Dearest friends, family and frenemies*,

Cat and I would just like to take a few minutes to sincerely thank you for everything you’ve done for us the past few years. No relationship exists in a vacuum (believe me, I’ve lived in one) and since letting ours breathe it has highlighted how fortunate we are to have the love and support of each of you every step of the way. From our rocky beginnings, to Cat’s injuries and ultimately my leaving National City, I’ve always had the light and love of those around me to push me to new heights and to remind myself that the love of this woman next to me is a gift given to me by Rao himself. And even when things looked darkest, and I didn’t think I’d ever find my way fully into her heart, it was you who were there to be my sun, my beacon to show me the path. And I like to think you guided her to me in a few small ways too.

You know, destiny is a funny thing. I think that –

Destiny, Kara? You can consider that our new d-word, because talking about destiny takes away too much from our own good taste and excellent decision-making. That’s right, you were all our witnesses. I saw what I wanted, and I went for it, in signature Cat Grant style.

Okay, so maybe the drama along the way helped with perspective. That much I will concede. Let destiny, Rao, Martha Stewart, and any other omnipotent forces note though, that Kara and I are choosing a life together: a marriage, our son, and this suddenly very expanded family that I find myself a part of. Thank you all, for all that you’ve done. Especially for sharing our special day.

Anyway, family or not, you have the rest of our thoroughly deshabillé honeymoon to collect any belongings you may have left behind at our home. Anything remaining when we return will be donated to charity. Or burned.

Carter darling, we both miss you terribly. I hope that Alex and J’onn aren’t teaching you advanced firearms yet, though by the time you see this you’ll be heading to your father’s. Please work out any new DEO ninja skills on him to get it out of your system. This also applies to any weird alien science you’ve been studying there.

What Cat is trying to say is thank you for taking Carter while we’re away! In spite of Cat’s demands, she trusts you both implicitly. Vasquez is on standby if you need her. No all-night poker tournaments, Susan! We’re grateful for you both. And frankly, I think Carter’s thankful to get away from us for awhile. We may have been a bit unbearable in the weeks leading up to the wedding.

Perfection makes demands of all of us, and Carter understands that. What he’ll be more pleased to hear is that we have another week of sun, sea, and … Scrabble all to ourselves before he has to be in our company again. I don’t want to hear another ‘gross, Mom!’ when we’re all together again.

We love you all! We’ll bring you back tacky beach mementos! Check the envelope for the first official wedding snap, James was kind enough to FedEx it to us because he knows I couldn’t wait!

All our love, hugs and thanks, and a very pointed glare*

and

*Lois, these comments were added for you. I’m sorry, but Cat wouldn’t let me seal the envelope and send unless I included them. But I saw you both drunk on champagne and hugging at the reception so you don’t fool me.

I do wish the novelty of calling you that would wear off. It’s been months. Almost four of them now, and I’m yet to find a single concrete reason to banish you. Yes, it took some time to adjust to your taste in loungewear, mostly because I thought that’s what you’d been wearing to the office for two years. Imagine my surprise to discover there was yet another layer of ‘casual’ still to come.

I’m deflecting, which you’ve no doubt already realized. I’d say it’s the home court advantage, but nobody else who’s ever lived under the same roof as me, from my father, through college roommates, right down to my son, has ever paid attention to me the way that you have.

For the first time ‘living together’ feels like the world has expanded, rather than my own kingdom being invaded. I may just be drunk on regular, amazing sex and something as quaint as making time to watch a movie together in the den, but I do know that I want more of it. Much more.

I promised you when I asked you to move in with me that I would never take a decision away from you, or put pressure on that huge heart and boundless good nature of yours. You see, Kara darling, there’s something else I want to ask you, but I don’t want you to decide in the drama of the moment. This time, this one time in my life, I want both parties to be completely sure.

I’ve never asked anyone to marry me before. I know that statistics alone suggest I should have had a turn by now, but it’s the one area of my life that I’ve occasionally ducked responsibility for. I want that to change. You make me want to change that.

So consider this my pre-proposal. You should be picking this up as you swoop through the dining room window, and hopefully the landing will be kinder to the crystal in the cabinets this time.

I want this forever, Kara.

The opinion of others has never mattered to me, but lately the simple act of holding your hand makes me want to announce to the world that you’re all mine, just as I am yours. It took the best part of five decades, but it seems there was a romantic lurking in here all along. She was just waiting for you.

So if this question is one you want to be asked, officially, I’ll be waiting on the roof terrace like so many other evenings. We’ve always looked best against a dramatic vista, and while this is no fortieth floor, the view is still quite something.

If the time is wrong, or you don’t want to have to tell me ‘no’, then I promise I’ll understand. I might pout, at least until it causes a wrinkle, but it won’t affect this beautiful life we’ve carved out for ourselves.

I know which answer I’m hoping for, but the decision now is entirely and freely yours.

Until later, love,

“I’ve tried to leave it all behind me But I woke up and there they were beside me And I don’t believe it but I guess it’s true Some feelings, they can travel too” (x)

I’m sorry for not being here when you woke up, but I knew you’d find this immediately, the coffeemaker being your first stop each morning.  I’ve gone out for pastry and ‘acceptable’ coffee.  In the meantime, you’ll have to do with this terrible shade-grown French-pressed medium roast that you keep laying around.  I’ll be back soon with your regular neighborhood latte in hand.

I did what you asked.  I was ready to give you an answer last night, but you pressed my favorite finger against my lips and said, “Sleep on it, please.”  So I did.  Granted, it was a few (very pleasant) hours before we actually slept, but when I woke up this morning to the vision of your bare curves outlined in sunlight, my answer remained exactly the same.

Yes, Cat.  Yes, yes, a thousand times yes.

Your place, our place, Melrose place... Cat I would live on the moon with you if you asked me to. I wanted to suggest it.  I dreamed up a dozen ways to bring it up.  I just didn’t want to assume... or crowd you.  You like your space, and Carter’s space and I respect that space, always.  But how can a girl say no to an offer like that?  My home is wherever you are.  You aren’t taking my power or my independence or my agency by telling me you want me close to you.  You’re telling me you want to be a family and I can hardly breathe for happiness.

But … I did plan this whole day, complete with gourmet lunch and an afternoon martini break, so, indulge me for a few hours, okay?  Let’s at least go look at the Georgetown place, if only to make out in that sunroom for a few minutes?  Who knows, you may find a new calling in real estate investment.

Say the word and I’ll start moving all of my delightfully eclectic DIY furnishings from my hipster paradise into your perfectly curated luxury townhome.  I hope you like pastel ceramic and decoupage.  

Don’t worry, I’ll make it up to you with regular morning bagels and magnificent sex.

All my love.

Your new roomie,

Kindwoman?  I mean, despite your opinion of my branding abilities, I do have something approaching taste, or aesthetic or, at the very least a sense of drama.  Surely Stargirl or Powergirl would have suited.  But I will admit, you do have a knack for naming things.  I still call Barry ‘The Blur’ at every given opportunity, so we’ll stick with Supergirl for now.

I digress, of course.  I was crestfallen to find I’d slept through your departure.  I’d hoped for those few final intimacies I’ve come to love so.  Pinning you to the sheets to prevent you from leaving the warmth of my bed, watching the soap bubbles run down the curve of your spine, the mingling scents of your shampoo and lotion and perfume. Dancing around each other in the kitchen, pouring coffee and toasting bread and rinsing dishes.  Those final, sweet, rushed kisses in the doorway when neither of us are ready to let go.  After I’d read your note and cried my disappointment out my bay window, I called in sick to both of my jobs, crawled back into the bed which still smelled like you, and focused on thinking outside the box.

Enclosed, you’ll find the fruits of my labor.  What I found, in thinking outside the box, was ultimately going to put me in a smaller one, and I couldn’t be more happy.  Goodness, Cat, cost of living in Washington is a bit outrageous.  If I can’t get a job at the Post, maybe the rent control lobby is looking for someone.  But I’ve narrowed it down to four postage-stamp sized, box-shaped studios in Georgetown and Arlington that I think will suit.  If I can make my loft in NC into a home fit for a Cat Grant overnight, surely I can give the top floor of a DC brownstone the same treatment.

If you can manage to free up an afternoon next weekend, I thought we could check them out together and you can help me decide.

I’m not being subtle here.  I don’t need to write the words.  This took very little thought, only a heartfelt, teary conversation with Alex, a logistics discussion with J’onn and the promise of a monthly game night with the boys.  I’ll miss them, but at my speed they’ll never be far, and it’s time to fly on my own.  My heart belongs elsewhere.  They all understand and send their love.

I realize I may have skipped a couple of steps.  You suggested a talk and I know this went far beyond that, but I know what I want, Cat.  Change is in the air, and for once in my life, I’m not afraid of it.

I’ll be in DC to look at apartments on Friday, even if you’re unable to get away.

Hug Carter for me.  He’s a part of all of this too, but we’ll get to that, I’m sure.

See you soon.  I love you.

How can someone who can hear my heartbeat across the country sleep so soundly? I’ve made every possible noise, from dropping my shoes to running the coffee maker, and you haven’t stirred. You’re just lying there, almost boneless in your complete relaxation. Despite the plane that’s waiting for me, all I want to do is stay here an hour longer and trace every line and dip of your back.

And yes, before you start panicking. It was worth the wait. More than worth it. I believe I gave you all the evidence you need on that front.

In so many ways this feels like déjà vu. Zipping across the country, stolen nights and weekends. This restart has only served to remind me why you fell head over heels for me in the first place. After all, how could you not?

Which is to say that my own feelings are running just as strong. Any reservations I had, any lingering hurt over Adam and that whole fiasco, none of that compares to the force of how I feel about you. Is loving a Kryptonian supercharged by the yellow sun? I’m beginning to suspect it might be.

That said, we’re going to have to talk, darling. About the future, about being happy, about the things we both want. We’re both so busy, both have ties to different coasts that seem immovable. If I believed that couldn’t be overcome, well, I’d still be in Metropolis and CatCo would probably be a pet food supplier now. God knows what your official branding would be like. You’d probably have called yourself Kindwoman or something equally awful.

So start thinking big. Outside the box, inside it. Throw the box away, or incinerate it if we must. It’s time to make a plan.

It’s time to make a life.

Let me know what you think,

Yours, indefinitely,