Hold On

Predicament

Lena was, to put it simply, excited for the week ahead. Considering the broken finger her best friend was sporting, she couldn't help but use the time she had preparing the guest rooms to come up with things for them to do. While she was setting up the room for Alex, she started thinking about the circumstances that led her here. The mild-mannered personification of a golden retriever puppy breaking her finger was surprising enough. But for her to do so fighting was not something she would ever believe. Not to mention it was the slimeball's face she broke it on. Part of her wished she was there to see it, while the rest of her is relieved she wasn't. She couldn't imagine just how far things could have possibly gone if she were there. Besides, she got to spend the day with her family. Finishing up Alex's room, she moved on to clean up Kara's. Opening the door to her friend's room, she came face-to-face with the dark painting. While she knows it is a beautiful piece, the story behind it is too much for her to handle at the moment. So, she takes the nearest blanket and drapes it over the easel before cleaning up the nearly nonexistent mess.

Finishing up the room preparation, Lena finds herself in the kitchen with her mother, both with a cup of hot chocolate. Dropping a few marshmallows in the mugs, Lillian hands one to Lena before directing them to the living room. On one end of the couch, Lillian sits with a blanket draped over her lap and a worn book in her hands. On the other, Lena curls her legs beneath her, clutching the warm mug to her chest, blowing on it softly before taking a sip. Her phone buzzing on her lap alerted her of an incoming message from Kara.

"Kara texted me. They are about ten minutes away." Lena speaks softly putting her phone face down on the side table. Placing a bookmark between the pages of her book, Lillian closes it and turns to her daughter.

"Before they get here, I want to thank you for telling me what happened. I know I haven't been the best mother lately, prioritizing work, but I'm glad to see you still feel comfortable coming to me." The older Luthor says quietly.

"Of course, Mother. Thank you for letting Kara and her family stay here."

"I think it will be good for you. Being surrounded by the people you love. Besides, you speak so highly of Kara, I'd like to get to know her better." Looking into her mug, Lillian sees a real smile make its way onto her daughter's face for the first time in two days. Sliding closer to her mother, Lena lays her head on Lillian's shoulder sipping her hot chocolate carefully. Picking up her book, Lillian removes the bookmark before mindlessly running her hand through her daughter's hair. For a few quiet minutes, Lena listens to Lillian's soft reading, hot chocolate gone, hands curled into the blanket. Lena loves this time with her mother. Sure, they aren't doing anything but reading, but she misses the time they used to spend together. She understands how important a doctor's work is, but she also hates how time-consuming it is, so she cherishes these, albeit short, moments.

Lena knows that she's going to have to tell Lex what happened. She could feel the curiosity that he, thankfully, didn't voice. But that doesn't mean she can keep him in the dark. It's not fair to him. Besides, she's always told him everything. Since the Luthor's adopted her at age four she's been nearly glued to Lex. Following him everywhere, learning from him. Before she met Kara, Lex was her confidant. The person she went to for everything. Advice, help, an uplifting story, he did it all. She's just afraid of how he will react, he has always been protective of her. She remembers a time when her elementary school was at recess, and someone pushed her during a game of tag. She had chalked it up to them being rowdy seven-year old's, and not knowing much better. But Lex, on the other hand, had a long talk with the other kid about being more careful and to be more aware of their surroundings. It wasn't much but Lena liked to joke that Lex was her knight in a well-ironed suit. His middle school had a uniform that consisted of a navy-blue suit with the crest on the left side and matching pants. While the shoes didn't matter, Lex liked to be proper like their father, so he got dress shoes to match his outfit.