Note: I know this is short. But I wanted to get this posted before it goes too long.
*****
Lois paces anxiously as she waits for Mariah to come to the office. She had told the secretary that there is a family emergency and that she needed to pick up Mariah early. The secretary had sent an aide to go to Mariah’s classroom to get her.
Lois’s mind is still reeling from the events of this morning. Her baby, that less than twelve hours ago was thought to be dead, is really alive. And not only is she alive, Clark currently has her with him in their home.
So many questions are running through Lois’s mind right now that it is hard to keep them straight.
How had someone been able to convince them that their daughter was dead? And more importantly, why had they done so?
What had happened to Lara in the years that she been taken from them? Had she been taken care of? Or had she been mistreated?
While Lois hopes that Lara had had someone that had taken care of her and at least shown her a degree of kindness; she fears that might not have been the case.
As Lois waits, a class of sixth-graders walked past heading to the school library. Normally, the class wouldn’t have caught Lois’s attention beyond a first glance. However, with everything that is going on in Lois’s mind, she can’t help but watch the kids closely as they walk by.
Those kids are the same age as Lara. She should have been in that class, or at least one of the other sixth grade classes in the building. Some of those kids should have been Lara’s friends. She and Clark should have had some of those girls as guests in their home for sleepovers and birthday parties.
It hits Lois then, the magnitude of what had been stolen from them.
They hadn’t been able to be there to experience Lara growing up. They had missed hearing Lara’s first words. They didn’t get to see her take her first steps. They hadn’t been able to celebrate eleven birthdays with Lara. They didn’t get to play Santa Claus or Tooth-fairy for Lara as they did for Mariah.
Clark didn’t get to jog beside a training bike, holding the seat steady as Lara rode without training wheels for the first time. There had been no proudly presented Kindergarten crafts that would have hung on their refrigerator for weeks. They hadn’t been able to attend school plays or honors ceremonies. There were no Mother-daughter tea parties or Father-daughter dances.
While Lois had mourned the loss of those moments before, now she feels them in a new, raw way.
Other parents of missing children had searched for their children. They had search parties and vigils. There were fliers and even billboards declaring that a child was taken from their family. For Lara, they had had a funeral. They had grieved for their daughter and moved on with their lives; while Lara had been through who knows what.
That is probably why whoever that was behind Lara being taken from them had to make them believe that Lara was dead. If Lara had been simply kidnapped, then she and Clark wouldn’t have rested until Lara was returned and the kidnapper brought to justice. But now, Lois decides that they will seek justice for what has happened to their family.
Lois brought out of her thoughts by Mariah approaching the office. Lois can tell by her expression that Mariah is clearly worried about why she is being picked up from school early. But Lois knows that now is not the place to have a discussion with her youngest about Lara. So, before Mariah could ask any questions, Lois says:
“Come on, Mariah. We need to go.”
Fortunately, Mariah knows that there are things that can’t be talked about in front of other people. She has been aware of the Superman secret for the last year when it became obvious that Mariah was beginning to develop powers of her own.
So, she doesn’t say anything, just walks out of the lobby and towards the jeep with Lois. When they get to the Jeep, Lois quickly gets Mariah into her seat before getting in behind the wheel herself.
“Mom, what’s wrong?” Mariah asks as Lois starts up the engine. Lois isn’t sure exactly how much to tell Mariah. So, she decides to stick to the facts, but keep it simple.
“This morning when your dad was at a fire, he met a girl that had superpowers like him. Dr. Klein told us that the girl is Lara. Your dad has her at home, and he wants us to meet her.”
“Lara’s alive?” Mariah asks. It is hard to read exactly what she is thinking.
“Yeah. I don’t know all the details yet. But we’re going to find out.” Lois says as they leave the school parking lot.
"And Lara's home?" Mariah asks after a few minutes.
"Yeah, she is." Lois answers.
Lois knows that Mariah is having a hard time processing this turn of events. She and Clark had frequently wondered how much Mariah really understood about her older sister.
Lois again is hit with the pain of what their family had suffered.
Mariah should have had her older sister all these years. Lara should have been there to be the example and the one Mariah looks up to. She and Clark should have had to referee sisterly squabbles. The fact that her daughters hadn't had the chance to have the sister bond like Lois has with Lucy is something Lois had always mourned. Now she wonders just how will the girls get along now that Lara is home.
But before Lois can dwell anymore on the subject, she is making the turn onto Hyperion Ave and their townhouse comes into view. Parking out front, Lois has to take a deep breath before getting out of the jeep as her stomach is now fully lodged in her throat as a feeling that she can't fully describe comes over her.
As she and Mariah approach the door, Lois feels completely unprepared for what is waiting for her on the other side. So it is with a bit of trepidation that Lois turns the doorknob and slowly opens the door.
