Chapter 20: Honours

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Robin was on the first train out just as she had told Paige because the ticket was of sorts. Her bags were filled with clothes that she would need and her hand baggage was once again stuffed with the items that she needed for work. She rested her forehead against the cool surface of the window of the seat and thought about the conversation that she had had earlier. Her brother, Lincoln had told her that she had the day off and she couldn't believe him. "But I don't want a day off." She had told him, being a healthy workaholic. She wanted to work and make sure that everything was going well in Budapest. The end of the financial year was approaching and as the head, she had to be there for everyone.

He only scoffed in response, as if he had heard a joke. "Believe me. You're going to need it." He had a smug smile on his face, which revealed that he knew more than he was letting on.

"She told you?"

"No, but I got a bigger hint than you did." He broke out laughing at her cluelessness.

"Oh come on! This secrecy is too much. If the news is something related to me, I am coming back here straight away. I don't care how much the ticket costs."

And being on a train to New York had totally not been on her list of things to be done for that month. But after everything that had happened, saying bye to baby Rose was the worst. She couldn't say it because of the baby's babbles and soft hand caresses. "She'll be fine!" Melody insisted. "I'll show her a picture of you every day so that she doesn't forget you."

"We are the parents, just so you know." Lincoln made fun of her.

"But I'm the aunt!" Robin said. "I am supposed to be closest to her. How else will I spoil her?" Even on the ride, she could hear Rose's giggles and see the light in her eyes. Robin remembered how excited she had been when she first felt the kick of the baby. It was a week before the actual date of delivery and she had made it to L.A. in time.

Robin was terrified when the baby was born. She was pacing outside the operation theatre even more than Lincoln had been. He had reminded her that Melody and the baby would be alright but Robin had been praying the entire time. She was scared of not being able to meet her own expectations of being the best Aunt in the world. But one look at the pink-faced tiny baby changed her life. Lincoln handed her the baby when she tip-toed into the room. She held onto Rose's neck for additional support and controlled her tears.

That feeling went away when she opened her eyes in the train and looked at the passing canopies of trees and the sunlight that threatened to blind her eyes. It was a peaceful moment, but the curiosity of what waited for her at the end of the tracks had her anxiety off the rails.

Paige picked her up from the station but was quiet the entire ride and about what the news was. She talked about everything else and apologised for having had Robin come over immediately. "It is very important though."

She even gave Robin a key. "Key to your place? Wow!" Robin joked, because Paige wasn't the type to get committed to someone. She was a carefree and independent woman, and that was something that Robin really admired about her.

"Yeah yeah, make all the fun that you want to." Paige shrugged it off.

"When can I actually find out what you want to tell me?"

She took a deep breath, almost revealing the truth. "Get some rest and meet me at the coffee shop across the street at five. I will tell you everything. Promise."

"You better." She scoffed. "I just spent three days on a train."

Paige smirked, knowing what Robin's reaction would be to her news. "I know. Get dressed and come down whenever you are ready."

And so, after resting her eyes for a while, and once the antique clock in the living room of the two-bedroom penthouse rang five times, Robin pulled out her favourite trench coat and wore it over a red casual flannel top and dark blue jeans. She used the elevator to reach the ground floor and then crossed the street to reach one of the most famous coffee shops in New York.

Just entering through the front door had her in utopia. The shop was quite empty and that made her very curious. It was even more so when she saw that the tables were arranged in a different manner than they usually would have been. She didn't know how she knew that but it was very evident when Paige was the only one inside apart from the employees of the shop.

But Paige wasn't alone. "She's here." She was sitting opposite to a woman with short blonde hair which reached her shoulders, who was wearing a black pantsuit and had gorgeous blue eyes. "Hey!" Paige was shorter than the woman and was as beautiful as ever. She was wearing a proper white-and-black suit. Both the women stood up once Robin reached their table and stood side by side with each other. "Robin, this is Karen Miller." She introduced the two to each other.

"Hi, Karen." Robin shook hands with the acting agent with a smile on her face. Clearly she was a very important person to Paige for she wasn't the type to introduce people to Robin if the situation didn't have any relations to work, and that was clearly not the case.

"Hey, Robin. It is so great to meet you. I've heard a lot about you."

Karen had the sweetest voice ever and it took everything in Robin to not look astonished. Something was definitely going on. "I wish I could say the same thing, but Paige likes to keep everything a secret from me."

"I wasn't trying to keep anything from you and I wouldn't have had to if you had just helped me shift into the apartment!" Paige exclaimed, rolling her eyes in response.

"You know why I couldn't!" Robin defended herself. "Okay, let's keep our bickering for another time. We don't want to scare Karen off." And only after saying that did she realise what was going on. The look that was shared between the two agents gave it away. "Oh!" She exclaimed, her eyes gleaming with joy.

"Finally figured it out?" Paige asked as she wrapped her fingers around Karen's. The way they looked at each other revealed everything and it was great news indeed.

"Oh my God!" Robin shouted and was glad for the empty shop. It started to come to her.

"We're engaged!" Karen revealed.

"Oh my God!" Robin pulled Paige into a bear hug and then hugged Karen as well. Though they didn't know each other, it was the only reaction that was accurate for the situation. "This is absolutely the best news that I've heard!" Tears were coming to her eyes and she had to force them to stop.

"Thank you so much for coming over in such a short time." Karen said, being the kind self that she was. She was very glad when Paige told her that her best friend was on her way as well.

"It is absolutely no problem!" Robin said as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "I'm glad that Paige called me here ASAP."

"I'm sorry, Robin, but are you crying?" Paige mocked her sensitivity.

"No! I am feeling very deep emotions right now."

"I'm so glad that you were able to make it. We are just waiting for my Honour to show up. We wanted to tell you this together." Karen revealed.

"Honour?" Robin asked.

"That's what we are calling our closest friends." Paige said, taking Robin's hands in hers. "Robin." She took a deep breath. "Will you be my Maid of Honour?" She was squinting her eyes, not sure what her answer would be.

"I would have crashed the wedding if you didn't ask me this question." Robin pulled her friend into another hug. "Gosh, I'm so happy right now! This is great news indeed! I'm so glad that you didn't tell this over the phone! I don't know what I would have done."

"I'm getting married!" She giddied up. "Karen is going to have a Best Man and since you are my Maid of Honour, we decided to call you 'Honours'."

"You are a very important part of our lives." Karen smiled. "Oh, and there he is! Speak of the angel." She said just as the front door of the shop opened and cold air came into the room, harming the warmth of the room for a short while as the man that walked in took off his coat.

Robin turned around and her mouth fell open as she saw who it was. "Ben." She breathed out, not being able to believe her eyes.

The six-foot man's eyes fell first upon the beautiful brunette who had turned around to look at him entering the shop. "Robin!" 

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