It didn't seem real. Not even seeing the "For Sale" sign in the window made it feel like reality. The bakery was everything to Robin. There wasn't a corner that didn't have her stamp on it and now it was just going to gone? Where was the entire population of Port Charles supposed to go to discover the delights of Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake? What if they needed a muffin basket bigger than a small third world country?
Elizabeth shook her head as she tried to gaze into the darkened shop. She had assumed the limited operating schedule had been due to Robin's bed rest and Lucas' obligations to his P.I. firm. Never had she entertained the notion that Robin was considering selling her business, not until Patrick had called her this morning. Apparently her suddenly closed-mouthed best friend had snuck out to start packing up and cleaning out the space for the realtor to show and Patrick thought she might need support. Why he didn't think he was appropriate for support right now he hadn't shared and Elizabeth hadn't pressed for details.
Up until this exact second, she had thought this was Patrick's belated April's Fools Joke. If she hadn't been involved somewhat in every detail of her own baby shower planning, she would have suspected this was a clever set up for a surprise party. But it looked as if it was nothing more than the truth. Robin was selling her business. Elizabeth raised her hand to knock on the doors, determined to find out why.
Robin wiped her tears onto the sleeve of her lightweight gray t-shirt knowing her face was covered in dust and other particles the little bakery had collected in her absence. She leaned on the top of the broomstick so that it was tucked under her chin and thought back to less than a year ago when she had thought owning this building would be something she could do for the rest of her life. Bobbie's offer of blending their businesses had been the beacon in the unpredictable storm and was probably the only reason she had even been able to stay afloat. She and Patrick had talked about it, or rather she had talked at him, and they decided that maybe it would be best if she got out while she was ahead. It was too much stress anyway and once the baby got here she wouldn't have time to take care of it.
She could remember showing Morgan the bakery for the first time, the first day they opened. Though he hadn't been speaking then, she had seen the wonder and absolute awe in his expression. She felt the exact same way standing in the doorway with him that morning. The tears collected and she sniffed them back in frustration. She wasn't giving up: She was sacrificing one love for another. Robin had spoken with a lady who wanted to take over the building and turn it into a dress shop and now it was just a matter of paperwork. She figured she should take the For Sale sign down.
Robin dropped the broom and moved to the center of the bakery so that she was still hidden from the outside world by the counter and sat cross-legged on the floor. She could cry a little more, but it was done. This wasn't hers anymore. There would be no more decorating cakes; she had contacted all of her regular customers and referred them to a shop just outside of town, about two miles from Sweet Indulgence, and then she had burned all of their numbers. What was she going to do? Stay at home with both kids and lose something that had made her so happy for so long? Surely there were still things she could do. This wasn't something she could blame on Patrick because, with her constant absences, she would have had to sell this place before long, baby or not, pending marriage or not, stress or not, and even Logan or not.
Finally lifting her body off of the dusty floor, she spotted Elizabeth tapping impatiently on the front door. "I'm sorry." She ran over and unlocked the door quickly.
"For what? Making a pregnant woman stand outside and look pathetic?" Elizabeth questioned smiling sweetly.
"I didn't know anyone was here." Robin admitted sheepishly. She retrieved the broom and started sweeping once more, just around the edge of the wall and under the tables.
"I guess that could happen when you are off trying to do things in secret." Elizabeth observed as she walked further into the shop. Most of the pictures and knick knacks were off the walls and lined up on the tables and countertops. "Looks like you could use some help."
"I won't turn you away. I didn't realize this place had so much junk." Robin mused with a smile.
"It's not junk." Elizabeth defended as she picked up a canister to examine it. "Not if you love it. It's only junk if you hate it."
Robin glimpsed fleetingly toward one of the boxes and noticed the little bear chef with his spatula and wide smile. This was too hard. She was going to burn all of this because the memories would never leave her alone, never. Biting into her bottom lip viciously, she turned her back to the box and continued sweeping.
Catching the lip biting out of the corner of her eye, Elizabeth made her way towards Robin. Putting one hand on Robin's shoulder and using the other to remove the broom, she kept her voice gentle. "Hey. Talk to me."
"How long has it been since we've had a good girl talk?" Robin's voice broke.
"Far too long." Elizabeth nodded. "Sit. We're about to fix that."
Robin pulled over two chairs for them, remembering a time when she had dreamed of bright red booths. "I didn't think it would hurt so much." She whispered as she watched Elizabeth sit across from her.
"Then why are you doing it? You love this bakery."
"I can't take care of it." Robin told her friend. "There isn't time and I have no energy."
"So I'm guessing this decision is related to the wedding and the baby then?"
Robin nodded. "And I'm going to have even less time and energy once the baby comes. It's not fair to my customers or my kids to keep it."
"So you're going to force yourself to do something else, even if you hate it? Robin I love you and I totally understand somewhat about where you are coming from here. But girlfriend it's not fair to your kids if you are unhappy because you gave up your dream."
"I'll find something else." Robin assured her.
"I'm not saying you won't. I'm asking, what if you hate that something else?"
When Robin met Elizabeth's eyes, she felt the tears stinging. "I don't want to be away from my kids because of work. I had that childhood...we both did. They have to know that they come first."
"Believe me I get that." Elizabeth reached out to grab one of Robin's hands. Long ago she had lost count of the number of times she had sat up waiting for either parent to return home and pay any attention to her. "And I'm not saying it's the wrong motive. But there is also nothing wrong with your kids knowing they come first and that you like what you do. I also know what it's like when your parent resents you for something or other. Believe me a child picks up on it if a parent is unhappy."
"I have a potential buyer. Her name is Claire Tanner. She wants to turn it into a dress shop." Robin replied, not missing her friend's point but needing to feel secure in her decision.
"Is she offering what you want?"
"About ten thousand over my asking price." Robin clarified quietly.
Elizabeth whistled low in her throat. "Obviously she must already be successful for someone I've never heard of."
"I thought the same thing." Robin agreed tracing her finger across the table to make a line of dust in her wake.
"Well since you are packing up or at least trying to, I gather that means you are seriously considering accepting her offer. I guess the next question is what to do with the extra money I know you didn't plan on having."
"Well, you know, with gas prices..." Robin laughed. "No, I was thinking of decorating the nursery when I get back from the trip with my dad." Elizabeth's face fell and she realized that she hadn't mentioned this. "He wants Morgan and I to come and stay with him for about eight weeks. I told him we wouldn't be going anywhere until Junior makes his or her appearance." Robin promised, nodding toward Elizabeth's stomach.
"Nice try. I'm still not telling you if it's a boy or a girl." Elizabeth folded her arms and shook her head. "Two questions. Where is your dad and why am I just now hearing about this?"
The truth was Robin had forgotten exactly who she had told which story of the moment to and lines had gotten crossed. "I forgot and Paris."
"As in Texas or France?"
"France." Robin tried not to look at Elizabeth knowing this was going to end badly.
"France?" Elizabeth sat back down on the stool. "You are leaving to go spend time in Paris? That's it you are so off the godparent list."
"WHAT?" Robin's eyes widened. "That's not fair! It's only a couple of months!"
"The crucial months. All the books say so."
Robin pouted. "But I'll be here afterwards."
"Yeah after I screw it up. Or make the child even more neurotic than I am, which as you know, will take quite the talent and skill."
"And you think I'll be able to help in the neurotic department?" Robin lifted an eyebrow.
"Ok maybe I'm hoping the two of us will balance out and resemble a rational person."
"You've got Lucky to help—"
"And do we want him thinking he's an expert in anything?"
"No, but of course you don't tell him. It'll be a learning experience. At least he has a little know-how. I'll be lucky, no pun intended, if Patrick can put on a diaper."
"Maybe you can do a training course with Majandra. Think Bobbie will let her out of her sight for that long?"
"No, but there's always hope. I mean, she did let Cruz baby-sit." Robin pointed out.
"And called him a million times. If Cruz hadn't hidden her phone the other night, I think I would have thrown ours out the window."
"I think maybe Patrick and I got engaged to insure I would be coming back." Robin said quietly.
"Insurance for you or him?"
"For him I guess. We had a big fight over my father's invitation."
"I was curious how he reacted to this decision. Why isn't he coming with you?"
"I told him not to." Robin said looking down.
"You told him not to? Look I'm well aware the whole introducing to the parents thing would go a lot better without the whole pregnancy clogging the issue but shouldn't your dad at least meet the man you'll be marrying before the wedding day?"
"I know. I'm terrible." Robin nodded. "We haven't really talked since he agreed to support me on the whole pregnancy thing. Every time I try to talk to him, it just starts a big fight."
"You're not terrible. You're a little confused." Elizabeth corrected. "We're allowed to be. As for the fighting, maybe you two should just have the big fight and force yourselves to do the talking thing."
"Can't I wait until I come back home?" Robin gave her the famous puppy-dog expression.
"Nope. A very wise person once told me constantly the longer I would wait to have a conversation the harder it would be. I think she said something about it coming up at the worst possible time? Now I hate to tell her she was right..."
"Just once can't I put it off?"
"Do you ever let me?"
"No, but it's always funny to see when you're going to spill the news."
"And this is called turnabout is fair play. No. You are not off the hook. You need to talk with him. Especially if you are abandoning him and me for two whole months."
"I'm not abandoning him! He'll probably like it better." Robin assumed.
"He'll like it better? Must I remind you of Grump Fest that we were all subjected to the last time you two separated or whatever you call it? How on Earth would he like it better if his fiancé is on the other side of the world from him?"
"Have you forgotten his life before we were dating?" Robin wanted to know. "This will probably be a nice vacation for him."
"Are you sure you aren't going to Egypt? Cause you are talking a lot of denial."
"This is his last chance to be a rowdy, no-rules-no-fear, one-night-stand kind of guy." Robin pointed out.
"Which he hasn't been since about the minute he fell for you. Face it Robin. You totally destroyed his reputation."
"But I don't want to make him something he doesn't want to be. When we found out I was pregnant, I'll never forget the look on his face. It was like he was seeing his life flash before his eyes."
"I'm not an expert by any means on this subject, but I'm pretty sure that is a universal male reaction." Elizabeth pointed out. "Lucky hid it pretty quick but I did see the same look flash on his face."
"It's different!" Robin insisted. "He already has Cameron. It wasn't that big a change for him. This is Patrick's first time in love, first time in a relationship, first time engaged—and now he's expected to be a father to a little baby?"
"Sweets I hate to sound like a clichéd soap character but there was going to be a first time for everything. He wouldn't be your Patrick if he had already experienced all that."
Robin gave her friend a wobbly smile. "My Patrick. I kind of like that."
Previews:
"Actually you look like you could use a diversion."
"Do I now?" He tilted his head to one side, tracing his fingers up her arm.