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There were many things that Kara Danvers was thankful for. Her job, family, having a place to live, and her almost girlfriend. Most of her life had been a struggle for one reason or another. It always seemed like she couldn’t get ahead because something would happen to drag her back down. That current thing happened to be Valentine’s Day. She had someone to spend the day with of course, she wanted to spend it with Lena. But that's where her predicament began.
You see, she and Lena had been going on dates for about two months. They shared lunches and dinners, were plus ones to events for each other, and spent hours talking to one another. However, Kara hadn’t shared everything with her. Namely her 6 year old daughter, Ellie. She wasn’t intentionally hiding Ellie from Lena of course. She just wanted to wait until she was sure Lena was in it for the long run before introducing her to her daughter. The first month that they’d gone out had been very casual. They were mainly having lunch every few days and it was spontaneous, not planned. The last month had become much more serious and Kara was feeling like she wanted to tell Lena about Ellie. But the right moment hadn’t come up yet. Lena had never asked much about her past, and definitely never asked if she had kids. (She wouldn’t blatantly lie to her if asked.)
But that was how she got into the current predicament. Lena was upset with her, even though she said she wasn’t. She’d nonchalantly mentioned wanting to take Kara to a very upscale restaurant and spending the evening together on Valentine’s Day. She’d joked about how she never really liked the holiday because she never had anyone to spend it with. Kara’s heart had dropped at the explanation because she knew she was going to let her down. ‘I uhm… I actually have plans for Valentine's Day already. I’m sorry Lena.”
“Are you seeing someone else…? I wasn’t aware that’s what we were…”
“No! No! It’s nothing like that. I’m only seeing you, I swear. It’s just something I can’t change because I made the plans months ago. I’m sorry. Maybe we could go out the day after?”
Lena frowned but nodded, “Alright. We can go out another time.”
Lena never pried about it despite the clear frustration it was causing her. The thing was, Ellie had been with Mon-El and Imra for the last month. They had a mission in the future to go on that was going to be for an undetermined amount of time. She couldn’t deny Mon-El the chance to see his daughter when he could be gone for years, possibly forever. But Ellie was getting home tonight and she promised her a big Valentine’s Day together. New clothes, making cupcakes together, movies, and a special dinner at home were their plan. Kara had missed Ellie more than she thought, she had no idea how Mon-El was going to stay away from her. They had an amicable co-parenting situation for the most part. At first Kara was not ok with him taking her newborn daughter to the future. But over the last six years she let him have her overnight and then weekends or certain holidays.
A portal opened and her energetic little girl popped out with Mon-El following behind her. He set her suitcase down next to the couch as Ellie ran over to her. “Momma! I missed you!” Kara scooped her up and pressed kisses all over her face.
“I missed you too little bug! You’ve gotten so big! Were you good for your dad?”
Ellie’s little curls bounced as she nodded in the affirmative. “I was so good!”
Kara smiled as she looked to Mon-El for confirmation. He nodded with a small smile, “She was great. She’s always a little angel. El, I have to get going. Can I have a hug?”
Kara set her down and watched as Mon-El scooped her up to hug her tight. “I love you El. I’ll see you soon hopefully.”
“I love you too daddy. Fight the bad guys quickly!”
“You know I will.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead and then set her back down onto her feet.
Kara reached out to give his arm a squeeze, “Be careful. If you need help just give me a call.”
Mon-El gave her a small smile, “You know I’ll try to be careful. And as for the other thing… you know I’d never call you and put the both of us in danger. She needs one person with her. It wouldn’t be fair to make her go through what we did.”
Kara looked down at her little girl with her blonde ringlet curls and blue eyes that looked so much like her own. Ellie’s little hand slipped into her own and she gave it a little squeeze. “Be careful. Let me know whenever you’re back and want a little visitor.”
Mon-El nodded before giving Ellie another hug and kiss and disappearing through a portal. Kara let out a sigh but jostled Ellie’s hand, “Come on El, let’s get you unpacked.” Kara led her down the hallway to her bedroom that had been mostly untouched for the last month.
Ellie threw herself on her bed dramatically, “I missed home.”
Kara sat criss-crossed on the floor as she began sorting through Ellie’s clothes. Imra always sent her home with everything clean at least. Ellie had taken a while to warm up to her originally. She was confused why she would need someone else who was like a mom when she already had one. It had taken many children’s books and discussions with Kelly to get Ellie to a point of understanding. She didn’t talk about Imra much when she came home but Kara knew that Imra treated her like one of her own kids. Ellie had gotten sick a few months previously and Imra took care of her just as well, if not better, than Kara would have. At the very least, Mon-El chose a good woman to marry.
Kara started taking folded piles of clothes out of her bag and made piles on the floor. “I missed you, bug. What did you do with dad?”
Ellie toed off her shoes as she snuggled into her pile of stuffies, “We went on a trip! I got to see so many cool things! Daddy wouldn’t let me bring home the cool rocks we got though. He said you might get mad.”
Kara started putting the piles of clothing back into her drawers. “Why would I get mad?”
“He said some might not react well on earth. He wasn’t sure though. He said it’s better to be safe than sorry.”
“Well he was right on that. How about you hop in the shower while I make some dinner for us?”
Ellie hopped off her bed, “Can I have a bath tonight instead?”
It was the rare occasion that Ellie wanted a bath. But she knew it also meant that Kara was going to stay close to her if she chose that rather than a shower. Sometimes it was the last thing she wanted to do because it was going to take double the time of a shower. But after not seeing her little girl for a month she was happy for the time together. “Of course you can. Let’s go get you clean.”
The duo made their way to the bathroom that was not frequently used. Kara plugged the tub and started to fill it while Ellie stripped off her clothes and tossed them into the little hamper that hadn’t been used in a month. Kara helped her into the tub once it was full and sat next to it on the floor. It had been quite awhile since Ellie requested a bath.
“Mommy, do you think you’ll ever get married?”
She met little blue eyes that were curious. Kara rested her arms on the edge of the tub with her head resting on them. “Do you not want me to get married?”
Ellie shrugged, “I see how happy daddy and Imra are. I want you to be that happy too. And I wouldn’t mind a brother or sister one day.”
Kara laughed, “Well I don’t know about getting you a sibling, but I think I might get married one day.”
“Would I get another dad?”
Kara bit her lip, “Would you be upset if it was another mom?”
Ellie shook her head, “I just want you to be happy, mommy.”
Kara leaned over to press a kiss to her cheek. “You’re such a sweet girl. I started dating someone over the last few months. Remember we talked about my friend Lena?”
Ellie nodded, “Uh huh. The one who took you out to lunch and sent the pretty flowers?”
Kara blushed, “Yea. She sends lots of pretty flowers. Do you think you’d want to meet her one day?”
“Do you think she’d get me flowers too?”
“I think she might. But enough about my love life. Let’s get you all clean, little one.”
A few hours later Ellie was clean, fed, and in bed. The blankets were tucked under her arms as Kara settled next to her. Stars were projected onto the ceiling, a gift from Winn, that they both looked up at. “Daddy isn’t coming back for a long time, is he?”
Kara rolled onto her side and pulled her little girl into her arms. She kissed her forehead softly, “I’m not sure honey. You know that daddy and I do dangerous jobs. Daddy’s job just takes him wayyyyy farther away than mine does.”
Ellie snuggled into her chest, “You won’t leave me will you, mommy?”
She gave her a little squeeze, “Not if I can help it. Daddy and I promised we would always do our best to make sure one of us was with you at all times. Aunt Alex and Aunt Nia help make sure I don’t have to go far a lot of the time. I can’t promise I won’t have to leave sometimes, but I always try to come back as fast as I can.”
Ellie nodded, “I love you.”
“I love you too, El.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kara woke early with the sun and to a text message from Lena.
Lena 6:02 am: Happy Valentine’s Day ❤️
Kara 6:25am: Happy Valentine’s Day! ❤️
Ellie climbed into her bed sleepily. “Mommy, want snuggles,” she yawned. Kara pulled her into her arms and let her warmth lull the pair of them back to sleep.
The front door jiggling woke Kara from a dead sleep. Ellie’s head was pillowed on her arm but she was still fast asleep. Kara carefully extracted herself from under her sleeping daughter to see who was letting themself into her apartment. She closed the door behind herself as she stepped out of the room to see dark hair, a maroon coat, jeans, and booties standing just inside her apartment holding a dozen roses and a box of chocolate. Kara felt tears welling in her eyes as she took in Lena.
“I can explain.”
Kara crossed the room, very aware that she was in pajamas with little potstickers on them, cupped her cheeks and kissed her softly. “Happy Valentine’s Day,” she whispered against Lena’s lips.
Lena seemed to let out a breath, “Happy Valentine’s Day, darling.” Kara felt a hand grip her hip gently and she stepped closer to the warm body in front of her. “I know you have plans later but I wanted to still make sure you knew how much I care about you.”
Kara stroked her cheeks with her thumbs as she bit her lip. She had two choices here, she could hope to god Ellie didn’t wake up and try not to shove Lena out the door, but risk upsetting her if she didn’t explain. Or she could introduce her girlfriend to her daughter and risk Lena running anyway. “I was planning to make you cupcakes later today. Maybe you’d… wanna stay?”
“I didn’t come over to force myself on your plans. I just wanted to drop off what I got you.”
Kara tugged her over to the counter where the roses and chocolates were placed. She took Lena’s hands in hers. “The plans I have with someone tonight can absolutely include you if you’re open to it. Last night she was asking about my love life and seemed open to meeting you when I mentioned that we were dating.”
Lena had a guarded look, “Is this where you tell me you’re secretly married or something?”
Kara laughed softly, “No, not married. But I have been keeping kind of a big thing from you. It was for a reason, I promise. And I understand if you don’t want to continue our relationship when you find out.” Lena swallowed and looked like she was about to object but Kara gave her hands a squeeze, “I have a daughter.”
Lena’s mouth opened and closed a few times before she found the words she was looking for. “A daughter?”
Kara nodded, “She’s 6 years old and she’s been with her dad for a month. His job is dangerous and takes him far away for long periods of time. He just dropped her off last night and I’m not sure when he’ll be back. Normally she just sees him every other weekend but I let him have her for the month when I heard this assignment might be much longer. I promised her we would spend Valentine’s Day together before she left. I didn’t mention her at first because it was all so spontaneous. Then I started to really like you, and I knew I had to tell you. And the selfish part of me didn’t want to make you choose because this is a big deal breaker for people and I didn’t want to lose you yet. I’ve been enjoying our time together so much that I just wanted to hold onto it for a little longer before reality hit.”
Lena’s lips pressed against hers gently, “God I’m so glad it’s just that you have a daughter and not that you’re polyamorous or something. Don’t get me wrong I would still be open to it because I really like you, but I’m so happy you aren’t in another relationship.”
Kara laughed softly, “Nope, just in a relationship with you.”
Lena pulled back slightly, “We should probably not be kissing in your home where your child is currently asleep.”
Kara sighed, “You’re right. So how are you feeling about all of this? Do you want some time to think about it? A kid is a big commitment.”
Lena stroked her cheek, “A kid isn’t a deal breaker for me. I never thought I’d have any of my own and haven’t dated anyone with kids, but there’s a first time for everything.”
Kara was alerted to little footsteps coming out of her room. Ellie’s sleepy form came out of the doorway rubbing her eyes. Her curls were sleep mussed and her pajama pants were pushed up one leg to the knee. She didn’t pause when she saw Lena but did become shy. Kara stepped away from Lena to scoop up Ellie and rest her on her hip. “Good morning little bug, we have a Valentine’s Day visitor. Remember I told you about Lena last night?”
Ellie nodded shyly, her little face hiding in Kara’s neck. “Uh huh.”
“This is Lena. She brought chocolate that I’m sure you’re going to try and steal later.” That got a little face peeking out from its hiding spot. As if on cue, Lena pulled a rose from the bouquet and held it out to Ellie.
“I’m sorry I didn’t bring you anything else special, I wasn’t sure what you liked.”
Ellie bashfully took the rose from her, “That’s ok. I like flowers.”
“Do you have to run to work or can you stay for a little bit?”
Lena gave a small smile, “I don’t want to interrupt your day together.”
It was Ellie who answered instead of Kara, “You should stay today. It’s Valentine’s Day! Mommy and I are gonna make cupcakes. Do you like cupcakes?”
“I do like cupcakes. But I heard you just got home, I don’t want to keep your mommy from you.”
Ellie shook her head, “I want mommy to be happy today too! I don’t mind sharing.”
Lena bit her lip, “Alright. I can stay for a little bit.”
“Perfect, I’ll start breakfast,” Kara announced. She set Ellie on the couch and turned on the tv for her. Lena took off her coat and shoes before joining Kara at the counter. A hand rested at the small of her back that earned a smile and kiss to her cheek. “How do you feel about pancakes?”
“It’s been awhile since I’ve had a pancake.”
Ellie’s head popped up over the back of the couch, “Mommy makes the best pancakes in the galaxy!”
Kara laughed, “I don’t know about the best, but I’ve never had any complaints.” She began mixing the ingredients for the batter. “Can you get the bacon out of the fridge?”
“Of course. Anything else?” Lena asked while opening the refrigerator.
“Orange juice and some fruit maybe?”
Lena hummed and came back with a container of blueberries, grapes, and an apple along with what Kara asked for. She set about washing the fruit while Kara started cooking the bacon and pancakes. They worked together quite well to finish breakfast in no time. Lena washed and sliced the fruit with ease, arranging them on a plate that Kara directed her to take to the table. She plated up the pancakes and bacon soon after the fruit was done and the trio made their way to the table to enjoy breakfast together.
Their day was filled with laughs, blushing, and lots of memories being made. Lena spent the entire day with them making cupcakes, watching Disney movies, and just spending time together. It was honestly more perfect than any other Valentine’s Day Kara had experienced on earth. Ellie had fallen asleep on the couch (a rare occurrence) during their movie night so Kara tucked her into her bed with a kiss. She quietly closed the door behind her as she made her way back to where Lena was waiting on the couch. Gracefully she plopped onto the couch next to Lena, close enough to snuggle if she wanted but also giving her some space.
“So, I really appreciate you coming today. I had a really nice day. I understand if it was a lot though. Most people run once they know I have a daughter. Even if it doesn’t feel like a dealbreaker at the start, it gets overwhelming.”
Lena slipped an arm around her shoulders, “I had a really great day today. Probably the best Valentine’s Day I’ve had in my life. I would love to take both of you to lunch this weekend. Maybe the park or the museum too?”
Kara couldn’t help but tear up and nod. Her arms slipped around Lena’s neck as she kissed her. Lena’s lips were steady against hers. It didn’t feel like someone who was going to crush her heart. It felt like the start of something wonderful. The start of forever.