Chasing Ghosts | Natasha Romanoff

Chapter 98: Something Borrowed, Something New

Not proof-read, could definitely have been better. But enjoy!

January 6, 2026

1,5 years later

The New Year had barely started, but for Katya, it started off very excitingly. Wrapped in a thick coat, the heat in the Audi turned up high, she braved the icy roads for an important drive into town, Maya in the seat next to her. The girl had been rambling about a group project at school the whole time, with some boy in her group who didn't do anything to contribute to the process.

Some days, Katya suddenly saw how grown her daughter was. The way she talked became more and more like a young adult, and she could add surprising facts to heavy conversations like the economy or a crisis in the Middle East. But she also still liked board games with her moms and reading her comic books.

"Don't do his work for him. You're not his mother," Katya told her, slowly turning into the street of their destination.

Maya looked up from her phone. "So you think we should report it to our teacher?"

"I think the best way to go is talk to him first, and if nothing changes, go to your teacher."

"Alright." Maya nodded, bowing over her screen again. "I'll discuss it with Zoe and Hailey."

Quickly, she finished typing her message and then dropped her phone in her lap right when Katya pulled up outside the apartment building. A lonely figure stepped out, a scarf wrapped around their head, and Maya's face lit up like the Christmas tree they'd taken out of their living room a few days ago. Her hand blindly felt for the window button on her door, rolling the glass down in favor of sticking her head out.

''Get in, loser! We're going shopping!''

Passersby stared at her, but Katya couldn't find it within herself to be embarrassed for her daughter's shameless yelling.

''Maya." She laughed. "Roll up your window, you idiot. It's cold." A shiver ran down her spine and she clasped her collar closed with her hand.

Their passenger hurried to the car, quickly shutting the door behind them to cut off the cold.

"Morning!" Jordyn greeted happily, pulling her scarf down her face to free her nose and mouth. Not only Maya had grown, she had too. Although she would never have a confident, center-of-attention personality, she had grown in her own strength and body. She dared to take up space in a room.

Only sometimes, Katya saw the fragility from nearly two years ago, but therapy and living alone had done Jordyn good.

With a bright smile, the brunette looked over her shoulder. "Good morning. Cold, isn't it?"

"It's horrible." Jordyn shivered, rubbing her hands against each other to generate heat. Her knee nudged the seat in front of her. "Hi, Red, how are you today?"

"I'm so excited!"

Jordyn laughed. "Me too. Kat, are you nervous?"

"Nah." She shook her head, slowly driving away from campus. "I have a good feeling about today."

Traffic on 20th street wasn't so bad on a random Tuesday morning in the middle of winter, since everyone was broke after Christmas. Katya spotted a parking place right in front of today's destination, behind May's family car that had seen better days. The rest of her party stood beside it, on the sidewalk, and she chuckled when she saw her friends' nervous faces. They were pale, chewing on their lips, and moving around in their spot restlessly like it was their important day instead of Katya's.