Note: Natalie Presley comes from Alan Presley's side of the family with the same age, but I have no clue if this will be a family tree series for her or not, but for now this is a oneshot.

Natalie Presley, a twenty – five – year – old girl, came back home from school that Friday afternoon. Natalie is in college, but she really doesn’t have any ideas on what to do when she graduates. She red hair and green eyes. She and her family live in Southdale, Nevada. Natalie is happily married to a man named David. They met on their junior year in high school and have been together since. David is a stay – at – home dad, watching their only child, Dominic who is a year old. Her parents are Billy and Kathy.

Billy and Kathy don’t visit her and David much. They both live in South Dakota, so that is why they don’t see her mother and father. She and David married three years ago, and a year later Dominic came into this world. Unlike a lot of people, Natalie didn’t have any brothers and sisters, so she was stuck with three cousins. It was almost four – fifteen when Natalie walked in the living room.

“Hello, Natalie. How was your day today?”

David walked quickly so he and Natalie could kiss and hug.

“It went fine, David. I have a history test coming in two weeks. I will have to study hard.”

Natalie was a good student. She tries to her very best to get all As, but mostly Bs would come up every now and then.

“I wish you luck, Natalie.”

“Thank you, David. “

When she finished saying that, she kissed David and he returned it also. This was before Natalie paid attention to see that David looked like a mess with smoke all over him.

“Where’s Dominic?”

“In the playpen.”

They kept the playpen nearby the television set in the living room. Natalie didn’t pay attention to notice that Dominic was in the playpen. Natalie left her backpack by the front door in the living room. Natalie headed out to the front door, jumping so she could grab her backpack.

“Why were you jumping?” Natalie?”

Natalie almost always jumps when she and David stopped kissing and hugging. Natalie didn’t bother to answer him. David wasn’t in any hurry to go back to school, but again he could always change his mind. Ever since Natalie and David married, she always jumps when she wanted to do something, and David found that odd. This was something David could never figure out.

“I’ll be back in a few minutes, David. I just want to put my backpack in our bedroom.”

“Fine with me.”

He watched his wife rush upstairs with her backpack dragging along. Natalie returned to see David was in the kitchen. He didn’t bother to notice Natalie returned.

“I’m back, David.”

Now it was David’s turn to jump, and saw that he was startled.

“Don’t scare me like that!”

“I’m sorry if I startled you, David.”

“That’s okay. Don’t let it happen  next time.”

“There can’t be any promises.”

What Natalie said was true.

“Do you want to start discussing what dinner should be tonight besides baby food?” he asked her.

“Sounds like a good idea.”

“What about if do ribs?” David suggested.

“That’s fine with me. We haven’t had ribs recently. Want me to make dinner or do you want to do it?”

“I don’t mind you making it this time.”

It was true Natalie was a better cook than he was.

“I like it when you cook, Natalie. Remember the last time I cooked, I burned my hands?”

“Yes, I do remember that. You looked like a nightmare.”

“Not arguing there. It was a good thing I didn’t burn the house down.”

“That’s true.”

Flashback:

Natalie returned home late Thursday night. She was already thinking of making that night’s dinner when she walked into the kitchen to find the kitchen was smelling like smoke.

“David!”

He turned to look over his shoulders.

“Hello, honey.”

Natalie was in town, visiting the library.

“Why does the kitchen smell like fire?”

“Oh, that. I was trying o get dinner started.”

“I was smelling the same when I parked the car in the garage.”

And then she added, “What did you have in mind for tonight?”

“Chicken. You do better with chicken than I can.”

“That’s true. From now on, let me do it.”

Just a minute later, Natalie noticed he was a mess. At least this kind of mess didn’t look too bad and there was no need to make any appointments with their doctor.

He had a lot of black from the smoke, along with his hands and fingers were added with more black than the other areas on the skin.

“Do you want me to call the doctor?”

“No need, Natalie. All I can do is jump in the shower and this smoke will be gone.”

“You do that now. I’ll come up with something else for dinner.”

“Good idea, honey. I’ll change into clean clothes also.”

“Good idea, David. I’ll see you when you are freshened up.”

“See you later.”

She didn’t want to kiss him now because he was black all over his hands and face, and she didn’t want to kiss her husband like that. David did understand why she didn’t kiss him right away when she returned from the library.

Several minutes later, David came back. Instead of chicken, she decided to have some salad to go with steak and rice.

“I’m back. Now are you ready for that kiss?”

She turned her head behind her shoulder so she could see he was clean from head to toe. He was looking a lot better than he did when arriving back from the library.

“That’s a lot better. Good thing Dominic wasn’t here in the kitchen with you. I didn’t want him to cough from the smoke. He’s safer in the playpen.”

“That’s where I left him. I didn’t know the smoke was that bad.”

“I don’t trust you in the kitchen anymore.”

David saw Natalie’s tone of voice sounded serious, so there was nothing for him to say anything.

“Did any of the neighbors come over to ask what happened?”

“No,” was his answer.

“That’s a good thing.”

End Flashback

“And I haven’t touched my hands on the stove until today.”

“At least you gave cooking a second chance, and I respect that.”

He finally got the kiss he was waiting for.

“I’m happy to see both times it wasn’t necessary to call the fire department and the doctor.”

“Me too.”

That’s when they both kissed for a second time.

“Would you promise me something?” Natalie asked.

“What’s that?”

“You don’t cook in the kitchen ever again.”

“I promise. I’ll do my best to let it happen again in the future.”