Too Close

epilogue

"I know dad, it's just another day at school, normal shit, one week in," a 26 year old Katara walked down the sidewalk as her hair was half up in a bun as she wore high waisted black dress pants with navy blue heels, a clean white button up short sleeve.

She stopped listening to her father and brother screaming over the phone as she waited at the stop light pursing her lips.

"Yea, I'm doing okay, it's been hard but what can you do?" She sighed softly pinching the bridge of her nose. Moving to New York only received daily calls from her brother and father.

"Yes Sokka I'll send you a picture of durk when I get home, no one else that's special apparently," Katara rolled her eyes.

"Schools scary, that's just how it is, I already cried in the car," she waved them off as she kept walking.

"I'm kidding!" She wasn't kidding.

"I love you, good bye sokka, bye dad," Katara hung up with a long groan.

She covered her eyes inhaled a deep breath as she stood outside of a school, looking at it sadly. It's to late now, but now she had to keep going. It's only been the first week.

—

"Alright kids, yesterday was nouns, can anyone tell me what nouns are?" A 28 year old man walk in front of a group of kindergartners with his arms crossed.

Zuko smiled seeing the children enthusiastically raising their hands pleading to answer. His hair was still like a mop but if he wanted to he could pull it back in a bun with some slipping out at the bottom.

The children only had one day to ask about his scar and they used the first day of school usually, he wasn't ashamed of it but he did sugar coat it and say he was born with it so they didn't question it much further.

His arms stayed crossed with the green shirt rolled ip to his elbows. Looking for a child that hasn't been called on as much.

"Isabelle," he picked a little girl in the back.

"Person place and thing!" She smiled.

"Perfect, so if I asked what the noun is in the title hungry hungry Caterpillar, that would be-" he trailed off.

"Caterpillar!"

"Sick," he nodded proudly giving them a thumbs up. The bell rung and he let the kids get up from the colorful carpet.

"Line up at the door after you grab your bags okay?" Zuko called as he fiddled with his gold band on his ring finger.

"Yes mr. suzano!"

He walked to the door to wait for the children to line up excitedly, he counted to make sure all kids were there.

"Alright Koda, ready?" Zuko looked at the first kid that wait.

"Yes yes yes!" The five year old bouncer happily as they followed the teacher. The boy had dark brown hair and pale skin with blue eyes as he wore a backpack with the house and balloons on the back from the movie up.

Zuko lead the kids outside and gasped when some children ran ahead to their parents that waited to pick up their children. Koda waited with the teacher.

"Look mamas here!" Koda waved. Katara waved back with a smile as she was walking over to her boys.

"Hey baby, how was school," Katara knelt down to him as Koda wrapped his arms around his mother.

"So much fun! Papa let me lead the line today!" Koda giggled as he had her pick him up as Katara walked over to Zuko.

"How fun is that, and you remembered your nouns?" Katara hummed.