When Kara got home that night she began putting away some groceries as she listens to James talk from the dining room.
"When you are finished with Grant Books...The Shop Around the Corner is gonna be responsible for reversing the entire course of the Industrial Revolution!"
Kara just stares at him, "Well, now, that is so sweet, James," she walks over and gives him hug and then is back to the kitchen to put groceries away.
"What were you going to say?"
Kara turns her head to the side confused, "When?"
"Before."
"Oh, it's nothing."
"Come on, Kara."
"Well, I'm just wondering. I'm wondering about my work. I'm just-What is it that I do, exactly? All I really do is-"
"All you really do is this incredible noble thing."
"Well, I don't know. Really, I'm just-"
"Kara!"
She just pouts and walks off.
Sometimes I wonder about my life. I lead a small life. Well, valuable, but small. And sometimes I wonder do I do it because I like it or because I haven't been brave? So much of what I see reminds me of something I read in a book...when shouldn't it be the other way around? I don't want an answer. I just want to send this cosmic question out into the void. So...good night, dear void. -Shopgirl
The next morning Cat finds herself on her mother's boat docked in the harbor as she cleans and manages it, just for fun. In the distance running up the dock to her boat is her mother's and grandmother's other kids that are actually very much younger than her. They laugh and yell excitedly to her, "Hey, Cat! Cat!"
Cat smiles and drops what she's doing to greet them, "Hey, I know you! Hello, Annabel, little girl. How are you?" she leans in and hugs her and then hugs her little brother, "And you, Matthew, how are you?"
"Good."
Their father follows close behind, "Hello Cat, kiss me I'm gonna be your wicked stepfather."
She looks at him in disgust and hesitates before she rolls her eyes and tries to kiss him on the cheek as he tries to kiss her on the lips but misses, "There you go. Well, I've got them from here, off you go."
He smiles and walks off as the kids wave goodbye, "Alright, you guys, are you ready to go out on the boat?"
The kids both yell, "No!"
"Well, we're going anyway!"
They spend a few hours out on the boat and then Cat takes them to an amusement park where they get their faces painted and they toss rings around milk bottles and eat all the food they can eat. Finally done with the amusement park Cat asks if they want to go to the movies, "Would you guys like to go to the movies?"
Annabel shakes her head, "No, there's nothing good playing. Look! A storybook lady."
She smiles and runs to the bookstore, Shop Around the Corner where it's story time and Kara is reading a book to a group of little kids, "That it was I and I alone who had the idea for the great and daring mouse plot. We all have our moments of brilliance and glory and this was mineā¦."
Later after Kara has finished reading to all the little kids she helps Annabel try and find a book, "My mom gets me all the books I want."
"Well, that's very nice of her," Kara smiles as Cat walks over to them.
"That's not my mom. That's my niece."
Kara looks on slightly confused, "I don't really think that she could be your niece."
Cat interrupts, "No, no, no. It's true. Annabel is my aunt. Isn't that right, Aunt Annabel?"
"Uh-huh. And Matt is her-"
"Wait, let me guess. Are you her uncle?"
"No."
"Her grandfather?"
Matthew just giggles.
"Her great-grandfather?"
"I'm her brother!"
"Matt is my mother's son. Annabel is my grandmother's daughter. We are an American family."
Cat just smiles at Kara who smiles back until they are interrupted by Annabel sneezing, Kara smiles and hands her a handkerchief, "Here you go, young lady."
"What's that?"
"That's a handkerchief. Do children even know what handkerchiefs are? A handkerchief is a Kleenex that you don't throw away. See? My mother embroidered this for me. My initials and a daisy, because daisies are my favorite flower."
Cat looks at her with amazement, "May I ask who you are?"
"Kara Danvers. I own this store. And you are?"
"Cat. Just call me Cat. We'll take these books."
Winn walks up to the counter, "You'll come back won't you?"
Cat nods, "Yes."
Winn nods at Kara, "See that is why we won't go under, our customers are loyal."
Kara smiles, "They're opening a Grant Books around the corner."
Annabel begins to excitedly yell, "Grant Books! My mommy-"
Cat interrupts, "Likes to buy discount," and covers Annabel's mouth with her hand.
Cat manages to distract Annabel and Matt with a dinosaur book so she can speak with Kara privately, "Sit here and read Matt the book until I take care of things. Whatever you do, just don't listen to anything I say. Thank you."
Annabel just nods, "Okay."
Cat walks back over to the counter, "We'll take that pop-up book too."
"You know, the world isn't driven by discounts. I've been in business forever. I started helping my mother when I was six, and I used to watch her. She wasn't just selling books. She was helping people become whatever they were going to be. When you read a book as a child, it becomes part of your identity in a way that no other reading in your life does. And I have gotten carried away."
Cat nods, "Yeah. Yeah, you have. You've made me feel...Enchanting. Your mother was enchanting."
Kara smiles at that, "Yes, she was."
Winn interrupts, "Um. How will you be paying for this?"
"Cash."
Kara looks at her with curiosity, "How did you know that?"
Cat points to a picture hanging behind Kara, "From the photograph. That you in the photograph? What are you doing?"
Kara smiles to Cat and back at the picture of her with her mother, "Twirling. My mother and I used to twirl. Anyway, she left the store to me, and I'll leave it to my daughter."
"How old is your daughter?"
"What? Oh, I don't have a daughter, I'm not married, but someday. So the big, bad Grant Books can just go to hell."
Cat nods and pays for the books, "Hey, we ready to go guys?"
Annabel and Matt run over to him, Annabel waves goodbye to Kara, "Bye, Kara!"
"Goodbye, Annabel. Goodbye, Matt."
"Bye!"
Cat leads the kids out of the store door and smiles back at Kara before they exit and Kara smiles and just watches them walk away.
