Mama Natasha and baby Yelena chronicles

Yelena learns to swim

Eleven year old Yelena watches with her bottom lip trapped between her teeth as Natasha makes it to the bottom step of the pool before turning around to face her. She was wearing a soft smile on her lips, but despite that, her tummy ached with fear. She didn't know if she could do this.

"C'mon detka," Natasha encourages as she holds out her hands, "I've got you. We'll go at your speed." She promises.

Yelena shakes her head as she takes a small step backwards. She didn't want to. What if she sunk and drowned?

"Okay," Natasha says as she side steps the set of stairs and comes to stand by the edge of the pool, "Come sit down here. Just put your legs into the water."

Complying, Yelena eases herself down and tentatively places her legs into the water. Natasha comes to stand in front of her, placing her hands either side of her thighs. Yelena liked that, knowing mommy was there if she fell.

"There we go. That's not so bad huh?" Natasha soothes, and Yelena shakes her head in hesitant agreement. She guesses it wasn't.

"When you're ready, I'm going to lift you into the water, and I'll hold you until you're ready to go further, okay?"

Although her heart hammers at the thought, Yelena finds herself nodding. She didn't want to get into the water at all, but she supposes if mommy holds her then it wouldn't be so bad.

To help keep her at ease, Natasha scoops up some water into her hands and let's it fall onto the child's legs. The blonde startles slightly at the feeling, but soon recovers and even finds herself leaning forward to scoop some water into her own hands. Natasha grins and takes the water from Yelena, letting it fall back into the pool.

They repeat this step for a little over five minutes before Yelena suddenly holds out her arms.

"You ready?" Natasha asks.

"Yes mommy." Yelena murmurs, and the red head grasps Yelena by the underarms and eases her into the pool. Like promised, she doesn't put her down yet, and instead situates the smaller girl onto her front with a supporting arm beneath her behind.

Yelena's eyes were wide as she all but clings to Natasha, her legs tightly hooked around her waist. She didn't need to do that. Not really. Natasha could hold her just fine but if it made her feel better than that was that.

"You're okay, I've got you," Natasha reassures, wrapping her other arm around the small of Yelena's back. "Just let me know when you're ready for the next step, okay?"

Yelena clutches tightly to the top of Natasha's bikini top, the backs of her fingers resting on the swell of her breast, "What's the next step?" She asks warily.

"We're going to walk around and let you get a feel of the water." Natasha tells her, "and then after that, you'll let go of me with your legs so I can put you down so you know that it's safe and you won't sink."

The thought of sinking alone was enough for Yelena's eyes to fill with tears, and Natasha immediately shushes her as she pulls her close and presses a kiss to the side of her head, "I've got you sweet girl. You're safe, I promise."

Yelena nods as she swallows heavily, "Ready." She murmurs after a few quiet minutes, and Natasha gives her a soothing squeeze as she begins to slowly walk around the shallow end of the pool. At first, Yelena's heart hammers heavily, but when she realises that mommy was staying true to her word by not letting her sink, she allows her legs to unhook from her waist.

Mommy's arm remains underneath her, but her legs wade through the water in an almost calming way further easing her nerves.

"Good girl." Natasha praises as she slowly comes to a stop next to the end of the pool again, "are you ready for the next step?"