rain is always gonna come

step five: understand

When she comes back from vacation and walks into Isabel's office for the first time in eleven days, Isabel hands her a little cube.

Her explanation is that she "can't watch you twist those tiny laces around your fingers again" and Yelena immediately asks what it is.

"It's an infinicube," Isabel tells her, watching as Yelena folds and unfolds and refolds the cube, "You playing with that scares me a lot less than you playing with the laces. I'm scared you're gonna pull too hard and pop a finger off. I'm not a fan of blood."

"Got it," Yelena fiddles with it a little more as she sits down, "It's mine?"

"While you're in this office, yes," Isabel nods, "We can discuss finding more things like this for you if that's what you want?"

Yelena just shrugs, fiddling with a piece before flipping it flat again.

"How was Thanksgiving?" she switches the topic now, and Yelena readjusts, hands still flipping the infinicube around. Yelena's almost concerned that she's going to break it.

"It was okay," Yelena readjusts on the sofa, crossing her legs and putting the toy down in her lap, "it was everything that Americans always talk about, I think."

"How so?" Isabel asks, an amused look on her face when Yelena puts the cube down.

"I don't know," Yelena's hands return to the cube, turning it over absentmindedly, "Clint got a little drunk, Laura had to wrangle him back a couple of times. And Wanda and Natasha got into a very competitive Wii Sports game. And then it was them against Cooper and Lila and I had never seen so much passion behind something before. It was... chaotic. But fun. And nice."

"So Kate didn't show up?" Isabel's head turns slightly and Yelena kind of wants to shrink under her gaze.

"No," her hands move a little faster, "Clint said he called her and she was busy."

"Are you okay with that?" Isabel asks now, seemingly focused on how Yelena's fiddling with the toy.

"We broke up," Yelena replies, putting the toy off to the side and leaning back against the couch. "She's not my concern anymore."

"You two were together for nine months, Yelena, that doesn't just fade away. You told me just last session that you two were still in love with each other at the time of your breakup," Isabel offers a sympathetic look, "You're allowed to be upset."

"I'm not upset," Yelena deflects, "She decided not to come. There's not anything I could do to change that. It's also not my business to."

"Alright then," Isabel nods, "What'd you guys eat?"

"Laura made a lot of food," Yelena interlocks her hands, fingers occasionally pressing hard against the back of her other hand, "I really liked the mashed potatoes. And she made bacon mac n cheese, which I thought would be gross but was actually super good. Natasha baked cookies and Wanda helped with the dinner. It was all really good."

"Are you still anti-America?" Isabel asks, an amused look on her face.

Yelena snorts, "Depends. Apparently Americans get into fights during Thanksgiving, and I don't think I'd consider Wii Sports fighting. Or if it is, it's very tame compared to the stories that I've heard."

"Sounds like a good family you have there," Isabel says, "So, what's next for you? You can't just mooch off of your sister forever."

Yelena shrugs, "Natasha found me an apartment. It's not too far from where she and Wanda live and there's a park down the street that's dog-friendly for Fanny."