Finally Got Sewed Up
Dinner was comfortable, the sounds of silverware filling the space between the casual conversations. Natasha had checked Lena over the moment they got home, running her hands over the younger girl’s arms and inspecting her for any sign of injury. Lena had rolled her eyes but allowed it, grumbling under her breath in Russian before pulling away with a pointed look. It seemed to be enough to appease Natasha, though she still kept a close eye on her throughout dinner.
After the meal, Bobbi volunteered to wash the dishes, standing at the sink as warm water ran over her hands. The rhythmic scrubbing gave her a moment to think. Lena’s words from earlier stuck with her. She had seemed almost angry at the suggestion that this wasn’t permanent. Like it was cruel of Bobbi to pretend that it was. It was unsettling in a way Bobbi couldn’t quite put her finger on. It wasn’t just that she didn’t trust them, she didn’t seem to trust the concept of permanence at all. And who could blame her?
Melinda joined her a few minutes later, drying the plates as Bobbi passed them over. The two worked in tandem, falling into an old easy rhythm before Melinda finally spoke. “You’re thinking so loud I can hear you.”
Bobbi huffed a small laugh. “That obvious?” Melinda gave her a knowing look. Her old SO had always been able to read her better than anyone. Bobbi sighed, rinsing off another plate. “She’s grown on me,” she admitted. “A lot. At first, I didn’t know what to make of her. She’s sharp, guarded, and I know what she can do. But she’s just a kid. And the way she talks about all this-” She shook her head, cutting herself off. “She doesn’t believe it’s real. She’s ready to run as soon as she can.”
Melinda was quiet for a moment, folding the dish towel in her hands. “That’s not surprising,” she finally said. “She’s never had anything last before.”
Bobbi swallowed the lump in her throat. “She deserves so much more than temporary.”
Melinda was silent for a moment. “Lena’s different from Natasha. They were trained the same way, sure, but Natasha had a real taste of normal life in Ohio. She remembers it. Lena was trafficked into the Red Room by the time she was six, most kids don’t retain any memories before then. That place was the closest thing she had to home.”
The house had settled into quiet after dinner and Bobbi had left with a promise to visit soon. Lena sat curled in an armchair, knees tucked up to her chest, absentmindedly building a Kumiki puzzle. Natasha sat across from her, legs folded beneath her, watching a Planet Earth documentary.
Lena spoke first, her voice soft, testing the weight of the words in her mouth. “Do you know what ice cream is?” Natasha’s gaze flicked to her, a small crease forming between her brows. “Of course.” Lena nodded slowly. “It’s cold, but good,” she murmured, as if sorting through the concept. “Sweet. You pick a flavor, and they can put it in an edible cone or just a cup. I had strawberry.”
Natasha was silent for a moment, something unreadable in her expression. Then she huffed a quiet laugh, but it wasn’t amused. “I’ve had ice cream before,” she said, her voice laced with something Lena couldn’t quite place. “We’ve had it before.” Lena frowned. “We did?” Natasha gave a small, sad smile. “When we got to Ohio. You were a toddler.” Lena blinked, surprised. She searched her memory but found nothing that contained the sugary treat. “I don’t remember,” she admitted.
Natasha exhaled, staring past Lena, as if she were seeing something far away. “It was awful,” she said, voice barely above a whisper. “Melina and Alexei thought it would be something good to do. Something normal. But the whole time, I was waiting for something bad to happen. You started crying, and I panicked. I thought they would be angry, that they’d punish us for making a scene.” Her fingers curled into the fabric of her pants. “I got mad at you for crying, but I wasn’t really mad at you.”
Lena studied her sister carefully. Natasha wasn’t looking at her, lost in the past, but her jaw was tight, her shoulders tense like she was bracing for a fight that wasn’t coming. “I don’t remember it,” Lena said again, but this time, it wasn’t an admission of loss. Just a fact. A fact she didn’t mind. Natasha finally met her gaze. “That’s probably for the best.” Lena nodded slightly, letting the quiet settle over them again. She turned the wooden puzzle over in her hands, aligning the pieces absentmindedly. The documentary played on in the background, but neither of them were really watching.
After a while, Lena spoke again. “Bobbi told me about ice cream cake.” Natasha raised an eyebrow. “Yeah?” Lena nodded. “It’s cake. But ice cream.” Natasha smirked. “I figured.” Lena hesitated, glancing down at the puzzle in her hands before looking back at her sister. “Tomorrow,” she said slowly, measuring each word. “It could be for everyone.”
It took Natasha a second to realize what she meant. When she did, something in her chest tightened. Lena wasn’t asking for anything outright, but Natasha knew it was her way of saying that tomorrow, the birthday neither of them had truly spoken about yet, could be acknowledged. “Yeah Леночка, that sounds like a good plan.”
Lena stood abruptly, crossing the room in quiet, careful steps. Natasha watched as she made her way toward the kitchen. Melinda was still there, finishing up. She glanced up when Lena hovered nearby. Lena took a deep breath, then said, “We could have a cake tomorrow.”
Melinda set down the towel she was holding. She didn’t hesitate. “Alright.” Lena fidgeted with her sleeves. “Ice cream cake,” she clarified, glancing away. Melinda nodded. “Ice cream cake,” she confirmed easily, like it wasn’t a big deal at all. Like it wasn’t something fragile that could shatter at the wrong response. “Do you have a flavor in mind?” At that, Lena shrugged. She had only tried strawberry but it was probably the best thing she had ever tasted. “Strawberry?” Her voice came out smaller than she meant for it to, but Melinda nodded and gave her a smile. “Sounds good. Do you think you want Bobbi to come back tomorrow? I happen to know ice cream cake is one of her favorites.” Lena nodded easily. She liked Bobbi and since she was the one to tell her about cakes, it was only right that she be there too.
There’s a pause as Melinda watches Lena before adding, “I’m proud of you.”
Lena froze. The words landed somewhere deep, in a place she didn’t know how to reach. Her throat tightened, and before anyone could see the way her eyes burned, she turned on her heel and left. Upstairs, she climbed into bed, curling onto her side. The room was dark, the only glow coming from the faint light of the moon slipping through the blinds.
She stared at the ceiling, her voice barely above a whisper.
“I don’t want to be alone again,”
The words came out softly, almost as a wish.
The ceiling had nothing but silence to give her back, only watching as tears slipped off the girl’s cheeks before the girl fell into a dreamless sleep.
Outside, the world turned. The house stayed standing. The sun would rise, as it always did. And she'd be twelve. And the world would keep moving, as it always did.
Whether she was left behind or not.