Welcome to Prompt Party 2021! I'm so glad we are doing this again this year. It's always so fun to see the ideas everyone comes up with. Here is my first entry. I hope you enjoy it!

Prompt #15. OQ as parents, #163. Waking up at 2 AM, and #166. Regina wears one of Robin's shirts

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Early Mornings:

Robin Locksley rolls onto his side with a yawn, reaching over to his wife's side of the bed.

It's empty… but still warm, so she hasn't been gone for too long.

Turning his head with a sleepy groan, he peeks one eye open to peer at the clock on his bedside table.

2:00am

With a sigh, Robin flips onto his back, one hand landing on Regina's spot, the other on his chest.

He hears her then, just barely, through the baby monitor, and he smiles. Roland must have woken up.

He's been sleeping through the night the last four months, but every now and then he'll wake up in the early hours of the morning wanting to eat. Usually following a night where he refused to eat much at dinner.

Like last night. He'd nibbled on some peaches, taken a few bites of mashed potatoes, but refused wholeheartedly to eat the tiny pieces of chicken they gave him.

He'd thrown his head back with a dramatic cry, sealing his mouth shut nice and tight, only opening it to inform them he would not be eating it with a firm, "No!"

Rolling out of bed, Robin pads down the hallway to Roland's nursery.

It's nature themed, little stuffed forest animals fill a wicker basket in the corner, and his sheets have tiny arrows and trees on them. Regina had agreed that it was adorable and "very Robin" (since he's always loved to camp) back when they found out they'd been selected as Roland's parents.

They always knew adoption was something they wanted to do, and now that Regina had finished medical school and gotten comfortable in her job the last few years, they were ready.

They applied two years ago, finally getting chosen when a young woman in town became pregnant. She knew she didn't want kids, but wanted her child to go to a good, stable home. The Locksley's had supported the girl through the last few months of her pregnancy once she'd chosen them, and three days after being born, Roland got to come home with them.

Looking at the portraits on the wall of a cartoon fox and bear, Robin smiles to himself. He stands there, shoulder leaned against the doorjamb as he watches her.

His Regina.

She's bouncing their son gently in her arms, shushing him and pressing tiny kisses to his forehead.

Today is Roland's first birthday, and he knows Regina is nervous for the party. She's been planning it for weeks on end, wanting everything to be perfect for their little guy.

It was set to be an ocean theme since Roland always gravitated toward ocean animals and anything to deal with the beach when given the choice. He loved to watch Moana and Finding Nemo, always clapping his pudgy hands together and giggling when the turtles appeared on screen, letting his parents know by slurring out a, "Turrrle!" every time one could be seen.

It was, amusingly, the only other word he said besides Mama, Dada, juice, and please ("Peas," as Roland would say).

Regina had wanted to change his nursery to an ocean theme months ago, but he'd convinced her to use the forest for just a while longer. "We spent so much money on it," is what he'd told her, secretly knowing that he'd gone and bought almost everything they'd need to redo his nursery as a surprise for her.

He was going to give it to her tonight after the party as his gift to her for being such a wonderful mother this last year since Roland came into their lives.

The party was set to take place this afternoon, and Regina had gone all out.

There were blue, teal and white balloons all gathered to make an archway, as well as floating around the living room. Shark balloons, which Roland had already spent half the night last night playing with, and the ever popular turtles. Turtle plates and napkins, a cake Regina had ordered to resemble a turtle's shell, ocean animal shaped cookies for the kids, along with a giant craft table where she'd show the children how to turn a paper plate into a jellyfish.

She was so excited, and Robin couldn't help but to grin every time she came up with a new idea.

In all honesty, he'd teased his wife for weeks on end, saying Roland was one and wouldn't remember it. But Regina had informed him with a grin and a raised brow that he wouldn't but she would, and she wanted it to be perfect.

It was going to be a small affair, but fun nonetheless.

Their friends were coming over—John and Will with their sons, Tobe and Ryan who were one and almost three; Ruby with her daughter Summer, age one and a half; and Mary and David with their two year old twins, Neal and Emma. It was so much fun having all of their kids around the same age, and Robin always loved the times when they could all get together in one place. Ruby's grandmother, Granny, as they all called her, would be coming too, claiming she was the honorary grandma of each of them (adults and children alike) and wouldn't miss a single birthday party for any of them.

No family, seeing as his parents and Regina's father had passed away years ago, and Regina never knew her mother past the age of three when Cora left town to marry a wealthy man in New York and was never heard from again. Not that Regina minded.

But either way, their friends had become their family over the last few years. He and Regina have lived in this house since they got married eight years ago, and Mary and David Nolan were the first ones to welcome them to the neighborhood. The Nolans had only been married a year at the time, so they were excited to have another young couple on their street.

Ruby has been a friend of Regina's since they started working at the hospital together after college. They'd been assigned as partners during their internship and residency, both accepting positions at the Storybrooke Medical Center just months apart from one another.

And as for Will and John, Robin smirks, thinking of his best friends. He'd grown up with Will, both going off to the same college as roommates. Will had quickly met and fallen for John and they've been together ever since.

Robin shakes his head, thoughts of their friends and the upcoming birthday party leaving his mind.

He watches his wife. She's in his old, worn out college shirt, had slept in it last night after making love, and her bare legs are peeking out from beneath. It swallows her, honestly, landing just above her knees and hanging on her body seeing as it's several sizes larger than her small frame. But she's never been more beautiful to him.

She's talking softly to Roland as she makes her way from the crib to the glider rocker, gently patting his bum as she does a cute little bounce-walk. The moon is shining in through the window to her left and there's a little pine tree shaped night light giving just enough illumination to the room to see her gorgeous face.

No makeup. Messy hair. Stunning, in every way.

Robin loves her like this—undone from the cardiac surgeon that spends her days with other people's hearts in her hands. She's always so put together for work, no matter the chaos the day may bring, but here, like this, is the Regina he fell in love with.

He'd met Regina just months after graduating college. Ruby was friends with John and had introduced the two of them.

She came to John and Will's apartment for game night, and by the end of the (very long) evening, he knew she was special.

He'd gotten her number, asked her out, and the rest is history. They'd gotten married when they were twenty-five, and now here at thirty-three, they're parents and happier than ever before.

Tired, but happy.

Regina looks up from Roland to Robin in the doorway, catching his eye. She smiles softly, sleepily, up at him, mouthing a Hi.

She rocks their son, his little coos and grunts echoing over to Robin. Roland's chubby fist is balled up, resting against Regina's chest while the other holds his bottle.

They'll be transitioning him from formula to regular milk now that he's one, which had caused Regina to tear up the other night out of the blue.

"It's your birthday," he hears her croon softly down at Roland, the hand not under his bum moving up to push his curly, crown hair out of his face.

Robin walks quietly over to them, sitting on the plush ottoman that sits beside the rocker. He watches as Roland grins around the nipple of his bottle at his mother, and Robin smiles. He loves watching them together.

He lifts his hand, gently touching Roland's hair.

The little boy looks over, milk spilling out of one side of his mouth with the motion. He gurgles a happy little smile that causes his dimples to be on full display, obviously just realizing his father is in the room, too.

He can't blame the boy. If Regina had been talking so quietly to him and rubbing his feet, he wouldn't notice anything else around him either.

Roland finishes his bottle, plucking it from his mouth with a wet pop and holding it up for someone to take.

Chuckling under his breath, Robin reaches out, taking the bottle and placing it on the small table beside the chair.

They stay there a moment, Regina rocking Roland and patting his back, willing him to fall back asleep.

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Roland…

Robin sings the song ever so quietly, just barely above a whisper, trying to lull their boy back into slumber.

As he does, he looks up at his wife, noting the way her eyes are glossed over with tears as she stares at him.

Standing briefly, Robin leans over Roland to press a kiss to Regina's lips. He delivers a little kiss to Roland's cheek, too, as he sits back down on the ottoman. He takes Roland's pajama clad foot, rubbing the bottom of it, and asks Regina, "Why are you crying?"

She gives him a watery smile, shrugging a shoulder up in defeat. Huffing out a small laugh, Regina looks down at Roland, pressing a kiss to the crown of his head. Her chocolate brown eyes meet Robin's blue ones as she sighs, beaming at him while a tear trickles down her cheek. "I just never thought I'd have this."

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End. Thoughts?