Life with: Natasha and Bobby Ep. 08

"Natasha!" Bobby chanted her name from the base of the staircase. Natasha was in her final stages of getting dressed which still meant she'd need up to another 10 minutes.

It was the Fourth of July and Bobby wanted to visit his grandparents' house for their annual cook out. Natasha was excited to see all of his family again. She hadn't seen his extended family in well over 4 months. If she hadn't had Isaac, it wouldn't have seemed that long. But he had already outgrown most of his clothes. She hated to feel like they were missing too much of his growth. Bobby enjoyed spending time with her family and friends but she knew he'd like to be around his own too.

Natasha was scurrying around the master bedroom trying to finish gathering her last minute necessities. Her duffle bag was laid open wide on the bed and she continued to throw in more things at the same rate she was taking things out. They'd be staying at Bobby's grandparents' house for 3 days and Bobby's cousin Elizabeth had something planned for them each hour. Natasha was surprisingly grateful for the rigid itinerary though. Bobby's grandmother could press her nerves after a few too many seconds in her company.

She looked over herself in the mirror one last time.

Her outfit was simple with crisp white capris and a camel colored round-neck halter top that made breastfeeding quick and easy. Her sunglasses pushed her hair back out of her eyes and she wore comfortable tweed flip flops with gems along the thongs. She turned off the lights and made sure her flat iron was unplugged before descending the stairs.

She rounded the hallway corner with her hand on the bannister, her eyes cast downward on her family. She smiled at Isaac as he smiled at her. Bobby did the hard task of dressing him in the outfit Natasha picked out. She typically hated themed outfits on adults, but thought they were always cute on kids. She asked Bobby to dress him in a pale blue striped button down and dark red shorts embellished with blue anchors. Bobby moisturized Isaac's coils thoroughly as well as his face but he seemed to have gone too far. Isaac's face was glistening to the point of reflection, but Natasha found him even more adorable.

"Hi Isaac." She cooed to him, gradually getting closer with a bright smile on her face. His excitement grew as her proximity did. He turned his head when Natasha raised her hand to tickle his blushing cheek. She put her hand on Bobby's arm so that she could steady herself and raised onto her toes. She nuzzled into Isaac's neck when he wasn't looking and elicited a loud squealing sound from him. Bobby laughed lightly while he watched the exchange.

Natasha pulled away right before she ran a hand over his crown.

Bobby wore his infamous Miami Heat cap. The bill was rotated backward and gave him a youthful prep boy look. Although his strong arms almost made his tee seem a size too small and his short beard aged him even more. Plus, his growing pot belly added some years on its own but it wasn't anything Natasha was complaining about.

"Ready?" She asked Bobby. Their suitcases were loaded into the car and the only thing left was her small carry on/diaper bag. Natasha looked around while trying to remember anything they might have missed. She opened her phone to look at the list she had put together the night before.

Bobby watched Natasha smack sexily on her gum while browsing on her phone. He took a step in her direction and pretended to give her a one armed hug, only to roughly slap his widespread hand against her bottom. He chuckled at her expression.

"Let's go." He commanded. Natasha recognized the tone and knew he was * really * ready to go.

*

"Nana," Bobby called for his grandmother after using his key to open the front door. Natasha hoisted Isaac up her hip with a grunt. Bobby was successfully juggling their bags for which she was thankful. The house felt like she wasn't in much of a house at all. Every window and blind was pulled open as far as it could and it let in large amounts of natural light as well as naturally cool air.

"My baby!" She was heard well before she was seen. Natasha loosened her hold on Isaac, prepared to give him up to his great-grandmother.

Gina was an extremely healthy 80-year-old woman. She went walking every day and hardly ever ate anything that might take a few hours off of her life. She wore a plain navy linen dress with her red toes on display; matching the 4th of July theme. She waddled over and outstretched her hands for Bobby.

"Aw, look at my boy." Isaac was a little groggy from his nap so he looked at her curiously. Bobby put their bags down at the door so his arms were free to hold his grandmother. She showered him in kisses and hugs. He coiled an arm around her midsection and kissed her lightly on the cheek.

"Hi Nana." He said into her neck. She kissed him in return.

"You are so handsome, love. You look well fed—maybe a little too well fed." Both Bobby and Natasha snorted out laughs. Everyone who knew them seemed to comment on Bobby's weight gain. She took it as a compliment; her husband loved her cooking and she loved his warmth at night, so it seemed to all work out.

Gina caught sight of Isaac from over Bobby's shoulder and immediately forgot about her grandson's presence. She rushed over to grab her great-grand right out of Natasha's hands. She gave him up, pulling the back of his shirt down as she did. Natasha watched Gina shower him in kisses from where she stood.

Bobby and Natasha exchanged glances.

Gina and Natasha had definitely repaired their relationship over the years. Gina seemed to hate her less than she did when she and Bobby first met. Although, Gina was a naturally petty and overprotective woman. So Natasha didn't take it to heart that she wasn't greeted.

"Nana, can you acknowledge Natasha please?" Bobby sounded touchy. Natasha sported a bored expression as faux remembrance played over Gina's face. She opened her eyes wide and parted her lips to convey that she had simply "forgot". Natasha didn't buy it. She wasn't looking forward to dealing with her this weekend.

"I'm so sorry Natasha! How are you, darling?" She leaned in to give her a half body hug and a peck on the cheek.

"It's fine. I'm well, thanks." Gina was wandering down the hall with Isaac before she could get her last word out. Bobby advanced toward her sporting an apologetic expression. He coiled an arm around her hips and buried his head into the crook of her neck.

"You're being a good girl." Natasha laughed.

"I'm trying. I don't know how much longer I can keep it going." She whispered in reply.

"As long as you can. If you need a break, I wouldn't mind us going somewhere for a few hours." He backed away to look into her eyes. "We could go to dinner or go to a bar—a date or something." She could see the seriousness in his face. He was so considerate.

"I know, baby. I'll be fine." Natasha raised her manicured fingers up to his cheek and stroked it gently. He nuzzled into her palm and kissed it gently—she loved when he did that. "Let's go take the bags upstairs." She suggested.

"No, I got them. I'll meet you on the deck." Natasha wandered down the hall and into the dining and kitchen area. Elizabeth was wiping off her hands after washing a few dishes. Natasha almost forgot how she looked when she wasn't carrying a baby in her womb. She smiled bright when she laid eyes on her good friend.

"Natty!" Elizabeth engulfed her into a big, full and caring hug. Natasha chuckled as she hugged her back while simultaneously taking a piece of her hair off her lip. They pulled away and Natasha tucked that same loose lock of Elizabeth's hair behind her ear.

Elizabeth held a brief look of shock and turned behind her for a moment. She faced Natasha again with two large wine glasses and a bottle of white wine dripping condensation. Natasha smiled at her mischievously.

"As soon as I walk through the door, huh?" Luckily, Natasha pumped and stored her milk for the entire weekend, so she was free to drink if she wanted. Elizabeth giggled.

"Of course." She gave her a wink before leading the way to the deck. Natasha started to follow Elizabeth but froze for a second. She turned around swiftly.

"Gina, did you need help with anything?" Natasha always tried to offer herself up for food preparation when she could. She enjoyed cooking and she would love to help take some stress off of Gina if she could.

Gina stood in place for a moment as if she were thinking her proposition over, knowing she really just wanted to say no. Natasha waited, growing more annoyed by the second. Her patience with Bobby's grandmother was always worn too thin, too soon.

"In a few, you can come and cook some of the chicken wings."

Natasha nodded curtly and followed Elizabeth through the sliding deck door.

Bobby's cousin William and his boyfriend Hector were sitting on the patio love seat, radiating the cute glow of a young couple completely in love. William had Hector engulfed in his arms, making sure to have a clear view of his face for when he felt like gazing on him sweetly. Natasha almost felt bad she'd elicited such excitement out of William; she didn't want him to get up from his comfortable position.

"Gorgeous as always." William always had a special way of greeting her. He stood up and hugged Natasha soundly. His boyfriend followed suit. Natasha smiled.

"I'm trying." She turned to face Bobby's grandfather Oliver. He was sitting in the patio armchair. He'd given up his duty of grilling to take the directing job instead. The new job included lots of yelling at Bobby and Elizabeth's husband, Aaron.

"How ya' doing Natasha?" Oliver grunted as she hugged him.

"I'm okay," She stepped back to find his eyes in the setting sun's light. She still held his hand in hers as she asked "How're you doing?" He was having some troubles managing his health but he was starting to get ahold of it.

"I'm alright, sweetheart. Just taking my medication and trying to get outside as much as I can." Natasha nodded as he spoke.

"That's good to hear." They smiled at one another for just a second. Elizabeth came into view with an empty glass extended in her direction. Natasha heard the popping of a cork and looked in the sound's direction. Aaron had done the honors of opening the bottle.

Both Elizabeth and Natasha did a small clap and cheer. He responded with an annoyed smile before handing the bottle to his wife. He hugged Natasha for a second before disappearing into the depths of the backyard to continue playing with his three boys while the food cooked on the grill.

Elizabeth filled Natasha's glass about halfway, and she was thankful. Natasha couldn't remember the last time she had a good drink and she was kind of nervous about overdoing it. She and Elizabeth took a seat at the umbrella table filled with chips and dip. Just as she lifted the drink up to her lips, the patio door slid open and her favorite boys came through.

Bobby stepped aside so Isaac could waddle through the threshold ahead of him. Bobby had an aluminum tray of steaks in his hands that he was about to put on the grill alongside the burgers and hot dogs. Isaac immediately ran into her knees, drooling and giggling the entire journey. Natasha smiled to herself as he looked up at her. His father had taken off his hat so his hair was wild, curly and unruly.

Natasha grabbed a napkin off the table so she could finally end his constant stream of spit. He chuckled when she wiped over his chin, showing his hint of a bottom tooth. Natasha decided to swipe the napkin over his entire face, just to see what happened. He didn't disappoint with a loud shriek.

"Why are you so silly?" She whispered to him over a laugh.

She never knew she could love a person so much.

"Hi Isaac!" Elizabeth called beside him. She put her drink down and sat him soundly on her lap. Natasha grabbed a pretzel off a nearby tray and scraped off the pieces of salt. Once it was bare, she handed it to Isaac.

"How're things with you?" William asked from his seat. Natasha smiled and shrugged.

"Pretty good. Every day is a challenge when your cousin is involved, but I'm learning to enjoy it." William, Hector and Oliver chuckled lightly around her. Bobby came into view on her right with a tray of burgers topped with melted cheese.

"Trust me, she enjoys it." Bobby murmured just loud enough to be heard. Aaron had announced his presence with a husky laugh along with everyone else. Natasha looked up into the setting sun to give Booby an annoyed look. Although, a smile was ruining her legitimacy. "Isaac is living proof." He ended his sentence with a gleaming smile.

Natasha tried to continue her conversation, despite their cackles and her smile.

"Anyway," She giggled lightly. "How're things with you?"

"I'm great. I just came back from visiting Hector's family in Argentina." Natasha nodded in approval.

"Meeting the family is always a big step so congratulations. I bet it was like a little vacation too." Hector and William both smiled. They were adorable together.

"It was beautiful there." William started. "His family was really welcoming. They made it even more perfect." Their conversation was interrupted when Gina opened just the slightest bit to peak her head through.

"Natasha, you can come start on these wings." Natasha downed her last few sips of wine and placed the glass on the table. She stood carefully, being mindful of her baby below her. He started to whine when he noticed she was leaving his presence. Natasha lifted him up into her chair and gave him another pretzel to soil in his saliva. He seemed content with it and she was free to go. Elizabeth turned to give him all the attention in the world.

Natasha followed Gina into the kitchen and looked into the big bowl full of raw chicken wings.

"Are these cleaned already?" Natasha asked, peering into the bowl to get a grasp on just how many she had to work with. Gina caught her attention with her annoyed huff.

"They're going on a 500-degree grill; don't be ridiculous." Natasha stared at her for just a moment, trying to piece her words together tightly enough that no malice could slip through. Natasha could feel her heart racing and the wine was having its effects as well.

"Okay, I'm cleaning the chicken."

"Natasha. Everyone is hungry. I didn't think this would be longer than a 45-minute thing. The chicken does not need to be cleaned." She approached Natasha from her side and Natasha kept her face as rigid as she could.

"I am cleaning the chicken." She said each syllable with a slow punch. She rested a hand on the counter as Gina faced her head-on. The screen door slid open but Natasha couldn't get herself to see who it was.

"Hey—Hey, what's going on? What's the problem?" Bobby stood in between the two women, however, he was facing Natasha. It was a symbolic stance that he always took. She was being addressed.

"Your grandmother asked me to cook the chicken and now she doesn't like the way I'm doing—"

"No," She said sharply, "Natasha wants to take an extra two hours to do a quick task and I wouldn't have asked if I knew it would go well into 7:30. Everyone is hungry! Chicken does not need to be cleaned."

Bobby was silent for a moment. He gave Natasha his signature pleading expression—something his grandmother knew nothing of. He was silently asking her to obey and keep the peace, be the bigger person and swallow the pill.

"It *is* getting late, baby." She stood still for a moment. Her blood was boiling for some reason. She couldn't pin the exact reasoning why but she was livid.

"Fine." He pecked her on her cheek roughly. He grabbed his grandmother's hand and led her to the deck door.

"Let Natasha cook." He told her just before he closed the glass behind them.

*

After Bobby finished grilling Natasha's lemon pepper wings, he put them on the food table with everything else. Natasha had stood over his shoulder every second to make sure he didn't overcook them but they still had a good texture. Bobby didn't mind her being so close, he enjoyed having her nearby. Especially after asking her to resolve an issue with his grandmother by letting her win.

The food table was adjacent to the seating area. Typically, Natasha could make both of their plates without his help. But since Isaac was born and he needed to eat so much, he got his own plate. Bobby was needed to help carry their food. He held Isaac's and Natasha's while Natasha put the food on all three.

Bobby's plate was of course mountainous, which is why Natasha had to hold it with two hands. Isaac sat on his lap and Natasha was in charge of feeding him. As soon as they sat down, she had to start. He wouldn't let so much food sit around him for longer than a second before it became a problem. Natasha quickly forked up a piece of pasta and fed it to him. Bobby started shoveling food into his mouth as well.

"Aaron, can you help him please?" Elizabeth asked her husband. Their youngest son was hungrily trying to put his hotdog in his tiny mouth, but only managing to make a mess over his face and clothes. Aaron pushed his son's seat in to get him closer to the table and grabbed a few napkins from the center of the table.

Isaac's tiny hands came back into Natasha's view and he was reaching toward her plate. Natasha fed him another piece of pasta.

"The wings are good Tash." William complimented. Natasha smiled lightly. She loved getting compliments on her cooking.

"Thank you."

"They are, babe." Bobby grumbled over a mouthful. Natasha didn't take his compliment as seriously; he was a human disposal. He didn't have any criteria when it came to his food. If it was hot, he'd eat it and if it had any sort of flavor, it was good.

"Thanks, hubby." She said quietly.

"And they were finished at a decent hour!" Natasha kept her face grave. Gina had a wide, shit eating grin full of spite. Natasha turned to Bobby, waiting for something to be said.

He was immersed in his food.

"Gina, you really want me to get reactionary." Only then, did Bobby find something worth responding to. He put down his fork to look between the two women.

"Can we just eat?" He asked them. The table was silent.

Natasha found that dealing with Gina got more difficult with time. And her faith in Bobby to mediate the situation correctly dwindled with time too. She knew he loved his grandmother, but she was his wife. He could do more.

"Natasha?" Her head snapped up when he spoke to her. She looked fleetingly at Gina to see she was staring at her too, with a gleam in her eyes that pissed Natasha off.

"Have I not been eating?" She asked incredulously. She didn't want to start a scene in front of everyone. She wanted to get up, take her baby and finish eating inside. But that wouldn't be polite and it would send the wrong message. Natasha didn't want to make the night uncomfortable for anyone.

Including her husband.

He groaned right before he continued digging into his food.

Bobby's grandfather Oliver felt the need to fill the silence.

"How's work Bobby?" Bobby chewed his food quickly before he answered.

"It's alright. I've been getting back to my regular schedule since tax season is ending. So that's a plus."

Toward the end of dinner, everyone started talking a little bit more. The sun was almost completely down and only the patio lighting kept them from the dark. Isaac was lying on Natasha's shoulder as she sat and chatted with Elizabeth and William. Bobby was deep in conversation with Aaron and his grandfather.

Hector's phone rang in his pocket and William looked to see him answer it.

"My dad is FaceTiming me?" Hector laughed to William in disbelief. "He has no idea how to use that." Hector answered it and everyone could hear.