Chapter 6: The Past

The automatic doors opened and Regina stepped inside Lionheart Foods. She didn't often come to this store, preferring to drive to the next town to a store that provided some great organic offerings. However, Lionheart Foods had some great deals every so often and did carry a few brands the other store didn't, so she stopped by from time to time. This time, she needed some dough for her mother's empanadas and only this store sold the brand they all liked.

She turned down the aisle where they were kept and stopped short. Robin stood in the aisle, dressed in his work uniform as he restocked some shelves. She allowed herself a moment to admire him, watching as he stretched to place items on a higher shelf and imaging just what it would look like if he wore just that green apron.

Feeling herself flush, she reminded herself that she was in public. She would have to save that particular fantasy for the privacy of her bedroom that night. Besides, she doubted Robin would appreciate it if he realized she had been ogling him. He was a good-looking and kind-hearted man, not a piece of meat.

Schooling her face into a neutral expression, she walked toward them. "Well, look who it is!"

He looked over at her, smiling widely and revealing those damn dimples. "Hey, you. What brings you to my store?"

"Dough for empanadas," she said. "Mother is making them as a treat for Daddy. And for the rest of us, provided we can beat him to them."

"Sound exciting," he replied, chuckling.

She nodded. "Maybe you can come over one day and experience it for yourself."

"I just might," he said, leaning closer to her. He grinned at her. "Do you need any help finding the dough?"

Regina moved closer as well, realizing he was flirting with her. She smiled as well. "I think I can manage but I might need your help some other time."

He bit his lip before saying: "I'm always willing to help."

"Oh, he's the best!" a little old lady said, causing them to jump apart. She seemed oblivious to what she had interrupted as she beamed at Robin, patting his arm. "Robin is the best employee in this place. He's gotten many things off the high shelves for me, recommended some great products and has carried my bags out to my car for me."

Regina insides started to turn to goo as Robin got all embarrassed, his cheeks now turning pink. She hadn't known him long but she wasn't surprised to find out he did all of that. After all, she knew he was a regular volunteer at the soup kitchen and so wouldn't be surprised to learn he old helped little old ladies cross streets. "He's a real hero," she said.

"I know," the woman said. "It's a shame that the store hasn't promoted him. He ought to be running things."

"Then I wouldn't be able to help you," Robin told her, grinning.

The woman scoffed. "You would still help me. That's just who you are."

"I have to agree," Regina replied, smiling at him with pride. She really chose a great guy to fake an engagement with. If only it wasn't fake…

"Locksley, we don't pay you to stand around chatting," a tall, dark-haired man said, striding toward them. His apron had manager written on it in yellow embroidery, so Regina guessed he was Robin's supervisor.

The woman got in the man's face…or at least tried to, since she only came up to his chest. She wagged her finger at him, forcing him to back up as she walked forward. "You listen here—that man is one of your best employees. You should all be like him and get to know the customers. We're the reason you all have jobs, after all…"

Robin grimaced as he turned to Regina. "I should make sure she doesn't hurt Keith. I'll give you a call a later?"

"That sounds fine," she said. She watched him run after the old woman and his manager before heading to pick up the dough for the empanadas.

"You must be Regina," another British-accented voice said as she picked up the dough. She looked up to find a man with short black hair and brown eyes watching her with his arms crossed. He wore the same uniform Robin did, complete with green apron.

Confused, she replied: "I am. And you are?"

"Will," he replied. "Robin and I are mates."

The name rang a bell and she nodded. "He's mentioned you before. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too," he said before his eyes glanced over to where Robin stood mediating between the old lady and Keith. "She likes to slip him tips when he helps her. Other folks do it too. Robin tries to tell them he can't take 'em but they still do it. You know what he does with the money? We have a can where people can put money in so we can buy gifts around now for needy children. He always puts the money in there."

"That certainly sounds like him," she said, smiling fondly at Robin's form. "He has a very big heart."

"He has a heart of gold," Will said, "but even those can break. Robin's broke pretty bad when he lost Marian. You know what happened right?"

She grew quiet, shaking her head. "We don't talk about that."

"Sounds like him. Marian was a photojournalist for the paper and was covering an event in a neighboring town. She was driving back at night and the police think she wasn't able to see the curve in the road. Marian missed it and went off into the embankment, crashing into a tree," he told her.

Regina fought the wave of nausea that washed over her as she looked back at Robin, who had finally separated the older woman from Keith. He talked to her softly, a bright smile on his face as he tried to calm her down. She knew that he was a widower but one would never really know just from meeting him. He hid his sadness well and he possessed a great inner strength to keep moving after such a tragic loss. Still, she knew one thing: "He must've been devastated."

"He was," Will confirm. "We're all pretty sure the only thing that got him out of bed and made sure he didn't stop living was Roland. He was all that little boy had. Still is, if you think about it."

"Yeah," she said, thinking of the strong bond between father and son. It was just them against the world—even more so than her and Henry. At least they had her family as well.

"Robin's heart, though, can't handle another a heartbreak. I don't know exactly what's going on with you, but as Robin's friend, I just want you to understand what's at stake," he continued, giving her a pointed look.

Regina's heart sank as her stomach twisted up. She glanced at him before looking back to Will. "I promise that Robin's heart is not in danger."

"We'll see about that, I guess," Will replied, walking away.

She hurried away with her dough, her stomach still twisted in knots. Regina felt confident in her promise to Will—Robin's heart wasn't in danger of being broken.

Hers, though, was.

Robin left the store, rubbing his neck. It had been a long day and he was looking forward to relaxing on the couch with Roland. Maybe he would call Regina as well. Leopold hadn't set up any more meetings but he liked to check in with her and just talk. He felt they were really building a strong foundation for a relationship—either a friendship or something romantic—and he made him happy.

"Robin, glad I caught up with you," Henry Sr. said, startling him. The older man fell into step beside him, smiling. "Do you have time for a quick coffee? I'd like to have a chat."

His heart sped up as Robin asked: "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," Henry insisted. He motioned to a coffeeshop nearby. "The coffee there is very good. Why don't we enjoy a cup together?"

Robin nodded, his stomach twisting in knots in a way he hadn't since he had asked Marian's parents for their blessing to marry their daughter. He followed Henry into the coffeeshop and ordered a small coffee to drink. After a little back and forth, Henry paid for their drinks and they took a small table in the back.

"Thank you for helping Regina with all of this," Henry started once they were seated. "I know her mother was hoping she'd pick some actor wannabe but I'm glad she chose you. You're real and so this doesn't feel like a charade."

"Uh…thanks?" Robin asked, unsure if that really had been a compliment or not.

Henry chuckled before turning serious. "There is something I do want to tell you, something I'm sure Regina hasn't told you about herself. She was engaged before."

That surprised Robin. "She was?"

"Yes, shortly after she got out of college. She met a handsome young worker at the stables where her horse…"

"Horse?" Robin asked, finding more and more surprises in this story.

Henry nodded. "Regina is an accomplished equestrienne, though she hasn't ridden in years. Not since her horse died and, well, everything that happened with Daniel. That was his name. Daniel Colter. He and Regina bonded over their love of horses and it just grew from there. Her mother and I were worried at first because there was such a disparity in their lifestyles and economic status. Not that I'm saying Daniel was only after her for her money but we always had that worry that someone would pursue Zelena or Regina for that reason."

"Understandable," Robin said. He had known quite a few people when he was younger who would've loved to get their hooks into heiresses like Zelena and Regina just for their money. Both deserved men who loved them for who they were, which it seemed Zelena had and Regina lost.

"We had a close call with Zelena. He even fooled her mother and me though Regina saw through him easily enough," Henry continued. "Thankfully, Zelena soon realized it too but I'm afraid that made us a bit hard on Daniel. But he proved himself and eventually asked for my blessing to marry Regina. I gave it, happy she had found someone who loved her the way she deserved."

Robin's heart lodged in his throat, knowing that the story didn't have a happy ending. He forced himself to ask: "What happened?"

"They went to go pick out their wedding bands. Regina was running uncharacteristically late—I think a meeting had gone longer than she realized or there was traffic—but Daniel got there on time. He was looking around when the store was robbed," Henry explained. "The robber had a gun so Daniel decided to charge him to save the others in the store. From what we understand, there was a struggle over the gun and it went off, hitting Daniel at close range. He was rushed to the hospital but there wasn't anything they could do. He died on the operating table."

The coffee in Robin's mouth turned to sludge and he forced himself to swallow it before pushing the cup away. A phantom antiseptic odor washed over him and he was back in the hospital's morgue, identifying Marian's body with Belle. He had collapsed in tears when he realized his wife was gone and never coming home to him. Belle had to hold him up and help him fill out the necessary paperwork. He barely even remembered what the cops said—it had been Belle who had finally explained to him what happened to Marian. It was as if he was living in a nightmare he couldn't wake up from, something that didn't feel real and he waited for his real life—with Marian—to resume again. It hurt to think of Regina going through the same thing. And her situation would've been worse—he at least had Roland, she hadn't had Henry yet.

"Regina became like a ghost for a long time. She went through the motions but she wasn't living. She went to work and she came home. That was pretty much it," Henry Sr. continued, voice soft. "She no longer went to the stables and she withdrew from her friends. We were really concerned."

"I understand," Robin said, playing with his coffee. "I tried to shut out my friends. Thankfully, they are more stubborn than me and forced me to keep living. Belle insisted it would've been what Marian wanted and she was right. It took their support, their love and some grief counseling but I managed to start living again—for her, for me and for Roland."

Henry nodded before smiling. "I'm sure you've noticed that my daughters inherited their stubbornness from their mother. We gave Regina her space but then Cora got involved, finally getting Regina to therapy. She and Zelena started to make sure she went places and I made sure to give her an ear when she needed it. Together, we got her back…well, not back to her old self. She was never going to be our old Regina again. But we got one who at least started to live life again instead of wallowing.

"However, she believed…actually believes…that Daniel was it for her—her one great love and she'll never have another," he continued. "That's one of the reasons she adopted Henry. She wanted to be a mother but figured marriage was not in her cards, so she made motherhood happen for her. Henry was a big part in helping her heal even more, giving her someone to focus on and take care of and just love with that big heart of hers."

Robin smiled, thinking of all the loving interactions he had seen between mother and son. They certainly had a special bond and Regina was just amazing with him. She was also amazing with Roland too, already having a special relationship with the boy. "She's got the touch of a mother. She's a natural."

Henry nodded, smiling as well. "Yes, she is. You two are a great pair, both parents who understand that your children come first."

"Absolutely," Robin replied, not sure where the older man was going with this.

"Look, I'll be blunt. It's something Regina got from me. Zelena too," he said, sitting up and leaning forward. "I'm getting the sense that what's going on between you and my daughter is starting to slide from fake to real. And I wanted you to know what Regina has been through because if you're interested in making this very real, I feel you should know. She might not realize her own feelings just yet and it might take some time for her walls to come down. Don't give up on her, though. She deserves love, not more disappointment."

Robin grew quiet as he clasped his hands around his coffee cup just to hold onto something. He was glad to know more about Regina and he admired her all the more for the inner strength she possessed. But he was a bit concerned that her father was able to pick up on his developing feelings for her. He also wondered if Regina was also developing feelings for him or if those were the wishful thinking of a father who just wanted his daughter to be happy. From what Robin could tell, he was the only one who would face disappointment and potential heartbreak if he put himself out there.

He realized Henry was waiting for him to say something, so Robin took a deep breath. "I don't know what's going to happen between Regina and me. If there is something, I promise you I would be extremely patient with her and wouldn't abandon her."

"Good," Henry said, reaching out to pat Robin's hands. "You two both deserve love and happiness. And I think you can find it with each other. Just…don't be too blind to it, okay?"

"Okay," Robin replied softly.

Henry then stood, as did Robin. The older man held out his hand. "I won't keep you from your son any longer. Just think about what I said and I guess I'll see you at the party tomorrow."

"Yes," Robin said, shaking his hand. He took a deep breath. "And thank you. I appreciate you taking the time out to talk to me."

"You're welcome. And Robin? I'm rooting for you." Henry nodded at him before leaving.

Robin then sighed, heading for the door. At least someone was rooting for him.