A/N

I love the platonic relationships in this show. Also, this chapter has a lot of dialogue. Do you think it's too much?

The Hardest Thing

We were so in love and we thought it'd last forever.

2024

It was Sunday afternoon. It had been a tradition for Barney and Tracy to take the kids to the playground since Ellie was born. They would get ice creams and then watch the kids play while they talked about their lives. Tracy was Barney's favourite person to talk to about the divorce. She was the only one who really got it. She knew the pain of losing your loved one because she lost Max. Tracy also understood that sometimes Barney felt like Robin had died. It ended so quickly and he hadn't seen her or spoken to her since Tracy and Ted's wedding. That was four years ago. He missed her.

"Hey! How are you?" Tracy asked. She was late. Penny and Luke scampered away into the playground and ran to meet Ellie on the swings.

"Alright, but today's always a hard day." He replied, looking at his feet.

"Why…Oh. Is it?" She checked her phone and sure enough it was. May 25th. What would be Barney and Robin's eleventh wedding anniversary, if they were still together. Wordlessly she put her hand on his back, comfortingly. "Do you miss her?"

"Like crazy. It's just, we were so in love and I thought it would last forever, you know?" He said.

Tracy nodded sadly. "I'm sorry. I wish you two were still together. You were made for each other."

Barney glanced around the park. A couple was sitting on a bench across the park. The woman had a shiny engagement ring on. Another couple were rocking their son to sleep. He briefly wonders what his life would be like now if he was still with Robin. "I still love her. With every fibre of my being. Then I feel like I'm a bad dad or something. If Robin and I were still together than Ellie would never have been born. I just miss her so much."

Tracy looked him in the eyes. "Barney, loving Robin doesn't make you a bad dad. I promise you that. You're allowed to love your daughter and Robin at the same time."

Barney sighed. "I couldn't stop loving Robin any more than I could stop breathing."

Tracy smiled. She remembered Ted telling her that Barney had told Robin that back in 2012. "I know."

Barney shook his head, as if trying to shake the bad memories away. "So, how are you guys?"

"Uh, pretty good. I'm kinda getting annoyed with Ted though."

Barney looked at her, puzzled. "What? Why?"

"He's super protective. Like he owns me." She supplied. "For example, we saw Louis yesterday."

"Your ex Louis?" Barney clarified.

She nodded. "The entire time we were talking to him, Ted had a firm grip around me and was acting strangely affectionate. Trying to kiss me a lot and everything. He was boasting too. Youngest architect to have a building built in New York and stuff."

"Huh. That is weird." Barney commented.

She nodded. "Yeah."

That was the beginning of Ted and Tracy's problems. If Barney even knew a slither of what was to come, he would have been much more concerned. He and Robin were supposed to stay together. Ted and Tracy were supposed to grow old together. Unfortunately, sometimes the universe has other plans.