All the Colors of Earth (Natasha Romanoff)

3.9

September 8th, 2019

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Olympia, happy birthday to yooouuuuuuu!" Everyone sings as I bring out the cake with five little candles on it. Setting it down in front of Olympia, I admire my work. It wasn't anything fancy, simple chocolate cake with whipped frosting, but I had made it myself.

"Nice cake Romanoff," Tony teased.

"Thank you," I smirk.

"I still don't know why you didn't just let me buy the cake," he said for fifth time today.

Gesturing around us I remind him, "because you paid for all of this even though I told you not to so the cake was my one thing." Granted I had been slightly annoyed when Tony had come and said he had my daughters fifth birthday all taken care of, but when I had seen what he had planned I was slightly less annoyed.

He had rented out an indoor trampoline park and invited all the kids who go to Olympia's park. Balloons depicting all the Avengers were everywhere along with giant goodie bags of costumes so all the kids could dress up. Thankfully Olympia wanted to be Hulk and not Black Widow, something that Tony found immensely funny but I'm not sure I could have handled seeing her in a Widows uniform.

Clint came over with a kid on his back, "great party Nat."

"It was all Tony."

"It was nothing," he said, feigning humility.

Clint shook his head, "humble as always Stark," he said before walking away.

"Mommy I go play?" Olympia asked.

Looking at my cake covered child I couldn't help but laugh, "not looking like that." Grabbing some napkins I clean her up as best as I can and before I can tell her to be careful she's bouncing away. Looking over the party mess I grab some plates and cups, heading towards the trash can.

Yelena comes running up to me smiling bigger then the kids, "did you know there's a zip line?!"

"It's for the kids," I tell her.

She pauses for a second and then says, "well I'm healing my inner child so that counts," and then she runs off.

Going back to the mess, I'm stacking plates when Wanda pops up. "Need some help?" She offers.

Grateful that someone offered I pass over a stack, "thank you."

"You'd think that Stark would have hired someone to do this," she mused as we head towards the trash.

"Im sure he did but I need something to keep my hands busy," I admit.

"You ok?"

"I just really wish she was here," I tell her sadly.

"I do too. She'd love this," Wanda says wistfully.

I chuckle slightly, "she'd have to fight Yelena for the first turn on the zip line."

"The thought of the two of them together is oddly terrifying," Wanda tells me with a small grimace.

"Yeah but at least she'd be here," I sigh. "Olympia deserves two parents. Not that you guys aren't great, because you are, it's just.."

Wanda puts a hand on my arm, "I get it." She pauses briefly before asking, "do you ever think that it might be time to move on? To find someone to be with?"

"Sometimes," I admit. "But what if I do and then realize I'm not ready?"

"Then you're not," she shrugs. "There's no timeline on getting over a broken heart, especially with a child involved. But, when you are ready, there's no shame in it."

I start to reply when someone runs into my legs, "mommy come play," Olympia squeals.

"Go, I'll finish cleaning."

"Thank you Wanda, for everything."

She gives me a nod and a smile and Olympia pulls me towards a trampoline. For the next several hours we jump and play in foam pits. Yelena even convinced me to let her take Olympia on the zip line, after I thoroughly checked out the harness and line of course.

It was long past dark when we finally got home and had all the presents loaded into the living room. After the fifth yawn in ten minutes from the birthday girl I pick her up, "time for bed detka."

"Five more minutes," she groaned.

Chuckling softly i offer, "how about I tell you a story instead?" She nods and after changing into our pajamas we get snuggled into bed. "What story do you want tonight?"

She thinks for so long I almost thought that she fell asleep until she asks hesitantly, "why are my eyes dif'rent then you?"

Not what I was expecting, at least not until she was a little older anyway. Taking a deep breath I let it out slowly, "well, you get your eyes from... your other mommy."

"But yous my mommy," she argues.

Pulling her close I tell her, "I am, but it takes two people to make a baby. And you were made in your other mommies tummy."

"Where... she go?" She asks softly.

How do I explain this to a five year old? "She had to go on a long trip and I don't know when she's coming back." She plays with a strand of my hair and I ask softly, "do you want to see her?" She nods and I reach over to my bedside table and pull out the well worn envelope of pictures, flipping through them until I find my favorite one- a selfie of Marzda with a sunset in the background. It's one of the few where she looks genuinely happy. "This is her," I say as I hand Olympia the picture.

She takes it gently and studies it, "pretty."

"Yeah she is," I say with a small smile. "Her name is Marzda."

"Ma'zda," she said, trying it out.

"Weird name huh? I just call her Marz."

"Maz."

"Close enough," I say with a chuckle. Olympia yawns again and I turn off the bedside lamp, the dinosaur nightlight turning on at the sudden darkness. "Sleep now little one." Pulling the blankets around us, I tuck in my child and the picture of her mother, cuddling them both close.