Time squandered inside the humid room. She could feel the slimy bands of sweat gliding gently down her temple, collarbone, and back. She was an undividedly distinctive person inside the room. Unessential things like how incredibly ruined her clothing didn't matter. Everything she knew for years about herself was shattered and remodeled.
Cat's feet were bare. There was a discrepancy between being barefooted in her office, then being barefooted in an unknown facility. Her germophobia wasn't a predicament in this situation.
Everything she believed once was different, and she accepted the requirements this presented.
Cat thought about her wedding vows. Was Kara aware of the human tradition? The question was ridiculous, considering that her wife was guarding her in a hospital bed five days ago.
The reference to being there for her spouse in sickness and health wasn't enough. Cat never experienced this with her previous marriages. The uncertainty that if your spouse was going to be okay was unbearable.
The affection and love she felt for Carter's father were merely modified into sympathy and then just to preference.
He never did the small things. Kara listened, and even though she couldn't remember how she was so lucky to marry an incredible woman, she was assured that Kara was unique and irreplaceable.
Cat raised her head.
She was so used to the sounds of the machines by now that they were barely audible. Kara's ankles weren't swollen anymore. The enormous discoloration in Kara's right side, under her ribs, was not congealing anymore. The vibrant shades of blood scattered to her left area, coating skin that Cat didn't have to memorize due to the minority.
She looked at Kara's IV. It was the second one she witnessed one of the agents change. The bag was almost empty and to be honest, and she also needed some hydration.
"You're too close to the lamps." She detected the sliding of the door. Cat was ready to demolish with her stare whoever attempted to say any word about anything regarding her position or wife.
Cat turned, her thoughts drenched in sarcasm when she saw her doctor, Gabrielle. "The rays are similar to the sun. As if it was three times closer to the Earth." Gabrielle observed Cat's expression softened.
"It's not a bother." She said, changing her body to her previous position.
"I defer. Come here, Cat." Gabrielle said, opening and closing drawers opposite side of the room. Cat didn't even notice there was a separate area, larger inside the hot room. Cat rolled her eyes, standing and complying her friend and doctor's command. "Sit."
She took a deep breath, feeling her mind clear with the refreshing, natural breeze.
Gabrielle clutched a spray bottle from one of the drawers and asked Cat to stretch her hands in front of her.
"Thank you for being here," Cat said while Gabrielle applied the spray on top of Cat's hands and arms.
"I promised to take care of you and your family."
"Still," Cat smiled softly. "They could have one of those men in black taking care of my wife."
Gabrielle stopped applying the spray when she heard Cat voice out her feelings.
"Do you have any progression on your retrograde amnesia?"
Cat rolled her eyes. "No."
"That's fine. We'll work on it later," Gabrielle wasn't surprised that Cat already had a particular type of devotion to millennial. "How are you?" Gabrielle asked but didn't wait for her answer. "Your assistant canceled out your check up yesterday. It wasn't until later I saw the news and understood why."
Gabrielle finished applying spray-on Cat's hands and proceeded to do the same on hers. She then grabbed two bags from the drawer shook them and placed them over Cat's knuckles.
The cold pad made Cat's hair arm rose. The feeling was incredibly pleasant. The material soothed the pain her mind was deflecting.
"You feel better?"
"Yes, thank you." Cat said smirking.
"The spray it's specially made here, it's no regular sunblock. Kara will drop me into space if she knows I let you be near those things without it." Gabrielle smiled dropping one new can in Cat's purse. "Use it."
"Will she be okay?" Cat's face transformed. She looked back at the corner of the room.
"She looks healthier. Alex called me on her way in this morning. I took care of her ribs, shoulder and let her rest. She looks strangely better, trusts me."
Cat groaned. Her eyes searched Kara's broken body. There was evident progression, but her wife still looked shattered and pained.
"Stay here." Gabrielle inserted some black gloves in her hands and walked over Kara's direction. She grabbed a new IV bag, grabbing a new needle. Cat quickly stood next to Gabrielle. "Ten seconds," the doctor whispered. "A new record."
Cat felt the heat overpowering her coolness. "She does look better."
Gabrielle agreed. She broke a pack of alcohol and slid the small square over Kara's veins. Cat observed, forcing her eyes to not wander over bruises or the discolored skin of her wife.
The area was wet and visible due to the lamps. The doctor lifted Kara's arms carefully and inserted the needle slowly. To her surprise the needle snapped, leaving both women without a breath.
"What happened?" Cat knew what was happening. She needed a convicting answer.
"She's feeling better, Cat." Gabrielle smiled, untangling her stethoscope from around her neck. "Now we'll wait for the screws on her ribs to fall." her hands inspected Kara's chest. She listened carefully, gazing at the machines.
Cat placed her hand on her chest. The tranquil beating of her heart granted her relief momentaneously.
They both looked back, finding Alex, rushing inside the room. She quickly grabbed the spray and covered her hands with the crystalline substance.
Alex hugged Cat, placing a soft kiss on her head. Cat closed her eyes, enjoying the security that embraced her.
Cat saw her eyes on Alex's. "She looks better."
Alex turned, smiling to Gabrielle with wet eyes. She inspected her sister's body, up and down. The sight was still an unpleasant one, but the change was noticeable.
She slid her hands over her sister's hair. "She's breathing by herself," Alex laughed in between tears. Cat heart speed. She blocked the visual of her wife breathing artificially. "Her bruises look better. Cat she's healing." Alex turned, stretching her hand. Cat reached the younger's woman hand.
"Thank you," Cat pleaded. "Thank you, both."
"Sorry to interrupt, Doctor Jenkins, Agent Danvers you are needed in the main lobby." Agent Vasquez stood in the door, her hands behind her back.
Alex nodded, kissing Kara's forehead. Gabrielle removed her gloves and proceeded her way out of the room. They passed the hall. Their steps were matching accordingly with each other.
J'onn quickly passed a folder to Alex and another one to Gabrielle.
He pointed at the screens, walking closer. "We think this was a meta." Cat entered the area, walking and standing next to Gabrielle and Alex. "We suspect he can transfer his powers to objects."
"Eleven seconds." Gabrielle smiled, passing Cat the folder J'onn gave her.
"He recently moved from Opal City," Winn spoke, touching the pad in his hands. "Frank Arguson, better known as Retro."
"I am so changing my daughter's messenger name." Cat muttered.
They all observed the enlarged picture in the screens. The man was in his late forty, his beard was splashed with gray hairs, and her eyes were dark and obscure.
Cat read the description in the papers she had in her hands. She didn't want to have the image of the man that hurt her wife embroiled in her mind. She couldn't sway the fact that this individual was from Opal City.
The city that for weeks had been trying to unveil Supergirl's identity.
"We found some undiscovered mineral camouflaged in Noonan's walls. Frank Arguson taught Chemistry at OPU until five years ago he was fired due to unapproved experiments with his students. Mr. Argurson used chloroform to drug his students. He would experiment on their skin." J'onn turned around noticing Cat in the briefing room. Her feet barefooted and a focused look in the folder. Everyone turned looking at Cat while she ruffled the classified information.
Cat looked up, noting that the director of the facility dressed in all black like his agents stopped talking.
"Please continue, don't mind my presence," Cat said, skimming some more papers. Alex looked down holding her desire to laugh. "Pretend I'm still with my wife." Cat signed, and J'onn nodded back to her.
J'onn turned around, placing his folder on the roundtable. "The experiments were based on the elements and characters of healing. He'll make a small incision in the arm of his student, and wait for the area to heal. The student would wake up, in a random place and he would take him or her again and apply the substance we found on the walls. The liquid would recreate the small incision he produced days ago without the need of a blade."
"Ridiculous. This man is regenerating new cells and degrading them to the point that the brain is recreating healed tissue?" Gabrielle asked, loudly inside the area. "To later deflect the healing process, forcing the mind to recreate an existing wound."
"That would explain what happened to Kara." Alex walked closer to the screens. "Her back has gunshots. Her shoulder was bleeding. She has every injury she couldn't sustain because of her alien body."
"You said he was a meta," Cat said folding her arms. "Was he able to perfect his technique in five years, convert the liquid into a bright flash of light, place it inside a Polaroid Camera, brunt the security cameras without affecting any other electric equipment and yet he made it so powerful that it would affect only in Kryptonians?" Everyone reminded quietly in the room. "What kind of abilities he has?"
Winn turned around looking at his tablet; the rest looked at J'onn for answers.
Alex took Winn's tablet and tapped into it. "We all know that liquid turn into gas," Alex kept tapping the tablet. "Condensation is one of the possible ways. Now, how do you manage to convert the gas into light? He can be using hydrogen, propane or carbon monoxide. Storing this in a small container is easy. This is how he managed to hide the gas in the camera." Alex shared a picture of the taser in the screens. "Kara's GPS was destroyed, along with the security cameras. Therefore his abilities are like Livewire, or he can manipulate neurons by chemical reaction."
"I don't know if he's able to control electricity, nonetheless, look at the power plant. But he could be controlling the neurosciences of the brain. It will explain why he camouflaged the light into a flash. He needed direct contact with the brain. He needed visual contact, forcing the brain to react at this mineral he created."
"Precisely," Gabrielle walked closer to the roundtable. She spread Kara's results while seeking for her glasses. "Kara's brain is remembering the pain and forcing her body to revive moments when she was in distress. Her Kryptonian cells work differently. He needed a way to block Kara's brain activity using the powers of the sun."
"Whatever he created, my wife is allergic to it." Cat stated.
"Exactly." Alex and Gabrielle said at the same time.
"We need to make an allergy test. Winn look for a mineral that can be strong enough to minimize the effects of Kryptonite. He probably created a gas or a similar substance our machines cant detect."
"Like something new? A new Kryptonite." He said, running to his computer.
"Look for anything that works neurologically. Check the periodic table, find if Retro mixed O with traces of Kryptonite."
"Don't look for green." Alex moved to Winn. "He is corrupting skin cells. It might be blended with a different color."
The room was silent, all they could hear was the fast tapping of keyboards.
"We can take the pictures from the wall of Noonan's. Raise the temperature of the images, assimilating the sun, and we'll have." He said pressing enter.
They all looked at the screens above him. Noonan's wall was covered in millions of white dots. "It looks like white Kryptonite." Winn clicked until a white rock appeared on the screens. "White Kryptonite kills all the living cells in a plant."
"He transformed this to human cells," Cat said aloud behind Winn's chair, startling him. "This is why he calls himself Retro. He puts the cells in retrograde until they die."
"Then we need to move Kara to the lead room." Alex placed her hands on her waist. "Lead blocks Kryptonite rays."
"Do you have one of those here?" Cat asked Alex.
"Follow me." She grabbed Cat's hand and walked away. "Gabrielle!" Alex shouted.
Gabrielle smiled, politely to the DEO team and ran after Alex and Cat.
Cat stretched her fingers, grazing Kara's. This room was more comfortable, serene and incredibly freezing compared to the other one. Every wall of the room was a variation of gray. The bed had a mattress and Kara was resting on a pillow alongside her. There were no machines, no lamps above her.
Her fingers caressed Kara's as she rested her head on her wife's bare shoulder.
Cat's heart didn't hammer inside her chest anymore. The tranquil bounce inside her was a promise of a soothing emotion when Ollie sought for the noise. Her daughter was finally finding comfort and peace coming from her; and the restful monotone sound of Kara.
The metal screws penetrating her wife skin weren't there anymore. Soft tones were now visible over Kara's ribs.
Cat took a deep breath, the sweet smell of fruit was prominent every time she breathed. Her interiors were combined with a mixture of worry and peace.
The progression was there. Kara was feeling better and healing five times faster inside the lead room. Cat closed her eyes, obstructing the bruised view, enjoying her wife scent and maintaining the soft strokes on Kara's hand.
"Hey," Alex knocked on the door. "Winn made this lead blanket with the remaining materials of her black suit."
Cat furrowed her brows. "She has a black suit? I dreamt about it. I was holding Kara's arms, but they weren't blue like her suit."
"Yes, its full body, she uses it for winter." Alex placed the blanket over Cat and Kara. She made sure Cat's legs were covered and underneath. "It's your favorite, by the way," Alex removed her beanie and placed it over Cat's head. She flipped the hoodie of her coat and smiled to Kara. "I'm pretty sure you guys have used that suit for another purpose."
Cat directed her gaze toward Alex, her cheeks splashing crimson red color.
"Alex!" Cat said shaking her head.
"You guys are married. What you expect?" Cat was quiet for a second, thinking of how beautiful Kara would look like under the bedsheets next to her body. "Maggie and I can give you a couple of classes. Show you. We can show you some cool stuff."
"I lost my memories, not my rational sense." Cat tone was serene and playful.
Alex smile faded. "Thank you."
"No, I am the one who will always be grateful."
"I will find Retro, Cat. I promise."
"I will find him too."
"Please don't do anything reckless."
"This is the first time you have given me a warning. I'm an adult."
"Yes, you are." Alex raised her tone. "And I can't lose you."
Cat smiled at Alex softly. "You won't. Do you think I'll take karate classes and find this man by myself?" Alex tilted her head. "Rich people pay assassins and professionals to do this type of dirty job."
"When you mean hiring professionals. you mean like a private investigator?"
Cat smiled, burying her face in Kara's neck. "Yes, I can pay for those too." Alex laughed, kissing Kara's forehead.
"Kara was destroyed when you were in a hospital bed. Don't make me want to punch you if you decide to go after this man by yourself."
"I knew I'd receive some threat sooner or later."
"Promise me, Cat."
"I promise you that I won't go by myself."
Alex smiled, caressing Kara's hair. Cat was warmer and comfortable next to her family.
"I know you are comfortable, but what if we go and eat something?" Alex smiled softly at Cat.
"There's something you need to tell me right?" Cat raised her head. Alex opened her mouth twice, shook her head and folded her arms.
"You know me already," Alex said defeated. "Well, that and I'm starving. You are too."
Cat didn't think about food. Not once. But her body was indeed more susceptible and weaker because of the nutrients her body lacked.
"Fine," Cat said, pressing a kiss on Kara's cheek. "I'll be the one punching you if my wife wakes without me."
"I'd punch myself too."
Alex passed Cat the stilettos as she hopped down the bed. The room echoed the noise of her shoes while she walked. Cat glanced at her wife, before exiting the room.
The elevator was close. Cat stared at the logo printed on the floor one more time. Alex reminded quiet, not wanting to interrupt Cat's thoughts.
When the door beeped, she was in the lobby of a full cafeteria. Alex encouraged her out of the box. Cat fixed her clothes and followed Alex.
The younger woman turned to the right, waving at a table with familiar faces. Cat smiled instinctively. Her chest felt at ease and almost tranquil when she was with her family.
Alex removed her coat, placing it on the chair and kissing Maggie's lips.
Dianna had her hand stretched, holding a styrofoam cup for Cat.
"Thank you," Cat said, sitting in the chair. "I don't want anything from Noonan's for weeks."
They all smiled. "We figured."
Maggie observed how soft and tired Cat looked. Her white long sleeve shirt was folded over her forearms, her wedding ring was correctly in place, and her golden locks escaped the black beanie, making her features looked serene and elegant.
"Okay, so I bought, not from this cafeteria," Maggie said, winking at Cat. "Cheese pizza," she placed the rectangle shaped carton over the table. "Crab and avocado sushi," Maggie pull the box next to the pizza. "Double bacon cheeseburger and Shrimp Alfredo."
Cat looked down at the four boxes in front of her. "What is this an intervention?"
"Of food," Dianna said.
"Pick one." Alex encouraged.
"How old I am?" Cat asked tilting her head.
"Is that a real question?" Maggie asked.
"Don't answer that question," Dianna warned Maggie.
"No one is answering that question," Alex said smiling.
"I know my age."
"We know." Dianna arched her brow.
"Now pick." Maggie pushed the containers closer to Cat.
"What what are you going to eat?" Cat asked folding her arms.
"Whatever you don't choose?"Dianna simply said.
"You are joking right?"
"Nope."
"No."
"Never joke about food."
Cat stared at them all. Thinking when and how she was so lucky of having the best family in the world. She smiled, her stomach grumbled now with the smells so close to her.
Maggie opened the four boxes tapped her fingers over the table. Cat followed the noise and slid the to-go container of Luigis Lenguini close to her.
"Good." Maggie turned the box and passed Cat a plastic fork.
Cat looked at the side of the box and her name written in sharpie.
She laughed. "You know what? For a second I was going to pick the cheeseburger."
"I would probably handcuff you to the table while I eat it." Maggie smiled, sliding the cheeseburger to her side. Alex grabbed the rectangle box, and Dianna slid the sushi to her side.
Cat wasn't impressed that her family knew what she was going to pick. If she was more observant like she was right now; she'd pat her back, in success. The containers of food her friends had in front of the described their personalities flawlessly.
Cat was lucky and surrounded by so much love.
"Thank you," Cat said in a tone that stopped everybody from eating.
Alex slid her hand over Cat's shoulder. "We're your family. You don't have to thank us."
"I fell the need to do so." Cat smiled, while they began to eat.
Four empty containers rest on top of each other inside a bag on the floor. The table was full of papers and four styrofoam cups. The file of Kara was open next to Retro. Maggie was looking for clues while the rest continued searching in social media for any evidence or signal of where he could be.
Cat sipped her coffee and stared at them.
"Guys, I thought you wanted to speak about something important. I'm fed and well caffeinated. Whatever you need to say won't change my appetite anymore."
Alex smiled, closing the files and nodding at the other's ladies.
"When Kara loses her powers," Cat furrowed her brows. "She has before. Sometimes she exhausts them. They come back in a couple of days. Nothing major. Nonetheless, when we have events, that is required Supergirl and Kara at the same place, we have a way to do this."
"The DEO calls it Operation S," Dianna said sliding her iPad to Cat.
There were images of Kara and Supergirl standing next to each other. Some other's were them shaking hands or laughing and speaking.
"Is this some hyper photoshop?" Cat asked placing the iPad down on the table."
"Not quite," Maggie said. "We also used OS when you guys were two weeks in Maldives for your honeymoon."
"I am not following."
"J'onn, the director of the DEO he is a shapeshifter," Alex said, receiving a smack on her arm from Maggie.
"What about explaining her questions?" Maggie said shaking her head.
"We are in the Department of Extranormal Operations. They work with aliens and anything that crosses the line from normal." Dianna explained.
"The director, he is like Kara's and I father. We've been through too much. He is from Mars, and he can take the form of anyone." Alex said receiving an approval look from her girlfriend.
"You mean that we require his services now, because my wife is still in recovery." Cat asked bluntly.
Dianna nodded. "When Supergirl disappeared, we spread the news that Kara was covering the new L corp extension. Almost two days later, we need Kara's report and a picture." Dianna slid the iPad closer to Cat again, showing her the article Kara supposedly wrote.
"Supergirl can be in recovery, but your wife should be alive and well. Even though she is at the moment in Germany."
"I am not going to protest to something that can sustain the security of Kara," Cat revealed comfortably. "I think asking me if I could agree to this was irrelevant. If this OS have worked for years, then we need to comply and authenticate the program."
"Actually," Alex began saying. "We are just giving you heads up."
Cat turned her head, watching the expression of her friends in front of her. Her mind understood what Alex was explaining.
"J'onn will speak, look and smile almost just like Kara," Maggie described. "We know that it's difficult to see the person you care about this condition, especially when someone else will impersonate her."
"I never thought of it like that," Cat mumbled.
"Why would you? It's not possible to change appearances." Dianna placed her hand on Cat.
"We can send J'onn to Germany, speak to Lena take the pictures and publish the article in an hour or so. But for tomorrow, you need to be alongside her in the office."
Cat sighed, blinking slowly to prevent tears. "I will not present him to my daughter. Not like that."
"We don't expect that." Alex grabbed Cat's other hand. "We know, its hard to think of her well when we have seen her so broken. I would love to see her smile right now. I can only imagine what you need from her." Cat released Dianna's hand too quickly wipe her eyes. Dianna held her hand open, and Cat retook it.
"We'll be here for you. But if this bastard from Opal City is behind Kara's identity, then he'll have the worst time seeing Kara next to you."
"Do you think he knows?" Cat asked.
"We need to take everything into consideration," Maggie added.
"Not to mention that if something happens to J'onn while he is impersonating Kara, we'll have easy access."
"Plus J'onn is not a Kryptonian, so his white Kryptonite won't work on Martians," Alex said, squeezing her sister's in law hand. "We can do this without your permission. We just need you to be prepared to see her again."
Cat nodded, drinking the rest of her coffee. "I will handle it."
"We'll be here okay," Dianna said tenderly.
"You won't be alone." Maggie expressed.
"Let's catch that asshole." Alex scolded.
Cat walked into the conference room. The black round table covered the center of the area accompanied by many black chairs. She found J'onn in the back, organizing some papers and checking filing some documents.
She knocked on the glass. J'onn turned smiling and placing the papers down.
"Cat," He walked over her. "I know that you lost your memories, but as soon as Kara is well, I will personally approve some test with our technology."
Cat nodded. "Thank you, I appreciate it." She took a deep breath. "I will also suggest if you can run some test with Ollie too. You probably heard she was the one to direct Alex to Kara's location."
He smiled. "Yes, we'll run some test too. You must be very proud of her."
"I am, extremely," Cat answered.
"Do you want to sit down, need some of my cheap coffee?"
"No, thank you. I'm fine right here."
His smile vanished, and he walked closer to Cat, maintaining the proper distance. "I'm guessing Alex explained OS to you, and how it works."
"She did." Cat nodded, placing her purse on the table. "You'll look just like her?"
J'onn agreed. "Cat, we can wait a couple of hours until you assimilate the idea."
"I will be able to handle it. I just need to see you do it, please."
Cat was anxious; her heart became the previous, agitated noise. Her hands were sweaty. Her feet were uncomfortable under high stilettos. Maybe it was that this man was a stranger to her. They haven't spent enough time like Dianna, Alex, and Maggie to maintain that satisfactory comfort zone.
Perhaps she wasn't ready to see her healthy wife under a distinct persona and character.
Possibly she didn't know how to repress her emotions in front of the stranger; the same stranger that will mold into her wife.
"Okay," J'onn said stepping back. "Ready?" He asked, and Cat shook her head no.
"Go ahead anyway." Cat folded her arms, finding comfort in herself.
In a quick, green blink of an eye, the man shifted his body into the slim perfect figure of her wife.
Cat gulped, licking her lips and holding the tears. She couldn't believe her eyes. J'onn even shifted his clothing style. The person in front of her was wearing khaki pants with a green button down. She turned, avoiding the similarity for a second.
She walked closer, observing the perfect ponytail and the gorgeous resemblance of blue eyes.
"You look just like my wife." Cat's voice broke with the proximity. She was hoping to smell like flowers and fruits, but the idea was crushed instantly.
"Yes, perfect resemblance." He said, and Cat quickly closed her eyes at the tone of her wife. "Are you okay?" Cat opened her eyes, her tears quickly falling over her cheeks.
"Don't, don't ask me that. Not with her same caring face." Cat tone was soft and mellow.
"It was not my intention. Regardless of who you see, I do care about you. You are part of my family. I just haven't had the change to be your acquaintance. Especially after all that has happened." Cat's throat was dry. He used different tones and words but the sound of her wife was there, and it made her stomach feel so comfortable and serene.
"I'm sorry, I'm a little overwhelmed." He nodded.
"I understand."
"Great," Cat said, stepping back. "Dianna will tell you everything that you need to know about Lena Luthor and the photos. Tomorrow is sharp at eight in my office. I don't know what we normally do, but no kisses or any PD. It should look normal since it's my workplace."
"Of course, Cat." She instantly closed her eyes, walking closer to J'onn. Cat broke the personal space and fixed her eyes perfectly with his. The stilettos provided the perfect height and Cat had a bright, beautiful view of her wife's eyes.
He stared back at her, complying Cat's wishes.
J'onn smiled softly, and Cat covered her mouth and left the room.
The Martian remained still when he heard stilettos back into the conference room. Cat looked down, not daring to see her wife again, opened her purse and placed a pair of glasses on the table.
Cat opened her eyes. The darkness of the room and the warmth of her wife forced her into a slumber. She looked up, finding bruises and a cut lip. The lead blanket was covering Kara's body, and she didn't want to see how damaged she still was.
"You're awake," Alex said from the chair next to the bed. "How did you sleep?" She stood, turning the end table lamp.
"Good, I guess," Cat said, rubbing her forehead.
"Your driver is here, and he'll take you home." Cat thought about Ollie. She lost track of time.
"Can I visit before work tomorrow?"
"You can come and see your wife anytime. You have unlimited access." Alex smirked. "I'll stay here tonight."
"Thank you."
"Mom will be here tomorrow too."
"Kara will be in good hands."
"I don't doubt that, Alex."
The ride to her home was slow, almost as delayed as the elevator. Cat couldn't hide her eagerness to see her daughter. She was ready to be interrogated by her.
When the door opened, she found Carter asleep on the couch with Ollie on top of his chest.
Cat dropped her belonging of the table next to the elevator and removed her stilettos.
Carter woke up, smiling softly at his mother. Cat walked over him, caressing his head. "How are you?" she whispered.
"Fine, how are you."
"Better," she whispered back.
She smiled, grabbed Mr. Knows and stretched her arms in front of Carter. He carefully passed Ollie onto her arms, and she kissed Carter goodnight.
Her room was warm, compared to the almost frozen room her wife slept. Cat pulled the covers down, placing Ollie and Mr. Knows underneath.
She walked to the restroom and sat in the corner of the tub. Cat opened the faucet, placing her hand underneath the water, waiting for the warm water to appear. She pulled the string of the bathtub that held the water.
Later she stood, walking outside of her room. She sought for any comfort in her house. Her daughter was resting, and Carter was ready to sleep too.
Her chest felt brave. She was ready to go to the hall, turn the lights on and spend hours watching the family frames. Cat then remember that the comfort she sought wasn't through pictures. She left the view of the hall off and walked next to the elevator.
Cat opened her purse and found her phone. She quickly tapped her passcode and tapped the message app.
She took a deep breath tapping her wife's name. There were no old threads, just six blue bubbles in her screen.
-I can't wait to see you
Just a couple of hours, love-
-Look at your window.
Now I can work faster-
-I love you, beautiful
No more than me-
This calmed her heart. She kept reading Kara's I love you text. She cursed mentally for not hearing it before. She punished herself for not saying it when she had the chance.
She paced back into her room, stopping in front of her bed. The window was open, and the shape of a person was kneeling down on her floor.
Cat walked closer to the person. She saw blonde hair waving in the air along with the curtains inside her room. The stranger stood weakly, stumbling and colliding with the restroom wall.
Her heart beaded faster. The dimmed light the bathroom provided her with the clear view of the stranger in her room.
Cat dropped the phone, forgot about the overflowing water of the tub and ran towards the shape of her wife.