warnings: back at it again with soft dad!sam, school related/growing up related anxiety
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It was one of those things that every parent dreads happening. When you bring a kid into the world, the last thing you want is for them to get hurt. But, some things are just out of your control. You can't baby your kid every chance you get. You have to teach them how to navigate the world, how to pick from right and wrong, and hope that it all works out in the end.
Your oldest kid was leaving for college, and you were wracked with anxiety. It was easier to protect her from the horrors of the world when she had her superhero dad close by. But now she was going to a big university on the other side of the state, and you were already nervous of the endless possibilities of what could go wrong.
But you weren't the only one worried. You knew your daughter was a daddy's girl through and through. Though she wouldn't admit it out loud, you and Sam knew that she was going to miss having him around all the time. That, while she convinced the two of you that going to this school was what she needed for her future career, she was just as scared.
It was the night before move-in, and you all had turned in early. As a freshman, she had one of the earliest move-in slots. The school had this big weekend planned for the freshmen to get them to know each other and keep them busy, both in an attempt to get them acclimated to campus but also to not think about how much they missed home. So, you all went to bed earlier than usual in preparation for the big day.
You struggled to go to sleep, tossing and turning, worry filling your mind. It seemed you weren't the only one. Just thirty minutes after you all turned in, your bedroom door creaked open. Sam raised up, turning on the lamp on his bedside table, seeing your daughter pad inside.
"Everything alright, sweetheart?" he asked, his voice filled with tiredness.
"Can I sleep with you guys?" she asked. "I'm scared."
Immediately, you scooted over to make room, pulling your blanket back to let her crawl in between the two of you. Most parents would cringe at the idea that an eighteen-year-old would want to sleep in the same bed as her parents, but you were just happy that she trusted the two of you enough to ask.
"What's the matter, hon?" you asked.
"I'm worried about school. I just...I don't want to grow up. I only have, like, four years to be a kid still, and even then...I still have so many responsibilities to make sure I can get a job. And, what if I decide to change my major? Change everything I thought I wanted to do? I don't want to disappoint you guys."
"You could never disappoint us," Sam said immediately. "Listen, plans change and that's okay. Nothing ever goes how want it to. And whether that means you have to drop a class or change your major or, I don't know, have to do an extra semester, it will be fine. There's not a set path to life. I mean, look at Bucky. He never expected his life to be the way it is, it's not what he would've chosen. But he's learned to take control of his life, and to navigate the world he exists in. He just needed a good support system to do it."
"And we can be that support system," you added. "Or, if you'd rather, it could be your friends. It could be anyone in the family. Just, surround yourself with good people."
"Things will be hard. I can't lie to you about that. This world is nasty, but you've got a good head on your shoulders. If anyone can make it, it's you. And, if you ever need anything, anything at all, we will be there for you. We're just one phone call away."
"Thank you," she whispered, her voice filled with less anxiety than before. "You make me brave."
"No, you were already brave," Sam said. "We just encourage you to be your true self."
