Chapter II:
The smell of burnt toast hung heavy in the air. An unfortunately familiar aroma.
Natasha sighed, scraping off the blackened bits with a butter knife before stuffing it in her mouth. Burnt toast was better than no toast, right? Sophie, perched on her kitchen stool, swung her legs back and forth.
"You finished your breakfast?" Natasha asked.
Sophie nodded, tilting forward her emptied bowl.
Judging by the state of the floor, most of the cereal loops had made their way around, rather than in her daughter's stomach. They littered the floor like tiny, colorful landmines.
"Sophie, honey, hold still," Natasha murmured. Coming around, she tried to wrangle a particularly unruly strand of hair. "If you keep scratching your head like that, you're going to look like you wrestled a badger on the way to school."
Sophie giggled. "What's a badger?"
"An animal." Natasha answered as she began to redo Sophie's braid. "A big scary animal with fur."
Sophie miraculously stilled. Natasha made a mental note to keep the badger threat in her back pocket. Only her child could be afraid of an animal she'd never seen before, but not a gun or sword.
"Mama," Sophie turned her head ever so slightly, "what if the other kids don't like me?"
Natasha paused, meeting Sophie's gaze. Those bright green eyes, so like Percy's, were wide with uncertainty. "Sweetheart, that's not something you need to worry about. You're smart, you're kind, and you have a smile that could melt ice. Anyone would be lucky to have you as a friend."
"But what if… what if I'm the only one who doesn't know how to read yet?" Sophie's voice dropped to a near whisper.
Natasha knelt down, cupping Sophie's face in her hands. "Sophie, everyone learns at their own pace. There will be children who already know how to read, and there will be children who are just like you. And that's perfectly okay. The important thing is that you're brave enough to try."
"Brave?" Sophie echoed, her brow furrowing.
"Yes, brave," Natasha affirmed. "Starting first grade is a big adventure, and sometimes adventures can be a little scary."
"Just like badgers?" Sophie asked.
"Just like badgers." Natasha agreed. "But remember what Papa told you?"
Sophie pulled at her cheek with her little thumb. "That I have dyslexia?"
Natasha sighed, letting her words go. Dyslexia, ADHD, a tendency to make inexplicable waves in her bath water… sometimes she wondered if any of her traits had made it into her daughter. "Yes, sweetheart. And that just means your brain works a little differently, in a super cool way. You're our little superhero, Sophie. You've got this."
"Okay," Sophie agreed, a frown still playing on her lips. "But I'm still scared."
Natasha pulled Sophie into a tight hug. "I know. But remember what I told you. Be yourself. And if you need anything, anything at all, your dad and I will be right there waiting for you."
A loud clatter from the garage punctuated her words. "Percy, what was that?" Natasha called out.
Percy's voice drifted back through the house, slightly muffled. "Nothing! Just using the stairs!"
Natasha rolled her eyes, but a smile touched her lips. She glanced back at Sophie, who was now smiling again, her fears seemingly forgotten.
"Ready, Agent Jackson?" Natasha asked, taking her daughter's hand.
Sophie nodded, jumping up and down in her brand new light-up sneakers. "Ready!"
Author's Note:
Valentine's day really do be messing with me. Hope you enjoy this gift from me to you :) I've decided to continue this story! It's gonna be a one-shot anthology. Hope you're excited :)
Also have big news, I'm commissioning an artwork of Percy and Natasha by neyite_art on instagram! Should be done in a couple weeks, and it'll probably be posted on her page and my channel in my discord.
Until next time.