Hope

7

"We should get going. It's getting late and it's almost Naomi's bed time." Kara fake smiles, trying to take Naomi back from the teenager.

"No Mama. I want to show Daddy my flying."

"You can do that tomorrow. Baby come on... please."

"No Mama I don't want to go home." Naomi replies.

At this point Kara is begging her daughter to come with her. All she wants to do is leave. But Naomi didn't want to go and she needs to leave before she causes a scene.

"Okay fine. Stay with Daddy. Auntie Alex will drive you home whenever you're ready."

"Kara you should join us." Mon-el invites. "It's been awhile since we've all had some time together."

"No. I have so much to clean at home and it's just- I'll just see you later. Watch out for her. Nice meeting you Shaylee." Kara rushes.

•••

Mon-el and the kids stay in the training room and watch as Naomi flies back and forth between the room.

"She's even prettier in person." Shaylee states, talking about Kara. "I can see why you're so in love with her. She's incredible."

"But so much has happened Shay. I don't think it's that easy to have things the way they used to be."

"Don't give up hope. I have a feeling everything is going to work out for the both of you."

Abruptly, Alex walks into the room and slams the door open, demanding for Naomi to come with her.

"Mimi come on let's go. It's late." Alex states.

"But we just started flying. It's been barely ten minutes."

"Kiddo it's been an hour. That's enough for the day."

"Hey Mimi. Auntie Alex is right. Go home, get some sleep." Mon-el joins in.

"You're not coming home with us Daddy?"

"I'm sorry princess, I still have a lot of work to finish up here." Mon-el apologizes. "Be good for Mama and Auntie Alex. I'll see you soon."

"Okay..." Naomi sighs. Mon-el plants a kiss on her cheek and hands her over to Alex.

"Bye Shay."

"Bye Naomi." Shaylee smiles.

Alex gives Mon-El a glare before walking out of the DEO with her niece. She drives over to Kara's apartment and walks Naomi up to the apartment door. As soon as Alex walks up to the door, Kara swings it open and grabs Naomi out of her hands.

"Thanks Alex. I got to get her to bed. I'll see you at the DEO tomorrow."

"But Kara-" Alex states, while getting a door slammed in her face.

Kara walks Naomi to the bathroom and carefully takes off her clothes. She tosses it to a laundry basket and starts running the bath water. Naomi hops into the tub and starts playing with her bath toys as Kara puts in the bubbles. Kara watches in silence as her daughter plays with her toys and acts out her little stories.

"And then the dragon flew into the huge volcano and it went BOOM!" Naomi shouts, making a huge splash.

She soaks Kara with water from head to toe and covers the entire floor with water. Naomi stars to giggle uncontrollably but immediately stops when she sees her mother's face turning bright red.

"Naomi! You can't be serious. Look at the mess you've made!" Kara scolds.

"I'm sorry Mama." Naomi apologizes. "I'll clean it up I promise."

"Don't Naomi. Just don't. I'll clean it up. Go get dressed."

Kara wraps Naomi in a towel and sends her off to her bedroom. She brings out the mop and stars cleaning up the water and soap Naomi left. As she's cleaning the floor, she looks up at the mirror and stares longingly at her face. Suddenly, she sees that sad girl again. The broken, miserable, and hopeless girl who wanted nothing more than for her love to return.

Oh how the universe works it's miraculous ways. The person she loved has finally returned. Only it's not him. This man never looks at her with the same love and happiness as he used to. All she sees in this man is how happy he is with his new life. Leaving the once sad girl, even more miserable than ever before.

Tears start to slip from Kara's eyes and she drops the mop. Looking away from the mirror, she drops to the floor and sobs.

Naomi flinches at the sound of the drop of the mop and rushes over to the bathroom. Looking inside, she finds her mother sobbing on the floor, surrounded by water. An instant amount of guilt rushes inside of her and an idea sparks.

She quietly flies around the house, grabs her Dorothy dress, red slippers, and Toto. Then, she grabs all the yellow construction paper she could find in the apartment and lays it on the floor. She slips her outfit on and walks back into the bathroom where her mother is. As loud as she could, Naomi clicks her red shoes three times and gets Kara's attention.

"Come on Mama. We're off to see the wizard." Naomi beams.

Kara looks up at her daughter and chuckles at Naomi's attempt to cheer her up. Going along with it, Kara gets up and follows her daughter down the makeshift yellow brick road. Naomi grabs her mother's hands and looks in her teary eyes.

"Somewhere over the rainbow way up high.
And the dreams that you dreamed of once in a lullaby. Somewhere over the rainbow, blue birds fly. And the dreams that you dreamed of.
Dreams really do come true ooh oh." Naomi sings. "Well I see skies of blue and I see clouds of white. And the brightness of day I like the dark. And I think to myself what a wonderful world. The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky. Are also on the faces of people passing by. I see friends shaking hands. Singing, "How do you do?"

"They're really singing, "I, I love you." Kara finishes, looking at her daughter with a giant smile.

"Three beats." Naomi starts, holding out her three little fingers.

"Two of us." Kara continues.

"One heart." They finish, locking their fingers together. Kara brings Naomi into a giant hug and plants a kiss at the top of her head.