We Can Love Again

Party

Granny's was completely transformed into a five year old's dream birthday location- for Storybrooke, that is. Regina didn't have many other options, because hosting a party for a million small children wasn't about to happen. The Charming family had notoriously helped out with the planning and setting up, and much to her relief, Roland still didn't catch on that she had forgotten about it. Of course, it still made her feel bad she had forgotten, but she had to make sure her little boy had one amazing birthday. Not just any birthday, either; this was the first one they would spend together as a family.

"Now Roland, you be nice to everybody- be sure to thank people for coming."

The child couldn't sit still he was so excited. Never before had he had a party with friends his age for his birthday; usually his father would bake him a cake and take him riding down to the villages so he could pick something out at the shops.

"Are we there yet?" He let out a whine, causing his parents to laugh.

"We're almost there!" Regina reassured, just as they turned the corner to the diner.

Emma and the rest of the gang were already there, as well as the rest of his preschool class.

It wasn't long before they pulled up to the restaurant. Regina gave Robin a look, as if to prepare him for the chaos that they were about to walk into. Henry and Roland bolted for the front doors before their parents could say anything about it.

They were welcomed by a rally of cheers and applause, giving Roland a rush of pride inside. So this was what being the birthday boy felt like.

"Happy birthday kid!" Emma came over to him with a smile, sticking a party hat on his head and fastened a string below his chin.
Roland beamed. "What are we going to do?"

He noticed many familiar faces among his guests; friends from school, Ruby, Snow, Charming, Will, Killian, Neal, and Granny. The smell of food was fairly strong, making him hungry for a hamburger.

"Party, have fun!" The blonde replied, pointing towards the back table. "All those presents are for you. Lots of your friends dropped them off."

Roland couldn't believe his eyes- they were all for him. Regina prodded him towards a group of kids, and he was soon immersed in the crowd of children, all smiling and wishing him a happy birthday.

"I think we did it," she muttered to Robin, who agreed one hundred percent with her. It was beyond impressive they were able to pull off such a party in less than a week.

"I can't believe you bought him all this stuff," Will told her, rolling his eyes, "if you can afford all of this, why aren't you paying my rent?"

Regina gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Because you're fully functional of doing all those things yourself. Now, if you don't mind, I need to see how dessert is coming along."

Back inside the kitchen, Granny, Ruby, and Snow were surrounding a cake, all finishing to frost the sides with bright colors. When they noticed Regina and Robin enter, they all smiled warmly.

"So, how do you like the decorations?" Snow asked, looking exhausted under her excitement.

"They're amazing! I can't believe you were able to do that!" She replied, examining the cake with surprise. "That looks delicious. Roland will love it!"

Granny smiled, seeming to take pride in her work. "Well it is his birthday, after all."

"So what's the plan?" Ruby asked, wiping the icing off the front of her shirt.

"We have a few games planned," Robin began, "and then we can feed them that cake. Then I figured we could just... Hang out and talk. Get to know some of his friends."