A/N pleaseeee don't kill me but researching into private schools in DC feels so wrong so I created my own!

Also kinda fun to create your own schooling system soooo yeaaaaa

also i'm so sorry if two year old kids interactions aren't realistic to how i wrote it, but i do want to make it clear sasha is a bit more emotionally intelligent than the average kids her age because smart sasha? yes please! 

And then dusk falls.

August 21st, 2008

It was Thursday, and it was Sasha's first day of school! Well... daycare? To Natasha, it was the strangest thing ever, starting off a school year on a Thursday? But, it was normal for the Chicagoan. (Eh ehm, Maria) I mean... what's the normal school life in America anyways? It's so big that somebody in LA could quirk a brow to San Francisco.

But that's besides the point. Sasha was going to daycare! She'd gotten into a fancy ass private school and her mamas had been hyping her up all week! They'd been explaining that from now on she'd be at school for most of the day but would spend evenings with one if not both of her parents. She'd be able to make new friends outside of her cousins, and she better charm her teachers! 

"Sashy, are you ready?" Maria asks her toddler. To be honest, she herself wasn't. How do you let your child grow up? How do you not do something to stop it? How do you get so excited and so... anxious is it? Saddened? How do you let them go...

"Yep!" Sasha squeals. "But I need help wit' my shirt!"

"Well then you'll get it, missy!" Maria laughs, helping put the little purple T-shirt on her little red daughter. "C'mon, little red, Mama's got the pancake stuff ready upstairs!"

No, Natasha Romanoff would not be making the pancakes.

"Mama making pancakes?" Sasha gasps horrified.

"Not if we get up fast enough!"

Maria lets Sasha run up in front of her, mainly because the stairs weren't the safest and going up with speed could be dangerous. But also, because god she just wanted to admire her for forever. The first day of some form of school. How?

By the time they're both on the second floor Natasha's looking up at them squarely. "What's going on?" She says, crossing her arms as her eyes flicker between her daughter and partner.

"Nothing," Maria says fast, but Sasha just rolls her eyes.

"No! We're stopping you from making pancake!"

Maria smacks her face as she laughs. 

"She's only two and she already knows I burn water." Natasha grumbles. "Alright, chop chop, Masha. We've gotta leave in twenty-five." 

So they made the pancakes, talked the talk, and had little admirable glances here and there. Sasha didn't understand how important this family was to her moms. Her parents found each other. Both filled with so much hurt and distrust yet somehow couldn't not hold hands. Couldn't not spend time with each other. There was a form of 'do I want to be around her, be her, be with her... or do I hate her' that they couldn't ignore. The comprehension of love is unfathomably disarming, charming, and shattered in all the right places. Through grief and pain that invisible string pulled them close and from there it never left, and never will leave. And both of them didn't want to.

Time came and went as Natasha, Maria and Sasha entered the car and took Sasha to school.

"She's bright and eager to learn," they'd told the two daycare specialists. At only two she picked up on things fast and the mothers wanted to make sure that was said. That it was understood. That Sasha Romanoff-Hill wasn't normal in all the best ways.

"We understand," they replied. But was it enough? Would Sasha be treated how she deserved?

Parents watched as their children interacted. They were allowed to stay for a bit. It was sort of disappointing how easily Sasha was able to go and introduce herself to others and forget about her moms. Or maybe it was because she knew they'd be back, knew they wouldn't just disappear. She knew they were right there watching.

Mrs. James, the older of the two teachers, had a warm smile and curly brown hair. Her chocolate colored eyes went back and forth between the laptop with the roster and her friendly new faces. It was apparently her first day back after almost a full year out of school. Her son had been born in January and she was off all of the second semester.

Ms. Lopez was almost the opposite. She had blonde hair with pink tips and blue nails. Although only twenty-two she knew not to have acrylics when working with toddlers. Her hair was evidently flat ironed, and her face was covered in light freckles. She struck you as the person who loved her job, truly, but also loved telling people she loved her job. There was nothing wrong with that, she'd been here for two years already, but it wasn't certain nor a prominent feature that she'd decide to stay in teaching forever. But this wasn't really teaching in all actuality. Of course they'd explain something here and there to the kids, but this was just rough house babysitting.

So she came over, explaining what would be going down today. 'Introduce them to a long period of away-time.' Today wasn't seven hours but just until noon. She politely asked everyone to leave to give the children their space and get accustomed to school hours. Sasha seemed to be fine. Why did that hurt?

As the parents turned to walk out though, Sasha looked up.

"Be back," she tells the shabby haired boy whom had been playing with her. She hadn't gotten his name.

"Mommy, Mama, where you going?" She asks innocently. 

Maria tries to suppress her smile. She was still wanted.

Natasha bends down to get closer to Sasha's height. "Remember we talked about this? You'll be staying here for the day! You can learn how to hang out with people your age!"

Sasha crosses her arms. Why did she need that? What was so important that she needed to be away? She rolls her eyes while saying, "I already have Lila!" 

"Yes, but Lila's your cousin." Maria tries to reason. "Your Mama and I need to get work done and you'd be sooooo bored at home! This is for your own happiness!"

"Pff, you just wan' be rid of me!"

That's... semi the truth.

"No!" Natasha gasps. "Of course not. We want you to be happy! Haven't you been bored at home? Watching TV and only sometimes seeing Grandpa Fury and your cousins?"

"No." Sasha stomps her foot. In actuality yes, but she wouldn't admit that.

Ms. Lopez walks over, smiling softly at the parents. 'I've got it from here,' she mouths to the moms and they take a deep breath before walking the other way. They expected crying, and waited to hear it, but it never came. 

Maria indiscreetly grabs Natasha's hand and squeezes it three times.

"I've got you..." she whispers, and Natasha squeezes back.

⧗ⴵ🦅🛡

"What' your name?" Sasha asks the shabby, dirty blonde haired boy. They'd been playing with the blocks for quite some time and it had just occurred to Sasha she didn't know his name.

He looks up smiling. "My name is Simon Gray Hudson!" He says it with so much pride you know he'd been practicing. 

Sasha giggles, placing another piece on the little castle they'd been creating. "Hi, Simon Gray...?"

"Hudson!" Simon's smile grows. "Simon Gray Hudson! What are you?"

Sasha thinks how to reply. Say it like he did, yes! "My name is Sasha Aleksandra Romanoff-Hill."

"Sasha... Aleksanrara Romhill?"

Sasha shakes her head. "Aleh..."

Simon repeats. "Aleh?"

"Yes! Aleh-ksandra-"

"Aleksandra? Is right?"

"Mhm! Roman," she continues.

"Romanoff! Sasha Aleksandra Romanoff!"

Sasha laughs again as Simon puts the last block on the top of their structure. "Romanoff-Hill," she corrects.

"Oh! Okay! Sasha?"

"Yep!"

"Aleksandra?"

"Uh huh!"

"Romanoff-Hill?"

"YES!!!"

"Sasha Aleksandra Romanoff-Hill!"

Sasha bolts to hug Simon with a bit too much force and the blocks and them both fall over. Simon frowns, and in any other circumstance may have cried, but he had made a friend. A perfect friend. And maybe Sasha would've felt bad if she hadn't just met Simon. 

⧗ⴵ🦅🛡

"MAMA! MOMMY!" Sasha screams and runs up to her parents. "I made a friend! I made a friend!"

Maria and Natasha look at each with light smiles. They're not surprised, she's Sasha after all. But still it fills them with such relief, pride and contentment to know she'll be okay.

Mrs. James and Ms. Lopez talk to the parents for a second and Simon and Sasha play some more.

On the car ride back home Sasha blabbers on and on about Simon and how cool and amazing he is! "Simon really likes dinosaurs! And loves bugs! Ladybugs an' lightning bugs! Can I go back tomorrow? PLEASE!"

Take it while you can, moms. She's not always going to feel that way about school.

⧗ⴵ🦅🛡

NOVEMBER 25th, 2008

"Simon! Hi!" Sasha says. Even after months of daycare she still loved seeing him. Same with her, what got Simon out of bed so early for school was the idea of seeing his friends. (Specifically Sasha, obviously) With Natasha running a little behind this morning, and a 'no wakey' Sasha, well, she wanted to get out and see her bestie.

"Sasha!" Simon replies as he holds his arms out while running to hug his best friend.

"What do wanna do?" There was the sandpit, the blocks, the five by five puzzles! There were so many options!

Throughout the day little Thanksgiving mentions were given here and there. The teachers helped stencil out their hands before the kids dotted the paper with that dot marker thing. If you could read and/or knew the brand it was called 'Do-A-Dot' but to the children it was the easiest form of art supplies.

"What're you naming it?" Simon giggles looking at the purple, red and pink hand turkey Sasha was working on. She had now grabbed the green.

Sasha thought for a second. What was she going to name her turkey? "Uhmmm... Lila! For m' cousin!"

"Imma name Max!"

"For y'r brother?" Sasha had met Simon's brother when she went to his house for the first time. Besides his four year old brother Max, Simon had a dog named Goony, a mom and a dad. She didn't know their names, the dog was more important.

Max seemed cool because his age was higher than Sasha and Simon's. Although Simon had recently turned three. He was the one who reminded Simon Thanksgiving was Thursday and that he was lucky because there was no school after today. Unfortunately when Simon's parents asked Maria and Natasha if Sasha was free to have another playdate they had to decline. Sasha was going to the Barton residence for the long weekend. This holiday was always treated with so much care between the loving couple because even though they weren't dating when they first celebrated together,  they were together.

Natasha places Sasha on her hip as she walks out the door of the daycare center with Scott Hudson (Simon's dad) following. "Happy Thanksgiving, Scott," Nat says with a warm smile.

"Happy Thanksgiving, Natasha!" 

Scott was that kind of guy. He was handsome, but a bit bald. He could make you laugh by pouring milk in a funny way. The way his two boys looked at him showed the kind of father he was. He was on the PTA for daycare through preschool school system and his eyes were a bit sunken from his side job. Amy, his wife, was a defense attorney, which meant she was out a lot. The hold she had on him and the admiration you could see anytime he looked at her proved he was a green flag. His smile, no matter the size, pushed away even the saddest frown. 

He waved to Sasha with one hand, the other holding Simon on his back. "See you Monday, Sasha!"

"Bye!"

He wooshed away with a bit of speed, careful not to drop his son, and headed towards his car.

The Hudson family was truly something special.

⧗ⴵ🦅🛡

FEBRUARY 7th, 2009

Sasha had invited her grade to a birthday party at an indoor trampoline park. There was ziplining and a foam pit! Her actual birthday was on a Tuesday, meaning they backtracked her party three days prior. 

There were more boys than girls in her grade, six girls and eight boys. Her class was small, but it was private school so that wasn't new. Luckily for the parents and partygoers supervisors were watching over everyone so who Sasha was sticking with were free to roam around. 

Sasha, Simon, Lillie and Owen were jumping like wildcards, doing tricks and spins and handstands that did not last.

They soon went onto the foam pit... where Owen could not get out of. He was fine though, don't worry. He is one to exaggerate. He was scared, of course. But it's a foam pit...

Sasha, with a birthday crown on and in front of a cake with a heart in the middle, smiled widely as her classmates, friends, friends' parents and mom sat and stood around her and her cake. They sang and made silly little comments in between and if possible her smile grew even bigger.

(Her wish... well if I told you it wouldn't come true, and I want her wish to come true.)

Her cake was half chocolate half vanilla and passed about everyone. Happy birthday, Sasha, you're gonna change the world someday. Be ready, everything happens for a reason.