"Did you get many dates canceled, or…that he just doesn't show up, Mai?"Helena asked.
Helena loved to sit with her mother. She and her cats would spread around the floor, while she would tell Selina about her day, or listen to her recalling her days as Catwoman. Selina always made Helena feel just as secure as her cats did.
Selina looked up.
"My kitten wouldn't have any dates cancelled, would she?" she asked.
Helena shook her head.
"I can assure you I wouldn't, Mai. But if they did? Constantly?"
"This doesn't sound like something that would normally trouble you, Helena."
"No." Helena assured once more. "Not me. But it does trouble other people, I know. Or rather, it doesn't trouble them at all." she said cautiously.
"Then why would you be concerned about that?"
Helena thought for a while.
"If they did…were you not worth much?" she asked out loud.
Was I not worth much?she asked silently.
"You…wouldn't see them ever again?" she kept asking.
"No. I honestly don't think I would."
Helena nodded.
But you did see at least one again, didn't you?she wanted to ask, but didn't.
"But what is this about?" Selina asked. "I know there's something troubling my kitten."
Selina knew Helena wouldn't be worrying about something that had nothing to do with her.
"You have to tell me whatever it is that's bothering you, my precious." she told Helena.
"That toms, or not toms, but human males behave in a very different way than toms. The queen wouldn't stand for such a thing, would she?"
After all, it was her experience both from the way her cats behaved, and from observing her mother that the females were always the more dominant of the two.
"Oh, but the queen wouldn't worry about that, either." Selina smiled.
"And human females would?"
"People are different." Selina stroked Samia, the cat curled in her lap.
"I've noticed."
Terry wanted to know she was telling Dana he was seeing someone else when that wasn't true.
"Because I did tell her. It would be no use if I told you I didn't when I did, would it?"
"Look, you say your life is no one's business, so my life is none of your business."
Helena looked up suddenly.
"I did say that. But give me an answer, and I'll stop prying. I promise, but it has to be a satisfactory answer, though."
"I don't have to give you any answers."
"Yes you do, because I asked you!"
Helena stood up.
"I said I did ask you!"
"It's my life."
They both stood for a few minutes, glaring at each other.
Each second Helena could feel herself growing angrier. She wasn't used to being denied anything she asked for.
Terry knew Helena was used to always getting her own way. But she wasn't dealing with her mother, and she would just have to learn that he wasn't going to give in to her as easily as she did.
And neither one showed any sign of backing down.
"I know it isn't the first time you've done something like this, but I want you to stay out of my life."
"Fine."she said. "But I don't intend to forget about it."