Coming Home// Open to those tagged
Two years later, December 26th
It all looked the same, exactly the same. It was like she had never left and yet two years had passed since she had walked out that early morning and didn’t look back. The cabbie keeps looking at her from the rearview mirror wondering if she’s ever going to get out and pay him. It’s been five minutes.
“Mama?”
A small hand tugged at her shirt and Natasha looked down smiling at the small two and a half year old settled on the seat next to her, “I know.” There’s excitement in those blue eyes that stare at her then look out the window and back again. With a sigh, the Black Widow, now a Mother pays the cabbie, apologizes and gets out of the car, hoisting up the child with red curls that match her own and looks up at the tower. Suddenly it seems much taller than it had been.
“What if…” Nora gets caught up a moment looking up at the tower, it has her Uncle Tony’s last name on it, but she hasn’t even met him yet, “if no like?”
Sighing, Natasha kisses the girl’s soft cheek, “They will malenkaya (little one) it’s your Mama they’re not going to like right now.” And maybe not ever again, but she wasn’t going to tell her child that. The inquisitive little creature was already aware of her Mother’s nerves; she was proving to be far more like Loki than Thor in that way. However Nora was most assuredly her Father’s daughter. She wasn’t even remotely frightened by thunder storms as most children are, but that wasn’t even the most telling thing. The most telling was the crystal clear blue eyes that right now were torn between looking at Natasha and the large building they were about to walk into.
Natasha herself had barely changed her hips were a little fuller, but not much as she had been shapely to begin with. She still didn’t look a day over thirty if that, though her hair now swept closer to her shoulders but it was still that same red that was shared by her daughter, “Well kid, here goes nothing.” She put on a brave face, smiled and began to head into the lobby. A few people glanced her way, some for longer than necessary, but as before she paid them little mind, but Nora did.
“Staring is rood.” And even stuck her tongue out at a few of the people they passed by.
“Nora Romanoff.” Natasha scolded the child lightly, “That. Is also rude.” Finally they made it to the elevator and she let the child down, “I have no idea who is even here right now.” She almost hopes no one is as the ride up seems over sooner than it should be and she steps out taking the girl’s hand and moves down the hall towards the living room, common area and steps inside looking around while Nora clings to her pant leg with one small hand, the other playing with the locket around her little neck.
