Modern Fairytale ~ #Wattys2015

Intermission

Their relationship couldn't have been stronger from that point on.

Robin sat down with the boys the following day, apologizing to them for his actions and explaining why he was wrong. Roland was starting to fully adjust to the idea that his father had a girlfriend and begged to stay over often so they could be a family. Considering it was only a short distance, Henry helped Robin transport the little boy's mattress to the living room of Apartment 13 so he could be comfortable on those nights.

With the later weeks of August approaching, the Locksley boys needed to prepare for their vacation to England to visit with Robin's parents. Deciding that her and Henry could use a vacation as well, Regina contacted her mother in Spain and planned their trip for the same week. She saved all her vacation time during the year, not ever getting sick or just working through the rare times when she was, so she could travel somewhere with her son each year.

Cora was excited to have them. She'd been in Spain for the better part of a year, studying the culture and more of the language. Her husband was a native speaker and she'd learned an incredible amount of Spanish during their 40 years of marriage, but it was different to experience it in the country itself. It was beautiful and eye-opening. The only thing that might have made it better was having Henry Sr. by her side. But knowing her daughter and grandson would join her for a week made it feel like he was there anticipating their arrival as well.

She had to admit the concept of a siesta was marvelous. It was her favorite part of the Spanish culture. She believed Americans should adopt it to create a more wholesome environment in the ever-growing age of technology. She was thrilled to see Henry wasn't distracted by such trivial things, especially at his young age. He enjoyed time with family, perhaps from keeping his mother company or making up for his lack of a father all these years. Regardless, Cora was happy to see how mature he was and was proud of her daughter for raising such a bright, well-mannered young man.

During their vacation, she toured her family around the major cities like Barcelona and Madrid, making a point to teach them about the cultural importance of each famous landmark they'd seen. Regina was quite familiar with Spain; between her various vacations there with her parents as a kid or the entire semester she spent studying abroad in undergrad, she found it to be even more beautiful each time she returned.

The food was impeccable, to say the least. No matter where they went, the Spanish cuisine was exquisite. It reminded Regina of her father's cooking, warming her heart to feel his presence with each day she spent in his native country. Henry asked many questions about his grandfather, noticing the way his mother and grandmother recalled him in their memories with great fondness. He felt honored with the knowledge he gained from each of their stories that he was named after such an incredible, loving man.

After a particularly long day of tourism, Henry turned in early for the night. They would be returning to the States the following afternoon and wanted to be well rested for their flight. Regina took the time to be close to her mother, not having seen her for so long. They sat on the veranda of the home Henry Sr. inherited from his parents. It was passed down to his daughter who willingly allowed her mother to stay, rather than rent it out, as long as she handled the upkeep of the residence during her time there. It seemed like a reasonable trade for the times Cora allowed her to take Henry to her winter cabin in the Poconos of Pennsylvania.

One thing Regina greatly admired about her parents was, in spite of their love for one another, they still managed to keep their finances separate. She remembered asking during her days in law school and discovered they never signed a prenuptial agreement. They had a mutual understanding that their success was their own and she respected that, wondering if that was something her and Robin might be able to do when the time came. If the time came.