Chapter Thirteen: DIY
Robin stood in the doorframe in the hallway of the third floor of Enchanted Plaza, barely dressed in only his gray slacks and overtired from their all-nighter. The rest of his belongings were held in a disorganized ball in his arms as his head leaned against the wood. Regina was on the other side of the open door in her silk robe and her arms crossed in front of her. Her eyes were itchy from her contacts and she couldn't wait to wake herself up with a shower.
"Go get some sleep, Robin," she said softly.
"I still don't understand why I can't sleep here," he pouted and she chuckled.
"You should be home when the boys wake up. I'll be awake so bring them over for breakfast whenever you're all ready."
"Can't I have you for breakfast right now?" He closed the distance between them, his forehead leaning into hers.
"Tempting offer, but I'm afraid not. I have to get busy cooking for our growing boys," she sighed and placed her hands on his cheeks to get a better look at his face. "And you need to take your walk of shame now before Henry wakes up and you are forced to do it in front of a very temperamental teenager."
"Excellent point, love. It'd be best to avoid explaining that one to him at all costs," he chuckled. "I'll bring them by around nine."
Nine was perfect. It was just after six at that point. It would give her enough time to remove her contacts and get some drops in her dry eyes, rest (quite possibly sleep) until eight, and get a proper shower before they arrived for breakfast.
"Nine it is. I'll see you in a few hours," she smiled, looking forward to sharing a meal with their sons. She wondered what she should cook and made a mental note to remember to set up the folding table and chairs they used whenever they had guests.
Robin pulled her from her thoughts with a tender kiss on her lips, she smirked as she returned the gesture. He stepped back and hesitantly turned toward his apartment. She almost had the door closed before she heard him calling after her. She poked her head out into the hall to hear what he was saying.
"Don't forget to call Jefferson about having Grace over tonight," he reminded her, just as she asked him to a few short hours ago.
Regina smiled and mouthed the words 'Thank you' before blowing him a kiss and shutting the door. He sighed and shook his head, the feelings developing for this woman growing stronger in his heart.
He tried to figure it out and give himself any logical reason as to why he was falling for her so quickly. Nothing came to him. Nothing that made sense, anyway. The only thing he knew when he opened the door to Apartment 8, was that he couldn't wait for breakfast.
Nine o'clock was quickly approaching. Luckily, she'd been able to close her tired, itchy eyes for an hour before having to get a start on her busy Saturday.
She stood in the kitchen, hair wet and braided back from her recent shower, and held open the cabinets to decide on the breakfast menu. As much as she wanted to throw on her silk pajamas or a pair of her ridiculously comfortable yoga pants, she slipped on a pair of dark blue skinny jeans and a plain black v-neck so she wouldn't have to change her clothes for dinner that evening. She wore her apron over top for good measure to be sure she wouldn't have to change.
Her glasses pinched the bridge of her nose as she sifted through the various cooking supplies in her kitchen. She decided on waffles when she opened one of the lower cabinets of the island and spotted her Mickey Mouse waffle maker. She received it as a Christmas gift from Henry the holiday just before his third birthday; the last Christmas they spent with Daniel, as a family.
She shook the memory to the back of her mind so she could concentrate on her task, but made a mental note to go back to it later. She was done suppressing the times they'd been together. She was ready to accept him back into her life. Just not while she was cooking.
Regina mixed the batter in a bowl while the appliance was preheating. She set it aside when an idea struck her. She opened the refrigerator and removed containers of various fruit to be sliced. She reached into a cabinet beside the fridge for the all-natural, organic peanut butter and the bag of mixed nuts.
Before she got to work preparing the ingredients she just gathered onto the counter, she lifted her beautiful bouquet and moved it to the folding table now residing in the once open space between the kitchen and the living room. She placed it in the center of the table, already properly set for their meal atop a burgundy tablecloth (to match the decor of the room, of course).
After only a few minutes, the island was turning into a DIY (Do It Yourself, for those who don't frequent Pinterest as often as Regina) waffle bar. Matching bowls lined the edge with ingredients to be cooked into the waffles or toppings to be sprinkled above them: blueberries, strawberries, bananas, peanuts, almonds, chocolate chips. Two different bowls were behind those filled with peanut butter and vanilla yogurt. A can of whipped cream was put out as well just as the front door opened.
Her heart fluttered at the sight: Henry entered first with Roland held securely on his back, Robin close behind as they laughed. Regina couldn't be certain what was so funny, not having caught the end of their conversation, but she joined in on their laughter nonetheless. All three of them, still sporting their pajamas, situated themselves into the apartment.
"Good morning, love," Robin approached her, leaning down for a kiss. She thought his greeting was clever and smirked in response.
"It's good now that I get to see you," she retorted and he chuckled, seeing she was going along with his fib.
"I'm sure it's good to be seeing at all," he said and she tilted her head. He tapped the frame of her glasses and added, "I didn't know you wore glasses."
"I don't. I wear contacts," she replied, earning her a laugh from him.
"You should wear them more often," he suggested before leaning in to whisper, "I think you look sexy."
"Okay, okay. We're done with that," Henry came over and separated them, pulling his mother into a hug. Robin held his hands up in surrender and made his way over to his son who was sitting on the couch.
Regina held him tight, not ever wanting to let go. He didn't seem to mind which made her want to savor the moment even longer. His hair smelt like sleep with a hint of forest from his night spent at the Locksley's. She breathed it in, wanting it to be engraved into her memory.
"I'm really sorry, Mom," he whispered, squeezing her tighter. She kissed the side of his head and smoothed his hair down with her fingers.
"I am too, sweetie," she replied. "And thank you. I enjoyed coming home to such a nice surprise."
"I can't take all the credit. Roland was a huge help with Operation: Apology," he finally released his mother and turned his attention to the beaming little boy.
"Operation: Apology?" She smirked.
"Roland came up with the name. I never would have pulled it off without you, kid," he smiled and the boy sprinted into the kitchen, hugging Henry's waist tight.
"Did you love it, Regina?" He asked, looking up at her, his arms still tight around his friend.
"More than you know, Roland. Thank you," she bent down to his level and placed a kiss on his dimple. She caught him blush the way his father did and she shifted her gaze to the man admiring them from the living room. They exchanged smiles, unbelievably happy with how easy this was.
"See, Henry? She's a mom. I told you she'd love it," he chimed and the teen chuckled.
"When you're right, you're right, buddy."
He ruffled the child's hair as Regina stepped back into the kitchen. She opened the waffle maker and started gathering the mix.
"We're having Make Your Own Waffles so come pick your toppings," she called to them. The boys high-fived with excitement and rushed to the counter. Henry lifted Roland up so he could get a better view of his options. Robin came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, placing his head on her shoulder. She wiped her finger along the side of the bowl and held it up for him to lick; he was more than willing to oblige as she said, "It's gluten-free."
"You're incredible, you know that?" He kissed her cheek. She smirked and turned her head to face him so she could catch another kiss from him on her lips.
"So I've been told," she responded with a chuckle and started pouring the mix into the appliance. "Who's first?"
The children rushed to her side, aligning themselves single file with their plates held up to her. Robin was quickly behind them mocking their behavior to which Regina laughed. She took a mental snapshot of the image: her three favorite gentlemen lined up before her below the 'I Love You!' banner from Operation: Apology.
And in that moment, she felt more love than she had in her entire life.
"Hi Jefferson. How are you?" She spoke into the phone from her spot on the balcony. Henry had gone into the shower, but she wanted to be sure he didn't hear her conversation.
"Regina, lovely to hear from you. I'm well, and yourself?"
"Quite well, actually. I was calling to ask a favor, if it's at all possible," she stated.
"Regina Mills, asking me for a favor? I never thought I'd live to see the day," he chuckled from the other end of the receiver. She rolled her eyes, but smirked realizing it sounded a lot more serious than it actually was.
"Is Grace available this evening? I was hoping to surprise Henry by having her over for dinner. I know it's last minute so I understand if you already have plans."
"As a matter of fact, this works out perfectly. I have to run downtown to the theatre and I'm not sure how long I'll be. I'd feel more comfortable knowing she isn't alone," he sighed with relief.
"I understand. I always hate the idea of Henry being alone. But Grace is more than welcome here any time, Jefferson, you know that," she smiled.
It was true. She was an exceptionally bright girl and incredibly polite; always asking if Regina needed help with anything, waiting until everyone had their food before eating, clearing her own plate when they were done. She reminded her a lot of herself when she was that age; so much potential. She understood exactly what Henry found so appealing about her.
"How soon can we swing by?" He asked and Regina checked the clock on her nightstand.
"Within the next hour is fine. And if you're done early at the theatre, just give me a call and I'll set an extra plate for dinner. Otherwise, I'll pack some leftovers to-go."
"You've always been much too good to me, my dear," he said and Regina smiled, recalling many of their shared memories as they ended the conversation.
He was a costume designer for Matilda on Broadway, having always been exceptional with a sewing machine. He was constantly taking emergency trips to the theatre to fix costumes or make adjustments from the children's constant fidgeting.
Jefferson Chapeau was Regina's closest friend in college. There was a time when she might have dated him, but he fell head over heels in love with an aspiring actress named Alice Bergstein, the woman who later became Alice Chapeau. And it was a blessing in disguise when she found her way to Daniel, whom her best friend approved of completely.
They'd lost touch after Daniel's death. Regina didn't know how to cope and pushed everyone away, claiming she wanted to focus on her career and raising Henry. When she heard about Alice's tragic battle with ALS, a battle which she lost only a year ago, she reached out to Jefferson. It was like no time passed at all. And when their children began dating, by some stroke of luck or ironic twist of fate, they knew things always happened for a reason.
Henry sat in his room reading The Pearl by John Steinbeck, his assigned reading for his English class. Being grounded was not something he necessarily enjoyed, but he didn't mind it either. It gave him time to do a lot more reading and drawing, things he didn't do nearly as often as he would like to. The only thing he missed was having his phone. It was his only form of communication with Grace when they weren't at school and he really missed her.
But he knew the way he acted and the things he said to his mother were way out of line. He was happy she liked his gift to her, although he really wanted some of that cake to himself, but he didn't do it to get out of his punishment. Truth be told, nothing would ever make his mother budge when it came to discipline. She was tough, but he could hold out. One week was nothing. And then he could finally take his girlfriend out on the kind of dates she deserved.
He was distracted from his book when he heard the sound of a knock on his bedroom door. He turned it over on his bed to keep his place and said, "Come in."
It opened slowly and just enough so she could slip inside, closing it behind her. His jaw dropped and he shook his head in surprise. He expected it to be his mother wanting to talk about what happened the other day, but couldn't have been more wrong.
"Grace! What are you doing here?" He jumped from his bed, pulling the young girl into his arms and spinning her around in the air.
"Your mom wanted to surprise you," she giggled, hugging him tight. "She invited me over for dinner."
Grace was a beautiful girl, resembling her mother more with each passing day. Her hair was a natural light brown reaching the middle of her back and curling at the ends. Her eyes, a beautiful mix of blue and green in the shade of aquamarine, always bright with happiness. She was slightly shorter than Regina, but still growing, and her smile was almost always present. That's what caught Henry's attention; that smile and her laugh pulling at his heartstrings in all the best ways.
"I missed you so much," he put his hands on her cheeks and kissed her gently. His heart fluttered. They were young and 'in love.' Everything was new and exciting for them; their first kiss having been shared just a few weeks prior.
They separated abruptly when they heard the sound of footsteps coming down the hall, the door swinging open and nearly hitting them as Regina stood in the archway. She was in her apron again, hard at work preparing the lasagna, and her glasses resting on the top of her head. Henry was surprised she was wearing them all day, but didn't question it.
"You know the rule: door stays open," she glared at him, eyes narrowing. "Dinner will be ready in 20 minutes. Robin and Roland will be here in ten. So make sure you wash up now. We only have one bathroom and who knows how far that's going to get us tonight?"
Henry and Grace chuckled, his mother smirking at the pleasure of being found even remotely funny by the teens. She reached into her back pocket and held her hand out to give him something. His phone!
"You can have this back, but no TV and no going out until Thursday, like we discussed," she said and he nodded obediently, but with so much gratitude. "We'll talk about everything later. Spend time with your girlfriend."
As Regina walked back toward the kitchen, she overheard the couple murmuring behind her.
"Your mom terrifies me," Grace said and Henry laughed. "She seems really strict."
"Yeah, she's tough, but she had to be mom and dad for me all these years, ya know? And I wasn't the easiest kid."
You got that right, Regina scoffed to herself and listened as he continued.
"It's a front though. If I asked her to cuddle she'd get all mushy and never want to let me go."
"Why don't you ask her?" Grace questioned.
"Because I probably wouldn't want to either," he admitted.
Regina covered her mouth as the tears formed in her eyes, unable to hold them back; a smile spread across her face for the duration of the evening.
"Grace seems like a wonderful girl," Robin whispered, helping Regina with the last of the dishes. She looked back at the kids seated on the couch watching a movie; Henry in the middle holding Grace close to him on one side and Roland's head nestled into his lap on the other.
"She is. Brilliant too," she replied.
"Extremely. I imagine I'll be teaching her at Columbia in the near future," he chuckled and added, "I also think Henry should apply when the time comes. You don't see many kids their age able to hold a conversation that isn't about Netflix or Instagram. They'd both excel in an Ivy League setting."
She was taken aback when he mentioned his thoughts on her son's education. She wasn't offended in the slightest by his comments; quite interested, actually. He was an educator at a prestigious university. Who would know better than him about this topic?
"I haven't spoken to him about it much yet. I don't want to pressure him so early on in his high school career, but I hope he doesn't feel obligated to go to Hunter just because of that program," she admitted, hoping to get his input.
"He mentioned Hunter to me just the other day, but I don't think college is something he's thought thoroughly about yet. He has time. Once he has an idea of what he wants to do, he'll pick the right school," he replied as he closed the dishwasher and started it. He grabbed her apron to dry his hands and pulled her closer to him as he did so. "Just make sure he knows Columbia is the right school."
She laughed, hearing the joking tone of his voice in his words. Henry had plenty of time to decide. She just didn't want to see his potential go to waste on a choice made out of obligation rather than intelligence and determination; he was much smarter than that.
"I have to tell you," Robin said, pulling her away from her thoughts when his body pressed against her and he brought his lips to her ear. "I cannot get over how positively desirable you are in those glasses."
"Am I not desirable all the time, Mr. Locksley?" She teased, raising her eyebrow with a smirk as her arms wrapped around his neck.
"Even more so, love. May I be so bold as to make a request?"
"You may, but I can't promise I will honor it," she replied and he chuckled.
"Can you wear them for me one night?" He looked at her lips, licking his own with an obvious hunger for her.
"Perhaps," she whispered in her sultry tone, driving him absolutely wild. "When I think you've earned it."