairly well to Wilfred; he genuinely cared for them and showed it, like Robin had with Henry. Wilfred asked how to let Rowena's children know he was there for them, however they felt comfortable seeing him. Robin told him to say he wasn't there to replace their father, and they could ask him any questions. It also helped, in some ways, that Wilfred and Stan had been friends back in the Enchanted Forest.
Robin still dreaded driving that great behemoth Regina called a SUV. He'd driven them to the fairgrounds with near white knuckles. The further along her pregnancy went the more awkward driving was getting. The Mercedes had a better layout for her driving comfort. So they'd kept it after all for her drives to and from work, but when the family went anywhere the SUV was better. Soon it'd be a necessity, with two infants and their car seats. Regina had first taught him to drive with the Mercedes, and that was difficult enough to master. Henry called the vehicles the tank and the minitank. During the time he was learning to drive, Emma had once showed him how to drive her "bug". The small car had been far easier to manage. He'd seen other smaller cars including at the Park Ranger's station where he was considering applying for work.
Regina had been the one to suggest it when he'd spoken about working somewhere in Storybrooke. He'd be in the forest he still loved several days a week. He'd toured the station and walked the trails and could feel a sense of rightness. The fact the rangers rode horses on the job also leant to its appeal. He was strongly considering applying there soon. The small cars that were used in small areas were called Jeeps. He'd looked one over and it looked far more manageable than either of the family cars. Perhaps if he got the job he could drive it to and from work like David sometimes did the sheriff's police car.
Regina assured him he'd eventually get used to driving the SUV. But Robin knew it'd be some time yet.
"Just think, Regina, the next time you run for re-election both the babies will be toddlers. That will be so adorable in the campaign brochures. Maybe you should do a TV ad." Snow enthused.
Regina grimaced. She hated campaign ads. She'd never done one on purpose. Brochures were enough. Albert had done a god awful TV ad last election, probably another reason she'd so soundly defeated him, beside the fact very few people in Storybrooke could stand the man. No, she'd do no TV ads. But Snow did have a point about the picture…Regina made a mental note to remember to do a family picture for the brochure.
She'd only started doing brochures for the last campaign, two years ago. She'd defiantly used a picture of Henry and her; despite the fact the Charmings were then rarely allowing her to see her son. Things had gotten much better since then. Now no one argued that she was Henry's primary parent. Henry had made that plain to Emma and his grandparents once the second curse broke. It had caused Henry to have some resentment toward Emma for a while. He and Emma repaired the rift since, but Henry still preferred staying with his primary family.
That had only strengthened once Roland and Robin were back. Henry genuinely liked Robin and had just recently told Robin outright he was a father figure to him. Henry also loved being Roland's big brother and Roland absolutely adored Henry. Henry even liked Hope, though she could be a very fussy baby at times, and Henry was a teenager now. Henry had complained about baby Neal's loud crying when he came back home. She'd worried he'd be equally annoyed by Hope, because babies cry a lot. Probably helped that Hope's bedroom was on the opposite side of the hall from Henry's room. He could close his door and Regina made sure she closed Hope's bedroom door when she went in there, so did Robin. Roland was the one who occasionally complained about Hope crying too much, but as Hope had started sleeping a more regular schedule her brother's annoyance had lessened.
Rowena cuddled in a bit closer to Wilfred. The children were fascinated by the dog show, so she didn't feel so self-conscious about being affectionate in public. Wilfred couldn't be much more different than Stan if he'd tried. She'd stopped believing in true love for all but a lucky few when her marriage had turned into a disappointment after Roberta was born. Finally she'd had enough of Stan being this drunk and miserable lump beside her and asked for a divorce. Stan hadn't protested; he'd agreed to the divorce and moved out. She knew he was even worse with his drinking now. It made her sad and angry. But since Wilfred had come into her life and she'd been reunited with her older brother Robin, some joy had come back into her life.
Her sister-in-law Regina had also been a pleasant surprise. Like everyone else she knew Regina had been the Evil Queen. She'd watched the unexpected romance between her older brother and the Queen from afar. She'd recognized her much older brother almost immediate. She'd almost approached him several times, but her wariness about the Queen, despite the obvious change for the better in her, had made her hold off. Then suddenly Robin apparently was killed by Hades and she thought her chance was gone for good. She'd seen Regina's grieving devastation, despite the woman's attempt to hold it in. She'd nearly approached, but the presence of the woman people had found out was Regina's older half-sister, the Wicked Witch Zelena, made Rowena stay back again. But when Regina returned with Robin and his son Roland, Rowena felt a push to reveal who she was. The perfect chance finally occurred. The Charmings held a wedding reception for Robin and Regina. She hesitantly approached Robin… The reunion had been very joyful. Matthew and Roberta had almost immediately bonded with Robin's son Roland, who was right between her two children in age. Regina and her son Henry had warmly welcomed them into their extended family.
Then not that long after Regina's son announced he had discovered where the long lost Wilfred had ended up and they immediately mounted a rescue. And now Rowena thought she might just be in love with Wilfred. It felt like love. Wilfred could even extend sympathy toward Stan. They had been friends all those years ago in the Enchanted Forest, before Wilfred had disappeared. Even Cedric's favoring of his wards Stan and herself, hadn't lessened the bonds of friendship. Wilfred hadn't had to live with Stan's descent into drunkenness like she had. Stan had worn out all her sympathy. A part of her still worried about him, but he refused to help himself, so her sympathy was gone. She hoped he'd someday do something to pull himself together before he killed himself from the alcohol. She was also angry at the poor role model Stan was presenting both her children, but especially Matthew. Rowena was angry at Stan as well for completely ignoring Roberta; as if he was ashamed he had a daughter!
In contrast, Wilfred would sit and listen to both Matthew and Roberta, and showed them skills he'd learned in his wandering years. She'd teasingly told him not to teach them to steal and he'd laughed and said she'd more likely have to worry about that from her brother, not him. Wilfred still struggled with some things about this world but he was adjusting well. Perhaps… things would work out right for them. Rowena smiled.
