Age Of Miracles | Pietro Maximoff

Chapter Twenty: The Time We Spend In Between

DEDICATION

For Carrie,
Queen of the Stars,
Who Now Lives Among Them.

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Music is "Mako" by Ramin Djawadi (A/N: This is Elaine's Theme.)

Picture is Tuppence Middleton as Elaine Maximoff.

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"We come into the world alone and we leave it the same way. The time we spend in between--time spent alive, sharing, learning together--is all that makes life worth living."

- Jean Grey, Phoenix

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CHAPTER TWENTY

{Three Months Later}

I drive the car up to the elementary school, lining up along with the other parents that wait to pick up their kids. As soon as Ksenia and Steven spot the little blue Sudan driving up to the curb, their faces break into huge grins and they scurry over to hop in the car, just as they always do on regular ole Mondays.

As the car door shuts and they buckle up, I look at them over my shoulder, asking, "How was school?"

"Great!" Steven says. "My teacher wants to talk to you and Daddy."

"Oh, really? About what?"

"My grades. She wants to talk to you--"

There's a sharp knock on the car window, and outside stands Steven's mathematics teacher and the school principal.

"--right now."

I roll down the window with a smile. "What can I do for you, Mrs. Tukova and Miss Lovoski?"

They ask us to pull around to the parking lot of the school and if the women might borrow me for a couple minutes about the twins. Of course, I said yes, and did what they asked. Now, Steven and Ksenia are sitting outside the principle's office with a sweet in each of their mouths as I talk with the principle and teacher.

"Are they in trouble?" is the first thing that comes out of my mouth in native Sokovian. After all, look at their parents, and this wouldn't be the first time that Ksenia has been at the center of a scuffle.

Principle Tukova chuckles and shakes her head. "Thankfully not this time." She folds her hands on her desk. "Mrs. Simonova, do you have any idea how special your son is?"

A smile crosses my face as I think of the little dark haired boy sitting on the other side of the large window in her office. "Of course I do. I am his mother, after all."

She smiles with me. "More than usual, I mean. Did you know your son is passing every class he has with flying colors? His academics are off the charts. Our teachers can't teach him. He is practically running the class."

"Well, I've always known Steven was smart and quick, much like his father is, but how far off the charts are we talking? A grade up? Two? Middle school age?"

Principle Tukova looks to Miss Lovoski, Steven's mathematics teacher. "Mrs. Simonova, your son is doing high algebra."

I shake my head, brows pulling together. "What do you mean high algebra? He's not even six yet. He just started first grade. How can he be learning algebra? That's middle and high school age learning."