Morgan picked her dress today. Mommy said she could.
She chose a purple one and put on her silver shoes with the pretty bow. She also didn't forget her sling bag because Mommy always had one when she went out, so Morgan should have one too.
They were in the car for a pretty long time now.
Well, to Morgan it was a pretty long time.
Uncle Happy was driving and Morgan was getting tired of sitting in her car seat.
She shifted, turning to her mother. "Where are we going?"
"A birthday party."
Morgan sighed dramatically which only earned her an amused smile from Pepper.
Of course Morgan knew they were going to a birthday party. Mommy told her so this morning.
"But where are we going?" she rephrased.
Her mom thought for a minute and then said, "Upstate New York."
"Where's that?" Morgan knew she lived in New York but she had never heard of Upstate.
"It's where Daddy used to work. You've never been there, but you'd like it. They have tents."
Morgan's eyes widened. Tents? Daddy used to work in tents?
"That's awesome."
…
Upstate New York didn't look very nice. Half of it was broken and cement trucks were parked nearby. But the other half looked better, well sort of. Some of the broken stuff was being fixed and near the lake were a lot of really, really, really big white tents, different from the one Morgan had at home. These ones had tall poles keeping them up and no tent flap to keep the flies out.
Morgan could hear music and laughter as they approached the better looking half.
She looked up at her mother, a question in her eyes, and Pepper smiled.
"I'm sure you'll spot someone you know soon."
Morgan doubted that. She never really knew anyone in Big People Birthday Parties. People knew her but she didn't know them.
They were greeted by a big boy by the entrance, nodding at each of them as they passed. "Mrs. Stark, Miss Stark, Mr. Hogan."
"Pepper, Happy, glad you could make it!" said a funny looking man with sunglasses over his eyes. He had a glass of Big People Juice in his hand and walked funny.
Uncle Happy eyed him, unimpressed. "It's not even noon, Sam."
"It's a special occasion. Besides, our man don't turn a hundred every day!"
"He's really a hundred now?" asked Mommy. "I can't believe it."
A hundred what? thought Morgan.
The man named Sam shrugged. "I don't know. He went back to the past, went back to the future, feel free to do so, but I'm not gonna count."
Morgan felt a little disappointment at not knowing more about that one hundred somethings. She tugged at her mom's hand.
"He's a hundred what?" she asked her.
Mom only smiled.
Sam crouched down to her level. "You must be Morgan."
Morgan nodded.
"I'm Sam. Just Sam, please," he turned to Uncle Happy. "Not Uncle Sam."
Uncle Happy snickered but as to why, Morgan didn't know.
Morgan turned to Sam and decided to ask him instead. "He's a hundred what?"
"Pardon?"
"Who's a hundred now?"
"Oh! The birthday boy! Come on! I'll lead you to him.'" Morgan let him take her hand because he was a little funny even though she didn't know who he was.
They went under a tent which was even bigger on the inside and were led to a table where an old man sat.
He rose when he saw them and Mommy kissed the old man on the cheek while Uncle Happy shook his hand.
Sam pushed Morgan forward and proudly said, "Morgan, this is your Grandpa Steve. Steve, it's a girl."
Morgan frowned. "You're not my grandpa." She knew what Grandpa Howard looked like. He was also dead.
This Grandpa Steve chuckled. "No, I'm not. But I am a grandpa."
"Morgan, you were asking who's a hundred, well, it's him. Grandpa Steve is a hundred years old today."
"Stop telling everybody that," Grandpa Steve said to Sam.
He shook his head in embarrassment, while Morgan's eyes widened and her mouth formed an O. "That's old!"
Grandpa Steve chuckled. "Older actually, but I'm not counting."
Morgan let go of Sam's hand and walked closer to Grandpa Steve, inspecting him. "You look familiar. Have we met before?"
Grandpa Steve exchanged looks with Mommy and then smiled at Morgan.
"We met when you were… when I was younger. It was a long time ago for me, but probably not for you."
"Will you tell me the story?" asked Morgan because ever since Daddy died, nobody's stories ever came close. Mommy tried every night but she wasn't as good as Daddy.
She batted her eyes for good measure because she knew Uncle Happy couldn't resist that look and maybe Grandpa Steve couldn't either.
Grandpa Steve chuckled and said, "It's a pretty long story."
"Daddy's stories always are and they're the best." Morgan wrinkled her nose as she recalled, "His short stories are horrible."
Everyone laughed. Even the ones she didn't know but had lingered to watch them.
"Alright, alright."
And before anyone could stop her, Morgan climbed up Grandpa Steve's lap.
"It's okay, Pep," Grandpa Steve said to a concerned Mommy as he helped Morgan adjust herself on his lap. "I got her."
…
Tearing Morgan away from Steve turned out to be quite harder than Pepper thought it'd be.
Pepper was crouched on the ground beside Steve's chair, looking up at her daughter. "Morgan, you have to eat your lunch and so does Grandpa Steve."
Morgan shook her head. "But he's not done with the story!"
"He won't finish it until he gets a rest."
"But Captain America can do this all day!"
Pepper looked at Steve.
Steve grinned sheepishly.
Sam and Bucky laughed.
Steve turned to Morgan. "If you eat your lunch, I'll get you a Capsicle and you can eat it while I finish the story."
"A Capsicle?"
"It's like a juice pop," Pepper said, smiling excitedly.
"Okay! I want strawberry!" Morgan cried, jumping off Steve's lap.
Pepper mouthed a 'thank you' at Steve who waved it away.
...
The Capsicle was very much like a juice pop except they didn't have a strawberry one and only have a blue one with a star on it.
Morgan was fine with that too. She liked stars.
Mommy said Daddy was a star now.
She licked the Capsicle and got some on her nose. She giggled.
Grandpa Steve gave her his napkin but Morgan shook her head. "I have one in my bag."
She handed him the Capsicle without another word and opened her sling bag.
She took out a small packet of tissue paper; it had Spider-Man on the cover. She pulled out a piece and wiped her nose.
"Do you want to know what else I have in my bag?" she whispered loudly to Grandpa Steve who nodded.
She took out three pieces of hair clips and a comb.
"Those are beautiful," said Grandpa Steve, smiling. He had a feeling she didn't show what was inside her bag to just anybody. And if he remembered correctly, she was a shy type.
"I couldn't choose which one to wear today because they're all my favorites and Mommy said we had to go, so I put all three in my bag. I think I like the star clip, now, because it's like the Capiscle."
"Good choice."
She clipped it onto her hair, not perfectly, mind you, but Steve found it endearing and decided he'd leave it as it was.
…
Pepper and Happy stood at the corner staring at Morgan and Steve who were currently at the dance floor.
"Is he…?" asked Pepper.
"Carrying her on his shoulders?" supplied Happy. "Yep."
"And he hasn't…?"
"Gotten tired? He's Captain America for a reason."
"And his ass!" Pepper cocked her head to the side appreciatively.
Happy mirrored her. "He's still got it, alright."
…
"I think I have to sit down now, sweetheart. My legs are getting tired."
Morgan nodded and helped Grandpa Steve back to his seat.
"Thank you for dancing with me and telling me a story. It was a very nice story."
"You're welcome. I'm sorry I couldn't dance with you for long, though. When you're as old as me, you get tired very fast."
"Want me to get you a Capsicle?"
"No, thanks. I'd just like to sit down."
Morgan nodded and climbed up the empty seat beside Grandpa Steve. She stared at him for a little while and then asked, "Are you gonna die soon?"
Grandpa Steve looked at her, confused. "What makes you say that?"
"Because Grandpa Howard is dead and Samantha's Grandma is dead too. That's why they couldn't come to Grandparents' Day and our mommies came instead. And Ms. Tina said when people are old they die. But Daddy wasn't old and he died. So, are you gonna die?"
"I think I've still a got a good year or two left in me."
"Will you go to Grandparents' Day with me next year?"
"Ms. Stark, I think that's a date."
Morgan giggled.