Kara loved Cat’s voice. There was something light and airy about it. And the way she annunciated certain letters just mesmerized her. Sometimes when Cat was giving her another craftily worded termination speech, Kara didn’t hear any actual words because she was just listening to the sound of her voice.
Then there were times when Kara was upset or sad and Cat would sense it with her super power. In those times her voice was always soothing. Always. Sometimes she would ask Cat a question just to be able to hear her speak the answer.
Oh, but then there were the times when they were sitting or standing close to each other and Cat would speak softly, quietly. When they were close was the only time Kara got to hear the softer tone. It was like a balm to her weary mind.
Once, they were sitting on the sofa in Cat’s office going over layouts. It was late. It was shortly after Astra had died. Kara was still coping with the loss. Though Cat didn’t know the details, she did know Kara. And she knew that something was wrong based on the whole seven minutes of silence.
“What’s wrong?” Kara closed her eyes when she heard the soft question from Cat. That voice. With that tone. The one that showed how much she really cared. Cat just waited.
Kara was unsure what to say. “I, um, I lost someone.” She closed her eyes again, willing her voice not to crack. “My aunt died recently.”
“Oh.” Cat’s glanced away, suddenly sorry for bringing up something painful. “I’m so sorry,” she said with her voice still soft. Kara knew she was being sincere. “Were you close?”
“We weren’t in each other’s lives for a long time, but a while ago we kind of found each other again.” She looked at Cat and could see the compassion on the other woman’s face. “You know, I lost my mom. It was nice to have my aunt around again, even if we were at odds. I miss her.”
Cat scooted a little closer to Kara. She took a breath and said, “My father died a few years ago.”
Kara was surprised at Cat sharing anything personal, and sad about the topic. “I’m sorry, Ms. Grant.”
Cat just nodded. “I missed him so much at first,” she began, then remembered that the only thing Kara knew about her parents was her highly dysfunctional relationship with her mother. “Our relationship was different from my relationship with my mother. He always encouraged me to go after what I wanted. And he was always so proud of me when I got it.”
Kara smiled, listening to Cat talk. The only other time she had heard this tone was when she talked about Carter. She took in every word, lost in her soothing voice. Cat talked for long minutes about her father. Then she ended with, “You know, when he was first gone, I used to see things everywhere that reminded me of him.” Kara nodded in understanding. “But then every time I felt sad, I told myself to remember something happy right then. It helped.”
Kara smiled again, just a little. “Thank you , Ms. Grant.” Secretly, she wished she had thought to hit the voice recorder on her phone so she could listen to it again later.
But Kara’s favorite time was once when they were sitting on the balcony. It was lunch time. Cat was reading over some articles in CatCo’s latest magazine as she finished a lettuce wrap. She had invited Kara to come sit and eat with her. Kara was tapping away on her tablet, organizing an event for next month. She had already finished eating.
She heard Cat breath out a laugh and looked over to her. Cat was smiling and it made Kara smile. Then Cat looked up to her and caught herself, losing the smile and clearing her throat.
“Have you read the interview with Melissa McCarthy?” Cat asked her.
Kara just shook her head, still smiling. Cat shrugged and said, “It’s funny.”
Kara suddenly felt bold. They had been spending more and more time out of the day together and she was getting more comfortable with Cat. Before she could stop herself, she asked, “Will you read it to me?”
Cat just looked up at her. Kara wasn’t sure what the expression on her face was, but she could tell that Cat was caught off guard. A slow smile formed on her lips.
Cat just shrugged again and flipped a couple pages back over. She began to read the article out loud to Kara. Kara unconsciously turned toward her on the outdoor sofa, propping her elbow up and laying her head on her hand to listen to Cat.
She kept catching herself closing her eyes, trying to focus even more on the tone. Trying to catch the slightest inflection when Cat read a joke or an insult. She didn’t see when Cat would occasionally glance up and see her with her eyes closed and a small smile on her face. And Cat smiled each time she glanced up.
The first time they went on a date, Kara had been a nervous wreck. She was on the phone with Alex just before Cat came to pick her up.
“Alex, this is a terrible mistake.” Kara was pacing around her living area, her heart pumping out of her chest. “She’s going to realize in minutes that this is a terrible mistake and she’s going to spend the whole night wishing she could get away.”
Alex could hear the anxiety in her sister’s voice. “Kara, she’s the one who asked you out. She knows exactly what she’s getting into. She knows every side of you. Every side. It takes a special person to be willing to take on a romantic relationship with a superhero. She loves you, Kara. Whether she’s said it or not. It’s obvious.”
Kara closed her eyes. She hoped Alex was right. She thought she was right. The way Cat looked at her sometimes, she thought she would shake apart with the beating of her heart. Then there was a knock at the door.
“She’s here. I gotta go. Thank you, Alex.” She hung up before Alex had a chance to respond. Taking a deep breath, she walked to the door and opened it.
She instantly smiled when she saw Cat. Her head was tilted to the side and she was wearing a small smile. Kara could tell she had taken a little extra time getting ready. She was stunning. She had a little more makeup on around her eyes than usual. And the dress she was wearing was even more figure flattering than the ones she wore at work.
Cat glanced down and saw Kara holding her phone. She asked, “Last minute frantic call to your sister?”
Kara laughed. Busted. She shrugged and just said, “I was nervous.”
“Was?” Cat was giving her one of those looks. One of the ones that said there was no other place in the world she wanted to be. Her eyes were soft and her lips barely parted with her smile.
“Yeah,” Kara confirmed. “I think it’s gone now, though.” Those eyes drew her in, washing away her self doubt.
“Good,” Cat replied. She held out a hand for Kara. Kara looked at the small hand and glanced away shyly. She looked back and Cat’s smile was bigger. “Ready?”
She slowly took the hand and gently pulled Cat closer to her. She leaned down and placed a small, tender kiss on Cat’s temple. “Very ready.”
Kara had learned to let Cat lead. And she had learned that Cat didn’t expect her to be anyone other than who she was. So when they got to the restaurant that Cat had picked, Kara didn’t mind telling Cat, “I don’t have any idea what to order,” she laughed at herself. “Half of this menu is in Italian.”
Cat laughed a little too. “I’m sorry, I didn’t even think about it. Everything here is fantastic. What do you like?”
Kara shrugged and asked, “What do you like?”
“Uh, well,” Cat scanned the menu. “Here,” she pointed at the menu. “Gli spaghetti sottili con polpette o parmigiano di pollo sono entrambi buoni qui.”
Kara was awestruck at Cat speaking just one sentence in Italian. It was beautiful. It rolled off her tongue with ease. Cat looked back up to her. Kara was just looking at her with her mouth barely open.
Suddenly Cat’s face became worried and she quietly asked, “Was I being pretentious? I wasn’t trying to be pretentious.” Cat wanted so much for Kara to know how much she cared for her. She had tried to be conscious of when she was slipping into “global media empire” Cat. With Kara, she just wanted to be her. No pretense, no mask, no fronting. But sometimes when she rethought something she did or said, she realized how many of her actions could be characterized as snooty. She didn’t want Kara to think that about her.
Kara just smiled at her. “No, you weren’t being pretentious. I just didn’t know you knew Italian.”
Cat relaxed. “Oh, well, I can understand it when I read it, but I don’t really know it.” She glanced back at the menu. “I was just saying the spaghetti and meatballs and chicken parmesan are good.”
Kara nodded, still smiling. Then she asked, “Will you read me some more?”
Cat slowly smiled back. They stared at each other for a moment. Cat looked back to the menu and started reading. She started with the appetizers. She would read it in Italian and then tell Kara what it was. Kara thought she was already in love with Cat. But now that she was listening to Cat read her a menu from a fancy Italian restaurant, she knew she didn’t have a chance.
It took them almost a half hour to order. Cat asked to keep the menu even after they’d ordered. She read the entire thing to Kara. Kara had just sat back in her chair, listening intently. Especially when Cat read the parts in Italian.
When she finished she slowly put the menu aside. Kara leaned back in. She felt a little self conscious, but she was learning to push that aside with Cat. In the beginning she had always been afraid of Cat making fun of her and some of her child like thoughts and ideas. But as time passed, Cat seemed to actually embrace some of Kara’s whimsy.
She reached across the table with the palm of her open hand up. Cat slipped her hand into Kara’s and Kara said softly to her, “I love the sound of your voice. I always have.”
Cat shifted their hands so that their fingers were intertwined on top of the table. “No one’s ever told me that before,” Cat said.
Kara was happy to give her a new compliment, considering she must have already heard every other one. Then Cat quipped, “Wait until our first fight. You’ll hate it after that.”
Kara laughed and shook her head. The waiter came with their food and they settled in, enjoying the rest of their date. The evening was flawless. They hadn’t made any special plans. They were content to walk around the neighborhood where the restaurant was.
They wandered down to one of the piers that was all lite up at night. It was a park area and other couples had had the same idea of taking a walk. They slowly walked down the pier. Cat was holding onto Kara’s arm with both hands.
When they reached the end of the pier, Kara leaned back against the railing and took both of Cat’s hands in hers. She looked down and said, “I called Alex earlier because I was afraid that by the time we got to dinner you would have already realized you had made a horrible mistake asking me out.”
She stepped into Kara and put her arms around her waist. It was the first time she had been so close to her. Kara smelled her perfume and suddenly felt a little dizzy. She involuntarily closed her eyes. Then she heard Cat say in her ear, “This was the best decision I’ve made in a very long time.”
The sound of the words was exquisite. When Kara opened her eyes, Cat’s face was so close. She lifted her hands to her jawline, just barely touching her. She was beautiful.
Then Cat leaned forward and lightly pressed her lips to Kara’s. She lingered there for a moment. Kara felt it through her whole body. When Cat pulled back, she ran her thumbs lightly over Cat’s cheeks. She hesitated for about two seconds. Then Kara wrapped one hand into Cat’s hair and pulled her lips back to her own. This kiss was rougher, passionate. Her mouth moved so effortlessly against Cat’s. They stayed there, on the pier, kissing for a long time that night.
Soon after that, Supergirl had been engaged in a violent battle with a new Fort Roz escapee. Several, in fact. It had taken everything Kara had in her to bring them down. Especially the leader. He was big and he was strong. Kara tried not to, but she blew out her powers. Alex, and other agents had quickly scooped her up and taken her to the safety of the DEO.
Cat had been forced to watch from her office. She had been in the office with Cat when she got the call. Right after she left, Cat had sent a CatCo helicopter up to capture it. Yes, because it was news, but also because she needed to see what was happening to Kara.
She was so scared. She cameras caught every moment and Cat was glued to the televisions in her office, along with the rest of the staff. When the battle was over, Cat, Winn, and James had all exchanged worried glances.
Cat immediately grabbed her phone and dialed Alex. “Alex.”
“She’s okay, Cat.” Alex tried to reassure her. “She’s unconscious, but she’s okay. We’re going to get her into a sun bed. I’ll call you back when we get her settled.” Cat closed her eyes as the relief flooded her.
When they realized Kara’s powers were drained, Alex and Hank ordered her take a few days off and rest. Alex called Cat and asked if Kara could stay with her for the few days. Cat agreed without a thought.
When they got Kara settled into the guest room, Alex said to Cat, “Thank you. She won’t rest if she’s on her own. And the more she rests, the faster her powers will return.”
“Understood.” Cat nodded.
It turned out that Carter was thrilled that Kara was staying with them while she was “sick,” as they explained it. He dotted over her the whole time she was there.
At night, after he went to bed, Cat came into Kara’s room and sat on the edge of the bed. Kara had asked Alex to bring one of her favorite books from her loft. Kara was reading it when she came in the second night.
“What is that?” Cat asked her, curious.
Kara smiled at her. “The Black Tulip. It’s by-,”
“Dumas,” Cat interrupted. She gently took the book from Kara. “This is one of my favorites.”
“Really?” Kara smiled brightly as she asked the question.
Cat just nodded. Kara never would have guessed that she and Cat Grant would have the same taste in books. They’d only been dating a few weeks and there was still much to learn about each other.
Cat extended her arm to hand the book back. But then Kara asked, “Will you read it to me?” As usual when she asked, a slow smile played across Cat’s face. She moved to sit next to Kara and Kara lifted the blankets, silently asking her to be as close as possible. Cat certainly didn’t mind the contact.
Cat reached for a pillow to prop up behind her back and she settled in. Kara laid her head on Cat’s lap and draped an arm over her legs.
Cat began to read from the beginning. “Chapter 1, A Grateful People. On the 20th of August, 1672, the city of the Hague, always so lively, so neat, and so trim that one might believe every day to be Sunday, with its shady park, with its tall trees…,”
Kara relaxed more and more with every word. She loved the way Cat pronounced her ‘r’s’ and the way she paused perfectly for a comma. Her tone was even and controlled and soft.
As she read, Cat lightly scratched Kara’s back, stopping when she needed to turn a page. Kara was consciously trying to stay awake. She wanted to listen for as long as she could. But after a couple chapters, she couldn’t hold out and she drifted off to sleep. When Cat heard her even breathing and felt her get heavy, she set the book aside. She thought about getting up and going to her own room. Instead, she turned off the bedside lamp and nestled in beside Kara. She held her close all night, just thankful that she was there and she was safe.
About a month later was the first time they made love. Kara had no idea. She thought she did, but she didn’t. She’d had good sex before. But this. She finally understood the term “making love.” The, what seemed like endless, orgasm she had was icing on the cake to the treatment that Cat had given her. Cat was generous, passionate, tender, and rough all at once.
Kara had felt like she was fumbling, but when Cat came in her arms she had never felt more alive, more confident. Physical contact with Cat fed her very soul.
They stayed up talking late into the night, wrapped in Cat’s thousand dollar sheets. They cuddled with one another. They shared the deep insecurities they both had about being able to make the other truly happy. They laughed about the unlikeliness of them ever even finding each other. They made love again.
They laid there with arms and legs tangled together after. Cat’s head on Kara’s chest, Kara drawing meaningless patterns with her fingers on Cat’s bare back.
Kara glanced to the night stand and saw a book laying on it. She reached over and picked it up. The Count of Monte Cristo. Kara smiled and asked, “More Dumas?”
Cat tilted her head up and then propped herself up on her elbows. “Mmm,” she hummed. “This is my favorite. Have you read it?”
Kara shook her head and then said, “I’ve seen the movie.”
“Oh, no, no, no,” Cat responded, quietly. “The movie only captured a fraction of what Dantes went through. And they completely destroyed the ending. No, this story is about love, then love lost, then life lost. But even a life that seemingly has no meaning or purpose is redeemed. Then life is found again. Then love is found again.”
Kara listened to Cat, her mind wandering with her words. Then Cat spoke again, “All human wisdom is contained in these two words, wait and hope.” She looked at Kara. The words were a quote, but in that moment Cat thought they seemed applicable. “You are the hope that I’ve been waiting for, Kara.”
Kara took it in. She didn’t know how to respond, so she just said what she was thinking, “I love the sound of your voice.”
Cat smiled then, “So you’ve said.”
Kara slowly pushed the book toward her. “Read it to me?”
Cat dipped her head down and then looked back up with an apologetic expression. “I’m getting so sleepy, darling.”
But then Kara said, “Please.” Cat couldn’t remember Kara ever asking for something with a ‘please’ like that. She just looked at her. There it is, Kara thought, when she saw the smile form on Cat’s lips.
Cat sat up and took the book from Kara. “Alright,” she said, “but I am not starting at the beginning. It always takes me months to read this and I’m not starting over.”
“Noted,” Kara said, smiling, and settled in on the mattress beside Cat.
Cat sighed and opened it, turning some pages until she found a starting point. Kara reached over and rested her hand on Cat’s thigh.
“Chapter forty-seven-,” Cat began, but was cut off.
“Forty-seven!” Kara exclaimed.
Cat calmly, and a little sarcastically replied, “There are one hundred and seventeen chapters, darling. We’re starting at forty-seven.”
Kara just smiled into her pillow and nestled a little closer. Cat continued, putting her hand down to stroke Kara’s hair. “The Dappled Grays. The baron, followed by the count , traversed a long series of apartments, in which the prevailing characteristics were heavy magnificence and the gaudiness of ostentatious wealth…,”
Kara listened, lulled by Cat’s soothing tone. It sounded almost musical to her. The way she would stay neutral when reading something descriptive, or lift and lower her tone based on the dialogue. Her voice never faltered or stuttered. It was always sure.
Before they knew it, they had both fallen asleep, wrapped up in each other.
Cat read to Kara almost every day, in one capacity or another. She had started reading articles aloud while editing them in her office. Kara loved it. Mostly because of the absentminded way Cat did it, almost like she was talking to herself. She would pause to make a note and then continue.
She read the newspaper to her in the mornings, on the weekends. They sat at the breakfast table with their coffee. Kara tapped away at her tablet and Cat read to her. They would hear the sound of Carter’s video games coming from his room. It was wonderful. Kara looked forward to it all week.
She had moved in with the Grant’s about six months after they started dating. Cat and Kara couldn’t stand being apart. If they could be in the same place, the same room, they were. They’d spent too much time not being together to blow another minute.
One time, on a slow day while they were in Cat’s office, Kara was sitting on the couch and Cat was at her desk. Cat was actually bored, so she just typed the word “jokes” into a search engine.
Then Kara heard her say, nonchalantly, “Ordinarily, staring is creepy. But if you spread your attention across many individuals, then it's just people watching.”
Then she just casually looked at Kara like she’d said something very important. Kara glanced up with a confused look, then saw Cat’s face and busted out laughing. So did Cat. Then Cat spent the next thirty minutes just reading jokes to her from the computer. It was heaven.
But Kara’s favorite was always laying in bed with Cat while she read her a book. Any book. But mostly the classics. Cat loved the classics. Kara searched high and low to find a first edition of The Three Musketeers for her birthday. She knew it would complete Cat’s collection of Alexandre Dumas first editions and Cat loved that collection.
She was elated when she finally found one, certified with paper work and all. She knew Cat loathed it when her birthday was fussed over. She didn’t like being reminded of her age. So Kara didn’t mention it all day.
Cat kept it to herself, but she had actually been a little disappointed when Kara hadn’t acknowledged the day. Then, that evening, as Cat was finally slipping out of her business attire and into something comfortable, she noticed something unfamiliar on her night stand.
It was a book, and on top of it was a small, white envelope. She picked up the book and gave a small gasp. She opened it and saw the small first edition certificate tucked inside. She instantly turned to a few certain pages, confirming the original words herself.
She smiled and opened the card. Then she smiled wider.
“Happy birthday, my love. I hope this makes you happy. You have made me happier than I have ever been. Love, Kara”
Cat walked downstairs, holding her present to her chest. She found Kara on the sofa, watching TV. When Kara saw her, she immediately hit the pause button and turned on the sofa to face Cat. She was smiling, knowing that Cat would love it.
Cat just stood by the entry to the room. “This is the best gift anyone has ever given me,” she said, sincerely.
Kara was giddy. She stood and walked over to Cat, wrapping her arms around her. Cat kept the book clutched to her chest as Kara held her.
“Happy birthday, Cat,” she said, quietly.
“Thank you,” Cat responded, just as soft.
Kara pulled back and told her, “You have to promise to read it to me.”
Cat smiled and leaned up to kiss her gently on the lips. “Done,” she whispered against Kara’s lips. Then she kissed her again, less gently.
Finally, after a year together, Cat decided it was time to take the next step. She called Alex and asked her to lunch. She made an excuse at work about a lunch meeting and left. Kara didn’t give it another thought. Cat had spur of the moment meetings often.
After she and Alex ordered lunch and the waiter walked away, Cat slid a small black jewelry box across the table toward Alex. Alex eyed the box and pressed her lips together, not wanting to smile too big.
“Why, Cat, we haven’t even been on a date,” Alex joked.
Cat rolled her eyes and gave Alex an anxious look, not saying anything. Alex could tell she was nervous. She picked the box up and opened it. She breathed in at the beautiful oval shaped diamond, surrounded by more tiny stones. It wasn’t too big. Not nearly as big as Cat could afford. But they both new that Kara wasn’t flashy. Her expression became soft and she looked at Cat tenderly.
“Cat, this is beautiful. She’s going to love it,” Alex said, trying to settle Cat’s nerves.
Cat just quietly asked, “Do you think she’ll say yes?”
Alex closed the box and passed it back to Cat. She tucked it back into her purse. “She’s never happier than when she’s with you. She will shout yes from the roof tops.” Alex seemed sure. It reassured Cat. She took a deep breath and smiled. She laughed a little and Alex smiled back.
“I don’t have a clue how to ask her,” Cat said, shaking her head. “What do you think she would like?”
Alex thought for a moment. “I know she loves it when you read to her.” Cat just smiled again. “It doesn’t matter how you ask. You know she doesn’t care about making a big show of things.”
“When are you going to ask her?” Alex asked after a minute.
“As soon as I can think of something. If I wait, I’ll chicken out.”
Their food came and they started to eat. Alex said, “I like that were going to be sisters.”
Cat just looked at her. “We’ve been sisters for a while, haven’t we?”
Alex smiled, just a little. “Yeah. Yeah, we have.”
Cat took Kara out that night. They went to the Italian restaurant they went to on their first date. She didn’t have to have Cat read the menu this time. It had become one Kara’s favorite places. Dinner was good and the conversation was easy, as usual. Cat was working a little to keep her nerves settled. She knew Kara would be able to tell if something was off.
After dinner Cat suggested a walk. It wasn’t too long before they were walking down the pier. Cat had her hands around Kara’s arm as they walked. She was laughing as Kara told her a funny story from work that day. Kara smiled a big smile, always happy to make Cat laugh.
They got to the end of the pier and looked out over the water as the sun was setting. While Kara wasn’t looking, Cat inconspicuously took the small jewelry box from her purse and slipped it into the pocket of her slacks. With the moment suddenly here, she was overcome with nervousness. She took several deep breathes and tried to let the breeze from the water calm her.
Kara looked over and noticed Cat tensing. “Hey,” Kara reached for her hand, “you okay?”
Cat just nodded. “A little distracted.” She shifted her eyes to her purse. “Um, I wanted to read you something, if that’s alright.”
Kara immediately smiled brightly. “Absolutely.” She stepped a little closer. Cat pulled a book from her purse, then she set the bag aside and flipped through the pages. Kara glanced at the cover. Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens. She had never heard Cat read Dickens. She was always impressed by Cat’s spectrum of literary interests.
Cat leaned back against the railing and found the page she wanted. She had carefully highlighted the passage she wanted. She looked up at Kara, who was looking at her expectantly. Cat was about to start reading when she stopped. She waited for a moment, wanting to take Kara in. Right here, right now, remember what she looks like in this moment.
Kara felt a shift in Cat’s mood as she watched her. Something in her eyes softened. Cat’s nervousness vanished. She pushed off the railing and stood up straight before Kara. She gently took her hand and looked at the page. Then, after another breath, she began to read.
“You know what I am going to say.” She glanced up at Kara with a smile.
“I love you. What other men may mean when they use that expression, I cannot tell; what I mean is, that I am under the influence of some tremendous attraction which I have resisted in vain, and which overmasters me.” She felt Kara let go of her hand and put her hands on her waist. Kara pulled her just a little closer. She laid her free hand on Kara’s forearm.
“You could draw me to fire, you could draw me to water, you could draw me to the gallows, you could draw me to any death, you could draw me to anything I have most avoided, you could draw me to any exposure and disgrace.”
Cat closed the book. She had memorized the last part. She closed her eyes to recall the words and she felt Kara lean her forehead against her own. So she said the last words quietly.
“This and the confusion of my thoughts, so that I am fit for nothing, is what I mean by your being the ruin of me. But you could draw me to any good - every good - with equal force.”
They weren’t her words, but Cat meant them as if they were. She was ruined for anyone else. Kara had a power over her that she would never be able to explain. She would give Kara anything she asked. And in return, Kara made her a better person.
With their eyes still closed, Cat put her hands on Kara’s face and gently kissed her forehead. They opened their eyes and Cat took yet another breath.
She smiled as she bent one knee toward the wooden beams of the pier. She slipped the box from her pocket and flipped it open with her thumb in one move. She’d practiced that for three days.
Kara’s mouth dropped open and her eyes went wide. Cat held on to one of Kara’s hands for dear life. She spoke again. “Kara, I,” she looked away, searching for the right words. She hadn’t wanted this part to be rehearsed, but now she was rethinking that.
Then the words came. “I didn’t know myself until I met you. I never imagined that I could feel love as deeply as I feel it for you. I always thought the kind of care that you give me was something that had to be earned, but you give it freely. Sometimes I think I have to work to deserve you, but then I remember that I will never deserve you.”
A few tears had already escaped Kara’s eyes. She had taken Cat’s one hand on both of hers. She was captivated. She hung on every word as Cat continued.
“So because I know I will never deserve you, if you will let me, Kara, I will settle for trying to make you happy every day. And being with you for the rest of my life would make me the happiest person in the world. Kara, will you marry me?”
Cat’s face looked so hopeful. Kara thought she was the most beautiful person. She slowly dropped to her knees in front of Cat. She put her hands on her face and kissed her lips, gently at first, and when the kiss turned deep, Cat pulled back and said, breathy, “Kara, I need you to say it or I’m going to go crazy.”
Kara laughed and said an enthusiastic, “Yes!” Cat closed her eyes and smiled in relief. “Of course, yes. A thousand times, yes. Cat, I love you.”
“I love you, too.” Cat quickly slipped the ring on Kara’s finger like she didn’t want to give her a chance to change her mind. Kara pushed herself back to her feet and held a hand out for Cat. Cat took it and Kara helped her up.
Their arms were instantly around each other. They just held onto each other for a minute. When they pulled back from the hug, their lips came together. It was a deep kiss and it was slow. They kissed again. And again. Like they had done for the first time on this same pier.
Finally they began walking back up the pier. Kara was talking animatedly about how they needed to tell Carter and Alex immediately. “I can’t believe you asked me to marry you!” Kara took the book that Cat had read from and looked at it. “Will you read it to me?”
“Of course,” Cat said.
Then Kara added, “I love the sound of your voice.”
Cat just looked at her with so much love and said, “I love you.”