Lovely Lycanthropy | Natasha Romanoff

two

YOUR POV:

I made it back home fifteen or so minutes later, finding Stephen setting down my mothers plate at the kitchen table. We caught eyes and he smiled when he saw me, wiping his hands off on one of the decorative towels.

"There she is. How was school?" He asked while I slipped off my shoes and put my backpack on the counter.

"School was school. Hi momma." I lightly kissed the side of her head, taking a seat across from her at the table while Stephen set my plate down in front of me. The smell wafted under my nose making my stomach growl loudly.

"My goodness, was that a monster?" My mother breathed slowly.

I giggled, the lips curling up a little at her jokes, "Just your little monster, momma."

My mother was dying. It was only a matter of time before the cancer killed her. She was tired of putting her body through all the chemo and radiation. She just wanted to live out the rest of her days in as much peace as she could, surrounded by the things she loved. I guess I didn't understand why then she was pushing me to go and live with my father. The deal was done.

We finished up dinner with laughs, jokes, dancing around the elephant in the room like little mice the entire time. Stephen ushered me out of the kitchen after helping my mom to the living room where she would watch her nightly show of Downton Abbey, after he saw me trying to clean up dinner.

"You should be with her." Strange said.

"But you cooked. You don't have to clean it up." I tried to argue.

He gave me a pointed look, "Y/n. You're going to miss her when you're gone."

"I know." I sighed, "That's why I'm afraid to hold on now because I don't wanna let go. It's not fair."

"Nobody said life was. Your mother had the best life she could have. And I know that because she had you. I know it breaks her that you have to see her like this and she doesn't want you to leave, but she doesn't want you to see how things end."

"I'm not a child that needs to be shielded from death." I huffed, "I know how it ends."

With that I walked out of the kitchen and into the living room, laying down with my head in my mothers lap like old times. Her nimble fingers found their way into my hair soon enough and started running through my hair. We didn't speak, I wasn't even really sure what to say. I think I was just afraid that when I left, my mother would let go.

I must have fallen asleep, because Stephen was lightly shaking my shoulder to wake me up. Once my vision wasn't stuck in a sleepy blur, I sat up and ran my hands down my face. Getting up from the couch, I kissed my mom's cheek and told the doctor goodnight before heading to my room.

Boxes were everywhere, some with different labels. I was taking only the necessities like clothing and my special items. Everything else was already taken care of. The things I wasn't taking were either going to be in storage or they were being donated. Climbing into bed I didn't even bother covering myself up, knowing I wasn't going to be able to sleep no matter how comfortable I was.