Chasing Ghosts | Natasha Romanoff

Chapter 61: Helping People Out

Late February, 2024

Late February. Valentine's Day had come and gone. Natasha took Katya on a date, dropping Maya off at Tony's, cashing in that free jet usage. Aunt May would have made more sense, since she was right in the city and not in Georgia, but Maya wanted to go to Tony, so they made it happen.

Some hard weeks were behind them. Christmas turned out to be way too much for Katya. Physically, it took her three days of sleeping and resting to recover, staying in bed the whole time. Mentally, it took more than a week before she could smile again. 

Therefore, January was incredibly tough and low. Though Katya managed to wish her family Happy New Year when the clock struck midnight, watching the fireworks on the dock and kissing her wife, promising she'd try even harder to get better.

February was a lot better, and slowly, Katya had started her journey to improve the shape her body was in. After all, she worked towards a goal. A goal of teaching self-defense classes, which she was very passionate about.

Every day, sometimes with her wife, she took a run, and worked with the weights in the garage. Maybe it was just to boost her, but Natasha said she could see results quickly. And she should know, because she spent the most time staring at her ass.

Maya was her usual happy self, finishing her last couple months in elementary school. They visited a couple middle schools to find the right one, only to settle on the one closest to her current school. Not too big, not small. Maya didn't need a big school. Crowds made her panicky, they noticed.

Twice a week, she had Russian lessons with Yelena over facetime. The first couple times, Natasha had kept a close eye on them, because her sister wasn't the best at gauging other's emotions and being kind and subtle when trying to teach something. But Maya could handle her bluntness and listened attentively, soaking up the information.

Their hearts melted every time Maya spoke Russian. Natasha cried when the girl came up to her one day and said she loved her in her first language. But her tears only fell after Maya had left the room, letting Katya hug her tightly.

It was getting quite late on today's dark and cold winter's day. Dinner was in the oven, and Katya had the laundry basket with folded clothes on her hip to put away. Curtesy of Natasha, who did so much more in the household now. Cleaning, vacuuming, laundry. Although she already was responsible for the administration. 

Katya found it extremely hot when she'd find her at the desk, papers scattered all around, laptop open, and a concentrated crease between her brows while she figured out if the money they paid for gas and water was too much or not. It had happened more than once that she dragged her away from the swiveling chair and threw her on the bed, delaying her research by an hour or two.

Quietly, Katya passed her daughter's bedroom, hearing her and Yelena's voices through the door, in the middle of their lesson. She planned not to disturb them and leave the laundry basket outside the door, but a question Maya asked Yelena piqued her interest.

''I've been meaning to ask. Do you have a boy- or girlfriend?'' 

Katya knew exactly where she sat. At her desk, pen and paper at hand to write things down, Natasha's phone propped up against a stack of books. So eager to learn. She had needed some help from her moms with the letters at first, showing her how to write them. But thereafter, she had never asked for help again.

''Come on, you know I don't. I would tell you.'' Yelena's voice was playful. Katya sharpened her ears to make out exactly what she said. She was a terrible mom, listening in on this. But she couldn't help it.