Chapter 3
Yelena’s four and learning how to drink out of cups instead of the plastic sippy cups she usually drank from.
She usually always spilled when learning but Melina always made sure to give Yelena only water in the cups.
Natasha still flinches each time Yelena spills, even if the water can be mopped up and will dry.
It’s been a couple of months without a spill when Alexei finally gives Yelena milk in her cup instead of water. Yelena was entrusted with other liquids in the cup.
Now, Natasha is staring down at the purple-red stain of cran-grape juice on the carpet and Yelena holding her half-full cup after she tripped and spilled.
Yelena is ready to cry and Natasha stares down at the stain before she reaches out and grabs the cup from Yelena. “Go play with your toys.”
Yelena sniffles, peering up at Natasha. “But I spilled… mama’s gonna be mad, I’m not s’posed to take drinks in the livin’ room.”
“I know.” Natasha said before she lifts the cup and takes a sip from the cup. “But this is my glass that I spilled.”
Yelena blinks owlishly up at Natasha with a frown. “That’s my cup.”
“It’s mine now,” Natasha pressed her finger to her lips. “This is our secret. We’re gonna play pretend. This is my cup, okay?”
Yelena stares up at Natasha in confusion. “But…”
“Shh. Secret, Yelena. Secrets mean we don’t tell mama or papa,” Natasha whispers to her. “Okay?”
Yelena looks down at the stain on the carpet. “I’m still thirsty.” She lets out a soft whine.
“Go get some water then,” Natasha tells Yelena. “And then go play with your toys.”
Yelena stares up at Natasha before shrugging the weird conversation off and leaving the room.
Alexei is the one that finds her and lectures Natasha about the stain, pacing at he rambles on about juice in his carpet.
When Melina finally catches wind of what happened, she stares down at Natasha. “That’s your cup?”
“My cup.” Natasha agrees.
“That’s not your cup,” Melina shakes her head and Alexei pauses in his rambling to tilt his head like a confused puppy.
“Not her cup?” He echoes.
“My cup.” Natasha insists, her fingers tightening around the plastic cup.
“It’s cran-grape juice. You don’t even like cran-grape juice,” Melina points out and Alexei furrows his brow in thought.
It was true. Natasha hated the juice. Not because she found it bitter and tangy but because of the color. Similar to how she hated fruit punch and wine. It all reminded her of blood and left behind the same sticky feeling on her skin.
The deep red splashed onto the carpet makes Natasha think of the Red Room.
“It’s mine,” Natasha repeats.
Then Melina fetches Yelena and points at Natasha. “Who’s cup is that?”
Natasha’s heart drops as she stares at Yelena. The girl peers at the cup, looking up at Natasha’s face before looking up at Melina. “Natasha’s cup.” She replies softly, her fingers picking at a loose thread on her shirt.
“Are you sure?” Melina arches an eyebrow at Yelena and the girl nods her head.
“Natasha’s cup,” Yelena parrots before she’s dismissed to go back to playing with her toys.
Melina tells Natasha to finish drinking what was in the cup.
Natasha tilts her head back and quickly downs the contents of the cup, trying not to focus on the bitter aftertaste or how her tongue would stain red like blood.
Melina makes her stand in the corner again.
That night, after everyone had gone to bed, Natasha can feel Yelena peering over at her from her newly built ‘big girl’ bed.
“Nattie?” Yelena whispers and Natasha sighs, rolling onto her back so that she can twist to look at Yelena.
“What?” Natasha whispers back and Yelena wiggles out from under the covers of her bed so she can slide off to the ground and cross the room. “Go back to bed, Yelena.”
Yelena ignores her, climbing up onto Natasha’s bed. “You told a fib today.”
“Did not.” Natasha denies, trying to ignore the girl perched at her shoulder. “Go back to your own bed.”
“I told mama what you said. You got in trouble,” Yelena whispers, leaning close to Natasha. “But you didn’t do it.”
“Go to sleep.” Natasha pulls the covers over her head but Yelena tugs at them, refusing to let the conversation drop.
“But you got in trouble and you didn’t do it,” Yelena said and she sounded upset so Natasha sighs and pushes the covers off.
“I’ll do it again. That’s what your big sister is for,” Natasha replies. “Besides, you won’t drink juice in the living room again, will you?”
Yelena swiftly shakes her head.
“Then I won’t get in trouble for it again. It’s late, Yelena. Go to bed,” Natasha rolls over until her back is facing Yelena.
Yelena was quiet for a few moments. “Can I sleep with you?”
“You have your own bed, Yelena,” Natasha reminds her.
“But I wanna sleep with you,” Yelena protests, her voice raising slightly. Natasha sighs and lifts the covers for Yelena to get under.
Yelena happily dives under the covers, wiggling her way closer to Natasha. “Thank you, Nattie.”
“Stop talking and go to sleep,” Natasha said, pulling the covers up over the both of them.
“G’night Nattie,” Yelena squirms closer to her. “I love you.”
Natasha pauses at the declaration. Yelena was never one to shy away from expressing love but it’s the first time that she explicitly told Natasha.
“Yeah…” She murmurs, slowly wrapping an arm around Yelena to stop her squirming. “You too.”