Author's Note: I do hope everyone was able to finish up Everything. If not, I do apologize. The ebook is now on pre-order through Amazon Kindle and the print book will be available on May 15th! I want to once again thank you all for reading and sending me all the fabulous reviews, even the more honest of ones, I truly appreciate them all! And it's for this reason I'm leaving you with a teaser for the next book coming out this summer. And yes, it will be a fanfic first. Big hugs and thank you's to all my lovely, wonderful betas and thank you all once again!
~Tina
"Daddyyyy!"
A piercing scream tore through the downstairs, right before his little four-year-old came charging at him.
Robin's eyes widened and he turned just in time to see her long, blonde hair, and then she was jumping in the air at him. He caught her, and as he lifted her into his arms, hers tightened around his neck. He heard her giggles in his ear and then his son's voice calling after her.
Nine-year-old Roland rounded the corner to the kitchen. His shoulders were slumped and his long, dark hair was falling into his eyes. Robin thought he could use a haircut, but Roland and his mother vetoed the notion the moment Robin had mentioned it. "Dad, make her stop! She keeps coming into my room and getting in my stuff." His son then raised his skateboard in the air and told him, "I found her playing with this."
Robin turned his head to look at his daughter. Her soft, blue eyes may have been his color, but they shone just like her mother's, especially when she was caught doing something she ought not to. He frowned at her. "Madelyn, we've talked about this."
Her eyes widened. "It wasn't me, Daddy!"
His brows rose, and he hoisted her up higher on his hip. "Oh, and who was it then?"
She twisted in his arms and cupping her small hands around his ear, and whispered, "Clarissa!"
Biting his tongue, Robin suppressed his smile. Clarissa was Maddie's favorite stuffed elephant and, as it were, partner in crime. It wasn't that their daughter was always getting into mischief, quite the contrary, she only had a curious, inquisitive nature that sometimes had her getting into things or playing with things she wasn't allowed to just yet.
Her brother's skateboard, for one.
"Maddie, sweetheart, you know if you were to play with that upstairs you could hurt yourself. What if you were to fall down the stairs? If you want to skate, just tell me and we'll take your scooter and go outside."
Madelyn made a face. It was the same face she made when her mother tried to get her to eat peas. "But I wanna skate on one like Ro! Scooters are for babies."
Robin let out a heavy exhale. They'd tried that once. They had padded her up with knee, elbow, and wrist protection and a helmet to top it off and set off for the park. Roland tried to show her how to take her time and go slow at first, but she'd have none of that. She jumped on the board and all it did was end with her tumbling to the ground. Robin could still remember scooping her off the ground as tears poured down her face, her thumb jammed, her ego a bit bruised, and Robin's heart in his throat.
So he'd rather wait a few more years before trying that again if he could... though he doubted his daughter would have the patience for that. Giving her an encouraging smile, he told her, "I know you do, but let's wait till you're a bit bigger, alright?"
She let out a soft sigh and her eyes fell. "Okay, Daddy."
"How about we go finish packing, hm? Help your mummy and Olivia?" he asked, trying to get her mind on other things she was looking forward to.
Her eyes raised back up to meet his and her voice went all soft and low as she asked, "Are we going to see Nan and Pop now?"
Robin chuckled and kissed her cheek. "Not until the morning, but let's go make sure we have all your toys."
"Okay!"
She twisted in his arms, and he put her on the floor where she took off upstairs. Robin grinned after her, then caught his son's gaze. Crossing the kitchen, he told his boy, "Don't worry, Roland. I'll make sure she keeps out of it. Maybe I could buy you a little locker for your room to keep it in?"
Roland shoulders lifted and fell. "Sure."
He and Roland started for the stairs. "Are you all packed?"
"I think am," Roland replied while lifting his hands in the air, "but Mom said she was gonna come make sure I got everything later on."
Robin shook his head and placed a hand in his son's hair, ruffling it. "Alright, well I'll be up in a few to make sure."
Roland playfully slapped away his hand. "Can I watch some TV before bed?"
"As long as your room's picked up, I don't mind." Roland started up at a run and Robin reminded him, "And no Walking Dead."
His son let out a groan. "I know, I know. Thanks, Dad!"
Making his way to the second floor, Robin could hear Maddie's voice upstairs, so he followed Roland up to the attic and peeked into his eldest daughter's room. The sight made him smile. Both of his daughters were sitting on Olivia's bed, Madelyn in Olivia's lap while she folded her clothes then tossed them into her suitcase beside her. Maddie watched her big sister's movements intently.
Robin couldn't believe how quickly time flew by. It felt like it was just yesterday that Olivia showed up at his doorstep, and now here she was, about to turn sixteen. His shy little girl had grown up just as brave and beautiful as her mother.
Thankfully, he hasn't had to deal with any boys just yet.
"Hey, Dad."
His heart twisted as it had all too often these days. It was about a year ago now Olivia started calling him Dad instead of Daddy. His wife had given him lots of sad, knowing looks and pats on the back as she was also no longer Momma but Mom.
"Almost done?" he asked, stepping into her room.
She smiled at him. Her long, dark hair was twisted on top of her head and bits of the sides fell, framing her face. "Yeah, just about. Do you want me to go help Mom after I'm done?"
He shook his head. "No, I'm going to go help her. Can you keep an eye on Maddie for me though?"
"Sure. She can practice with me."
Madelyn sat up. "Oooh, I wanna play the cello!"
"Okay, I've got to put this away first and then you can." Olivia tickled Madelyn's sides, making her shriek in joy.
Robin chuckled, a warmth spreading throughout his chest from the pair of them. Despite the age difference, they were incredibly close and attached to one another. "Thank you, darling."
"You're welcome."
Stopping by Roland's room, Robin checked over his son's things. After adding a few more pairs of socks and warm shirts, Robin deemed his son's luggage finished and reminded him lights out by nine at the latest because they had a plane to catch in the morning.
Making his way downstairs to the second floor, he quietly padded his way to their room in case someone was napping, though he needn't worry. The sight that greeted him, just like his daughter's on the floor above, drew another smile from him.
His wife was lying on their bed. She was dressed for bed in a cotton tee and shorts, her long hair was swept to one side while she gazed down into the eyes of their four-month-old. She was their newest addition and little surprise. Her tiny hands clutched her mother's finger as she looked back up at her while happily making soft cooing sounds.
It wasn't until he rested against the door jam that Regina tore her eyes away from their daughter. A soft smile pulled her lips up that he couldn't help but return. God, he loved her. He loved them all. His family.
He really was the luckiest bastard on earth.