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Getting to the beach is an organizational nightmare the likes of which Kara hasn't seen since her first year as Cat's assistant. Too many bags, not enough bags, last-minute calls and work emergencies that surely only Cat could handle, two different bank robberies with hostages in immediate danger, and one toddler throwing a major fit. It was exhausting long before they made it to the car.
But this moment right here is the moment it's worth it, staring at Cat holding their son as he looks out over the ocean. It's the first time Dan-El's seen anything like this, and Kara remembers her own sense of awe the first time she saw the sight. It's mirrored on her son's face now, his eyes wide as he stares out into the waves.
The beach is deserted, something Kara is grateful for when she sees Cat begin to rise into the air as Dan-El loses control over his powers. He's not very strong yet, can't do more than hover, but Cat is so slight he takes her right with him when he does.
"Dan-El, careful," Kara warns as she reaches out to press down lightly on his shoulder. Just because there's no one at the beach now doesn't mean no one will pass by.
"But Ieiu, I see the fishies!" He cries, turning in Cat's arms to look at Kara. "They's swimmin, Mama! Do we getta join them?"
"You'll have to ask Ieiu about that one," Cat says, chuckling as she shifts him around. "I won't be going in the water with you. I'll find a nice sunny spot on the beach to watch you two play."
Dan-El's pout is legendary, and Kara watches in awe as it gets Cat to waver. Not even she's been able to convince Cat to spend time in the ocean today. Not today, or any of the other times they've been on the beach.
But with three seconds and a pleading look, Kara can tell Cat is nearly ready to give in. Holding her breath lest she disrupts the balance, Kara watches to see what will happen.
"Maybe later, sweetie," Cat says eventually, and Kara lets out her breath with a whoosh. That's more than she's ever gotten. "And maybe Ieiu can sleep in with you tonight, hmm? Or on the couch?"
Well, so much for a subtle reaction and staying out of the way. Kara reaches out for Dan-El with a sheepish smile as Cat mock glares at her. "I didn't put him up to it, I swear."
"No, but you were rooting for him," Cat answers quickly, not impressed by Kara's evasion. "Now come on, let's find a nice spot to set up before he undoubtedly drags me into the waves behind him."
"I wouldn't let him do that," Kara protests, following behind Cat as they walk towards the edge of the water.
Dan-El has remembered the ocean exists and is staring at it once more as he looks through the waves with his x-ray vision. Kara knows from Alex's testing he probably can't see very far, and once again, she's grateful for that. If her son saw a whale, or a shark, or something worse like a giant squid, he'd either be petrified or insist they swim out to investigate. And while Kara can do whales and maybe even a squid, she's not getting anywhere near a shark.
As they set up the towels, Kara sees a perfect shell next to her blanket that she picks up to show her son. "Look, buddy! A seashell. We can collect these to decorate the shelf in your room if you want."
"A seesil?" Dan-El asks, reaching out for the one in Kara's hand.
"Close, kiddo. A seashell. A fishy used to wear this! We've gotta be gentle with them though; they break really easy. Soft hands." Kara's been working with Dan-El to hone his strength, and this feels like the perfect chance.
"A fishy home?" Dan-El asks as he takes the shell, holding it almost reverently. "But I don' see any fishies with shells, Ieiu."
"They might be sleeping, little man," Cat jumps in, looking glad to change the subject. "Now then, why don't you and Ieiu go get some swimming in while I tan? That way you're both calmer if I decide to join you."
Kara smiles and leans over to kiss her wife, knowing that for once she'll make her way into the ocean waters before they leave. "We'll keep it nice and warm for you," she teases, standing easily without resorting to her powers.
She knows Cat is likely ogling her as she walks off, and Kara puts a little sway into her hips as she crosses the distance. It's nice to know the spark is still there between them, even if opportunities have been lacking since Dan-El's birth.
The first steps into the water, Kara watches her son closely to monitor his reaction to the chill. They're still finding all the hundreds of different ways he's not exactly human or Kryptonian, and learning to balance them. He's strong and fast, but not wildly so. He has x-ray vision, but the distance is limited, and electronic interference tends to cancel it out. No sign of super hearing, for which Kara is incredibly grateful. And while Kara refuses to test his reaction to Kryptonite until he's old enough to understand, and even then only in the tiniest of doses, he does show a dimming of his powers under a red sun lamp, which now permanently adorns his nursery tied to their home's emergency cutoff system.
What they haven't been able to test in warm Southern California is his reaction to cold. He handles heat well, but it doesn't get cold enough to see a reaction to anything below about sixty unless Kara wants to carry him into a freezer. She and Cat both agree that's not happening.
So the cold ocean water is a good balance. It's not too cold for a human child his age in short bursts, so they can see how he reacts and build some guesses from there. Not perfect, but Kara's long-accepted reasonable compromises will be the name of the game when it comes to raising her son. From months in the wilderness with Cat a sporadic visitor, to best guesses from incomplete information, parenting is nothing like Kara anticipated.
And yet it's wholly and completely worth it for moments like this. Moments with her son in her arms and her wife watching with a fond smile from just behind them. The future she'd never expected, the happiness she'd always thought just out of reach. It's here, and it's hers, and she's never letting it go again.
"Ieiu, go out more?" Dan-El asks, and Kara considers it for a moment. With her strength and speed there's little chance of something going wrong, but he's still so small.
"No, buddy, we're gonna stay close to the shore this time," she decides eventually. She doesn't want to set a precedent that might find her son venturing out into the depths without her just because they went together. And Dan-El is adventurous enough he just might, despite getting a healthy dose of Cat's common sense to temper Kara's brashness.
"Okay!" he cheers as she sets him down, not reacting to the chill at all. "Wanna race?"
Now that, Kara can do. "I'm gonna get you!" she calls, giving him a head start as he runs down the beach, obediently staying in the shallows no higher than his knees.
They race around for half an hour, Kara keeping careful watch to make sure extended exposure doesn't break past the apparent cold resistance, and then Cat calls them back to the towels for snacks. They'd packed plenty, Dan-El's appetite every bit as demanding as Kara's. At least he's old enough to eat solid food now, rather than relying on Kara for nourishment. And it's not like Kara doesn't appreciate the snacks too. She's old enough to deal with it, but it still helps take the edge off her hunger.
"Okay, now it's Mama's turn to come in with us, right?" Kara asks with an innocent look once they've all finished their meals and sat in the sun for a little bit. She might catch hell for this, but it'll be so worth it.
"Yeah! Mama turn, mama turn!" Dan-El cheers as he bounces, looking at Cat expectantly.
It's clear Cat knows she's beaten, standing with a mostly covered sigh and glare at Kara. "Okay buddy, let's go back in for a while, then I think it's almost time to go home so you can nap."
The mention of a nap earns a pout, but the waves chase it away as Dan-El runs between his mothers for a while, practicing jumping over waves with his floating ability as Cat keeps an eye on him and Kara keeps an eye out for anyone who might walk up on them. He's getting pretty good at it before he loses interest, and Kara thinks it's the most fun he's had in his still short life. They'll definitely be coming back, something Kara greatly appreciates as the waves and spray hit Cat's suit, making it cling more than the already tight fabric accomplished.
But all too soon Dan-El reaches the end of his energy, letting out a yawn big enough Kara wonders if she should check for freeze breath. There's nothing, but she makes a mental note to keep an eye on that.
"Time to go, buddy," she says as she gathers him up, Cat packing up their towels as Kara grabs the coolers. "Naptime, and maybe we'll come back another weekend, huh?"
"Yeah," Dan-El says, tired but still excited beneath the exhaustion. "Gonna watch the fishies swim."
He's asleep before they hit the car, and Kara smiles as she buckles him in. "Today was perfect," she says, packing the bags into the floorboard and turning to face her wife. "We should find out when Carter has a break from school and come back. Make it a full family day, if Adam can come too."
How grateful Kara is that their family has come this far. That Adam is willing to spend time with his mother and baby brother, and it's no longer weird and awkward between them all. It doesn't happen as often as Cat wishes, but they've made some good memories as a family over the last few years. And a memory like this would be the perfect addition.
"Mm, we can call them when we get home," Cat says, pulling Kara close for a kiss. "Maybe next weekend will work."
Kara knows Cat will move heaven and earth to make it work, and she silently decides to mention Dan-El's new power of getting his mother into the water to sway the boys. Cat Grant giving in to a pout isn't a sight either will want to miss.
"Well then, let's get home and call them, shall we?"
Oh yes. This is exactly the life she'd always wanted.