We Will Say Hello Again

Ten

The witch and the widow walk up the grassy drive of a rustic farmhouse. Nestled in a valley of mountains, a small river runs through the backyard. The two of them pass the house, following the sounds of voices squealing and shrieking with laughter. It leads them to the backyard, where several chickens roam free from an unlocked coop. A vast garden grows superbly, vegetables and fruits aplenty.

And when Yelena sees her, her heart stops.

Natasha, with pant legs rolled up to her knees yet still wet, splashes in the stream. She's folded over a tiny girl, swinging her back and forth over the water as she shouts. Another woman stands in the stream in shorts, squatting with an older girl and pointing at something in the water. A third child, roughly the same age as the one in Natasha's arms, bounces along with a coon dog, leading him and chasing him through the water.

Yelena stares, not quite processing what she's seeing. She walks closer until she's on the bank and she can fully see her sister's face, the children's eyes.

The other woman she's with stands and walks over to her, scrunching her face and tickling the girl wrapped in Natasha's arms. She squeals, slipping away from her mother and finding shelter behind her older sister's back. Natasha laughs, head thrown back and facing the sun, and the sound is the most joyous thing Yelena has ever heard. She is the happiest she's ever seen her.

The redhead's arms come around the other woman, holding her tightly to her, rocking them in the water. She kisses the woman's temple, then her cheek, and the woman turns her head so she can reach her lips. Yelena smiles.

Love. She's found love.

She turns to Wanda, tears streaming, and grabs her hand. She doesn't have to tell her thank you, her face already shows it. Wanda squeezes her hand in understanding, and Yelena takes one last look at the happy family, at the life and love of her sister.

The living room is back, the red has dissolved, and Yelena remains on the floor with Fanny as Wanda remains on the couch with Sylvia. Yelena gasps, holding her hands to her chest as she cries.

Wanda leans forward, placing a comforting hand on her back and rubbing. "I know. I know," she croons. But Yelena continues to cry, so Wanda kneels down next to her and holds her to her chest, keeping her tightly as a mother would.

After several minutes, Yelena's sobs begin to slow, her breathing evening out. Wanda lets her out of her hold, keeping a hand on her back. Yelena just stares at her lap, thinking.

"She is okay," Yelena whispers.

Wanda nods. "She's okay."

"She has love."

"She has love."

Yelena closes her eyes and takes a deep breath in, sighing it out. "I always wanted her to be with a woman."

Wanda smiles and furrows her brows. "Really?"

Yelena hums. "They are softer. Kinder. They know how to handle each other. I didn't think men would ever understand her."

"I think you're right about that."

Yelena sighs again, mouth agape. She tips forward until her head rests on the floor, mumbling into the rug.

"She's alive."