Hey :) I'm glad you liked the name and the chapter in general.
Fans of domesticity this chapter and the next are for you, I'm just finishing the last details, I'm sure I'll update on the next days, and then on the other chapter you'll have a surprise. I can't wait for you to read that one :) :)
Chapter 21
"Robin, where's her pacifier?!" the tired voice of Regina Mills echoed through the house, as she tried to soothe the crying little girl in her arms, at the same time she was searching for her last best hope to calm her daughter.
They had brought the baby home about three weeks ago, and Regina had thought that the first week would be the worst, but she couldn't be more wrong. With all the tiredness accumulated from the past two weeks and the short of routines, she was more broken than ever.
The day they had brought little Hailey home was one of their happiest ones and, surprisingly, a really quiet one. Regina has been released from the hospital early in the morning, after 48 hours after giving birth, and she wasn't surprised to see that the boys were there to follow their mother and sister home.
She settled her daughter in the baby car seat, tightening the security system around her small frame and covering her with the pink blanket to keep her warm in the first time she'd be in touch with the outside world. She placed the seat between Henry and Roland on the bed, so the big brothers could keep an eye on their little sister while their mother finished packing hers and the little girl's things. Robin had remained downstairs, taking care of everything they needed to return home, and had asked the boys to help Regina until he was done and ready to meet them in the room.
"Mommy, where do I put her teddy bear?" Roland asked, grabbing the stuffed animal beside him on the bed with his free hand, as the other was gripping tightly his monkey.
Just like Regina had promised, Robin had made a quick trip home the day before, to take a shower and collect some things they needed, including the small teddy bear so they could return the monkey to its owner.
"Just put it beside her on the seat, honey" she replied, looking around to make sure nothing was missing, "I think we're ready," she smiled at her three kids, placing her hands on her hips in a proud gesture. The sight of the three of them next to each other, and so quiet, was something she wanted to record in her mind forever. Henry was grabbed to his phone, as always, texting Paige with a dopey grin on his face while Roland was bragging because his baby sister was grabbing his finger and didn't seem to want to release him, which made Regina smile even more at the sight of her family. Even the little girl seemed comfortable when was surrounded by her brothers, and Regina was happily surprised to see that she had been able to pack everything without having to soothe any cries.
A soft knock on the door pushed her away from her thoughts as the smiley face of Robin Locksley filled her view.
His blue eyes stopped at the same scene she was admiring seconds before he had opened the door, and his dimples never disappeared when he addressed them, "Are you ready?" the happiness was clear in his voice as he entered the room and joined his family.
Regina nodded in equal joy, seeing the man she loved, the father of her little girl, grab the seat by its handle and place his son on his hip with his free arm. He looks so sexy holding his kids, she thought, smiling to herself while she wrapped an arm around Henry's waist so all of them could make their way home.
Their ride back home had been calm, with Hailey and Regina falling asleep despite the short distance between their house and the hospital. Henry had given his back seat to his mother, so she could be near the baby in case something was needed, and had joined Robin on the front seats. Their first day at home seemed to go very quick. They haven't had any visitors, which Regina was grateful so that way she could rest between taking care of the kids and do the regular housework, and the couple had seemed to have found a way of sharing the tasks. Robin had been in charge of cooking the meals for all of them and had helped Regina to keep the house in order, asking the kids to keep their rooms clean, to prevent unnecessary efforts until they were able to find a new routine. The boys had been impeccable and the casual tantrums before bed had been avoided, Roland even had let his father help him at bath time, earning a few more minutes of play with his toys in the bathtub.
With Hailey already tucked in her crib, Regina turned on the baby monitor, glancing at the clock to see that she had put the little girl asleep, just in time to go check on Roland and read him his bedtime story.
She gently knocked on the door of the little boy's bedroom and peeked inside, seeing him choosing a book from his shelf while Robin was lying on top of the covers with his back to her. She wasn't even sure he had noticed her if it wasn't the excited yell of his son, calling for his mommy.
"Hi, my little prince" she crouched to receive him in her arms, giving him a kiss in his temple before rising up again and grab his hand.
She was trying her best to not lift weights, and truth be told, Roland was getting heavier each day. His cute pout and his big brown puppy eyes make it difficult for her not to give in, but Robin was always there to help her, picking him up instead of her. This time, though, the little boy seemed content in just having her there beside him.
"Will you read me a story?" he asked, pulling her further into his room and releasing her hand when she sat down on the bed beside Robin, who in the meantime had moved to make room for her.
"If you want to," she smiled, seeing the boy nodding enthusiastically and return to the shelf to finally pick the book for their reading.
She didn't notice the way Robin was looking at her, the way his eyes were shining at the sight of her, the way he admired her for giving part of her time, when she could be resting, to read to his son.
"Thank you," he whispered genuinely, causing her to look at him confused, but with the same love in her eyes she had every time she looked at him. Their eyes were locked on each other and she was about to ask him the reason for his thanks when they felt the small body of their child climbing into the bed and get settled between his parents.
"Papa, can you stay here with us?" the sweet voice of his son caught his attention, making him shift his gaze to the little boy, who placed the book on his legs so all of them could see it.
"Of course, my boy" he answered, to Roland's great joy to have both, Regina and Robin, reading him his bedtime story.
They read the story together, earning a lot of laughs from the little boy every time the couple changed their voices to get into the character. It was fun, but half an hour later the boy was still fully awake, joking with his parents, and it didn't seem easy to convince him that now he needed to sleep.
"Alright, little monkey, time for bed" Robin took the lead, standing up and helping him to get under the covers. He adjusted the blankets and the sheets around his tiny body, placing a kiss on his forehead and switching on the night light while Regina kissed him goodnight too.
They were very surprised when they were able to leave the room without having to wait until the boy was asleep. He'd never fallen asleep alone, he always needed one of them to stay with him until he was deep asleep. Robin felt the first evidence that his son was growing, right before his eyes. He wasn't a baby anymore, he no longer needed their help to everything. Robin's heart cringed at that thought and he gripped Regina's hand, grabbing it tightly as soon as they walked out of the room. His gesture made her stop in her tracks and turn to him, realizing immediately what was going on in his head. Without any word, she placed her free hand on his beard and gave him a tender kiss before she asked him to check on Hailey, something he was more than willing to do, while she'd see Henry, reminding him that, they would always grow up, but they would always need to have their parents around as well.
She made her way to her son's bedroom, at the same time Robin went to see their daughter like she had asked, but she instantly stopped at his door when she heard his voice, talking to someone.
"Yeah, she's fine," he was sitting on the edge of the bed, his back to her as he listened and replied to the person on the other line. Regina didn't want to intrude, but he had the door open a crack and she was walking down the hallway, so it wasn't like she was trying to spy on him, right?
"You've to come to see her," he continued, pausing so the other person could speak. He was talking about Hailey, for sure, so Regina couldn't avoid and took a few steps forward, trying to remain outside of his sight. "Alright, goodnight."
He would hang up, so was better if she backed away from the door before he could turn and spot her, but his next words made her stop her movements and listen intently, "I love you too."
She knew he now had a girlfriend, but she never thought she would listen to him saying 'I love you' to another person besides her or Emma. At least, not so soon.
He placed the phone on the bedside table, and she was brought back to reality by the sound of it, and by the rustle of the sheets as the boy tried to get under the covers. He settled against his pillow, opening his book at the page marked with the bookmark, and getting back to his readings.
She smiled at the familiar situation. He has always done that, picking a book and read for a few moments before bedtime. It was something she always had tried to encourage, but it didn't take much since the boy had developed the taste for books all by himself.
She slowly opened his door, forcing herself to give him her usual motherly smile instead of the knowing grin she was trying so hard to fight. He just glanced at her, briefly, his eyes returning to the page while she walked towards him, knowing she was there to say him good night. But she sat down beside him, cupping his cheeks in her hands, which caused him to put his book down and look at her.
"Is everything alright?" he felt the need to ask because, usually she said good nights, would give him a kiss and walk away. At most, she tucked him into bed and adjusted the covers around him, but now she was staring at him with her loving gaze and he was not sure what he should do.
"Yes," she assured him, staring at him a little longer before she reached forward to kiss his forehead, "I just wanted to say goodnight."
He nodded, focusing his attention back on his book after he wished her goodnight too. She was leaving, she swears that she thought of leaving without any other word, but she sat back beside him, seconds after she had stood up from the bed, drawing his attention back to her. But he didn't say anything, he just waited, this time, knowing that she wanted to say something.
"Were you talking to someone?" she finally asked, trying to sound just curious and not as if she had been listening. But he knew her better, and he really believed that she wouldn't spy on him, but that question had to come from somewhere.
So he just raised his brow, mimicking his mother's gesture, and answering her with another question, "Were you listening?"
"No," she instantly replied, and she wanted to believe that it was true. It just happened that she was just walking by and then she heard him. She could have walked away, but he was finishing so what would be the point? She groaned inside her head. Who does she think she was kidding? Of course, she had been listening, and she was really starting to feel bad about it, "I'm sorry, I didn't want to interrupt."
"It's okay, I was just inviting Paige to meet Hailey," he explained, not upset at all by her confession, "If it's okay with you."
"Of course!" she assured him, her smile quickly reappearing on her features as she addressed him, "It's a great idea."
"Cool, can I finish this chapter before bed?" he asked, changing the subject of their conversation.
"Yes, but remember," she began, her motherly strict voice back, "you've school tomorrow, the day off was just today."
She had allowed the boys to skip school that day so they could walk her back home and spend the day as a family, but that couldn't last, despite the wish of all of them. Luckily, Robin had two more weeks off to be with her and help her to set to a new routine.
"Mom," she was already at the door when she heard her son calling for her. She stopped and turned, her tender smile encouraging him to continue as he put the book down again to focus entirely on her, "I love you."
"I love you too, my prince" she replied, gesturing a kiss in his direction and closing the door behind her when she left.
She made her way down the hall, heading to her bedroom, her heart completely full with his words of affection. She couldn't stop smiling and she decided that she could share his love with two more women.
#
Robin was already tucked in bed by the time she arrived in the bedroom. He was sitting against the headboard, the pillows on his back to make him more comfortable, and he was watching one of his TV shows that she didn't like so much.
She settled beside him, glad she was already in her pajama and ready for bed, and his arm automatically lifted to wrap her in his embrace.
Her head settled against his chest, the sound of his heartbeat echoing in her head, and was welcoming, cozy.
He was totally focused on his show, but she didn't really like it, so she amused herself by letting her fingers skim along the bare skin of his chest, soft under her touch.
She could try and focus on the show, but she remembered something she wanted to ask him, and she felt a bit of guilt when she broke the silence and drawn his attention to her, "Are you okay?"
He replied to her with a puzzled look, trying to figure out why she was asking him that, but he failed to come to any conclusion, so he just asked her back, "Why?"
"I was thinking about Roland," she answered and he could see where that was heading. She thought he might wanted to talk about the moment he had, right after they leave the little boy's room, and she was the best person to listen since she was going through more or less the same with Henry.
"It was just a spur-of-the-moment thing," he assured her, placing his hand over hers on his chest. His smile seemed genuine enough to let him have his way, so she allowed him to focus back on his show.
His attention was back on the TV, but not fully this time, as his fingers were playing with hers, and, "It feels good to be home," that time was he who broke the silence, not looking at her, but not focusing on the show either, "with you, the boys, Hailey."
She wasn't sure if he was waiting for an answer, probably not, he was just expressing in words what she felt too for being back home with their family, but then he continued, taking her by surprise when he repeated his words from earlier, "Thank you," now was her time to look confused, but before she could ask, he elaborated, "for accepting us in your life."
She giggled, adjusting her position to stare at him, not sure what she could say at his sudden need of thanking her, but he was serious, staring back at her, an unreadable expression on his features.
"I'm sorry," she told him, knowing he wasn't hurt, more confused, actually, by her reaction, but she felt it she should say it, despite the smile remained there, "Robin, are you serious?"
"Regina, I'm very serious,"
She didn't move from her spot, her chin remained over his chest, and her fingers continued to play with his when she addressed him softly, "You know there's nothing to thank me for. We're a family and, I hope you don't mind me saying this, and I'm not trying to take Marian's place, but I see Roland as my son and I love to take care of him. I couldn't be more grateful to have found you both."
He should say something, but he was speechless, just staring at her beautiful dark eyes that he was so in love with. He already knew all that, and that was the reason he felt so needed to thank her, but now he didn't know what to say. In fact, he didn't need to, because when he remained silent, she spoke for him, "Will you going to kiss me or-"
In a matter of seconds, his lips were pressed on hers and she sighed gently as he captured her lower lip between his. It didn't take long until she was moving her tongue across his lip, asking him to open for her, and who was Robin to disobey?
His lips parted and his head tilted to welcome her in his mouth, deepening the kiss, and that position was not so comfortable anymore. He shifted both their bodies, settling her head against the pillows so he could be half on top of her and, at that moment, the majority of his weight was on his elbow, but he didn't care, not when her tongue continued to battle against his and her nails were scratching lightly his entire back until her hand stop further down and squeeze his arse.
His mouth left hers, tracing a path of sweet kisses across her jaw, neck, collarbone and back up to suck behind her ear, and he couldn't avoid the smile when she let out a moan.
"Shh, kids" he reminded her, but he was doing on purpose, whispering in her ear and teasing her sensitive spot with that wicked smile of him.
So she raised her hand to grasp his chin, making him look at her, she was blurry due to the closeness, but good, that way he could hear her when she muttered to him, "Stop that, then."
A soft chuckle left his lips before he gave her a quick peck, and then he was back on her neck, sucking at her pulse point while his hand found its way under her shirt and was sliding across her side.
"I miss you," she breathed, turning her head to give him more room and hooking her fingers through the side of his boxers.
But then he slowed down, his hand gripping her wrist to halt her movements, and he was just leaving soft kisses on her skin while the doctor's words were replaying in his mind, saying that they should wait until the six-week appointment after the birth to have sex. He honestly missed her too, but if they needed to wait, so it was.
"Regina, I'm pretty sure we shouldn't be doing this."
They shouldn't. He was right. But she didn't seem to care about that as his words just causing her to wrap her arm around his neck to keep him from moving away from her.
"We're not having sex," she explained, smiling before he raised his head to claim her mouth one more time.
They were completely lost in their kiss, tongues teasing and hands exploring, when the sound of a crying filled the room, making them stop and listen attentively.
"She seems to agree with you," Robin teased, sitting straight and preparing to leave the bed when he felt her hand on his bicep.
"I go," she replied, grinning at him and glancing at his middle before whispering, "You may want to take a cold shower," and then she was leaving, winking at him before she closed the door behind her, and now he'll definitely need to accept her suggestion.
#
The first day gave rise now to the third week, and has Robin dropping and picking the boys at school, and Regina spending the day at home, taking care of their daughter.
She missed work. Missed her tasks that not include changing diapers and feed the baby girl (not that she didn't love taking care of Hailey, of course, she did, but she hated being stuck in the house without nothing more to do, without goals).
So Regina was on the little girl's bedroom, swinging back and forth in the rocking chair and humming the song from the mobile, that was playing without a stop and had been able to get stuck in her head. She was trying to stop Hailey's crying and, the most difficult, trying to put her to sleep, but with the lights lowered to the minimum and all that quiet environment, Regina was pretty sure that she would be able to fall asleep before her daughter. She sighed at the evidence that her baby was starting to get more difficult to put asleep. She tried everything, she placed her in the crib (which made her cry immediately), she rubbed her back, she walked with her, until she finally sat on that chair, stroking lightly the baby's dark hair. But still, she wasn't asleep and she was crying even more and louder.
"I'm begging you, Hailey, please, stop" Regina was exhausted, frustrated after half an hour of failed attempts to calm her daughter. Robin had tried to help, but she had claimed that she needed peace, with no one around to distract her, and so she had ended in the bedroom, but without result.
Regina stood up, placing her crying daughter against her chest and patting her back as she headed toward the stairs, "Robin, where's her pacifier?!" she sounded tired and upset, her quick steps were now approaching him in the kitchen and she stopped at the door, watching him as he finished cleaning the dishes, "she has at least three, why I can't find any of them?"
He turned to look at her, setting aside the dish towel and closing the distance between them as he replied to her, "Did you check on the crib?"
"I just got her from there," she explained, but he made his way upstairs anyway and she had to follow him, continuing her words, "I changed her, I nursed her, I put her to burp and when I was placing her in the crib... she was crying again," she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and when she finally opened them, Robin had the pacifier in his hand, offering it to the baby girl, which calmed her right away.
Regina didn't know if she should be glad or not. She had made Robin interrupt his tasks just because she was upset and couldn't find the only thing that could calm her daughter.
She sighed, allowing Robin to hold the baby and enjoying the moment of silence before she addressed him, "I'm sorry, I'm so exhausted" she breathed, letting her hands fall to the panel of the crib in a frustrated gesture.
It saddened him to see her like this, seeing her wanted to do all that by herself and then ending overburned.
He wanted to reach her, comforting her, but he really didn't know if it was the best. She needed space, he realized, some time alone, but then she was approaching him, stretching out her arms and addressing him, "Give her to me, she might be able to fall asleep now."
Robin almost scoffed. She really didn't see she was burdening herself, so, this time, he wouldn't allow that.
He shook his head, earning an outraged look, but he didn't give in, "No, Regina. This time, will be Hailey to help her mother get to sleep."
"Robin, don't play, she needs me," she replied, bringing one hand to rub her forehead.
"And you need to relax-"
"I don't need to relax!" she snapped, her temper getting the better of her, despite her efforts to remain calm, "I need to take care of my daughter! And once she's asleep, I'm going to get some work done because what I really need is clear my head."
Both stopped arguing for a moment. Robin knew that work helped her to distract, but he was also sure that was not what she needed at that moment, she needed to rest, relax, clear her head like she said, but not filling it with more worries, so he took a deep breath, suggesting, "How about this, I have to pick up Roland and I can bring her with me, you know how the car rides helps to soothe her," she managed a smile with that, because, yes, it was true, Hailey always falls asleep in the car, and Regina was already more convinced when he continued, "and you have some time for herself, try to sleep or, take a bath, whatever helps you to relax."
She considered his offer for a minute, thinking what she could do with her time, and yes, she had a few options and she could really use some time alone.
He didn't push her, he just remained quiet and waiting for her answer, and despite he knew that could be good for her, he didn't want to force her and be the cause of more frustration. So he waited, rocking his, now a lot calmer, daughter in his arms.
He didn't have to wait longer until Regina was closing the distance between them, wrapping her arms around his waist and nodding in agreement, knowing he was just trying to help.
He adjusted their daughter in his arm, freeing the other to hold Regina against him too, as he nuzzled into her hair and placed a kiss on the top of her head. He wanted to show her he was on her side and was definitely not his intention to upset her or trying to run her life for her.
"I'm sorry," she muttered, and Robin tightened his grip around her to ensure her that it was okay. Everyone has their moments.
They lingered for a moment, with Robin rubbing her back with his palm, until she pulled back, offering a faint but genuine smile before she walked towards the baby's closet and pulling out a cap to put on her baby.
"Now you're ready to go with daddy," she kissed her daughter's cheek before kissed Robin too, and anyone couldn't blame her if she stayed at the front door, watching as he strapped the baby seat in the car and made their way to the school, the car was already out of sight when she closed the door behind her.
I forgot to say, I read all your reviews and I'm happy to have been able to put a smile on your face, your compliments just make my day :)
Until the next chapter!