Summary: Robin talks to Roland in the moments before his wedding.
Robin eyed the curious flowers on the tables as he made his way through the reception area. Regina had ordered him to do a final check through and he wouldn't dare defy her on this day. Weddings always put his wife into overdrive, even more so when they were their childrens'.
Thank god, they'd gotten the flowers right. Roland had been absolutely adamant about having Birds of Paradise. They'd been his favorite flower since he was five years old and he'd first saw them in the florist shop. Robin smiled wistfully at the memory. How can something feel so long ago and just like yesterday at the same time?
He double checked his watch. 30 minutes until the ceremony started. Guests had already started to arrive. He should probably go and mingle but his heart told him to go somewhere else.
Making his way upstairs, he went to see his son in his private dressing room for the day. To his surprise, he found Roland alone looking in the mirror, fixated on his tie for some reason.
Robin smiled, walking over to him. "Hey son."
Roland shot him a nervous smile. "Hey…"
"Where is everyone?" he asked, looking around the room curiously.
Roland shrugged his shoulders. "Henry went to check on Ella. Alice and Robin showed up so Lizzy went to meet up with them and I'm pretty sure Mom's yelling at some poor unsuspecting soul who has no idea what they did wrong."
Robin chuckled, before reaching out to rest his hand on Roland's shoulder. Looking at their reflections in the mirror he was struck by just how grown up his son looked. Hell, he was almost 28, the same age he'd been when he and Regina had finally adopted Henry.
He saw Roland reach for his tie once again, grimacing. "Maybe I should've gone with the bowtie instead?"
Robin shook his head. "You can't pull off a bow tie. Remember, the whole family had a vote about it."
The memory of the whole bow tie debacle brought a smile to Roland's face.
"Guess we can't all be as blessed as Lizzy," he quipped, thinking of his younger sister who firmly declared that if she was to stand at the alter with him she'd be wearing a suit same as everybody else.
Robin tilted his head at him. "How are you feeling, Ro?"
His son blew out a sharp breath. "Really nervous dad. Feel like my chest is gonna explode a little but… in a good way."
"I thought so," said Robin, nodding his head with a grin. "That's how I felt the day I married your mom."
"Really?"
"Oh yeah," Robin assured him. "Felt like I could feel every single heartbeat. It was ridiculous."
He could still remember how sweaty his palms felt when he'd been standing up at that alter waiting for her to appear. He'd never been so nervous in his life but the moment he saw her… it was like magic. Seeing her he knew he couldn't have been making a better choice.
"Good to know," chuckled Roland, letting out a sigh. "How's Drew doing? Do you know?"
"Your mother and I checked on him. He's doing great," replied Robin. "Only half as nervous as you."
He paused for a beat, thinking of the man his son was going to marry. "You know, he's a really good man Ro. I'm glad you're gonna have him."
"Me too," mumbled Roland, smiling to himself. "I'm glad you love him. You never liked any of the boys I brought home."
"Mmm… if we're being honest some of the girls you've brought home weren't that great either," he pointed out, earning a belly laugh from his son. "But I like Andrew. He's a good man, he's got a good heart and he's gonna take care of you which is all that I want. I'm truly that pleased that he's gonna be part of the family… even if he is a criminal defense attorney."
"Dad…"
"I'm just saying he could've chosen a better field of law," he laughed, along with his son.
Even with the jokes, he knew his son couldn't have chosen a better match. Andrew was smart, good looking and passionate. He loved sports and cooking. Most importantly, he made Roland a better person. Ever since he'd come into their lives Robin had noticed how much calmer and focused Roland had been and he could only attribute that to the man who held his heart. He couldn't have hoped for more for his son.
The door to the room opened and in walked Lizzy, a smile on her face. "Hey Daddy!"
"Hey Princess," he said, giving her a kiss on the cheek. Roland was right, she looked good in her dark blue suit and bow tie.
"So…" she drawled, patting her dad on the shoulder. "You need to head downstairs. When I left mom was confronting the caterers and I'm half sure somebody's dead by now."
Robin groaned, rolling his eyes. Already he was mentally thinking of ways he could calm down his wife.
Turning to his son, he offered him another proud smile. "Hey… I'll see you down there, alright?"
"Okay," Roland nodded his head. "You'll make sure I don't trip right?"
"I can't promise that," he jokingly replied before heading toward the door. Once he stepped out into the hallway, he let out a deep breath and checked his watch again. Ten minutes until the ceremony started and he and Regina walked their son down the aisle.
God… where does the time go?
