The Little Widow

Grace

September 2001

Violetta was sitting out on the deck of her father's house. It was Peter's weekend to her at his place. Mari came out with a tray in her hands. She placed it in the table. Lemonade and chocolate chip cookies were on the tray. It has been a long few weeks for Violetta. September 11th changed the nation. Mari poured some lemonade into cups. She placed one cup in front of Violetta. Peter and Mari had been married for a year and three months. Mari gave birth to a baby girl named Isabella Danielle Gaines. Violetta loved her baby sister. Mari was hard on Violetta. She wasn't the nicest person to her.

"Violetta!" Mari called her stepdaughter's name.

Violetta turned her head towards Mari. "Mhm..." She said. Her mind was on other things.

"Eat." Mari demanded.

Violetta reached over and took a cookie. "I'll eat when I feel like it." She replied.

"Don't give me attitude." Mari snapped. She felt like she was dealing with a three year old instead of a teenage girl.

"I wasn't giving you attitude." Violetta told her. She ate her cookie then drank her lemonade.

Mari shook her head. "What was that tone in your voice?" She asked Violetta.

"It's called sarcasm." Violetta stated.

"I wish your father never let Tony Stark hang around you. You are picking up his questionable habits." Mari told her. She drank on some of her lemonade.

"Actually, Tony is a great man. Hell, he knows better when I'm in the room. Dad knows it too." Violetta mentioned.

"You need to stop worshipping him." Mari grumbled. She took a cookie to eat.

"I don't worship Tony like others do. He's like a brother to me." Violetta said while she got up from the table.

Peter and Nick came home from the S.H.I.E.L.D office in Washington D.C. Violetta saw her father coming down through the yard. It was a long two days with Mari. She ran over to her dad. Peter caught her in his arms. Nick chuckled a little bit as he watched father and daughter embrace each other. Violetta hugged Nick as well. Peter couldn't keep his agent of S.H.I.E.L.D business to himself with Violetta. It was their little secret only they share. Mari thought Peter was a C.I.A agent. Peter took a box out of his pocket. Violetta's eyes got wide when she saw the box. Nick stood over Violetta. Peter handed the box over to her. Violetta opened the box. There was a pair of dangling earrings inside the box.

"To my little agent girl." Peter whispered.

Nick coughed. "If she has the guts." He said dryly.

"They are beautiful, dad." Violetta told her father. "My birthstone too." She said smiling at her father.

"I've been training her." Peter told Nick.

They walked over to the deck. Mari saw the box in Violetta's hand. Nick sat down in the chair. Mari took Violetta into the house. Violetta went upstairs to her bedroom. She hid the box somewhere Mari wouldn't find it. After she left her room, Violetta checked on her baby sister. Isabella was wide awake with her eyes open. Violetta moved down the crib bar to get Isabella out of the crib. She took the baby out. Isabella babbled as Violetta walked over to the window. She sat down with her little sister on her lap. As she watched her father talk to Nick on the deck, Violetta didn't know she was being watched by Isabella.

"You know Isa," Violetta said. "Dad will protect us from the evils of the world. He will come home to us every night." She told her little sister. Violetta kissed Isabella on the cheek.