The beginning, the end and the new beginning

Chapter 10 - Changes

Marian was still at her parents house when she checked the pictures she had taken during Thanksgiving.
One thing most of them had in common: how in every single one of Robin’s pictures, he was looking at Regina, or in her direction in general, like she was still everything for him, like she was his entire world and like he was still very much in love with her. 
 
She exhaled deeply while she worked to edit them when it was needed. At different times, her family even asked her if she was okay. Her answer was always affirmative, but the reality was that she was everything but okay. 
 
She didn’t know what it pained her more: looking at these photos, or the fact that Robin couldn’t be honest with her or with himself. She would understand, it would hurt, of course, but she would understand if he was still in love with her and wanted to be with her. 
They had talked about it when they met: “I will always love her. She was my best friend and my first love, but I can’t live in the past. She made me promise that if something happened, I would move on. She knew her job was a dangerous one and she made me promise.” 
Marian remembered those words as if he had told them the day before instead of almost a year ago.
 
Robin had just got home from work when the doorbell rang. 
“Hi, can I come in?”
“Hi, yes of course.” Robin said, opening the door for the woman to enter, then he proceeded to kiss her while she passed him.
“I have the photos, do you want to see them? Or do you prefer seeing them with the others?” she said with the pendrive in hand.
“We can check them out now, let me just grab my computer. There is no one else here and there won’t be for a while.” 
Robin left to grab his computer and turned it on. “Do you want something to drink or eat?” 
“No I’m fine, let’s just watch this.” Marian said, almost in a hasty way, like she didn’t want to be there and she wanted to leave as fast as possible. To Robin it seemed strange but he didn't say anything.
 
Marian waited in silence for some kind of comment from Robin about the photos where he was with Regina, how much they were close to each other, how they looked at each other without even realising it. Stupid, she thought, how could he say something when he didn’t even realize it? But the only things the man said were about the kids, some other member of the family, or how Regina was with the kids and how happy they were since she was back. 
 
As soon as they saw all the photos Marian made up an excuse and left. Robin once again was left there, alone wondering what he did or said wrong. 
 
Marian knew it was wrong for her to leave like that but she didn’t want to face Robin, at least not yet. She also didn’t want to ask again if he was sure about them, because she feared this time his answer would be different and she wasn’t ready for that. Or worse, what if Robin said he was with her out of obligation? He did say he was with her and not with Regina and the fact that she was back didn’t change a thing, but what if?
 
Months passed with their now well-established routine: the kids alternating their life between their parents; Robin trying to spend more time with Marian when he didn’t have the kids while also trying to make sure they spent time with her and get to know her, and Marian avoiding the elephant in the room with Robin by saying that everything was fine, On her part, Regina was keeping busy by spending time at her mother’s when she didn’t have the kids or wasn’t at work. Sometimes she went to her sister’s, or even to Ruby to help her to organize her wedding to which she still didn’t have a date. Ruby, Mal and even Mulan and Graham never let her forget that.
 
The kids also had their ‘to-do’ list, as they called it, to get rid of Marian. There were a bunch of things on it: some absurd, some way too terrible, and some that made sense only in children’s heads. Among what they had, there was: never show enthusiasm when she proposes something, not showing emotions around her (learnt that from mom, they said), do terrible pranks (after the first one they got grounded for two weeks so they decided to put it out of their list), or to always ask to see their photos together ‘to show Marian how we were when we were little’ they say with their innocent faces, and so on. 
 
But their favorite was making sure their parents would spend a lot of time together. They did that by asking them to eat together, to go to the park, call the parent that wasn’t with them, or go to the cinema. Anything just to be together.
They weren’t sure it would work, but there was no way they would give up easily. 
 
The first thing Regina saw that morning when she took her phone, was the string of messages from her mother and stepfather, her sister, her nieces, her best friend, her brother and Ruby. Then she glanced at the date: February 1st, her birthday.
Regina groaned before taking her pillow and screaming into it. She had hoped people would forget about it, but it was clear that wasn't the case. 
She called her mother, but soon that phone call became a video call with her sister, and later with her brother and stepfather. They talked for a while before they all had to get ready for the day, but they made her promise she would go to her mother’s for dinner. 
She answered back to all the other people who had messaged her, realizing that Robin didn’t even send her a simple text. She didn't know how to feel about it, so she hopped in the shoewer. 
 
She had just finished getting dressed when someone knocked at her door. When she opened it, a set of six arms surrounded her with shouts of ‘surprise!’ and ‘happy birthday!’. She couldn't stop the tears and the laughter as she hugged them. 
Then she looked at Robin, who had come inside and closed the door after them with his foot, since he had a box in his hand while the other one was hidden behind him.
“They wanted to surprise you. Happy birthday, love.” he said smiling at her and kissing her cheek.
“Thank you.” she replied, smiling genuinely.
“They also made me promise not to text you, so it would be even a better surprise. Their words, not mine.” 
And that explained why he hadn’t said anything to her. This made her feel better. But why? Why the fact that Robin didn’t text her created so much problem in her head?
“And they also wanted to bring you this.” he said pointing at the box that she proceeded to open. There was a cake inside it. 
She glanced at the clock. “I guess if we are quick we can eat some of this amazing chocolate cake for breakfast before you have to go to school. What do you say?”
“YES!” was the answer from all the three kids.
 
“Daddy where are the presents?” Aly demanded his father, who was still standing with an arm behind his back. 
“One is in your bag, where did you put it last night, the other is here.” he said, moving his arm so that he could show her what he was hiding. 
Regina covered her mouth with her hand as soon as she saw the flowers. 
“You remembered…” she said smiling and taking the flowers.
“Do I remember that sunflower and black roses are your favourite flowers? Yes I do.” 
How could he not? He used to bring a bouquet of that same flowers every week to her grave, but he didn’t say that to her. Maybe one day he will, but not today. 
 
“Here mommy.” Robin took back the bouquet and went to look for a vase so Regina could focus on the children.
Regina sat on the couch so she was eyes level with Aly, Henry and Roland. When she opened the present her eyes were filled with tears one again. Inside the box there was a necklace with an arrow,  and attached to that there were three pendants with the kids initials. 
“I don’t think she likes it, she’s crying.” Roland whispered to his siblings. 
“No I… It’s the opposite, my little night. I love it, it’s beautiful.” his mother said, taking his little hand in hers.
“Then why are you crying?”
Robin came and sat next to her, putting his hand on her back. Then he answered his son.
“Because she’s happy. Sometimes when you’re happy you cry and this is one of those times.”
 
Robin used his free hand to wipe the tears on her face and they both got lost in each other's eyes. 
The moment was broken by Henry. “So you like it, really like it, even if you’re crying?”
Regina laughed. “Yes, I love it.” Robin took the necklace from her hands and put it around her neck. 
“Here, perfect.”
Soon after that, they all went to eat the cake before it became too late for everyone.  
 
The mother looked at the clock on the wall again and sighed. “Okay guys, as much as I would love to spend the day with you all, you have to go to school and we have to go to work. And don’t give me those eyes, it’s not going to work.” she said to the three set of puppy eyes that were watching her.
Three sad ‘okay’ were whispered as they went to get their jackets. 
 
“Thank you, it’s beautiful, but you shouldn’t have. The flowers were enough.” she thanked Robin while the children grabbed their things. 
“Don’t look at me, it was those three’s idea.”
“Yes, because those three have enough money to buy this.” she looked at him like ‘and now what are you going to say to save your ass?’
“I didn't say they paid for it. I said it was their idea to buy it for you. There is a difference.”
“Smartass.” she said crossing her arms.
He just smiled at that and oh God that smile Regina thought. 
 
“Come on guys, time to go!” Robin called the kids.
“Can we eat dinner together?” damn Roland and his puppy eyes. 
“The four of us can celebrate monday.” his mother said to him.
“But your birthday is today.” Aly whined.
“But-” 
“No ‘buts’ Henry.” his mother said with a stern voice. 
 
“But they are right.” Robin intervened. “You should celebrate with them, not alone.”
“I’m not going to be alone, I’ll be at my mother’s.”
“We could all go out together so you’ll be with grandma and we can be with you. Plus it’s friday so we don’t have to worry about school tomorrow!”
“Smart as her mother.” he complimented his daughter. “See? She solved the problem. We’ll see you tonight.” 
And with that he kissed her cheek before leaving with the kids. Yes, he didn't give her a choice, but it wasn’t like she was going to say no to that suggestion.
 
That was how she spent her birthday. At work her colleagues had brought pastries and while everyone was laughing with her in those ten minutes break they took to eat them, detective Swan was throwing dirty looks and keeping herself aside.
  
At dinner, instead of being in her childhood home with her parents, she was in a restaurant with her children, her parents, her sister and brother and their respective families, and her ex-husband. 
It had been a good birthday, strange but good, and way better than the three previous for sure.
 
Valentine’s day rolled around soon after Regina’s birthday. 
Robin took Marian out to a sophisticated french restaurant, it wasn’t his style, but he knew it was hers.
Like the gentleman he was, he went to her house, he complimented her dress, opened the car door for her (remembering how much Regina hated when someone did that for her because she was an independent woman and she didn’t need someone to open the door for her but secretly loving it) and helped her with the chair. They didn’t talk a lot, some phrases of circumstance, some talk about the food, very few things about their relationship. This should have been an alarm bell about what was going on, or better not going on, on between them. 
 
On the other side of the city Regina, was ready to spend the day at home with her children, but what she didn’t know was that they had a surprise for her. Since she didn’t have someone who could take her out, the three little devils, agreeing with their father who gave them his credit card, decided to take her out. 
Regina has just come out from her room just to see her kids all well dressed and sitting still, thing that was almost impossible to obtain. So what was going on?
“Why are you all dressed up?” the mother asked to the kids sitting on the couch.
“We are going out.” Henry told her.
“Are we now?” She asked amused.
“Yes.” now Aly. 
“And pray tell: where are we going?”
“That’s a surprise.” and finally Roland.
 
She gave in and decided to please them. There was nothing wrong in going out with her kids. She changed in something better than the sweatsuit she was wearing and they headed out. 
 
“You know you have to tell me where we are going so that I can drive, right.” Regina replied, taking  Roland’s hand. 
“Or we could take a cab so you wouldn’t know.” 
Who the hell were these kids and what have they done to her sweet angels?
“And who’s going to pay for all of this?” now she was suspicious.
“Dad.” again Aly. 
“We were talking about doing something special for you and he said we could do this. Are you mad?” her youngest child asked.
“No, I’m not mad, I just don’t like being left in the dark. Okay, let’s do this.”  
The children happily hugged her. She was wrong, her sweet angels were right in front of her and she couldn’t love them more. 
 
When they got into the car, Henry, who was sitting in the front seat, gave the address to the driver while Aly and Roland covered their mother’s eyes with their hands. 
 
They took her to Granny’s. They got all dressed up to go to Grannies but Regina couldn’t be happier. A waitress took them to their booth and took their orders; they didn’t have to look at the menu since they always ordered the same thing: hamburgers. 
 
“What beautiful dates you have there.” Granny said, greeting them. 
“I might be a bit biased but yes, they are all gorgeous.” she said with a huge smile while the kids blushed furiously. 
Regina hadn’t been this happy in years and she couldn’t be more happier to have agreed to go out. 
The night ends with them snuggling on the couch and eating popcorn while watching a movie.
 
Regina met Mal at the cafeteria right before going into work. “I think you should start dating again.” she said, stirring her coffee.
“Good morning to you, Mal.”
“I’m serious. You should be out there, not home alone when you don’t have the kids.”
“Dating is the last thing on my list right now, trust me. Now if you excuse me, I have to go back to work.” and with that she grabbed her coffee and left. 
 
When Regina left doctor Hopper’s office at the end of february, she decided to go and grab something to eat and coffee before going back to work. She’s been going to doctor Hopper almost every two weeks since she was back. At the beginning she thought it was useless, but after a while, she discovered she was wrong. Talking to someone who had an outside vision of her situation was helping her to cope with everything. And that is why she agreed to keep going. That was also why together with Robin, they decided it could be a good thing if also the children would go to see him.
Regina was coming out of the diner shop when someone collided with her.
“Oh my God, I'm so sorry. Are you okay?” The man in front of her asked.
He was taller than her, with dark short hair and blue eyes.
“I'm fine. I can’t say the same about this.” she said while taking down the light scarf she was wearing, it was now soaking wet. Because what else could she say 'no I'm not fine and if you don't disappear right now I'm going to incinerate you'?
“Let me buy you another coffee, please?”
“I can buy my own coffee, thank you very much.” Regina replayed annoyed. The man made her coffee fall, she was allowed to be annoyed right?
“I don't doubt that, but still… It would make me feel better. Please?” 
The pair stared at each other for a moment before Regina gave in and allowed him to buy her another coffee.
“Didn't I just give you your coffee Regina?” The waitress questioned when the man asked for two coffees, one for Regina and one for himself. 
“Yes but someone made sure to throw it all over me.” She replied looking at the man who was standing next to her awkwardly. 
With an understanding smile, the waitress went to prepare their order. 
 
“You know my name but I still don't know your.” Regina started sipping her coffee.
“You're right. I'm Daniel.”
“Daniel. My son's second name is Daniel.” Why she said that, she didn't know?
“You have a son?” He replied a bit surprised.
“Two actually and a daughter.”
“So you're also married." It was more affirmation than a question. Then he glanced at her left hand looking for a wedding ring.  
“Not exactly. Not anymore.” She obviously doesn’t wear her wedding ring anymore but she still keeps her engagement ring in a chain at her neck.
At his questioning expression, Regina proceeds to explain her story. Daniel just listened to her. Sometimes during the story, he had taken her hand in his and for some reasons she couldn't find herself bothered by it. 
 
What Regina didn't know was that a jealous Robin, who had no right to be, was staring at her from not too far, having just entered the coffee shop himself, with his fists closed tight. 
Robin left the place before she could see him and before he could punch the man in the face. 
 
Feeling observed, Regina turned around but she didn't see anyone. Old habits die hard, she thought, but she was sure as the fact that her name was Regina, that someone had been watching her. 
 
Before leaving, Daniel asked her out. Regina was a bit stunned from that request but she recovered fast and she accepted. Nothing special, a simple dinner. She had told Daniel that she wasn’t still really ready to start dating again and he was okay to try. 
 
She talked about it with Mal as soon as she was back to work. The blonde was happy for her, telling her it was time for her to do that. The brunette told the other woman to not keep her expectations too high, it was just a dinner after all. 
 
She was at one of Roland’s basketball games when Robin decided to talk about it. 
“So who was the bloke you were talking at the diner the other day?” 
She stared at him before answering. “Someone I had just met. He bought me a coffee since he made mine fall.” she said casually.
“Seems pretty cozy to be a 'just meet' man”
“Were you spying on me?” now she was getting angry, but she wanted to keep it down since they weren’t alone.
“No. It was just a coincidence. I was coming to get coffee, but I left when I saw you. So who is he?”
“He’s name is Daniel and as I said, I had just met him. He asked me out after making my coffee fall. Not that this is any of your business anyway.” 
“You just met him and you’re going out with him?” 
“So?” she couldn’t understand or believe the look of disbelief on his face.
“You know nothing about him.”
“And that is why we’re going out: to get to know each other. And if something is going to happen: I have a gun and I know how to use it.” then she proceeded to take a bite of her hot dog. 
“I still don’t think you should go out with him.” 
“And why is that?” oh she was getting angry. And with an angry Regina, nothing good would come.
“No reason, but you’re making a mistake.” that statement made Regina’s blood boil. 
 
They watched another ten minutes of the game before a terrible idea of why Robin was acting like this came to the woman’s mind.
“You’re jealous!” she couldn’t believe that and she hoped she was wrong.
“What!? No!” He didn’t know why he felt so angry by that accusation.
“Then tell me a reason, just one other than what you already told me, of why I shouldn’t go!” she challenged him.
“No reason, you just shouldn’t go.”
“You are jealous. You are a jealous bastard, and you have no right to be!” oh boy now she was really angry. 
Robin made an attempt to talk but Regina stopped him.
“No, you don’t get to talk. And this isn’t the right time or place but even if it was, you have no right to tell me who I can or not see. End of the discussion.” 
She wasn’t yelling, her words were sharp as a scalpel and it was oh so worst of her yelling.
 
Regina was right about one thing, it wasn't either the right time or place, but she was wrong about something else, he wasn’t jealous. 
 
Daniel and Regina went out the first day she didn’t have the kids. He took her to a spanish restaurant. They talked about their life and their jobs, Regina having already told him a bit about her situation just added some details and talked about her kids. She discovered he was a veterinarian with a special passion for horses. Something they have in common, Regina notices. They kind of bonded on that, their passions for horses. 
 
They spent a pleasant evening together. When he walked her back to her car, because there was no way Regina was giving to someone she just met her address, he asked her out again, maybe to the stable he proposed. She accepted, he kissed her cheek and they both went into different directions to go home. 
 
When Regina closed the door of her apartment, she slid down against it. She was happy. It was a different kind of happiness compared to the happiness her children made her feel, or what she had felt when she had come back. It was a kind of happiness she had almost forgotten, but now she was glad she had remembered. And there was no way Robin was going to ruin that for her.
 
She started officially dating Daniel. She talked about him to everyone in the family, Mal and her colleagues (most because there was no way she could keep that from them), but not her kids. Most of them were happy with her decision but others, like Ruby or Neal and even Mulan, were not. For them the only possible option was Robin and Regina and no one else. For Neal it was more because he already knew the man, while he didn’t know the new guy and if he could trust him. Damn his overprotectiveness.
Between the people that weren't happy there was obviously Robin but not because he believed the same thing as the others, but just because he was being an idiot towards Regina.
 
Marian noticed immediately the mood change in Robin, but every time she asked if something was wrong he would answer that everything was fine. 
They went on like this for a couple of weeks before realization came to Marian’s mind. They were still together because they were comfortable. Their relationship was a not too demanding one. They went out when they could, they never said ‘I love you’. They were together just so they could say they had a partener. If that made some kind of sense. 
 
On the other hand, Regina and Danile attempt at a relationship seemed to work. Regina was smiling more and going out more. They tried to see each other at least one a week; if it was up to Daniel they would see each other more often, but for Regina it was too much, too soon so they agreed on that. 
Henry, Aly and Roland also noticed their mother's change and the fact that she was happier, but when they asked, she would just answer that she was happy because of them. 
 
The men that worked with her were teasing to the infinitive and beyond, and while sometimes they were too much, she was also happy that they were again comfortable enough to joke around her.  
 
But one particular man in her life was getting on her nerves. Robin was even more short with her than before, always trying to find an excuse when the kids wanted to spend time together, or he would let them come out alone from their mother’s apartment when he had to get them from her. Even the messages they exchanged were almost non existing now. The few that there were exchanged, were about the kids. 
For Regina it wouldn’t have been a problem if his behaviour didn’t affect the children, who couldn't understand why their father was behaving like a kid throwing a tantrum. 
Regina had enough of the situation when Aly called her Saturday afternoon in tears. The children had asked their father if they could eat dinner together and Robin had snapped at them in a way he had never done, telling them he had enough of them always asking to be together when they knew what their schedule was and they had just to accept it.
They had never seen their father acting like this and the three of them were astonished. Roland had run away to his room crying and asking for his mother; Henry ran after him, and Alyson grabbed her father's phone before going after them. 
They called their mother who promised to be right there. 
 
She didn’t wait for him to open the door. She just stormed inside and went directly to her children. They were all hiding in the tent in the playroom and they jumped into her arms as soon as they saw her. She reassured them, telling them that everything was going to be just fine. 
She called her mother asking if she could bring them there; she didn’t want the kids around while she argued with Robin. Cora told her she would come and get the kids, so Regina waited with them outside. 
 
When she went back in the house, Robin was pacing in the living room feeling extremely guilty and ashamed about his actions. He sat down on the couch when he saw Regina. 
“Now you are going to tell me what the hell it’s wrong with you?” she hissed. If Regina was angry and she was yelling it was bad, but not too much. If Regina was angry and she spoke in a low voice…  That was catastrophic. 
“While you were giving me the cold shower and acting short with me, it wasn’t a problem, I can handle it. I shouldn’t, but I can. But now it’s affecting the kids. You’re not just treating me like shit, but now you are also treating them the same way. You made Roland cry because he asked for something that we have been doing for months, for God’s sake! Why Robin?”
 
Robin didn’t say anything. He was just sitting on the couch looking at her like he did when she started rambling in spanish because she was angry about something. 
“Cat got your tongue? You were yelling until a moment ago. Say something!”
“What do you want me to say? That I’m sorry I’ve made him cry and that I yelled at them? Of course I’m sorry!”
“I have no doubt about that. What I want to know is why you did it!”
“Why what!” he was getting angry but he didn’t know why. It was him the one who was wrong and he knew it. 
“You started behaving like this when you found out I was seeing Daniel. Has he done or said something I don’t know? Has it been something I have done?”
Robin just kept shaking his head without giving an actual answer.
“THEN WHY?”
“I DON’T KNOW!” 
“You… You don’t know?” This was unbelievable. “You’ve been an asshole and you don’t even know why?” she threw her hands in the air.
 
“Every time I think about the two of you, I don’t know, something in my brain switches off. I can’t explain it.” he said rubbing his hands on his face. 
“This is the definition of a jealous person Robin and you have no right to be.” she put her hands on her hips and she turned around to face him. “The same way you have no right to snap at the kids just because you’re angry at me for no reason. You have Marian, why is it so wrong for me to have someone?”
“It’s not and you’re right. I may not like him, but I have no right to tell you who to see or to be jealous, or to be the asshole I have been to you and the children. I’m sorry.”
Regina stared at him. This man was impossible. “You just made a scene, you told me things you had no right and now you just sat there like a kicked puppy and you tell me I’m right?”
“What? I can admit when I’m in the wrong.” like hell he could, Regina though, it was just convenient for him saying that now.
“This would be a first.” 
 
A pause then she continued. “You can’t do that again. You can’t, especially in front of the kids. They believed this was their fault. And you hurt me, us.” she was still angry but not as much as before. 
“I know and as soon as they’re back I’m going to say to them how sorry I am and how wrong it was for me behaving like this.”
“And when they’ll ask why you did? Because you know they’re going to ask.”
Before speaking Robin took Regina’s hand since she had sat on the couch too. “I’ll tell them it was a stressful week and even if it was wrong I just exploded. And I’ll make sure to make them understand that it’s not their fault.”
“But we both know that is not the truth.”
“Yes well, I can’t exactly tell them that so I’ll go with something else.” because the truth didn’t even make sense to him.
“I’ve already texted my mother. She’s bringing them back.”
“Will you stay for dinner?” he was looking directly into her eyes while stroking her hands.
“Yes.” 
 
When the kids were back, they threw themselves immediately to their mother while Cora gave the dirtiest look she could master, and it wasn’t a difficult task to do, to Robin. 
Cora said her goodbyes to her daughter and grandchildren but didn’t spare a glance to Robin.
 
The parents set themself on the couch and Robin explained to the kids why he did what he had done, telling them it was wrong and that the way he had behaved toward them and their mother was inacceptable. The kids were still a bit confused about what had happened and they were really clingy toward their mother. It was almost like they didn't believe their father’s words until their mother confirmed them. 
 
True to her word, Regina stayed for dinner. They decided to take pizza because no one was in the mood to cook. 
She left right after dinner despite the loud protest of the children, but it was a school night and they needed to go to bed. 
 
Robin’s behaviour toward Regina changed after that day. He still didn’t like Daniel and he believed he would never like the man. 
One thing in particular kept bothering him and it was Regina’s words: why can you have someone but I can’t? He was with Marian and he was happy like this, so why it bothered him so much?
 
For their birthday, the twins wanted a bouncy castle. It took a lot of convincing and a list of pros that Aly had made, but at the end their parents agreed. And the fact that it was the end of april also made sure they had nice weather to stay outside all afternoon.
Never like when there was something to celebrate, Robin and Regina were happy to have a big yard. Said yard was now occupied by a huge bouncy castle and tons of people: the kids' friends, their uncles, aunts and cousins, their grandparents, Regina and Robin most close colleagues. 
 
One of said colleagues of Robin was David Nolan and until the last moment wasn’t so sure that showing up at that party was a good idea. In fact his wife was Mary Margaret, nothing less than the daughter of the man who destroyed their life. 
David never really liked his father in law, he just spoke to him when he needed to and if it wasn’t for Noah, their son, he believed they wouldn’t even talk. Mary, on the other hand, even if their relationship wasn’t the best, considering he had cheated on her mother and left them, sometimes still spoke to her father. But that changed as soon as she learnt what the man had done and the woman stopped speaking to him completely. 
 
Mary had gone to Regina house to say how sorry she was and that she hadn’t known, and that she understood if she didn’t want to see them anymore. Regina had let the woman cry, much to her dismay, and when she had calmed down Regina told her that it was okay, that even if she had known she couldn't have done nothing. There was no way they could stop to see each other considering their sons, Noah and Roland, were best friends.
The two said best friends were jumping up and down on the bouncy castle with the birthday siblings. Them and the other kids were having the time of their life on that thing.
If you didn’t count their relatives, there weren’t a lot of adults while there were tons of kids. Robin, David, Will and Neal were talking while they took turns at the grill. Near the drinks there was Regina, Mal, Zelena and Mary while Ruby, Belle and Mulan were engaged in a tag game with some of the children. 
 
Daniel wasn’t there, Regina wouldn’t have been comfortable with that since the kids didn’t know him, but Marian was. She was the designated photographer and on that occasion she also met Robin’s parents. She kept taking photos of the kids, of the surrounding and of Robin. She wanted to see if those photos would have shown the same thing the Thanksgiving ones did. For that reason she also took some photos of Regina. 
 
At some point during the afternoon, Regina called the kids for the cake. Those ones who weren’t inside the castle came running after a minute, while the others kept jumping and laughing, making her go near the entrance of that dreadful thing, as Regina calls it fearing the kids could hurt themself, to call them again. 
 
When the last kid was out, she turned around and saw that Robin was looking at her in a strange way. His eyes were shining with something she couldn’t quiet place but she didn’t like. When Regina realized what he had in mind it was already too late. He lifted her over his shoulder before entering the bouncy castle and throwing her down. But the movement of the structure made Robin lose his balance and he fell over Regina. 
She was on her back, and when Robin started getting up he was on hands and knees over her. The pair stared in each other eyes until someone, Will, Robin believed, whistle at them and told them to get out of there and to bring the cake out. He had the opposite effect: in fact, all the kids ran inside the castle and jumped over Robin and Regina.
 
They all jumped in there for another couple of minutes before the kids started to get out again. Inside the castle, lying on their back, there were just Robin and Regina with Aly, Henry and Roland in the middle.