Kara didn't know quite what to do other than laugh a little awkwardly and twiddle her pencil, as Adam made it clear that he wasn't asking her opinion on whether Cat would do Korean barbeque, but whether she did.
Well, obviously she did. She loved all sorts of food from all around the universe, and also, she could eat anything and still be hungry, and Korean barbeque was like a buffet at times so…well, yeah, she liked Korean barbeque.
But going out on a date, with Adam?
"Uh…" Kara's eyes flickered nervously between him and Cat, before replying slowly. "I'm…a lot older than I look," she warned.
Adam shrugged, smiling, "You're what, thirty? Thirty-three? It's not that big of a gap."
"Thanks for the compliment…" Kara gave a little smile, shaking her head, glancing at Cat once more before making a small decision, "…but I'm older than that, and married."
Adam raised an eyebrow, "Married? Where's your ring? No tan-line either. Newly married?"
Kara shook her head, "No, no rings, and we've been married a couple of years now – seven years this August, but we've been together longer than that. A lot longer."
"You must be getting pretty bored then," Adam tucked his hands in his pockets, leaning back as Kara's brow furrowed. "You're a really beautiful woman, Kara – could have anyone you want."
"I've got who I want," Kara said tightly, as Cat finally came over, standing in the doorway.
"Adam," she got her son's attention, "a short word, if you would, before you leave, and before this lunchtime meeting. On the balcony, maybe?"
Adam raised an eyebrow, "I thought I was calling the shots?"
Kara bit her lip as Cat glanced to her, but nodded. "Well," Cat said quietly, "I'm not quite sure you'd even want to stay in the city any longer if you realised what was going on."
"Now I'm worried," Adam said, stepping back a little. Cat swallowed, and Kara couldn't help but step forwards, hand resting on her wrist lightly. Their eyes met for a lingering moment, before Kara looked back at Adam.
"I know what she wants to say. And in the long run, it's a more delicate piece of information, so I believe you should – briefly – join us on the balcony." Kara straightened, shoulders rising, and the Kryptonian could see how Adam noticed the difference, stepping forwards to follow them.
Once there, Kara went to the balcony wall, looking out over the city as Cat sat down, Adam not following, watching her from in front of the closed balcony door.
"So what is it you need to tell me?"
Kara could hear Cat's heartbeat, fast but deep, her breathing slow.
"Adam, I have a family. I have Carter, and I have another two sons, and basically a daughter, too, and I- and I have a wife."
"A what?" Kara looked around at him, watching Adam blink in confusion, eyes widening. "You have a wife? But- but how doesn't everyone know? Shouldn't it have been in- been on the news or something?"
"We kept it quiet," Kara muttered loud enough for Adam to hear. "We got together after she divorced Carter's father. I adopted my cousin after his parents died, and took custody of my goddaughter for a few years before she went to college and moved out. There was a…situation, with her school out in Nevada, so her parents asked me to look after her while they-" Kara cut herself off, shaking her head, turning around. "Not important." She looked at Adam again, watching him carefully.
"Cat and I got a place together, big enough for the six of us. We lived together. I got to be Carter's second mother, Cat got to be Kal-El's, and we adopted this amazing kid, Winn, and we were a family. We- we are a family, still," Kara pushed off the balcony, coming over to stand by Cat, taking her outstretched hand. "I wrote to you because I knew that it would be too late, after these years. I should know – it's when I gave up any hope that any other people I knew from my old life were alive, that they'd find me and- and stuff. A few have reappeared, as of late," Kara bit her lip, "but I've made my peace. Writing to you now, I wanted to give you both a chance to reconnect. Also, your brothers want to meet you. Kal-El was about ready to fly out to Opal City and track you down himself."
"Why would he?" Adam frowned, "Kal-El…that's your son, right?"
"Our son," Cat corrected, eyeing him in a less friendly way, "I know George has other kids, with your multiple step-mothers. Do they feel like any less your siblings? Though, for that matter, does Carter?"
"I'd like to meet Carter," Adam admitted, "and you're right. I don't care that they're my half-siblings. I just don't know why some kid that's not even related to me would want to track me down more than Carter."
"Carter's special," Cat said squarely, "and before you even meet him, I'm giving you some instructions on how to act around him. He might react…" she trailed off, pursing her lips. Kara squeezed her hand lightly, meeting Adam's eyes.
"Carter isn't the most adaptable person, to say something small, though he'd like to see you sometime in the future. And yes, Kal-El wants to meet you."
There was a short silence, before Adam smiled wryly at her, "I bet you don't want Korean with me then?"
"Yeah, no," Kara chuckled, shaking her head, lip twitching. "Not only would it be really inappropriate, but we've got Alex coming over tonight for movie-night. That's my goddaughter."
"Right, what's her story again?"
"Kara took custody of her when her parents pulled her out of her local high school," Cat replied, voice finally losing its vulnerable tone. "Unfortunately, Jeremiah died some time afterwards, so Eliza stayed in Midvale. She moved out when she went to college, but she comes to visit regularly. She's a little older than you. Winn, the boy we adopted, works for the same organisation as she does now, so he's in National City as well. He's a few months younger than you."
"Okay," Adam nodded, kicking his feet on the balcony tiles, "Are we still up for lunch?"
"Of course," Cat nodded, before gesturing to Kara. "Would it be alright if-"
"No, that's fine, come along," Adam nodded, "Bring Carter, even, if you can, and- Kal-El, was it?"
"Kal-El and Carter at Carter's dads house this week, it's a thing they do every third week Carter goes," Cat replied, hand going to her pocket, "But if you would like, I can phone Harold-"
"If it's not any trouble to them, but if they've got school, I can meet them another day. I'm here until Saturday afternoon – I work on Sunday's," Adam explained.
Cat nodded, putting the phone to her ear, standing and going to the other side of the balcony. Kara could hear as Darius picked up, and only half tuned-in as she motioned to Adam.
"What's your work?"
"Oh, I'm a junior manager at my dad's bar in Opal," Adam paused awkwardly, "It's not a really good bar though, and it's for really, really rich people. Uh, you…you do know who my dad is though, right?"
"Oh yeah, I do," Kara nodded, pursing her lips, "He's failing in trying to become a politician, last I heard. People in this country in this day and age aren't really rallying to support him though with his anti-immigrant bullshit."
"I am not like him, I swear," Adam's eyes lit up darkly. "Another reason why I wonder why mom gave me up. He's a racist prick, at times."
"Mmm," Kara just hummed in reply, looking out on National City, keeping an ear out for any more attacks. It seemed, with her timely rescue of Miranda Crane, and the defeat of the White Martian, criminals were laying low. To be quite fair though, the police were out and about in droves.
Cat ended her call.
"Harold is ill anyway it seems. Darius was going to ask if they can come home tonight instead of tomorrow. He's going to take them out of school now, and meet us at Noonans in an hour."
"Awesome," Adam nodded, before opening the balcony door, "I'll see you there." He left, rather abruptly in Kara's opinion. Cat straightened her shirt, before reaching over to Kara and tugging her over, Kara giving her a light kiss.
"We should call Alex, in case things go horribly," Cat muttered, getting a nod from Kara.
"I'll call her, and Winn."
"They'll be together right now, I'm sure of it," Cat wrapped her arms around Kara's middle, sighing into her shoulder. "I've got to organise my reporters around the Crane article."
"You go do that," Kara kissed her soft blonde hair, before stepping back, taking her wife's hands and squeezing, "Don't lose focus. Give yourself some time to prepare for this lunch with Adam. In and out on the reporters. I'll get the screen team and the photography department to collaborate on a front cover, and I'll call Alex and Winn."
"Okay. Good." Cat breathed in deeply, before letting go and nodding firmly. "Let's go."
