"Madam you have returned" said Alfred as he saw Natasha walk in through the front door while she carried Joy who was sleeping soundly.
"*Shush*" said Natasha as she shushed Alfred, she did not want Joy to wake up just yet.
"Sorry Madam" said Alfred as he reduced the volume of his voice.
"Yes Alfred, I am back" said Natasha as she smiled.
"Madam if I may ask, where did you go??" asked Alfred as he looked at Natasha.
"I went to the park with Joy" said Natasha as she smiled.
"Ahh I thought as much" said Alfred as he smiled.
"Madam are you going to eat dinner??" asked Alfred.
"Yes I am, just let me wake up Joy first" said Natasha as she looked down at Joy.
"Alright then Madam, I will set the table" said Alfred as he smiled.
"Okay Alfred" said Natasha.
"And what is for dinner today?" asked Natasha.
"Well beef stew and rice" said Alfred.
"Alright, I will be down soon" said Natasha
"Alright Madam" said Alfred as Natasha walked up the stairs while carrying Joy.
Joy was very light at this age, Natasha was sure that in her last life, she could not carry Joy at all, she would have been too heavy, in her last life, she had died when Joy was ten, every single time she thought about it, she felt bad that she left her baby all alone.
Natasha had promised herself that she would never leave Joy again, she had promised to make sure to protect her so that she would never be alone, she was going to keep her baby and herself safe, which was why everything she did, she did it for Joy and herself.
Natasha walked up to Joy's room and she opened the door, she placed Joy on her bed, and she removed Joy's sneakers and she caressed Joy's hair that she had braided into two pigtails.
"My baby" called out Natasha softly.
"My baby wake up, it's time to eat" she said as she looked at Joy with all the tenderness in the world.
"My baby" called out Natasha once again as Joy squirmed around on her bed.
"My baby, wake up please" said Natasha once again as Joy opened her still sleepy eyes.
"Mommy??" called out Joy softly.
"Yes My baby" said Natasha as she smiled sweetly.
"Where are we?" asked Joy as she noticed that they were no longer at the park.
"Well we are home my darling" said Natasha.
"And where is Uncle Pete??" asked Joy as she rubbed her eyes.
"Well he dropped us home, and then he had to go" said Natasha as she smiled.
"But don't worry, he said that he could not wait to see you again" said Natasha.
"I also want to see him too mommy" said Joy.
"You will my baby" said Natasha.
"Are you hungry my darling??" asked Natasha and Joy nodded.
"Well then let's go eat dinner" said Natasha as she smiled and she stood up and carried Joy.
"Do you want to walk yourself??" asked Natasha and Joy shook her head she enjoyed her mother carrying her.
"My baby, you really are something" said Natasha as she laughed, she pampered Joy too much, and she enjoyed doing so.
...
"Young Master the Madam and Joy are back, the Madam said that they went to the park" said Alfred as he was talking to Dom on the home landline.
He had called Dom as soon Natasha and Joy had arrived home, he could hear the worried tone in Dom's voice earlier.
"Oh I see" said Dom as he sounded relieved.
"Thank you Alfred" said Dom as he smiled.
"You are welcome Young Master" said Alfred as Dom ended the call.
...
"My baby, do you know who the woman Uncle Pete is in love with is??" asked Natasha as she looked at Joy as she drank her water.
"No Mommy, Uncle Pete did not tell me who she was" said Joy as she drank her juice.
Natasha laughed, she knew that Pete would scold her from trying to get information on what he refused to tell her from her daughter.
"My darling, one thing you should know about you Uncle is that no matter how big, strong and tall he is always very shy" said Natasha as she laughed.
"Why is he shy mommy??" asked Joy as he looked at her mother.
"I don't know my baby, maybe he's embarrassed, or he is too proud to say anything" said Natasha as she laughed, she was truly curious as to who Pete was so in love with, as far she knew for the past ten years that they had been friends, she had never seen Pete with a girlfriend, or anyone for that matter, it would seem that he was always focused on his work.
And at that rate Natasha had concluded that maybe he had decided that he was never going to get someone for himself, but now that he had finally said something, she wanted to help him, even though he refused her help, because she was sure that he would do the same for her.
"Mommy is my daddy shy??" asked Joy as she looked at her mother.
It was then that Natasha was glad she had no food in her mouth or else she would have choked, her baby always asked the weirdest questions, and ones that made her wonder if Joy was a normal four year old, well she was with the way she asked many questions.
"Ahhh... well... " said Natasha as she did not know what to say, she did not want to remember Dom right now, but Joy had brought him up, and the expectant look on Joy's face made Natasha feel bad if she did not answer the question.
"Oh... well you see my baby, your father..." said Natasha.
"Your father is not a shy man" she said.
"In fact he is far from shy" said Natasha.
"Really mommy??" asked Joy as she looked at her mother and she smiled.
"Yes my baby" said Natasha as she smiled too.
"Your father is a very brave man, he likes to stand up for others, and if you are scared to do something, he would be there to support you all the way" said Natasha, now that she thought about it, it was all those good qualities of his that made her fall in love with him, but she took it too far, and she had decided not to go in that path again.
"My daddy sounds awesome" said Joy as she giggled.
"Oh yes he is my baby, he is the best daddy ever" said Natasha as she smiled at Joy and Joy giggled some more, she liked her mother talking about her father like that.
"And Mommy are you shy??" asked Joy as she looked at her mother.
"Well, I am not necessarily shy my darling," said Natasha as she seemed to be thinking.
"I am not a shy person" she said.
"But I also do not talk a lot either, I would only talk a lot with my friends, like Uncle Pete, or your Aunt Lia" said Natasha as she smiled.
"Mommy am I shy??" asked Joy as she looked at Natasha.
"Hahah" said Natasha as she laughed, her baby had the best questions.
"My baby, I cannot answer that for you, you need to find out if you are a shy person yourself" said Natasha as she laughed.
"But how do I find that out mommy??" asked Joy as she looked at Natasha.
"Well my baby, it depends on how you interact with other people" said Natasha as she could see that Joy did not know what she meant.
"Like for example my baby, if you meet someone about your own age, would you walk up to them and say hi, or would you just stay still in your place??" asked Natasha
"Oooh I understand now mommy" said Joy as she smiled.
"I do not really know what I would do mommy" said Joy as she seemed to be thinking.
"Which is why my baby, I am thinking of enrolling you in a school" said Natasha.
"Would you like to go so school my baby??" asked Natasha.
"Hmmm, I do not know mommy" said Joy as she looked at Natasha.
"Well it would be nice if you did my baby, school is fun, you get to make new friends, and you learn new things, and you would also have nice teachers" said Natasha.
"That does sound nice mommy" said Joy as she smiled.
"It is my baby" said Natasha as she smiled.
"So would you like to go to school??" asked Natasha.
"I don't know Mommy, It is scary" said Joy.
"Oh but my baby, school is not scary at all, maybe the first day can be, but once you go, you will see that it is not all that scary" said Natasha as she smiled.
"Okay then Mommy" said Joy as she smiled and Natasha smiled.