Chapter Text
Lena sits in her car in the long driveway of Kara’s childhood home. The long drive to Midvale did nothing to soothe her nerves and now that she’s here, she can’t convince herself to get out. The effort to pull the door handle feels more akin to pulling a train than the few ounces of plastic it actually is. When she glances up to see Eliza’s face in the window, she knows she has no choice but to go in. She checks her lipstick in the rearview one more time before she grabs her purse and gets out.
By the time she makes it up to the door, Eliza has already opened it and is standing within the door frame sporting a genuine but confused smile. Lena tentatively responds with her own.
“Lena, honey, it’s so good to see you.” She glances to the car Lena just left. “Where’s Kara?”
Lena’s smile undoubtedly has shifted to a grimace.
“She’s off-world doing who knows what.”
“Ah. Well come in, please.” Eliza took a step back into the house. She shut the door behind Lena once she’s passed the threshold. “Can I get you something to drink? Tea? Coffee?”
“Tea would be wonderful.” Lena has been in this house a few times now, but never without Kara. She glances at Eliza’s slippers trying to decide if she should take her shoes off or not. She knows Kara would laugh if she were here, would ask Lena what she does in her own home. She takes her shoes off, placing them neatly against the wall.
She pads over to breakfast bar and takes a seat. Eliza’s back is to her at the stove, heating up some water. She spares a glance around, focusing on the photos of Kara and Alex, of Eliza and Jeremiah. Eliza slides a bowl of M&M’s in front of Lena with a soft smile, pulling her attention back to the older woman. Lena plucks few M&M’s out of the bowl, trying to be polite. They clank harshly against her teeth.
“So, not that I don’t love surprise visits, and you know you’re always welcome here, but what brings you here today? Especially without Kara or Alex?”
Lena opens her mouth, but nothing comes out. She wonders, not for the first time, not even for the tenth time, if this is the right thing. If she should be here. She glances back over to the wall of pictures, focusing on one where Kara is carrying Alex on her back, their smiles blinding. She thinks of the sad smile and soft kiss Kara left her with just yesterday, promising to be back as soon as she could.
She turns back to Eliza, “Actually, that exactly why I’m here – because Kara is gone. If she were on Earth, she’d know I came here, and I don’t particularly want that.”
“Honey, is something wrong? How can I help you?” The older woman reaches across the counter to lay her hand on top of Lena’s. the soft squeeze feels more supportive than she anticipated. The teapot whistles causing Eliza to pull her hand back and take it off the burner. She comes back with two mugs, pushing one to Lena, eyes encouraging her to drink or talk or maybe both.
“No, nothing is wrong, per se. I am just having a little trouble with something.” She pauses to gather her thoughts, disguising it by taking a sip of her too-hot tea. The slight burn helps ground her. “I don’t have the best track record of marriages in my family – my mother was the mistress to my father, Lillian and Lionel hated each other and were certainly not loving to their children. I don’t really have anyone to look to as a reference for… marriage.”
Lena pauses, glances up and instantly regrets it seeing the look in her eyes. Eliza makes a look of pity and understanding feel so full of love, Lena almost gets off her stool and books it out the door. She grips her mug tighter and stays firmly seated. Lena changes tactics.
“It’s been over two years that Kara and I have been together, but I’m pretty sure I knew she was the person for me the moment she walked into my office with Clark.” Sometimes Lena wishes she were a writer, so she could immortalize the way Kara had made her feel that first day. “I wasn’t ever sure if she could be, would be, more than a friend, but lucky for me it worked out that way.”
“Lucky for both of you. For all of us.” Lena nearly chokes on the sip of tea she took. The Danvers have made her feel like family the moment she was a part of it. Alex took a minute to come around, but only because she cares so strongly for Kara. She has felt more love from the Danvers women in these short few years she’s known them than from the rest of the people in her life combined.
When Kara had first brought Lena back to Midvale, they weren’t together, but they weren’t just friends either. They were on the edge, close to tumbling down the hill together. Kara had told her, “Eliza falls in love just as fast as I do, so you can’t break either of our hearts, okay?” At the time, Lena was skeptical. But now, Lena knew that Eliza was part of the reason for Kara’s huge capacity for love. She never expected a second daughter, but she never blinked when she fell into her life, she just made her heart bigger.
“Yeah, maybe,” Lena responds. “Everything in my life has been different since Kara. I feel like a kid again, trying to figure out the world through her eyes. She is nothing like anyone I’ve known.”
Lena draws her eyes back to the photo shelf, this time eyeing Eliza and Jeremiah’s wedding picture. They are wrinkle free except for the ones around their eyes caused by the smiles on their faces. They look beautiful and happy and in love.
“I mean you raised her, so you know. I could go on forever about her. I didn’t know I had the capacity to love anyone as much as I love Kara and now – I don’t know what to do with it. She’ll smile at me, and I think my heart is going to stop, or explode. Just her regular smile is so debilitating.” Lena laughs at herself. “Sorry, I don’t mean to be so dramatic.”
Eliza laughs softly with her, grabbing her hand again. “Darling, don’t worry. I understand. I’ve been in love and I have been on the receiving end of Kara’s heart. There’s nothing dramatic about it.” Eliza don’t say it, but she’s waiting for Lena to get to the real reason she’s here.
“I know she’s my forever. So, I guess I’m here for your advice – and your blessing. I don’t have my own parents to ask for help, I didn’t know where else to go.”
At this, Eliza walks around the counter and sweeps Lena up into a hug. It doesn’t last long, which Lena is grateful for, but it does have tears stinging at the corner of her eyes. When Eliza pulls back, she can see a glistening in her eyes too. Eliza’s hand stay firmly on Lena’s shoulder when she replies, the other sliding up to cup her cheek.
“Lena, you were a part of this family the moment Kara fought with Alex over you and nothing will ever change that. I am so glad you’re here.” She walks over and grabs the photograph that Lena had been looking at not minutes earlier. She sits on the stool next to Lena and lays the picture out so they both can look at it. “A lot of people will tell you the best day of their life was their wedding day. I believe that if that’s true, your marriage probably isn’t what it should be. I have had thousands of wonderful days, and my wedding day would not be in the top twenty. The day I found out I was pregnant with Alex; I don’t think I had ever felt joy like that before. We had been trying for so long and finally we had a child on the way. The day she was born easily slipped into first place. The day Kara came into our lives tied it. The day Alex finally smiled at Kara, I felt like my family was whole.”
Lena had been staring at Eliza while she talked and now the blonde woman meets her eyes. Lena could’ve sworn she sees those moments flashing across her irises.
“I’m not trying to say my wedding day wasn’t wonderful, it absolutely was. It was perfect. But so were the Thursday night movie nights, ordering 6 pizza’s for Kara alone, watching Alex try to sneak in her movie pick before the rest of us noticed. Jeremiah was still the man I loved more than anyone, each day with him was a new story. We had plenty of arguments, some really horrible days. He went and stayed with his parents for a while before Alex was born we fought so bad. But he came home, and we talked, and figured how to heal and move past it a grow.” Eliza trades the frame for her mug, taking a sip of her own tea giving Lena a minute to subtly wipe her eyes. “If you do this with Kara, it won’t be easy. It will take work. But no more than you’re already putting in. It will be beautiful and painful just like any relationship with so much emotion.”
Eliza pauses for a moment, thinking. Lena adjusts on her stool.
Eliza continues, “You know what also made it into my top twenty best days? I had an emergency at work and had to stay late. When I got home, Jeremiah had dinner ready and he had recorded my favorite tv show because he knew I would be heartbroken if I missed it. I still remember his smile when he showed me the VHS he recorded it on. It was such a simple gesture, but he knew me, knew the things I enjoy and care about and made sure I had access to them. And that’s the root of it, right? Trying to give your partner access to the most happiness possible. And they do it for you in return.”
Lena could just nod. She’s right; Kara is more successful at giving Lena happiness than Lena ever was on her own. But how can she be sure she gives that to Kara in the same way?
“I’ve never been happier than I am with Kara, but what if I am not the person that can give her the most happiness in return?” Lena knows her eyes look pleading because Eliza has that soft understanding in hers again.
“Well, that’s not for you to decide. So do your part and let Kara make her own decision.”
Lena blinks at the simplicity. Kara gives some of herself to everyone, but she is determined. She knows what she wants and how to get it. Lena has no doubt she is capable of choosing how she wants to be happy.
“If you and Kara broke up today, if you never got married, I would not love you any less. You are brilliant and caring; anyone could see how deep your love for Kara is. I would be a fool to not give you my blessing. I could not ask for a better child than you.”
This time, Lena can’t stop the tears from falling. Eliza wraps her up in another hug.
Eliza asks Lena to stay for dinner and she agrees on the condition that she can help her cook it. Lena is stirring the sauce when the front door swings open, and Alex is throwing her shoes off while yelling, “Hey mom, why is there a car –“ She cuts off when she sees Lena in the kitchen. “Oh, hey, Lena.” She walks over to wrap her in a quick hug. Without missing a beat, “So, what’s for dinner?” Lena just stares as Alex walks over to Eliza who had returned from her home office at the commotion Alex made.
“Hi, sweetie. We’re making pasta. Are you staying for dinner?”
“Yeah I needed to grab my old softball glove and figured I’d hang out.” She glances over at the pasta in the pot and then up at Lena. “You might want to make more pasta. Kara is on her way back and you know she’ll come find you.”
Lena’s eyes widen at the thought of Kara finding her at Eliza’s cooking dinner. How will she explain it? Eliza just sets another pot to boil, agreeing with Alex’s assessment. Eliza and Alex are chatting about their day while Lena frets in front of the stove. Luckily, or perhaps, unluckily, it’s only a few minutes before the door opens again.
Kara’s eyes lock on Lena and her mouth splits into a smile. She walks over and wraps her arms around Lena’s waist and gives her a soft, sweet kiss. She pulls away just a little so Lena can see her eyes and she hears Kara whisper, “I missed you.”
“I missed you too, darling,” she responds just as softly and with another kiss. All her worrying nearly vanishes as she stands in Kara’s arms. “Did everything go okay? You’re back quicker than I expected.”
“Yeah, everything went as planned. I’m just glad to be back.” She finally looks over to Alex and Eliza sitting in the living room and raises her voice slightly so they can hear. “I was a little surprised when I couldn’t find you in our apartment, or L-corp, or anywhere in National City. What are you doing here?”
The panic rises again in Lena’s chest, still unsure how she is going to lie to Kara about this. At least until she’s ready to tell her. Luckily, Eliza had came over to greet her daughter, stepping in to save Lena. With a hand on her daughter’s back she replies easily, “Lena just needed a little advice from mom, nothing to worry about.”
Kara’s eyes move between Lena’s and Eliza’s, trying to figure out what is going on. Lena tries to look at least suspect as possible. She decides to give her another kiss and tells her not to worry about it against her lips. Kara just kisses back her assent.
Kara takes a shower while Lena and Eliza finish dinner and Alex roots around the garage for her glove. When they’re all sitting around the table, plates and hearts full, Lena can’t help but picture her future full of nights like these.
She looks at Alex, who is embellishing yet another story from Kara’s youth, as she is wont to do when they all get together. Having been around her for years, she knows how fiercely loyal she is and Lena smiles at the idea of having a second chance at a sibling; one she might only need to break out of jail for getting in a bar fight and nothing worse.
She moves on to Eliza, who has been sending her looks all evening. Lena can see the happiness in her eyes, for all three of her daughters, adopted or otherwise. She thinks back to how nervous she was in the car, trying to talk herself into going inside. Even if she blocked out half the conversation because she was so stressed, she can’t ignore the comfort it brought her for Eliza to reaffirm her place in this family.
Finally, she looks to the love of her life. Those blue eyes are regarding her with more than a little curiosity and all she can do is smile back and hope it conveys everything she is feeling. When Kara forced her way into Lena’s life, it was like she was reborn. She was encouraged to give herself a break when she made a mistake, she was rewarded reciprocally when she expressed her love to those near to her. She knew without a doubt that the ring burning a hole in her pocket was just a promise that she wanted nights like these for the rest of her life.