July 24 - Adoption Day; the day where Regina and Robin welcome a new addition to their family.

This is set in the same verse as my story "Comfort Food."

Welcome Home

The office wasn't very welcoming. It was a small room with gray walls devoid of any decorations. The only furniture aside from the uncomfortable metal chairs they sat on was a desk with several folders scattered around the ancient computer and phone sitting on top. Nothing in this room seemed calm and nurturing, things she'd want in the room where she was to meet her child.

If she was even doing that. The social worker had been gone far too long in her opinion. She glanced at the clock in the room, swearing it had stopped.

"A watched pot never boils."

She frowned. "I'm sorry, I was not aware I married a fortune cookie."

Her husband chuckled, gently turning her head so she could see his bright blue eyes and reassuring smile. "Everything is going to be fine."

"How can you be so sure? What if the mother has changed her mind? What if the father has? What if something is wrong with the baby? What if we failed the background check?"

"We passed that weeks ago. I doubt something came up since then."

"I don't know." She narrowed her eyes. "And you swear you're not a serial killer?"

He let out a belly laugh as she relaxed in her chair. Wiping the tears from his eyes, he took her hands in his and played with her engagement and wedding rings. "No matter what happens, I still have you. And that's reassuring in and of itself."

"You're a sentimental fool." There was warmth and love in her voice and she knew he would take it as a compliment.

He nodded. "And either way, we're having mac and cheese, right?"

She laughed before resting her head on his shoulder. He was right—no matter what, she was leaving with him. And that was more than enough.

"Mr. and Mrs. Locksley?" A tall, balding man in a well-pressed suit stepped into the room cradling a bundle of blue blankets. "I'd like you to meet your son."

Regina stood, arms outstretched, in seconds. The social worker slid the bay into her arms. He slept on as she rocked him, taking in everything about him—his pink lips, button nose, tiny fingers and the soft wisps of brown fuzz that peeked out from under his blue cap. "He's perfect," she breathed.

"Everything went well with the birth, he had a good Apgar score and the doctor at the hospital gave him a clean bill of health." The man looked at a file on his desk. "So the only thing left to know is his name."

Robin stooped to kiss his son's forehead, leaving Regina to answer. "Henry Robin Locksley," she said, voice watery from her unshed tears of joy.

"Henry? That's not a name you hear much anymore," the social worker said.

"It was my father's name." Regina swallowed past the lump in her throat that formed at the thought of her late father.

"Okay. I'll submit the paperwork." He smiled at the two. "Let me just make sure you have the car seat set up right and then I'll let you be on your way."

Regina settled Henry into the carrier they had brought, kissing his forehead as she snapped him in. She picked up the diaper bag as Robin took the carrier, both following the social worker out to the car. He watched as Robin snapped the carrier into the base and gave the set up the seal of approval. After wishing them well, he went back into the office as they got into the car, Regina sitting next to Henry in the back.

Her eyes were glued to the sleeping baby boy, afraid if she looked away he would disappear. "Regina? Is something wrong?" Robin asked from the driver's seat.

"I just never thought I'd have this," she admitted. She thought back to that awful day when the specialist confirmed what two other doctors had told her: she would not be able to have children naturally. Regina had gone back to her parents' house and cried as her father rocked her and her mother made her mac and cheese. She had thought she'd never have a family, never have those dreams come true.

She looked up, meeting Robin's eyes in the rearview mirror. Robin, the man who had stayed with her even after she had told him about her infertility early enough for him to bow out gracefully. The man who only cared about her desire for children rather than her ability to have them. The man who had married her and revived her dreams of having a family. The man who had researched all their options and held her hand the entire way to this moment.

The man who was going to make a great father to Henry.

"I love you," she said.

He smiled. "I love you, too."

Pulling into the driveway, Robin hopped out to undo Henry from his car seat. As the door opened, the baby opened his eyes for the first time and took everything in. Regina and Robin froze, watching him. Henry's eyes settled on Robin, who smiled. "Welcome home, buddy," he said.

By the time they got in the house, he had fallen back asleep. Regina didn't care, realizing there would be plenty more moments like the one in the car. She squeezed Robin's hands after he set the carrier down. "We're parents," she said.

"Yes, we are," he replied with a laugh.

"Regina? Robin? Is that you?" Cora Mills, Regina's mother, came out of their kitchen and smiled at the baby. "I see everything went well with the agency."

Regina recovered herself first. "Mother? I thought you were coming to stay next week?"

"I couldn't wait. After we hung up, I drove down here." She held out her arms. "May I hold my grandchild?"

Unclasping Henry after Regina's nod, she lifted him from his carrier. "Hello, there. I'm your grandmother."

"His name is Henry," Regina said.

Cora paused before smiling. "A very good name. Congrats, you two."

She kissed Regina's cheek before kissing Robin's as well. He rubbed the back of his head. "I'm sorry the guest room isn't set up. I can go get it ready if you want."

"No need. I've booked a room at a nearby hotel. We didn't want to be more of an imposition."

Regina frowned. "We?"

A tall woman with graying blonde hair stepped out from the kitchen, looking nervous. Robin froze when he saw her, eyes wide. "Mum?"

Susan Locksley nodded. "Your father may care about blood and genes but…well, this is my first grandchild. I wanted to be here."

Robin threw his arms around his mother and the two hugged. When they pulled apart, Susan walked over to Regina and took her hands. "I know I haven't been the best mother-in-law and I'm sorry. Perhaps we can have a fresh start?"

"I'd like that," Regina said, smiling. "Do you want to hold Henry?"

"May I?" Susan sounded like she hadn't expected them to allow her. Cora placed Henry into her arms and his other grandmother melted. "Hello there, little one."

Robin wrapped his arms around Regina, holding her close. She leaned back into him and closed her eyes. "This is perfect."

"Well, I hope it's about to get better," Cora said. "Why don't we all go into the backyard?"

Regina opened her eyes, frowning. "Why? What's out in the backyard?"

"Come and see," Cora said, heading toward their sliding doors. Susan followed with the baby.

"I don't have a good feeling about this," Robin whispered. "In fact, I feel we're walking into a surprise party."

"Me too. Who do you think is to blame? Mary Margaret or Will?"

"Both. I think they worked together."

Cora stuck her head back into the living room. "Are you two coming or not?"

Robin took her hand and they followed Cora outside, where a small group of their friends were gathered around Susan and the baby.

That night, after everyone had left, Robin and Regina sat at their kitchen table with bowls of macaroni and cheese. Henry sat in his carrier between them and both kept sneaking glances at him. Robin smiled. "We're parents."

She laughed. "Yes we are."

"I can't believe this day has finally come." He shook his head. "I feel like I'm about to wake up and learn it's all a dream."

"I know. I really didn't want anyone holding him because I was afraid they'd walk off with him because he wasn't really ours," Regina admitted.

He reached over, taking her hand and flashing his reassuring smile, dimples on full display. "I understand."

Regina smiled, but there was some uncertainty in her. Many people had held Henry so far that day, but she had never seen him in Robin's arms. She didn't doubt he loved the boy; he had often stopped to kiss Henry's forehead or rub some part of the baby's body. And she saw the love in his eyes every time he looked at Henry. So why wouldn't he hold him?

Maybe she was making something out of nothing. It was only their first day with Henry. She would watch him in the coming days and see what happened.

"Regina? Is something wrong?" Robin asked, disturbing her thoughts.

She shook her head. "Just thinking about Henry."

"Of course." Robin looked down at his bowl. "One day, he'll be eating this with us."

"Unless he doesn't like mac and cheese."

Robin let out a horrified gasp and he covered their son's ears. "Don't you dare suggest such a thing around him! He's still very impressionable, you know."

She laughed and soon he joined in. He held out a forkful toward her and she opened her mouth, enjoying the dish that had brought them together.

Regina woke up that night to find Robin's side of the bed empty. Frowning, she sat up and checked the white bassinet. Henry was gone too. Where had her men gone?

She leaned out of the bedroom to scan the hallway and spotted light coming from the next room over, the one they had turned into Henry's nursery. Regina headed over there and leaned against the doorframe, taking in the sight before her.

Robin sat in the rocking chair they had bought as he fed Henry. The baby suckled loudly from the bottle, clearly hungry. Robin chuckled as he watched their son eat. "Well, someone certainly has a big appetite."

"Takes after his father." She walked into the room and sat down on the toy chest Will had given them.

He smiled at her. "Did I wake you?"

"No." She glanced down at Henry. "I didn't hear him cry."

"He didn't. I was coming back from the bathroom when I heard him whimpering. So I picked him up and figured it was time for his feeding."

"You figured right." She paused before looking at him. "I was a little worried that you hadn't held him all day."

"Worried? About what?"

Regina shrugged. "That you were scared to hold him. Or nervous. I don't know."

"Oh," he replied, smiling. "No, I was just letting everyone else hold him. Especially you."

She smiled before asking: "You were willing to wait?"

He nodded before looking back at Henry. "I knew I'd have these moments, where it was just me and him."

"And I intruded," she said. "I can leave."

Robin looked up and shook his head. "Henry and I love having you here."

She leaned her head against his shoulder, watching the baby nestled in the crook of his other arm. Henry's eyes were open again and this time they fixed on her.

Robin kissed the top of her head. "He's as transfixed by you as I am."

"Like father, like son," she said with a chuckle.

Henry spit out the bottle once he was done and Regina took it from her husband. "I'll go clean this out and leave you two to have some father-son bonding time."

When she came back upstairs, the nursery light was off and she found Henry back in his bassinet. Robin was sitting up in bed, watching as she climbed under the covers again. They slid down together and he wrapped his arms around her. As their breathing evened out, the small family fell back asleep together.