"Here you go my dear," Margaret smiled. She walked into the living room with a lovely plate of aromatic fried rice.
Natasha that was not hungry found herself tempted by the aroma.
"Thank you, aunt," she smiled.
"You don't have to thank me, my dear. You know what, if you can't finish it, it's perfectly alright, just eat a bit please," Margaret urged.
"I will try my best, aunt," Natasha smiled.
"Oh, Natasha, my dear, how are you feeling now?" Ernest asked as he walked into the living room.
"I am feeling much better, grandfather," she smiled.
"How much better?".
"Much better than I can stand on my feet and walk around without falling," she chuckled.
"Alright, but don't try it, you don't need to prove anything," Ernest said. He sat down.
"I won't grandfather," she smiled.
"Father, do you have some iron supplements? I thought I had some over here, but I checked the medicine cabinet and they seem to all be gone," Margaret said.
"I actually do have some iron supplements. Let me go get them, I will be right back," Ernest said as he walked away.
"Make sure you eat my dear, let me go prepare Dominic a plate," Margaret said.
"Alright, thank you, aunt," Natasha smiled.
Margaret smiled at her. Natasha forced herself to eat, although she had to admit the first three bites were not forced. She did not know why but there was just something so nice and delicious about food you did not prepare yourself.
Dom walked into the house with the last of the bags. He walked to Joy's bedroom and carefully placed her suitcase in there. Then he walked to his bedroom and put his suitcase in there. Now he was confused as to where he was supposed to put Natasha's suitcase.
She was most definitely not going to sleep in here with him. She would reject that straightaway, and it would also be very uncomfortable for them both.
"Father, do you know where Natasha is sleeping?" Dom asked, luckily his father happened to be passing by.
"I have no idea, ask your mother," Ernest Jr replied.
Dom dropped the suitcase, he walked downstairs to the kitchen where his mother was preparing his food.
"You are here just in time," she smiled as she brought it out of the microwave.
"Thanks mom, that smells so good," he smiled and she laughed. "Where is Natasha going to sleep?".
"Oh, well now that Joy has her own room, we only have the guestroom left, and I am sure Michael and Charlie will use that one, so I guessed she could stay in Lulu's room," Margaret said.
As soon as she had converted the third spare room into Joy's permanent bedroom over here, it left them with only one guest room since the other was converted into a mini-museum for Ernest Jr.
"Alright, but what is going to happen when Lulu arrives?" Dom frowned.
"I have not thought that far to be honest, I was hoping that Lulu would be willing to share her room just for tonight and we will make the necessary arrangements tomorrow," she replied.
"Alright, I guess you are right. I doubt Lulu would mind sharing a room with Natasha and I think it is the same for Natasha," he said.
"Yes, I am going to inform her about it later, I just want her to eat first so she can regain some strength.".
"Is she better?" he asked.
"Much more better, your grandfather went to get me some iron supplements, I am sure that after she eats and takes those supplements she will feel as good as new," she smiled.
"Thank you for caring about Natasha so much, mom," Dom smiled.
"You don't have to thank me for that, you should know by now that I love her a lot, to me, she's like Lulu, and I want her to feel happy and comfortable," Margaret said as she poured him a glass of water.
Dom smiled and took a bite out of his food and groaned from how delicious it was.
"Mom, this is delicious as always," he said.
"Why, thank you," Margaret chuckled. She liked it when the people she loved enjoyed her food. She just felt so happy to have her son back home after such a long time. She just wanted to cherish this moment so much, but she knew that she had more time this entire week to truly cherish having all her family here.
...
"Finally, the traffic cleared up," Charlie groaned. It had been almost three hours of non-stop traffic, and it was so annoying.
"Tell me about it, park over here so we can switch," Michael said.
Charlie did not even hesitate, he was so tired of sitting in the driver's seat. It was so stressful. He hated driving, at this point he did not even want to drive again.
Charlie found somewhere to park. He got out of the car hastily, he stretched. Michael unbuckled his seatbelt, he walked to the driver's side while Charlie got into the passenger's side.
He glanced at Lulu, she was out cold, which was a good thing. At least one of them did not have to sit through the terrible traffic.
In no time, Michael took over the wheel and he began to drive.
They drove in silence for a while, but that was until Michael noticed Charlie was frowning.
"Don't tell me that you are still annoyed about the traffic. You shouldn't be, there is no more traffic, which means we should arrive there in an hour or so," Michael smiled.
"I am not annoyed about the traffic. Okay, I am annoyed a bit by the traffic, but that's not the main reason," he said.
"Oh, so you're still angry about Nine?".
"I am angry about it, yes. It is so unfair what he did to us," Charlie said.
"You mean what he did to you? Because to me, it's not serious at all. He just wants some alone time," Michael shrugged.
"That's not alone time, it's annoying, because things like this don't happen often, we don't all gather, we don't all get together like it was in the old days," he sighed.
"I get it, but he wants to have his own plans," Michael said.
"That's fine, I have nothing against him having his own plans. What I don't like it when Nine makes it feel like we are a burden to him, as if it is an annoyance to have us as his family," he frowned.
"Nine doesn't feel that way, and you know it.".
"I don't know what I know. All I know is that my brother is being very annoying and unable to be talked to because he just wants to shut all of us out, and despite all my begging and pleading, he didn't even bend just a little bit," Charlie sighed.
"I know you're sad about it, Charlie, I also am, but it's not far to the both of you to continue to be upset with each other, I don't want you to be sad, I want you to enjoy this week," Michael said.
"I can't enjoy it when one member of our family is missing," Charlie crossed his arms.
"I think you should focus on something else Charlie, like something more worthwhile," he said.
"I don't expect you to understand, you are perfectly alright with everything, you don't like to upset anyone.".
"And that's why I am so at peace," Michael said.
Charlie scoffed at him, "Well if you are so at peace, you should get ready for the vast traffic ahead.".
He pointed. Michael gasped, this could not be possible. There was traffic! Again! Instantly he groaned, this was too much for him, he had thought that he had managed to avoid the traffic, but it was not so.
Charlie smiled, it was actually nice to have Michael get a taste of his own medicine. At least now he could sleep and not have to worry about moving when the traffic moved.
"Well my dear brother, enjoy the traffic, I am going to sleep," Charlie laughed and pat him on the back before moving his seat back and resting comfortably.
Michael was so annoyed at all the people that decided to drive this evening. What were the odds that the traffic would be this heavy? With all this traffic it was a possibility that Dom, Natasha and Joy were still in traffic as well.
The way the traffic looked, it would take a while and he was so annoyed already, and Charlie, well he was fast asleep withing seconds of saying that he would go to sleep. So here he was, the only awake person in the car and he had to sit through all this traffic.
Michael groaned, he rest his head on the steering wheel but did not hit the horn. This was going to be torture, absolute torture, and he was far from ready.