How Many Tears Are Enough?

Five

One picnic on the cliff turns into two, three, four and soon enough a steady biweekly event. They bring books or games, spend their time in easy silence, light banter or deep conversations and Kara's job continues feeling less and less like work and more and more like rooming with a good friend – best friend even, dare she say.

As Lena gets more used to leaving her prison and relaxes more around Kara, she starts making requests for Kara to help her with activities other people probably wouldn't bat an eye at but Kara knows it's a big step. They start with walks on the trail. The first day they don't run into anyone but the second time they go on a Saturday and there's several cars already parked on the little lot when they arrive. Kara slings her backpack over her shoulders and is nearly bouncing with excitement. She's walked this trail several times alone on Sundays but there's something about walking here with Lena that makes it infinitely better, even if Lena is a little apprehensive and very quiet.

"You'll love it!" Kara reassures her enthusiastically when she hesitates at the line of trees marking the trail's entrance. "It's a really pretty trail and it's not too long. It's a lot better than the way to the cliff and we can turn around any moment you want."

Lena visibly swallows whatever she was about to say next and slips on her sunglasses, taking the first step onto the gravelly path and another step on her road to recovery.

The park is even more beautiful than usual. The sun casts off the remaining drops of water on the leaves of the trees and shrubs after an early morning showers, making it appear almost like a magical forest, glittering in brightness. There's a nearly hypnotical silence in the air neither of them seems willing to break and they're rewarded with views of deer, rabbits, birds and squirrels.

They don't run into other people until after they've stopped for lunch. Kara can sense Lena tensing up when they're still several yards away. It's a middle-aged couple wearing matching Khaki's and sun visors looking about as harmless as the butterfly Kara spotted sitting on a leave a few miles back. Kara understands Lena's reaction. She's only had contact with her mother, her doctor and Luthor manor's staff, never with new people. Never with strangers. Nothing unpredictable. Not since Kara started and she was just another employee.

But, since this is the main reason for their walk on a Saturday specifically, Kara doesn't slow down and Lena seems encouraged by Kara's complete lack of reaction. A few moments later they cross paths.

"G'day," the man greets with a nod.

"Afternoon," the woman says with a similar nod and friendly smile.

Kara greets them back, wishing them a nice day and Lena croaks out something unintelligible that's probably also meant to be a greeting. It's all over very fast, neither Kara and Lena nor the couple slowing their pace and they don't seem bothered in the slightest by Lena's momentary lost ability of forming words, smiling again and passing them, walking out of hearing distance within seconds.

"That couldn't have gone worse," Lena mutters, clearly angry with herself.

"It could have. You did fine, Lena."

Lena shakes her head. "I sounded like a dumbass. I couldn't even form a simple word like 'hello'. How hard is it to say 'hello'? Why couldn't I just say 'hello'?!" Lena burrows her face in her hands. Kara can tell she's on the verge of tears and guides her to a tree stump on the side of the path, sitting down next to her and gently prying her hands away.

"Lena, look at me," she requests and waits for Lena to comply after a few long seconds. Her green eyes are watery but hold so much internal anger. "You did fine. You can't expect to be perfect at something when you do it for the first time or haven't done it in a very long time. Next time you'll do it better and before you know it, it's second nature again."