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This isn’t the one, Cat thinks as she takes in the layout of yet another house in the National City suburbs. Too many things are wrong or missing. She could hire contractors and designers for some of it, but the rest? Too much of a project to be worth it.
She’s in the process of politely (polite for her, at least) letting their realtor know that no, this one won’t be the one either when she hears a peal of laughter from the backyard. The one place on the tour Cat hasn’t bothered with, and the place Kara and Dan-El had disappeared to halfway through the house tour. At three, he’s remarkably patient with boring adult situations. But every toddler has a limit, and Kara’d silently offered to take him outside to run off some energy while Cat finished up.
Breaking off the conversation in mid-sentence, Cat heads towards the siren song of her wife and youngest child. Their lives are busy, and she’s always wary of missing too many of these little happy moments. CatCo keeps her away from enough of them as it is, she won’t let another inane conversation where both parties know what’s going to be said keep her from this one.
“Mama, Mama, look! There’s a treehouse, Mama!”
A reflexive jolt of fear settles in Cat’s gut as she takes in the sight of her three-year-old ten feet above the ground, but she settles it the next instant knowing Kara would never let him come to any harm.
And sure enough, in the next second Cat sees that her wife has a careful grip on Dan-El’s belt as she leans over the edge of the fort to smile at Cat. “We’re practicing our climbing today,” she says with a bright smile, never shifting her attention away from their son.
“Oh my, are you sure he’s old enough for that?” The judgment from the realtor, even though it echoes what Cat had just thought for a split second, earns her a glare.
How dare this woman imply, however indirectly, that Kara isn’t capable of keeping Dan-El safe. Even if she knows nothing of Dan-El’s ability to fly short distances, the toddler is clearly safe with his mother there beside him. And if there’s one thing everyone who works with Cat Grant learns sooner rather than later, it’s that they should never judge or question Kara’s dedication to keeping her family safe.
“I don’t know about the rest of the house, Cat, but I think this yard is a winner,” Kara calls from the treehouse, effortlessly defusing Cat’s anger before she can rip into the realtor. “Little man here took to this thing like a little monkey.”
Dan-El laughs at that, twisting to avoid the tickling fingers Kara waves at him. A twist, Cat notes, that takes him further from the ledge and back into the main treehouse. “No, Ieiu, not a monkey! I’m a Danny!”
Watching them play, Cat immediately dismisses all her concerns about the house behind her. Sure, things will need fixing and rearranged, and that master closet is more of a joke than her second husband, but none of that matters. Not when this one thing makes her family this happy.
“Let me know what I’ll need to sign, and when I can get the keys,” Cat says as she pulls out her phone to add another few shots to the album dedicated to Dan-El’s bright smile. “I’ll want contractors here the next day to start with the biggest issues, and I don’t want the remodels to take more than two months before we can move in.”
They’ll still have the penthouse, of course. It’s too centrally located and convenient for Cat to let it go, but with Dan-El’s growing powers it’ll be better to have their main home in the suburbs where it’s quieter. Less overwhelming as he learns to control his abilities as they strengthen. And more room for a growing and rambunctious toddler with more energy than Carter ever had. Cat fully blames Kara for that little quirk.
“I’m sure we can close by the end of the week.”
It’s the answer Cat was looking for, and she smirks a little in an old reflex. Damn, if it doesn’t feel good to get what she wants.
The look Kara sends her way tells Cat her wife knows exactly what just went through her head, and the smirk deepens. She likes what she likes, and she likes getting her way. That’s not about to change, not when it’s led to moments and situations like this.
“I love you,” Kara mouths from her perch as she settles Dan-El into her lap, and Cat feels her smile deepen into something warmer. Something softer, though no one but Kara would dare point it out.
“I love you too,” she whispers, knowing both Kara and Dan-El will hear.
Oh yeah, this is definitely the one.