Things Are Almost Perfect

Chapter 8 ~ Hold Your Breath!

"Fanny has to go potty," Nathanial called from the back seat.

Clint sighed. "Again? She's already gone twice!"

Nathanial paused. "Ok, she doesn't need to go potty. She might barf though."

Clint immediately pulled the car over and let Fanny climb out.

"Maybe the dog shouldn't sit in the back where she can't see out the windows," Cooper suggested.

Yelena rolled her eyes. "I tried to tell you guys that, but nooooo the dog'll be fiiine."

Clint grinned. "Alright then, dog gets the front seat."

"What?! No, that's my seat!"

After Fanny started to feel better, they set off, the dog in the front seat.

"Unfair," Yelena grumbled from the back.

Natasha laughed and poked her sister. "Now you know how I feel!"

"Someone not having a good road trip?" Lila asked, peering over from her seat in the middle row.

"Shouldn't you have your seatbelt on?" Clint said.

"Yelena doesn't have hers on," Lila said, before looking over at Cooper and Nathanial. "Coop, Nate, how about we tell Auntie Lena about the rules of a car trip!"

Cooper and Nathanial popped up excitedly and turned to face Yelena.

"Rule number one," Cooper said, "always have snacks." He pulled up two family-size bags of cheetos and a bag of goldfish.

Lila raised an eyebrow. "That's all you've got?" She pulled out a package of oreos, a box of fruit snacks, and two cans of pringles.

Nathanial pulled out a bag of beef jerky.

Clint sighed. "You guys had time to grab a ton of snacks, but not enough time to write a note to mom explaining where you were?"

Lila shrugged and crunched down on a pringle.

Yelena eagerly grabbed some jerky and a few oreos. Cooper popped open a bag of cheetos and started snacking. Natasha sighed and slouched in her seat, mumbling something about how much she missed being able to eat.

"Do you want some Auntie Tasha?" Lila asked, offering Natasha a Pringle.

"Can you even eat?" Cooper asked.

"I don't know," Natasha replied, "I've never tried, never felt hungry enough."

"Try then!"

Natasha took the Pringle from Lila and tried to eat it. But it just dropped onto the car floor.

"Dang it. Couldn't even taste it..." Natasha grumbled.

Yelena laughed and asked what the next rule was.

"Rule number two, music!" Nathanial leaned forward and clicked a button, causing music to start playing through the speakers.

"I can't stop this feeling, deep inside of me," the three kids sang.

Yelena grinned and joined in. "Girl you just don't realize what you do to me!"

"When you hold me, in your arms so tight, you let me know, everything's alriiiight!"

Clint and Natasha finally gave in and sang along.

"Iiiiiii'm hooked on a feeling! I'm high on believing, that you're in love with meeeeeeee!"

After singing along until their throats hurt, they moved on to the next rule.

"Rule number three, we must always get ice cream whenever it is possible," Cooper taught.

Yelena grinned. "I like that rule."

Then it was time for rule number four.

"Iiiiii spy somethiiiiiing. . . green!" Nathanial said, peering out the window.

"Tree."

"Yep!" Nathanial giggled. "Yelena's turn!"

Yelena peered out the window for a moment. "Uh. . . I spy something. . .Yellow!"

The kids peered out the window, looking for anything yellow.

"The flowers?" Cooper said as the car passed a few yellow wildflowers.

"Nope!"

The kids searched for anything yellow for a minute or so longer.

"Oh! The yellow lines in the road?" Lila guessed.

"Correct!"

As Natasha searched for something to spy, the song changed.

"American Pie?!" Yelena gasped. "I love this song! Turn it up!"

Clint laughed and turned up the volume. The music rolled through the car, making Yelena smile. It was nice to listen to the song with Natasha.

It always reminded Yelena of when things were perfect.

"Okay," Natasha said, "I spy something green."

"Tree," Yelena said.

Natasha nodded with a grin.

"Okay, my turn!" Lila said. "I spy something. . . tall."

"Tree," Yelena and Natasha said.

"Okay, I spy something. . ." Nathanial paused to think. "A vertical log."

"Tree."

"Okay, I spy--"

"Tree."

"But I didn't spy anything!" Cooper whined.

"It counts!" Yelena said. She paused to think.

"Tree."

"Okay let's play something else."

It was getting too dark to play "I spy" anyways.

"Wait! Tunnel!" Lila shouted. "Everyone hold your breath!"

While Yelena was confused, she still followed the kids' example and held her breath. Even Natasha joined in. Then they were out of the tunnel and everyone was allowed to breathe again.

"You didn't hold your breath Daddy!" Nathanial pointed out.

"I'm driving, that means I don't have to," Clint replied, gaining groans of disagreement from everyone in the car. "What rule are you guys on now?"

Lila sighed. "Your rule."

Clint grinned. "Buckle up kids, it's time for rule number four." He paused, probably for dramatic effect. "Safety first!"

Then the car exploded.