108. Chapter 108

She teases Alex when she hears it, and she teases her almost mercilessly.

Maggie whispering to her big sister in the kitchen, kissing her all over her face, her fingers rubbing that spot at the small of Alex’s back where she feels fear, holding the bourbon away from her, talking softly to her, talking tenderly to her, because Alex is almost hyperventilating at Eliza’s impending arrival for dinner, because Alex is shaking, and Maggie’s eyes are as soft as her voice: “You’re gonna be just fine, babe, I’m here and I’ve got you. You’re perfect, Ally, alright, no matter what your mom says.”

Kara hears – of course Kara hears, because she doesn’t mean to be intrusive but she always tries to pay special attention to Alex’s state of mind when Eliza is in town – and Kara teases Alex until she’s red in the face and flustered, and Kara plays it off, and she lets it go, but she can’t stop staring at her sister and her sister’s girlfriend throughout dinner.

The way Maggie uses only her fork and no knife because one of her hands is constantly rubbing circles on Alex’s shaking knee under the table.

The way Maggie makes sure she refills Alex’s water glass more often than she refills her wine glass.

The way Alex’s entire body relaxes, the way her lips twitch upward, the way she leans almost imperceptibly closer to her, whenever her eyes catch Maggie’s.

The way Alex has an almost normal conversation with Eliza, because every time she starts to get scared, every time she starts to get defensive, every time she starts to get triggered, she glances at Maggie, and Maggie gives her this little smile, this little stare, and Alex just… relaxes.

And Kara thinks she knows what Maggie’s eyes are reminding her sister: you’re perfect, Ally.

Because there’s something about Alex letting Maggie call her that, call her a nickname that’s all her own, call her a pet name that’s private, call her a promise that she can be Maggie’s girl and also her own woman.

There’s an intimacy in the name that Kara’s never seen Alex accept; that Kara’s never seen Alex want; and that’s how she knows that Maggie Sawyer is sticking around. For good.

And, watching Maggie kiss Alex’s temple casually as she insists on the others sitting and enjoying while she clears away the plates and gets the dessert she made just for Kara, she couldn’t be happier about it.