December 24 1993- New York, New York:

Roland shivers as he steps up to one of the big sets of binoculars and he frowns-even on the tips of his toes, he can't see.

It's been a long day and he's tired, cold and hungry. The snacks he filled his backpack with at the airport commissary are are gone and he now regrets letting Gus talk him out of the food plate on the plane because even bad food is better than no food-and though there are places to eat all around him, he's too afraid to actually venture down from the Empire State Building Observation Deck.

So, he sits down at one of the little tables and pulls his blanket out of his backpack, wrapping it around his legs-and then, looking around, he pulls Rocinante, a stuffed horse he's had for as long as he can remember, out from the back pack and holds him close.

When he was little, his mom used to read him classic stories, and one of their favorites was Don Quixote. She used to buy special version of old stories that were illustrated with pretty watercolor illustrations, and he always laughed at the one of Don Quixote trying to fight the windmill. His mom always laughed at that one, too.

He smiles a little as he thinks of her, remembering how she used to hold him on her lap and cuddle him when he was cold from playing in the snow. They'd made hot cocoa with marshmallows and cinnamon, and she'd wrap them up in a thick blanket by the fire-and when his eyes close, he can almost feel it.

Every now and then, the elevator door dings and a few people get off, wandering to the edge of the deck and looking through the binocular. He watches them closely as they point out tall skyscrapers and other attractions-then, just as quickly as they come, they go, often making a comment about how cold it is.

He hugs the blanket and and Rocinante closer every time someone makes that comment, and when he starts to get darker, he tries not to be scared.

Eventually, the elevator doors stop opening and closing and the people stop coming, and suddenly he feels so alone. Glancing at his wrist watch, he notices that its five o'clock and for the first time that day, he wonders what he's going to do if Regina and Henry don't come-and then, his stomach sinks as he considers what will happen if his dad doesn't come.

That morning, when he'd snuck out his window to go to the airport, he'd considered leaving a note, but Gus told him not do that that. That he'd handle things-and he'd been too nervous and excited to argue.

Gus told him that his dad would probably reach out to his friends and their parents, and that's when Gus would explain what they'd planned; he'd even looked at the times flights were leaving Seattle for New York to plan out when he'd reveal where Roland had gone off to. Then, Gus's parents would probably take him to the airport and help him get a plane ticket for New York-and by the time his dad got to New York, it'd be time to meet Regina and Henry.

What he'd never considered was what would happen if his dad didn't reach out to Gus or his parents, and he hadn't considered the possibility that there weren't other spots on the flights going from Seattle to New York.

Tears brim in his eyes as he wonders what he'd do if no one comes for him.

Reaching into his pocket, he wonders if he could get a hotel room for fifty-four dollars and he wonders how he'd even go about finding a hotel room.

His saw starts to tremble as tears roll down his cheeks and he hugs Rocinante closer.

"Mom," he whispers, pressing his eyes closed and foring tears to fall from the sides of his eyes. "Please send Daddy to me. Please let this work. Please."

And almost as soon as he whispers it, the elevator doors ding-and as his eyes open, he sees his dad rushing frantically from the elevator. He grins as he stands up, letting his blanket fall onto the chair as he tucks Rocinante under his arm and bats his hands over his cheeks.

"Roland?" Robin yells out. "Roland, are you-"

"Dad!"

Robin turns toward the sound of his voice, his shoes slipping slightly on the snowy ground. "Roland!" Roland runs toward him as he drops down to his knees and opens his arm and he smiles when he dad's arms wrap around him, holding him tight as he cups the back of his head and kisses his cheek. "Oh my god, Roland. I am so glad that you're okay."

"I'm fine-"

"Roland," he says, pushing him back slightly, but still holding onto both of his arms. "You scared me to death! Why did you runaway? Why did you-"

"You wouldn't read the letter, dad," Roland says, his tears now flowing freely. "And I just want you to be happy."

Robin blinks. "Roland, I am happy. You make me happy."

"It's not the same."

"Roland," he says, drawing a deep breath and trying to keep his voice even and calm, not wanting to yell. "Roland, it's never going to be the same. We can't replace your mom."

"I'm not trying to replace her. I just… I just want….I…"

The words get stuck in his throat as he struggles against his tears-and when the words don't come, his dad pulls him back to him, hugging him just as tightly as he did before.

"We're okay, right? Just you and me, we're doing okay."

Roland nods and sniffles.

"You know what? Maybe we'll get a dog. When we get home, we'll go to the shelter and pick out a dog and-"

"Dad, Regina is on her way."

His brow furrows. "What?"

"Regina, the lady who wrote the letter… she and her son are coming to meet us."

"Roland-"

"Can we please just wait? They have until six. Please!" Robin sighs, shaking his head as his eyes press closed-and Roland bites down on his lip as he realizes how mad his dad looks. "Henry and I-"

"Who is Henry?"

"Regina's son," Roland says. "We planned this. We planned all of it just so you two could meet. We have to stay! We have to, dad! We have to see if if she comes."

"Roland, do you realize how dangerous all of this is? You running away? You getting on a plane and flying across the country by yourself? You coming here and waiting alone in-"

"Some things are worth it, dad."

"This Henry person-"

"Her son-"

"How do you know that? How do you know he's not some deranged man who just wants-"

"Dad, we were writing letters to each other. He's ten and he's a Boy Scout."

"This could all be a set up."

"But what if it's not! What if she's the real thing? What if she's the person you're meant to be with?"

For a moment, Robin doesn't say anything; he just stares at him, blankly. Then, he draws in a slow and deliberate breath, releasing it as it puffs out in front of them like a little cloud of smoke. "Roland, your mom was the one I was meant-"

"No, dad. Love doesn't have limits."

Robin's eyes narrow. "Who told you that?"

"Mom," Roland says, feeling his tears starting to well again. "She wants you to be happy. I know that she does. She wants us to find someone and-"

"How do you know that?"

Roland shrugs. "Gus's mom is psychic."

"Gus's mom-"

"Gus has the gift too. He did a reading for me."

"Your friend who helped you run away to meet some stranger is psychic."

Roland nods. "And he says that you and Regina probably knew each other in another life and that your heart has missing pieces, kinda like puzzle pieces, but because you couldn't be together, the puzzle isn't complete and-"

"Roland, this is crazy! All of that sounds crazy!"

"That doesn't mean it's not true."

"Roland-"

"Please. Please just stay for a half an hour to see if she comes," he asks, his voice pleading as his tears stream down his cheeks. "It's just a half an hour more, dad."

"And suppose she doesn't come?"

"Then you'll know you were right and you can ground me forever."

"Well, that's happening regardless of whether or not I'm right" Robin says, drawing in a breath. "Okay, I'll tell you what. There's a little diner down the street. Let's go get some cocoa and maybe a hot dog or something, and then in a half an hour, we'll come back."

Roland considers. "We'll be back by six?"

"Yes. Six."

"Before that. Like five minutes before."

"Deal."

Again, Roland considers it and nods, letting his dad pick him up and carry him toward the elevators-his dad has never been the type of person to go back on a deal, and he hopes this won't be the one time that he does, not when so much is riding on it.

December 24, 1993- New York, New York

Looking around, Regina glances to her watch, then to Mal and Lily. Henry's been in the bathroom for an unusually long time. At first, she told herself that there was probably a line, and then she started to wonder if he'd made himself sick with all the spinning and turning on the ice so quickly after eating-but now, she's worried that it's something else.

"Henry should be back by now."

"Maybe he got distracted, and stopped off for more hot chocolate," Mal suggests.

"No, I walked over there. He's at the tables or by the counter or in line."

"Maybe he-"

"He isn't at the food court either."

"Maybe-"

"He's not here," Lily says, her voice slow and tentative. "He's on his way to the Empire State Building."

"Excuse me?"

Lily bites down on her lip. "Look. He's fine-"

"Lily!"

Regina feels her heart start to beat faster as her mouth goes dry. "You don't know that, Lily. Why-"

"He was going to take the Subway, but I made him take a cab instead."

"My child is alone in a cab in the middle of New York City?!"

"Of all the stupid things you've-'

"He has my mace spray. I took down the name of the cab driver, the company he drives for, and before I let Henry get into the cab, I made that guy show me his driver's license." Lily draws in a breath, looking nervously between them. "Plus the kid screams like a banshee at the sight of a spider-"

"This isn't the time for jokes, Lily!"

"Mom, I'm-"

"When did he leave?" Regina asks, her voice rising over Mal's as she looks frantically at her watch.

"About ten minutes ago… when I went to get an elephant ear."

"Why would-"

"He's going to meet Sleepless in Seattle and his son."

Regina's eyes widen. "What?"

"Henry and I have been writing to his son, Roland, and some guy named Gus."

Regina's brow arches. "Some guy!?"

"Yeah, he's like an uncle-"

"Or a pedophile! Oh my god-" Regina's stomach sinks and she doesn't finish her thought, much less let Lily finish explaining. Instead, she takes off running-running until she reaches the edge of the crowded street. Throwing up her hand she tries to catch the attention of a cab driver-and when a cab stops for someone else, she bumps them out of the way and takes the cab ordering the driver to take her to the Empire State Building.

Her heart pounds the whole way and she chides herself for ever taking an interest in that radio show or Sleepless in Seattle, hating that it's spiraled and overtaken her life, and hating that somehow Henry found out about it. As much as she's been attracted to this man and as wonderful and harmless as he seemed, she didn't know that. She didn't know anything about him other than the fantasy she'd built up in her head. She never imagined that Henry would figure it out or get involved, and she never imagined that it could bring her son into harm's way.

Drawing in a breath, she reminds herself to breathe-she's only ten minutes behind him, and if they weren't meeting until six, she has time.

It'll be okay, she tells herself, again and again as she tries to calm herself down-and when that fails, she urges the cab drive to drive faster.

After what seems like an eternity, the cab pulls up in front of the Empire State Building. Reaching into her purse, she grabs a twenty and tosses it toward the driver, not bothering to wait to see if the bill covers the cost or to see if it actually reaches his hands, and as soon as she's out of the cab, she's running toward the building.

"I need to go up-"

"Sorry, the Observation Deck is closed."

Her eyes widen as she looks to the doorman. "I have to go up there. My kid is up there. He arranged to meet someone and-"

"Ah- just like the movie."

"What?"

"An Affair to Remember," the doorman says, chuckling softly as her eyes widen with frustration. "You know it. Deborah Kerr and Cary Grant. They're supposed to meet, but-"

"My kid is up there meeting with a stranger."

"Your kid wearing a red and gray striped scarf?"

"Yes!"

"He's up there, and I'm pretty sure he's up there all alone," the doorman says, pressing the arrow on the elevator. "Go on up and get him."

Regina offers something that she thinks is a thank you but she can't hear her own voice over her pouding heart. The elevator seems to take an eternity, but finally, the bell dings and the doors start to open. She doesn't wait for them to open full, instead squeezing through and forcing herself out.

"Henry!? Henry where-"

"Mom! You came!"

Her eyes widen. "Of course I came to get you." Dropping down to her knees, she pulls him into a hug. "You scared me half to death! Don't you ever-"

"Mom, I had to."

"No, Henry, you-"

The bell on the elevator dings again, and both she and Henry turn to watch the doors open-and she watches as Robin and his son step off.

"Roland, this is-"

Robin's voice halts as his eyes fall to her-and she watches as Roland offers Henry a little wave as they take a few steps closer.

"I'm Henry," she hears her son say. "And this is my mom, Regina."

Robin's brow arches. "Y-you're Regina?"

"I am."

"I… I remember you. From the airport and from the beach."

Her eyes narrow. "What?"

"I've seen you before and-" He stops, laughing. "And I am just now realizing how crazy that sounds."

She nods as their eyes lock-he's even better looking up close. "You… came all this way…"

"Well, my son did."

"Yeah, I, uh… I guess they've been….planning this."

He nods, offering a sheepish little grin and her heart flutters as his dimples sink into his cheeks. "I… I didn't put him up to this. I just want you to know that-"

"Neither did I."

A soft chuckle escapes him. "Apparently, our sons are a couple of hopeless romantics."

"Apparently so."

"I…" His cheeks flush slightly. "I just can't believe you're Regina."

Her brow furrows and Henry tugs at her sleeve. "Lily and I think Mal wrote to him the first time."

Regina's eyes widen as she looks to Henry. "What?"

"Then I replied," Roland tells her. "Me and my friend Gus."

"Oh-"

"And then apparently, they struck up a correspondence," Robin supplies. "The details are still a bit fuzzy to me."

"Very fuzzy," she murmurs as she looks back to him, their eyes once more locking.

"I-"

"Do you want to grab a cup of coffee?" she asks, her heart beating wildly. "There's a diner-"

"Just up the street. The coffee's quite good. They've got burgers and tacos and… all sorts of things."

"Oh, so you've-"

"Always got time to grab coffee," he supplies. "And I believe they're open late. Even tonight."

She grins. "I mean, you did come all this way and-"

Her voice halts and her stomach flops as he holds out a gloved hand to her-and suddenly, she remembers him saying he'd know he was going to fall in love with his wife from the moment their hands first touched, that he'd been simply reaching for her hand to help her out of a cab, and he'd just known.

Her stomach flops again as Henry nudges her nodding toward it as she bites down on her lip, ready for the fantasy she's built up of this perfect man to come crashing down around her, right then and there.

Life has taught her to expect that much.

That's when she first feels it.

A spark.

Like magic, she thinks.

She gasps a bit and looks to her fingers pressed to his palm-and as she looks up, she watches a slow grin pull onto his lips as he closes his hand around hers, and she realizes that he felt it too.

Wordlessly, they walk toward the elevator, grinning at each other like idiots while their sons trail beside them-and when the elevator doors close, they both laugh Henry and Roland give each other a high-five.

The ride down is a bit awkward and neither she nor Robin says anything while the boys chatter on, swapping their brave travel adventures of the day. Every couple of seconds, she finds herself looking over at him, almost as if to remind herself that he's really there and standing beside her and holding her hand-and whenever she does, she has to tamp down a giggle because it seems that he's doing the same.

The walk to the diner is fairly short and to her relief, it's not very crowded, so there won't be any need to rush.

No sooner than they order their food, the boys take note of the jukebox attached to the end of the table and she grins as Robin pulls out a pocketful of change, picking out enough quarters that each boy gets four songs. She isn't sure what it is about that particular detail, but her heart flutters.

Over burgers, fries and milkshakes, she and Robin talk through the usual first-date sort of topics, covering hobbies and interests and family. They talk a bit about their childhoods and learn they each have a sister-he is quite close with his and she barely talks to hers-and they both attended prep school. They graduated from high school in the same year and even applied to some of the same schools, and though their areas of study were quite different, she wonders if they'd chosen differently if their paths would have crossed.

At some point, the boys wander over to the counter to pick out their desserts-a choice that takes immeasurable consideration and deliberation. Finally, they each settle on a slice of pie-Henry's is apple and Roland's is some sort of cream-filled one-and they eat at the counter, likely bored of their parents conversation.

The stories about college lead into a conversation about their jobs and that's when she admits that he did see her on the docks at the beach that and as her cheeks flush red, she admits she'd been working on a story that involved him-and then to her great relief, he smiles that charming smile and asks if he really inspired her that much.

She rolls her eyes and nods telling him that she can't really explain it, and he offers her and almost knowing nod before shifting the topic to his own career. He talks a bit about his work as an architect-and she before she loses her nerve, she asks if he's ever gotten an up-close look at some of the architecture around New York City, and then, he smiles again and admits that he'd love to have the opportunity to have someone show him around.

"They have all sorts of tours," she explains as a frown forms on her lips. "But, of course, tomorrow's Christmas so they're not running. So… that was a stupid thing to bring up."

"It maybe be a bit presumptuous, but I was sort of hoping that… maybe you might want to show me around?" She brightens a bit, but not before he starts to backpedal. "It's Christmas. Of course you have plans. That was-"

"I don't, actually."

"You and Henry don't have plans for Christmas?"

"Well, we do, sort of, but it's nothing either of us really want to do. We always go to my parents' up in Hartford and…" A grin pulls onto her lips. "I doubt anyone would care if we skipped it."

"Wouldn't your mother?"

"She has my sister and her family. That's more than enough company and less chance of an argument."

"Well, then," he says, leaning back and grinning. "It seems like a win-win."

She nods in agreement as they start to plan out where they'll go and what they'll see, sprinkling in bits of impressive architecture with kid-friendly tourist attractions around the city-and then, the next thing she knows, the waitress is walking toward their table with a tight little grin, telling them that it's closing time.

They pay and offer profuse apologies, leaving more than enough as a tip to cover all of the time they spent simply taking up space, and as they step outside, she throws out her hand to hail them a cab.

"Where are you staying?"

Robin blinks. "Oh. Right. I… I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"Well, I didn't quite expect to have to stay anywhere-"

"Oh-" Her cheeks flush slightly as she laughs. "I'd almost forgotten how this started."

"Me, too." Chewing at her lip, she watches a cab switching lanes, presumably to stop at the curb to pick them up. "'I'm sure I can find a room for Roland and I somewhere. It's New York City, after all."

"It's a holiday."

Robin's brows arch and he looks slightly alarmed. "Does that hurt or improve my chances?"

"Honestly? I don't know."

"Ah-"

"But I do know that I can get you a room and a nice hotel."

"Can you?"

She nods. "My ex-sister-in-law… still likes me."

"Is she a manager somewhere?"

"Um, no… not exactly," Regina murmurs as the cab pulls up. "She owns it."

His jaw drops slightly and he laughs, as the four of them get into the cab. Henry's head rests on her arm and Roland is all but asleep in Robin's lap, and though, she should also be half asleep, she's wide awake and doesn't want this evening to end.

When they get to the hotel, Robin carries Roland inside and Henry drags his feet behind her, and she can't help but feel a little guilty for the hour-long ride home that awaits them

"You know," she begins, turning to Robin as the woman behind the desk checks for an available room. "If we are going to spend the day in the city, it'd be pointless for Henry and I to go all the way back to Connecticut."

Robin nods, grinning sheepishly as his cheeks flushing slightly as he scratches at the back of his neck in a way that's completely adorable and makes her swoon slightly. "I was… going to suggest that you stay, but I didn't want to seem… well… too forward or imply something that… might get taken the wrong way."

She smile, feeling excitement tingling up her spine as she turns back to the desk, asking for two rooms instead of one. She's never quite felt this way. It's more than the excitement that comes along with meeting someone new and it's more than just getting caught up in the romantic nature of their meeting. She's comfortable with him, but not bored. She finds him attractive and interesting, and somehow the reality of him is so much better than the fantasy she'd created.

"Here you go," the woman behind the counter says, offering her two room keys. "There's also a voucher for the restaurant. It's closed now, but the bar is still open."

She nods and thanks her as she turns back to Robin, again feeling that little spark as he reaches for her hand. Roland is already asleep on his shoulder and Henry leans heavily on her as they make their way to the elevator. By the time they open up one of the rooms and sort out the keys, Henry is climbing into one of the beds.

"So, I suppose this is my room."

"I suppose so," Robin says, laughing softly. "Though I'll feel bad if it's the bigger of the two."

"Nonsense. My son's claimed this one and I'm sure they're basically the same."

"Are you tired?"

"Oddly, no."

"Neither am I."

"We both should be," she tells him. "We've had very long days."

"We have, yet… here we are, not tired with a voucher for the bar."

A grin pulls onto her lips. "Think they do room service?"

"I don't frequent many five-star hotels, but I am willing to bet that they do." Again, he smiles that charming smile and again, it makes her heart flutter slightly. "I'd love to pick up where we left off at the diner."

"Me too," she admits.

Robin settles Roland on the bed opposite from Henry, and she draws a blanket up over her son. Robin flicks on the bedside lamp just as she's turning off the overhead lights, and once both boys are tucked in, he leads her through the door that joins their rooms.

He calls down to the bar, ordering some drinks, while she flips on the TV in search of a movie they can watch.

None of this is at all extraordinary, yet it feels so thrilling.

She kicks off her shoes as a knock comes at the door and she settles back on the bed, watching as Robin answers to accept their drinks-and as he turns back to her, she has the faintest thought of how right this all feels. He doesn't feel like a stranger and she doesn't feel like she has to meet any sort of expectation or hide the things about herself that she thinks he won't like-after all, he's likely seen her at her most desperate and he didn't go running in the opposite direction.

"Alright," he says. "A pitcher of Sangria."

"Ooh, sangria. How fun."

"Festive, too," he says, pointing out the green limes in the redwine as he sets the tray down and pouring two glasses. "So what should we drink to."

"To adventurous evenings?"

"To new beginnings?

"To the start of something wonderful."

"Ah-I like that one," he says, clinking the edge of his glass to hers as he sits down on the edge of the bed-then, drawing in a deep breath, she leans in, forgetting all about the sangria she brushes her lips over his. He pulls back slightly, smiling as he sets aside his glass and does the same with hers, and then he leans back in. She smiles against his lips, finding them warm, soft, and intoxicating.

Robin's hand skims up over her cheek as he cups her jaw and rubs his thumb gently along her neck, making her skin tingle. Reaching up, she pushes her fingers into his hair, pulling him closer as she parts his lips with her tongue-and once more, he pulls back, grinning at her before diving back in, kissing her harder and pushing her back against the pillows.

It occurs to her that, in any other situation, this would all be too much, too soon-yet somehow, with him, in this particular moment, it feels just right.

Her heart beats wildly as they kiss and she's not sure that's she's ever craved someone this way, and as the opening music to It's a Wonderful Life begins to play, they both start to laugh. At first, it's just a giggle, but his laugh tickles and only makes her laugh harder, and the harder she laughs the harder it is to kiss him. He pulls back as she laughs out, laughing until her sides ache-and Robin laughs right along with her.

When their laughter starts to fade, he leans back in, pecking at her lips as he rests his forehead against her-and then, he tips his head, leaning back in to kiss her again.

And all the while, she can't help but think, this really is the start of something magical.