Natalia shook her head as she listened to the playful bickering between Jey, Jimmy, and Solo about who was the best cook. The whole conversation had her rolling her eyes.

"You know what?" she said, standing up and placing her hands on her hips. "Since y'all wanna argue instead of actually feeding people, move aside. I got this."

Jey smirked. "Oh, you got this, huh?"

She raised a brow. "Did I stutter?"

Jimmy let out a loud laugh. "Aight, I gotta see this."

Roman, who had been silently watching with amusement, finally spoke. "Don't challenge her. You will lose."

Jey glanced at his cousin, surprised by the certainty in his voice. "Oh yeah?"

Roman smirked slightly. "She used to cook back in the day. Better than all of us combined."

Natalia rolled her eyes. "Thank you, Roman." She turned to Jey, arms crossed. "Now, are you gonna let me cook, or you wanna keep pretending you're the expert?"

Jey held up his hands in surrender. "Aight, aight. Show us what you got, chef."

With that, Natalia tied her curls up into a bun, grabbed an apron, and got to work.

The kitchen quickly became her domain, the once-chaotic atmosphere shifting as she moved with ease, seasoning meat, stirring sauces, and handling the grill like she had been doing it all her life.

Jey leaned against the counter, watching her, impressed. "Damn, Nati. Where was all this when we were younger?"

She smirked, not looking up from the stove. "You were too busy running the streets to pay attention."

Jey chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "Fair."

Malakai, standing by the counter, watched her with wide eyes. "Mommy, can I help?"

Natalia softened instantly. "Of course, baby." She handed him a spoon. "Here, stir this gently, okay?"

Malakai nodded with determination, stirring the sauce while Jey watched, a warmth spreading through his chest.

Jimmy nudged Solo. "Bro, we just lost our title as top cooks."

Solo nodded. "Definitely."

The food came together quickly, and soon, the table was set. Natalia wiped her hands on a towel, looking at the spread with satisfaction.

Jey pulled out a chair for her, gesturing for her to sit. "You did all the work. Let us serve you now."

She hesitated for a second before finally sitting down. Jey fixed a plate for Malakai first before making one for her, setting it in front of her with a small smile.

Natalia looked around the table-at Jey, at their son, at the family surrounding them.

This was new. This was different.

But for the first time in a long time, it felt like home.