Chapter 2: First Word
Nancy was able to get a week off from work for the Fourth of July. She secured the time off a few months ago and Steve and the rest of the Hawkins gang have been trying to plan their "family reunion"ever since.
Robin and Dustin still lived near Indianapolis so Steve and Nancy see them regularly. Especially Robin who is easily Ruth's favorite person besides her parents.
The Byers, Hopper, Mike and El all live in California and Erica, Lucas and Max live in Chicago so they obviously don't get together much but every year they make sure to get everyone back together for a long weekend and this year is Lucas and Max's turn to have the reunion at their place in Chicago.
Everyone was excited about seeing each other again. Steve and Nancy offered Robin and Dustin a ride. Dustin opted to fly but Robin took them up on the offer but she was running a little late as usual.
They didn't have an RV and they were a couple of miles and nuggets short with Ruth still being an only child but this was their first family road trip and hopefully they could have many more in the future even if they couldn't have anymore kids.
Nancy would have liked to have two or three but the universe had other plans. After having Ruth, Nancy was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome by her Doctor. He said she may never be able to conceive again but it wasn't completely impossible.
Nancy was devastated by the news. Steve seemed to take it in stride like he did with everything but Nancy knew his dream of a big family was most likely never going to happen now.
Ruth was now 13 months and they haven't talked about trying to have more kids but they also didn't try to prevent another pregnancy either.
Nancy opened their bedroom door and Steve was packing a huge suitcase for them. Ruth was asleep in her crib on the other side of the room.
"Hey." Nnacy said walking up to Steve.
Steve turned to her smiling. "Hey, I think I got all the essentials. There's plenty of room in here for your stuff too. Unless you want your own suitcase?"
"One is fine." Nancy said absentmindedly.
"You okay?" Steve asked already knowing something was on her mind.
"Yeah, I was just thinking about that time you stole that Winnebago." Nancy smiled at the memory of Steve peeling out of the trailer park driving barefoot yelling at everyone to hold on.
"Hey, WE stole the Winnebago. You were an accessory to the crime."
Nancy laughed but had to agree. Her smile faded as she thought of Eddie and Max and all the terrible things that happened after that moment. She thought of Steve and his optimism for the future even in the worst of times. He deserves to have everything he ever wanted but she seems to be the one that's getting everything for herself.
"Do you ever think about having more kids?" Nancy asked worriedly.
Steve's gaze softened knowing where this conversation was going.
"Nance. I have everything I need right here." Steve said waving his hands around the room.
Nancy nodded but looked like she might cry.
"Nance, what's got you so upset?" Steve asked as he cupped her face in his hand. "I thought you weren't crazy about the idea of a big family? But we can always go to the Doctor and see what our options are or we could adopt or…"
"I'm happy. Happier than I ever thought possible. I have the best husband I could ask for, a beautiful daughter, a great job, a beautiful house, amazing friends. I could not ask for more but you wanted a few more kids and… I don't know, I guess I just feel guilty that it's my fault you can't have that dream."
"Stop right there Nance. I don't care how many kids we have. I love you and Ruth more than anything. ANYTHING. I don't need a big family to be happy. I just need you two." Steve cupped Nancy's face in his hands. "Dreams are great and all but they can't hold a candle to my reality." Steve wiped away a stray tear that rolled down Nancy's face with his thumb. He pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her waist.
"Please don't ever doubt that." Steve told her. He kiss her head and she hugged him back tightly.
"I'm sorry." Nancy said her voice muffled by his chest.
"Don't be. Now this is supposed to be a fun road trip. No crying allowed…" as if in cue Ruth started whaling from her crib. Steve winced at the cry. "Unless you're the one year old." Steve joked.
Nancy laughed wiping her eyes. They both made their way to the crib.
Nancy picked up Ruth and rocked her.
"Hey pretty girl what's wrong? Do you need a new diaper?"
Steve did a quick check of the diaper but came up empty shaking his head at her.
"You must be hungry then. Let's go get you some yummy's. That sound good?" Nancy spoke to the baby in a light playful voice.
Steve just watched her smiling at the way Nancy was with the baby. When she first got pregnant Nancy was afraid she wouldn't be a good mom. She worried about it a lot but Steve never doubted her. Ruth is only a year old and Nancy was already a pro.
"Mama will get your food for you. Can you say Mama? Mama." He heard Nancy say to the baby as she walked down the stairs heading to the kitchen.
Steve snapped out of his daze and ran to catch up with them. Nancy knew how hard he tried to get Ruth to say Dada as her first word. She was crazy if she though she could swoop in and claim the first word.
"Oh, nu nu nu NO! Don't be trying to steal her first word from me!" Steve shouted from the top of the stairs.
Nancy turned back to smirk at him from the bottom of the stairs. "I'm not stealing anything. She will say whatever she wants to say whenever she wants to say it." Nnacy said innocently.
"Well it's gonna be Dada so you shouldn't get your hopes up." Steve said feigning confidence.
Nancy put Ruth in her high chair and Steve came to squat in front of the baby.
"Come on baby Ruth don't betray me. We've worked on this for weeks." Steve wined to the one year old who just reached for his hair and cooed at him.
"Maybe if you didn't call her baby Ruth she would say Dada." Nancy hated the nickname but knew it was inevitable the moment they chose the name Ruth, but she's always loved the name Ruth so she delt with it.
"Aww she loves her nickname. Right baby Ruthie?" Steve asked the baby tickling her little feet.
Ruth squealed and Nancy had to smile at them. She placed a cut up banana in front of Ruth who began shoving the pieces in her face.
"Well if nothing else she definitely gets her table manners from you." Nancy joked with Steve.
"Hey, that's not true... She's much neater than me." Steve joked back.
Nancy laughed at him.
"She's going to have your hair too. I can tell." Nancy said as she brushed the babies light brown hair away from her face.
"Well hopefully that's all she inherits from me. I can already tell she's got your eyes and nose and even your chin." Steve said smiling adoringly at the baby.
"Well she may look like me but I hope she has your personality."
"Can you even imagine a mini you flunking science?" Steve joked.
Nancy lightly smacked Steve's shoulder. "Stop that."
"What? That's what you just asked for."
"No. I hope she's brave, kind, and selfless and has the biggest heart I've ever known." Nancy told him seriously.
Steve gave her a bashful smile. "Thanks but she would be all those things if she was like you too."
Nancy smiled at Steve wrapping her arms around him and kissing him with everything she had. Steve eagerly returned the kiss but Nancy pulled away before they started something they couldn't finish.
"Robin's gonna be here any minute." Nancy said fixing her hair.
"You know Robin. She says 10 but she means 11:30." Steve shrugged. "A half hour is more than enough time." Steve wiggled his eyebrows.
Nancy laughed and playfully pushed him away. "No! This little one needs to get dressed and we need to finish packing." Nancy told Steve sternly.
"Steve sighed heavily. "Yes ma'am." Steve said with a little salute. He turned back to Ruth. "Say Dada. Dada. Dada."
"Would you let her eat." Nancy rolled her eyes at him.
The doorbell rang and Steve gave Nancy a quick kiss on the cheek on his way to answer it.
"Hey Steve! I'm only 30 minutes late this time so you can't be mad at me." Robin said dropping the suitcase and giving him a hug.
Steve rolled his eyes playfully and hugged her back. "Lucky for you we are running late ourselves. Ruth is eating a little snack then we will change her and we should be good to go."
Steve took Robins luggage from her and brought it to the car. Robin ran in the house looking for her favorite person.
"Where's my favorite baby?!" Robin yelled as she ran through the house to the kitchen. "There you are!" Robin yelled crouching down in front of the baby making silly faces.
Ruth laughed hysterically and reached for Robin who gladly lifted her from her seat.
"Yeah, hello to you too Robin." Nancy said pretending to be angry.
"Hey Nance, sorry, you know I have tunnel vision when it comes to this little squirt."
"I am aware." Nancy smiled knowingly.
Steve came back into the room out of breath. "Robin! You think you packed enough? You're luggage is heavier than the three of ours combined." Steve complained as he walked into the kitchen. He spotted Robin with Ruth already in her arms and shook his head smiling.
"Don't hog the baby Rob."
"I can't help it. She's half of my two favorite people in the world! She's got some kind of power over me or something."
"You're so weird Rob." Steve turned to the baby. "Don't worry, if Aunt Robin gets to be too much just let me know and we can put her in the trunk okay."
"Rob." A little baby voice uttered.
All the adults looked shocked.
"Oh my God." Nancy said.
"Did she just…" Robin stuttered "She said my name! Was that her first word? I was her first word!" Robin lifted Ruth up in the air in her arms. "I knew I was your favorite. I knew it. Can you say it again? Rob? Rob?"
"Rob." Ruth said louder this time and laughed at Robin's excited reaction.
Steve had his arms folded across his chest looking at Robin and the baby. Nancy was holding back her laugh at Steve's reaction.
"Aww Stevie don't be upset that she loves me more than you." Robin said hugging the baby to her.
Steve took the baby from Robin holding her up in front of his face. "You're a little traitor." Steve said to the baby in feigned anger. Ruth just smiled at him. Steve smiled back at her and spun her around. "But you did it! You finally said your first word!" Steve gave the baby's face kisses over and over while Ruth squealed.
"We just have to get you to say Dada before Mama." Steve said. Nancy walked up to him and the baby and kissed the back of the Ruth's head.
"We'll see about that." Nancy smirked at him.