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The sun is lowering in the sky and the coolness is taking over the warmth the day brought. The salt from the sea is lingering in his senses as Robin sits with his window lowered. His eyes are focused on a rolling gate waiting for them to open. The bouquet of flowers sits next to him with a small red box wrapped in blue ribbon.
A month apart and he was ready to take Regina into his arms and never let go. A lot had been done in that month. His house was sold, and someone had put an offer on it. The bank approved his loan for the new house by the water. He'd been working hard to settle the boys into a new routine.
New furniture and old were nestled into the house. The boys were tucked in upstairs in their rooms with a bathroom between them to share. Robin had worked tirelessly to paint the master bedroom from that dreaded canary yellow to a soft green. The bathroom needed no work. He'd replaced the refrigerator in the kitchen thanks to David.
Maggie helped to bring the feminine touch to the house. She'd helped him plant flowers in window boxes, a bed in the front of the house, hanging pots lining the porch, and a small garden in the back. Leroy and he made amends and he'd agreed to help put in a pond. Robin had used some of his savings to put a down payment on an SUV and it was parked in the garage of the new house.
It seemed like so much was done in so little time. He'd made this home for the boys and they'd been waiting for the one missing piece. Regina.
As he thought of her, he watched four officers in thick jackets over their uniforms exit a metal door. Two rolled the gate away and a white windowless van drove out with the other two officers coming up at the rear. When the van was cleared of the fence, it was rolled closed and locked with large chains and locks.
Robin's heat beat a slow thick rhythm as the side door was opened and Regina emerged in cuffs. An officer signaled for him to exit his vehicle. Robin stood feet away in with his hands in his pockets to ward off the chill. He could see his breath in the cool night. Regina wore no more than a pear of sweats, prison issues flippers, and a t-shirt with the prison name printed on it. Her belly scarcely covered under it.
The officer pulled a key ring off his chain and slid the key into the lock and the chains were slowly removed from her hands, hips, and down to her feet. She was handed a yellow manila folder and a bag with her old clothing inside.
The officer turned to Robin, "I need to see some ID to release her to you, Mr. Locksley."
Robin reached into his back pocket and produced his driver's license. The officer took a photo of it with his cell phone and handed over a clipboard. "Sign here and she's free to go," he said.
Robin met her eyes and signed his name on the board. As soon as he handed the clipboard back to the officer, the officer shook his hand and turned to give Regina a side hug. "Take care of yourself."
"Thank you," she said. The officers entered the van and drove off and around the building.
Robin took her into his arms and hung on tight. "I can't believe it's over," he said into her hair. She was shivering. "It's freezing, let's go."
He ushered her into the car and closed the door and moved around to get in. "Are these for me?" she smiled.
"Yea," he flipped the heating on and turned to her. "God, you look gorgeous."
Regina pursed her lips, "I look awful. I couldn't fit into these," she gestured to the bags by her feet.
"Don't worry, I have a plan. Right now, I just want to look at you." He took her face in his hands and kissed her forehead, her cheeks, the tip of her nose, and then rested softly on her lips. "I missed you," he said.
"Where are the boys?" she looked back looking disappointed.
"They're with Maggie, I wanted some time with you. Alone," he said. He took her hand and kissed it. "Put your seatbelt on," he said.
"Where are we going?" she asked as he pulled out of the lot and out of the prison entrance.
He grinned, "You'll see," he said.
They pulled up outside of a shopping moll and Regina frowned, "I'm not dressed for this."
"Don't worry, they're expecting us," he said.
Regina was a little taken aback when he opened her door and offered his hand. He pulled her from the car and glanced down at her feet. They were no longer in bandages. "Still hurt?"
"No, they're finally healed," she said avoiding his eyes.
He kissed her cheek, "Come on, Ruby is waiting."
"Ruby?" she looked confused.
Regina kept her eyes down and close to Robin as they walked into the shopping center. It smelt like the pizza and nachos from the food court, random perfumes that didn't mix well, and sweat. People milled about in groups, couples, or singles going in and out of shops. Teenagers were inside a game stop shooting at a screen as they went.
A glow in the dark golfing game was going on further down, she could hear children giggling and adults scolding. They walked through JC Penny, a photo studio, and a nail salon before they reached a clothing store. Yvonne's was a woman's boutique and popular in Maine. Robin ushered her in, and she frowned when they went straight to the back.
Ruby stood with her habitual hipshot out and her arms crossed over her body. "Regina or should I call you Sabrina?"
Regina sighed, "I'm officially Regina."
"Fine. Robin," she said in acknowledgment.
"Thanks for doing this, Ruby. I owe you," he smiled.
Ruby took Regina's hand and said to him, "Get lost."
Regina was pulled with her and turned to where Robin winked and walked out of the store. "Where is he going?"
"He'll be back. Right now, you need some serious help." She pushed her into a dressing room. There were clothes hung on each side in different colors. Shoes were on the floor. Undergarments were on the bench. "Strip," she said.
Regina swallowed and glanced down at her body before displaying a pitiful look to her.
"We're both women here, we don't have time for modesty. Strip," she said again.
Regina sighed and turned around. She slipped the t-shirt off and felt ridiculous when she dropped the sweats down to the floor. She heard a gasp from behind her. "What?"
Turning she faced Ruby who was looking at her with wide eyes and her hand covering her mouth. "When they said that he abused you, I didn't imagine it was like this. Regina…" Tears sprang to her eyes and the tough woman she knew turned soft and apologetic. "I'm so sorry, I don't know to…"
Regina shook her head, "I'll be okay, Ruby. I don't have to be afraid anymore. I don't want you to feel guilty or to feel sorry for me."
"But I've been such a…I didn't mean to judge you but it was a lot to take in. I thought…"
Regina nodded, "I know. Most people thought I was helping him. But I wasn't and I was just as much a victim as they were. I was lucky," she added. "I'm sorry for lying to you and for all the pain and mess that I caused. I'd like to start over if we could."
Ruby nodded and awkwardly put her arms around her. "I guess we can do that. Oh, my God, I can't believe that he…"
"Shh…I'm okay," she tightened her grip for a moment and stepped back. "I'm nearly naked, Ruby. Help me with these clothes."
Ruby and Regina spent an hour trying on clothes, discarding the ones that didn't fit or didn't go with her style. Regina slowly stripped the identity away that she'd been trying to immolate. With considerable thought, she settled on simple. She had all the time in the world to find herself again.
Regina slipped on a pair of black pumps and turned to look at herself in the mirror. She wore a red dress, a simple line, and complimented her skin tone. Her black bob hung nicely over the collar. She smiled to herself.
Ruby helped her gather hangers and shoved undergarments, shoes, and accessories into a bag and they carted them to the counter. When they were paid for with Ruby's card, Robin sat outside of the store on a bench with a phone in his hand. He turned when they emerged from the store.
"There she is," he said. "There's the woman I fell in love with." He leaned in and kissed her cheek. "Thanks, Ruby."
"No problem. I'll take care of these," she said with hands full of bags. When she walked away, Regina turned to Robin.
"I could've taken them," she protested.
He kissed her hand, "It's alright. Come on, you must be starved." His hand gently caressed her belly.
They settled in at the food court after selecting Chinese with a couple of bottles of water. Robin couldn't stop touching her hand, her arm, her face. He'd been missing her like crazy. He surprised her by pulling out a piece of paper and handing it to her. "I wanted to give you this."
Regina opened the folded paper and tears sprang to her eyes when she read it. "How?"
Robin shrugged, "I petitioned to the judge for the consideration. They were able to salvage some of your belongings. They're at the house. The rest they sold, impounded, or tossed. The house was put on the market. Despite the history and previous owner, a couple snatched it up. The money should make a dent in the debt you have to pay back," he finished.
The document had the listing price, the fees, the realtors cut, and the price she received. $13,523. It was more than a dent and she knew Robin had to have done a lot for this to happen. "Robin…"
He covered her hand with his, "Don't worry about it. I took care of it. We'll work out the rest," he promised.
She leaned in and kissed him long and deep. "I love you," she said when she leaned back.
They ate slowly and talked for the entire meal. Regina asked a million questions about the boys and he was happy to answer them. When they were finished eating, he took her for a drive to the pier. They walked along the water and he cuddled her close under the moonlight. As they sat on the dock, he asked her, "You ready to go home?"
"Yes." They shared a few more quiet moments together before Robin led her to the car and smiled internally as he pulled out.
Henry and Roland rushed to clean up the mess they made for dinner. Maggie let them eat pizza, chips, and cookies in the living room while they watched Batman. Maggie had instructed them to clean up and informed them that Robin and Regina were on the way home.
The boys rushed to throw trash away, Henry ran out to dispose of the box in the outside garbage can, and Roland put away their dishes. Maggie was in the kitchen brewing tea and humming to herself. Roland ran up the stairs to his new room and gathered all the drawings he'd made for Regina. He put thin into a gift bag that had been sitting on his desk waiting and filled it with tissue paper like his dad showed him.
Henry ran inside from the cold and rushed up to the room to grab the gift he and Robin picked out for her. The boys were setting the gifts on the table when they heard the car pull up in the drive. "They're here!" he said.
They glanced out the window to see Regina sitting in the car with a red blindfold over her eyes. They opened the door when Robin opened the door to grab her hand. "Can I open my eyes now?" she asked.
"Not yet. Come on take a few more steps," he led her forward a bit.
The boys stood in the doorway with Maggie behind them and nodded.
Robin grinned and took her hand. "Okay," he said. He reached up and took the blindfold off. "You can open them," he said.
Regina's eyes scanned the house, the yard, the SUV, and landed on the boys. Henry smiled as they both let tears fall. "Henry," she sighed.
He rushed to her and she gathered him up in her arms. She was so overwhelmed she sunk to the ground and cried into his hair. "Mom," he cried. "It's over," she whispered.
"I know, baby. It's over," she said. She framed his face in her hands and kissed his forehead.
Roland rushed over and took his turn being enveloped in a hug. The boys hugged each other and brought Regina in as a third form of comfort. Robin grinned down at them. Maggie stood in the doorway of the house with her hand on her heart and tears in her eyes.
Robin finally made his way to them and helped Regina to her feet. "Are you ready to see the inside?"
Regina turned and nodded. "I'm ready."
Later, when the excitement of the night dwindled and the boys were asleep upstairs, the house was quiet. Maggie had left hours before leaving them to get acclimated to the new house.
The boys had spent time filling Regina in on their adventures. Roland showed her all his art and she'd been thrilled with how well he'd improved for a now 7-year-old. Henry gave her his gift, a journal with a picture of them inside.
Now, Robin laid with her in their bed. Her head rested on his chest, his arms cradling her close. The excitement of the night had taken a toll on her. He could see the strain and the pain from her standing so long. With his hands, he rubbed her back. "How are you feeling?"
"Happy," she said simply. "I've never felt happier," she snuggled closer.
He shifted and she rolled on her back, he hovered above her resting on his elbow. He traced her jaw with his fingertips, "It's been a hell of a year," he said.
"I know," she frowned. "I never meant for this to happen."
"Neither did I, when I first met you, I felt this awareness and it scared me to death. I'd just split from Marian and there you were gorgeous and sad." He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "I never imagined that my crush would turn into this."
She sighed, "I tried to stay away from you, but you just couldn't help yourself. You wanted to help a damsel in distress," she teased.
His lips pressed softly against her neck, he chuckled as he raised his head. He turned serious, "I was worried about you. You seemed so…lost. It was more than being scared. You were so alone, I couldn't seem to understand it."
"I wasn't alone. I had Henry," she said. Her fingers linked with his.
"Yea, you did. I didn't realize until I met you that I was as lonely as you were. I kept trying to feel this connection with Marian. I just didn't know-how. Then, I fell in love with you and it hit me."
"What?"
He'd been looking at the wall and turned to meet her eyes. "I think that what I had with Marian was infatuation. I never felt with her what I feel with you. I love you, Regina. I know it in my soul. I belong to you," he said lowering his head to kiss her.
"I love you, too. I don't think I've ever been in love. Not like this, with Simon there was never gentleness. Never compassion or love. It was controlled and it was fear," she said raising her voice and trembling slightly.
"Shh…" he kissed her. "You'll never have to feel like that again. I promise." He kissed her again. Slower, deeper, and longer.
When he lifted his head, he smiled at her dazed eyes. "I missed this," he said and kissed her again. Again.
"I…" she kept her eyes closed and pulled his head back down to hers. When her tongue met his, she wrapped around him. His weight covered her. "Love me," she said with heavy breathing.
Robin kissed her until he felt he was drunk on her. Then, he cruised his lips along her jaw, her neck. His hands expertly unzipped her dress and peeled it from her body while drowning her in long slow kisses.
He trailed his lips, tongue, teeth along her breasts and peeled away the red lace from her upper body. His mouth covered her breast and loved the catch and shudder of her breath. His teeth grazed over her raised peek and she hissed. Then, he lowered down her and stopped at her belly. He pressed his lips softly to her belly and turned his head to press his ear to her skin.
Closing his eyes, he whispered, "I love you, little one." After a moment, he pressed his lips to her again and lowered down the bed. He lifted her hips and rid of her to the lace covering her. He used his fingers trailing them softly down her legs causing trembles and jerks.
He pressed his lips softly on her feet, each scar could be seen in a light line. He took his time and tears gathered in his eyes. Slowly, he pressed his lips to her ankles, her legs, and up to her thighs. He kissed her inner thighs and felt her legs tremor.
"Wait, Robin. I…Ah!" Her fingers gripped his hair and his mouth covered her sex. He dipped his tongue to taste and she cried out again. As his tongue, and lips worked her up, she felt her heart galloping in her chest. Air was gushing out of her lungs. Then, the slow climb suddenly snuck up on her and she gasped.
He closed over her and his tongue swirled around her a few times and she was shaking, and her body tensed before she reached the crest and fell over. Panting, he lifted his head and slowly kissed up her body. He covered her breasts one at a time and lingered on the long stem of her neck.
When she relaxed, he lifted his head and kissed her long and deep. His hands worked to rid himself of his jeans. "I won't hurt you or the baby," he said. He lifted her to the seating position and laid down in her place. "Come here," he led her to sit on his lap. He sat up some and brought her face to his in a scorching kiss.
She lifted her hips and took him into her warmth in a swift motion, she shuddered at the fullness of him. His hands moved down to her hips and he lifted his hips to meet hers. Regina arched her back and Robin groaned. "You ready?"
He furrowed his brows, "For what?"
Regina moved his hands from her hips and brought them up to rest above his head. With her hands pinning him down, she rolled her hips. She could swear she saw his eyes roll out of his head. "Fuck."
With a laugh, she leaned down and bit into his bottom lip, "I'm gonna drive you crazy," she said against his lips. When she lifted her body, she rolled her hips again and he moaned. "I'm gonna enjoy this," she laughed. Then, she rocked into him.