A Fairytale for Christmas

Chapter 9

Robin pulled up to Regina's house in the van and turned it off, also killing the lights so she wouldn't see him. He turned to Keith, handing him a bouquet of roses. "Here. Give these to her," he said.

"What? Why?" Keith asked, looking confused. "Am I groveling for something?"

"Yes," Robin replied. "You haven't been doing a lot of wedding planning with her. You need to apologize and thank her for all her hard work."

Keith huffed. "I've been doing work for the wedding as well."

Annoyance filled Robin as he glared at his cousin. "Spending a day with your frat brothers trying on tuxedos and getting a spa treatment while drinking copious amounts of alcohol while Regina and I are choosing the cake, flowers and everything else about the wedding is not doing a lot of work for it."

"Oh, come on," Keith said, sounding annoyed. "You can't be complaining about that. You get to spend time with her. That's what you want, right?"

"It doesn't matter what I want," Robin reminded him. "Or what you want. We're doing this for Regina, right? So it should matter what she wants. And she wants a groom who plans the wedding with her."

Keith sighed, opening the door. "Fine. I'll give her the flowers."

"And say everything I tell you to say," Robin added. "No adlibbing."

"Yes, sir," Keith said, getting out of the van. "Now, you wait here and I'll let you in shortly."

He closed the door and walked away. Robin leaned back against his seat, waiting to hear Keith speaking to Regina. It took only a few minutes before the speaker in his ear crackled to life. "Hello, Regina," Keith said.

"Hello, Keith," she replied. "Why are you hiding your hand behind your back?"

"Because I have a surprise for you," Keith said, ignoring Robin's rule. While he was off to a good start, they couldn't chance him ruining it with whatever he said next so Robin jumped in right away.

Pressing the microphone closer to ensure his cousin hear him, Robin said: "I know planning a wedding is stressful under normal conditions and we certainly aren't facing those. I want to thank you for all the hard work you've been doing and apologize for not being here more to help you."

He paused for a moment, listening to Keith repeat his words, before saying: "Now reveal the flowers."

"For you," Keith said and Robin heard the rustle of the cellophane wrapped around the flowers.

"Oh, Keith," she replied, sighing happily. "They are beautiful. You really shouldn't have, though. I know you're also doing a lot for the wedding."

Robin heard how much his cousin was gloating as Keith said: "Yes, I am."

"But I still regret not doing more with you," Robin said into the microphone. "I hope that can change."

"I'm sure it can," Regina said, her tone softening even more. "But let's not focus on the wedding tonight. Let's just focus on each other."

She invited Keith in and said she would put the flowers in water. Robin panicked, moving from the front seat of the car so that Regina didn't see him. Instead, he laid in the backseat and spoke to Keith. "Let me know when she's gone from the kitchen."

"So do you want to order something for dinner?" Regina asked Keith. "I could also make us something if you want."

"No, no," Keith said without Robin's prompting. "Tonight, I'm going to make you dinner as a thank you."

Robin breathed out in relief, glad Keith remembered the plan and didn't take the out Regina had offered. He listened as his cousin politely ushered Regina out and promised to bring her a glass of wine shortly. Keith then said: "All clear. You can come in now."