For Day 9 of OQ Prompt Party
#138 Reunion, #193 Robin thinks Regina has fallen out of love with him, #213 OQ with Covid/Quarantine, #222 Regina left Robin years ago and has returned to try to win Robin back
Regina adjusts her mask over her nose. She hates these damn cloth ones, but the medical supply have skyrocketed in price and it's just not as sustainable anymore. She peers down into the stroller in front of her, before looking around. Everyone is luckily also wearing their masks in this coffee shop. If they weren't, she'd skip the latte and leave. It'd look horrid if she had to report to the social worker that 3 weeks after getting this baby, she gave him COVID.
When she set out to foster, she left the age gap open. After years of working with the nonprofit, she knows how badly older children need a home. Given her status as a single woman, she was expecting a teenage girl.
And then Helen called to let her know there was a baby boy. Days old, left at the hospital. The mother had selected an adoptive family but they backed out at the very last second. Regina was the lucky one to get the call.
Despite getting a license to foster and adopt, she expected to have children come and go. Henry seems like he may stay forever. The biological parents are signing away their rights. Helen says Regina is the best candidate for adoption.
After nearly a decade alone, suddenly she isn't anymore.
The stroller suddenly jerks to the side as a little boy with curly brown hair cuts in front of her. Regina bites her tongue, it's not her place to discipline this kid.
"Roland," a familiar voice tsks. "You just cut the line."
Regina looks up and bites her lip. "Robin."
"Regina." Despite the camouflage mask covering his face, she sees his eyes light up from a smile. "Fancy running into you here."
"Quite literally."
Those beautiful baby blues lose some of their sparkle as he looks down at the little boy. "Roland, you could've hurt this woman."
"I'm sorry, Papa," his voice can barely be heard behind the smaller Spider-Man mask. Another look causes him to glance at Regina. "Sorry, ma'am."
Regina nods. "It's alright, darling."
Robin's eyes have wandered to the stroller. "That's new. Unless...I mean, you never said…"
"This is Henry," Regina explains. "I started fostering him in August."
Robin nods and the weight of the time since they last saw one another hangs over Regina. She can still feel his lips pressed against hers. His arms snakes around her body. She was completely enamored by him and didn't want it to end.
And then the elevator made it to the lobby. Robin went to say something and Regina floated away into the night. No numbers exchanged. No promises made. Regina told herself it was closure. A better way to say goodbye.
Now he stands in front of her and God, she just wants to kiss him again.
They grab their coffees and settle at an outdoor table. Roland takes great interest in the play space, much to Regina's delight. She removes Henry from the stroller, gently rocking him once he starts fussing. Fall is slowly coming to Boston and for now, the air is crisp but not too cold. All she needs is a light pullover in a rich shade of burgundy. Robin's features are accented by his long tan coat.
"You didn't mention fostering," Robin says.
"To be fair, I wasn't sure if I was going to." Regina traces her foster son's cheek. "I met with a social worker, attended the classes but I didn't know if it'd actually pan through. Then I got a call about a baby named Henry and well...seemed like fate."
"You look good with a baby." Heat spreads to her cheeks. "I mean, you look good, period."
She playfully rolls her eyes. "I'm sure I look a mess. This is my first time leaving the apartment outside doctor's appointments since I got him."
"You look a lot better than I did one month in."
Regina looks over him to Roland, who's clinging up the slide. "How old is he?"
"5." Robin rubs his hands against the coffee cup. "Marian and I had been together 2 years, she got pregnant. Seemed like a good idea."
"Am I allowed to ask what changed?"
"She felt unfulfilled. I knew she had always struggled with depression but it was getting worse. She told me she needed time to find herself. What started as a quick separation turned to her telling me she was gay."
"Ohhh," Regina sips her latte. "That had to be a shock."
"In some ways, yes. In others…" Robin sighs. "I don't know. I mean, I never really thought about it but I knew she was unhappy. Her parents weren't the most accepting people. After they died, I think she finally let herself be her."
"And you support her?"
"Of course, I'd be crazy not to. I still love her, you know? She's the mother of my kid."
Regina nods. She knows all too well about clinging to love, even when it's gone.
Robin carries on without missing a beat. "Why'd you walk away?"
Regina raises an eyebrow. "We're just going for this now, huh?" Henry has fallen asleep, so she lowers him back into the stroller.
"That kiss...I mean...it was a good kiss."
"A great kiss," Regina corrects.
"I don't know what I expected, but not for you to just walk away."
Regina chews on her lip. "I guess I thought...I don't know. It's been nearly 11 years now, Robin. A lot has changed."
"Including how you feel about me," he mumbles into his cup.
She frowns. "Robin, no. I love you." He looks dubious, so she takes his hands into hers and his eyes are forced to connect. "I have always loved you."
Robin scoffs. "You have quite the way of showing it."
"Look, when we were in college, I was fresh out of my parents' divorce. It made me jaded, cynical, I didn't think love could last. I wanted to marry you, I just was so afraid we couldn't make it."
"And then we didn't anyway."
"Because you insisted it was all or nothing. I was willing to keep dating, I was happy as we were. You needed the ring."
Robin ducks his head and Regina sighs, slowly pushing the stroller back and forth.
"I guess I was scared too," he whispers. "We were staring our future in the face and I was so worried I'd fail. I wanted a constant, something familiar. So I clung to you. But that wasn't fair."
"It wasn't," Regina echoed. "But we were young, we didn't know what we were doing."
"True, but what about now? We're adults, with careers and established lives. The party…"
"I didn't know if it was nostalgia or just saying goodbye. We fought for 2 minutes and then suddenly you're kissing me in an elevator. I got spooked again. I would've called but we didn't exchange numbers. Tried finding you on social media, came up short."
"I have pages for the bar, that's it."
Regina nods. "Ah."
Robin hesitates, his hand floating over his coffee. "Did you mean what you said? That you love me?"
"I never stopped. Even when I tried."
He looks away again and tears threaten to leak from her eyes. It's been so long, so much has gone down. God, his family probably hates her.
It still doesn't change the love that burns at the bottom of her heart.
"What about Kathryn?" Regina asks.
Robin laughs, in spite of the serious look on his face. "That barely lasted the night. I sucked it up through the party but I never got a call back, nor did I try to get in touch with her. Honestly, I deleted Bumble off my phone not long after."
"Really?"
"I wasn't really sure if I'd see you again, but I really am not the dating app guy."
"Maybe you don't need it anymore," Regina bravely pushes.
The corners of his lips poke up.
"No," he says. "Maybe I don't."
