Friday November 21, 2008
Lois hung her keys on the hook in the mudroom and dropped her purse on the bench, then followed the smell of the pot roast Clark had left cooking in the crock pot all day to the empty kitchen. She checked her watch. 5:38. They had one hour to get everyone fed, changed, and out the door.
“Clark?” she called.
When she got no response, she headed upstairs. She found JP playing in his room and Mattie changing into the new dress Lois had bought her.
“Look at you,” Lois said softly. “You look so grown up.”
Mattie beamed.
“Where’s your dad?” Lois asked.
“Taking a shower, I think? He said he was going to get ready.”
She walked down the hall, opened the door to the master bedroom, and stepped inside, looking for Clark. She followed the steam through the open bathroom door and found him still wet from his shower, with a towel around his hips, shaving in the mirror. She leaned against the door jam and let herself enjoy the view.
When he was finished, he smirked and walked over for a kiss. “I know what you are thinking, and we definitely do not have time,” he said with a wink.
She watched a drop of water fall from his hair to his shoulder, then slide down his chest and stomach until it disappeared under the towel, heat pooling low in her belly. She lifted a hand and followed its path with a finger. “Are you sure, because-”
“I promise I’ll make it up to you at your earliest convenience,” he teased. Then he dipped his head and kissed her, full of promise.
When he pulled away, he walked back over to the sink and toweled off, then disappeared into the closet.
She plugged her curling iron in, then pulled her hair back into a ponytail and washed off her makeup, deciding to start fresh rather than touch it up. She took her time, aware that they’d be drawing more attention than usual tonight and she might as well go into it feeling as confident as possible.
Clark emerged from the closet in a dark suit and a subdued paisley tie in fall colors. He looked every bit as desirable as he had a few minutes earlier wearing nothing but a towel, and her eyes tracked his every movement in the mirror. She smiled at him as he came to stand behind her, sliding his arms around her waist, then turned in his arms, running his tie through her fingers, noting the burgundy accents woven throughout. She lifted her eyes to his and cocked an eyebrow.
“Did you pick this tie to match my dress?” she asked.
He smiled and winked at her. “I figured if we were making a statement, we might as well go all in.” She laughed and kissed him, her nerves settling momentarily.
“Also,” he said, dipping his head to kiss her neck and speaking softly into the sensitive skin there. “I think we have very different definitions of ‘nothing to get excited about’ because I am dying to see you in that dress. Hurry up and finish getting ready.”
She shivered, and he kissed her neck again. She sighed contentedly. “Or we could just skip the whole thing and stay home.”
“Not a chance, my love.” He kissed her one last time and straightened. “I’m going to get JP ready and finish dinner.”
“Don’t put his dress shirt on him until he’s eaten,” she said, and he nodded. She reluctantly turned her attention back to her makeup. “Go ahead and eat when it’s ready. I’ll be down as soon as I can. Don’t wait for me.”
A half hour later, makeup flawless and hair curled into loose waves, she stepped into the burgundy dress she’d bought for the evening. The top was a smooth cotton, fitted snug with sleeves to the elbows. The skirt flared at the waist and fell just to her knee. The skirt’s top layer, a burgundy chiffon with beading details at the hem, drew attention down to her legs. She pulled on a pair of strappy black heels and checked the effect in the full-length mirror, pleased with the way they elongated her already long legs. She slipped a finger through the gold chain of the necklace he’d just given her, tugging it out from under the neckline of the dress. It rested perfectly on the conservative scoop neck, the creamy white of the opal a stark contrast to the deep burgundy. She added simple gold earrings and smiled an awkward, nervous smile into the mirror. “Here goes nothing,” she whispered.
She walked downstairs, through the living room and into the dining area where Clark sat at the table eating with the kids. He stood automatically when she entered, and then she watched his eyes travel from her face, down to the necklace, then past her dress to her legs and back up. His eyes met hers again, dark with desire, and he whispered her name.
“Zip me?” she asked softly, turning.
He was beside her in an instant, one hand gliding down her arm while the other deftly tugged the zipper up. He brushed her hair aside and kissed her gently on the neck. “You are so beautiful,” he breathed against her skin. “How did I ever get this lucky?”
She turned to face him and reached up to stroke his cheek. “You’re not so bad yourself, Farmboy.”
“You look so pretty, Mommy!” Mattie interrupted.
“Yeah!” JP agreed.
“Thank you, my loves,” she said, turning in his arms to face them.
“Let me get you a plate,” Clark said. “I didn’t want to serve you until you came down so it wouldn’t get cold.”
“I’ll get it,” she said, running a hand down his arm. “Go sit and eat.”
He looked as if he were going to protest, but she shooed him back to his seat and walked to the kitchen counter to serve herself. It was as delicious as it smelled, and she found herself eating hungrily despite her nerves. When they were finished, they made quick work of the dishes and Clark put up the leftovers while she got JP into his dress shirt, shoes, and coat.
Clark helped her into a long wool coat and then slid his arms into his own winter coat.
“Where’s your coat, Mattie?” Lois asked, grabbing her keys from the hook and handing them to Clark.
“I don’t need-”
“Mattie,” Clark said in a quiet voice that brooked no arguments. “We’re going out in public. Put your coat on.”
Mattie nodded solemnly and retrieved her dress coat from the closet. Clark held it for her and she slipped her arms in and fastened the buttons.
Lois felt her nerves grow on the short drive to the school, and she smiled when Clark reached out to take her hand and then raised it to his mouth for a gentle kiss.
“I love you,” he whispered. “Your children love you. We can do hard things.”
“No fair using my own words against me,” she teased, her words catching in her throat.
“Well, you never liked when I edited your copy, so…”
She gazed at him, overwhelmed by her love. She pulled their joined hands into her lap and stroked his hand tenderly.
From the backseat, Mattie babbled about the surprise project she had on display, and the projects of her friends that they just had to check out. Lois glanced into the backseat, surveying her children and finding herself surprisingly emotional. She had expected the nerves, but the deep gratitude and love she felt for her family tonight caught her by surprise.
Clark pulled the car into the parking lot and quickly found a spot. He parked and turned off the ignition.
“Wait for me,” he said softly, unfastening his seatbelt and sliding out of his seat. She laughed and shook her head as he jogged around the front of the car to her door, opening it for her. Always the gentleman. He offered her his hand and she took it, rising from her seat. He leaned forward and kissed her cheek.
“I’m so happy,” he confessed. “I’ve missed this so much.”
“Me too,” she said, reaching to stroke his cheek. “So much.”
He opened the door to the backseat and Mattie and JP tumbled out, already arguing about whose class display they should visit first.
Lois laughed, thankful for a moment of normalcy. She slipped her hand into the crook of Clark’s arm.
“Ready?” he asked.
“As I’ll ever be,” she replied.
The kids burst ahead, and they followed in their wake up the manicured, lighted sidewalk to the front door of the school. Inside, they handed over their tickets and took their drink tickets in exchange, then checked their coats. As soon as their coats were gone, she curled her hand back around his left arm, and he immediately raised his right hand to stroke hers.
They followed the kids into the gymnasium, which had been transformed into an art gallery. JP won the argument for first viewing by virtue of being closest to the door, and they took their time, speaking with his teacher and then perusing his class display of Warhol-inspired pop art, each piece sectioned into six squares, painted contrasting bright colors, and topped with black handprints.
JP excitedly explained the painting process, including a detailed description of the paint squelching between his fingers that made Lois want to wash her hands. She shuddered slightly and Clark laughed.
They wandered through the other kindergarten class section and worked their way through the lower grades, stopping briefly to talk with parents they knew or meet parents of friends JP was excited to see.
“Come on,” Mattie whined, finally. “Let’s go see my class!”
“Lead the way,” Clark said, and they followed as she zipped through the gym, criss crossing multiple grade levels before finding the fifth grade section. Her class had drawn rural landscapes using black markers to outline their subjects and then filling in each section with colored lines of every kind -- vertical, horizontal, diagonal and curved. The effect was surreal but lovely and Lois was intrigued by how much variation there was between each piece, despite having the same basic premise. Mattie dragged them to her drawing, and then waited eagerly for their reaction.
“Oh, Mattie it’s…” Lois breathed.
“Smallville,” Clark finished.
She beamed at their immediate recognition. The Kent family farm was captured perfectly, the house in the foreground with the barn in the back, the sky the warm orange of sunset.
“It’s beautiful, sweet girl,” Lois said. “Grandma Martha is going to love this so much.”
She looked up at Clark and saw that he was choked up. She slid her hand from his arm and reached up to cup his cheek. He turned to her, resting his forehead against hers. He pulled back and she looked at him questioningly, and he dipped his head, his lips near her ear. “I wish my dad could see this.”
Her eyes filled with tears immediately, and she took a shaky breath. “I know, sweetheart. I know. Me too.”
He lifted his head and she slipped an arm around his waist, resting her head on his chest, as they looked again at Mattie’s drawing.
“It’s beautiful, Mattie,” Clark said finally. “I love it.”
She hugged them both, smiling widely. “See all the tiny lines of color? I worked so hard on it.”
Lois lifted her head from Clark’s chest and nodded. “I can tell,” she said honestly. “You did great, Mattie. It’s wonderful.”
“Let’s go find Abby’s class!” Mattie said, ready to move on now that her big reveal was over.
Lois let her arm slide from Clark’s waist and slipped her hand into his, threading their fingers together. He squeezed her hand gently, and turned to smile at her before following Mattie through the crowd to find the other fifth grade class.
When they reached the right section, Lois caught sight of a city councilman who had been ducking her calls for weeks, and her head snapped around to follow him.
“Do not even think about it,” Clark said with a laugh, tugging her closer and wrapping his arms around her waist. “Lois Lane, Pulitzer prize winning reporter is off duty tonight. Lois Lane, wife and mother, is the only one here.”
Lois rolled her eyes, fully intending on cornering the councilman before the night was through, but she relaxed against him for the moment, allowing him to think he had won.
“I know you’re just humoring me,” he said, unable to hide his laughter. “You are not nearly as clever as you think you are. You should have at least pretended to protest.”
“Abby!” Mattie called.
Lois looked up to see Abby and Kate approaching, and Mattie ran to greet them. Kate raised her eyebrows and smiled, and Lois felt herself blush as she extricated herself from Clark’s embrace and stepped forward to give Kate a quick hug.
“Thank god you’re here,” Kate said conspiratorially. “Come with me to get a drink?”
Lois nodded and turned to Clark. “We’ll be back in a minute. Do you want anything?”
Clark shook his head and fished a couple of drink tickets out of his pocket and handed them to her.
“Hi, Clark,” Kate said with a smile. “I’ll bring her right back, I promise.”
“Hello, Kate,” he said, returning the smile. “Take your time. We’ll be here.”
“That’s a hell of a dress,” Kate said when they were out of earshot. “Given the way he had his arms wrapped around you when I found you, I’d say Clark is a fan.”
Lois laughed. “It seems to be doing the job.”
“I take it this is the big coming out,” Kate said.
“Might as well rip off the bandaid,” Lois replied. “I’d rather make a splash tonight and get it over with quickly than have the gossip mill spread the news one parent at a time for the next six months.”
“How are you doing?” Kate asked seriously, well aware of Lois’ aversion to being the subject of gossip.
“I’m...fine?” Lois said, surprised to find that it was true. She’d certainly felt eyes on her all night, but she’d been so preoccupied with her own family that she hadn’t had much time to contemplate it.
They approached the bar and traded their tickets for glasses of white wine, and Lois listened as Kate bemoaned the fact that she’d been cornered by Abby’s class mom and manipulated into organizing their class holiday party. “It’s not volunteering if it’s coerced,” Kate insisted. “Trust me. There are laws about this.”
Lois laughed, but was secretly glad it was Kate and not her.
They wound their way back to Clark and the kids, sipping their wine and chatting comfortably. Clark’s face lit up when he spotted her, and she felt her heart speed up in answer. He winked at her, and she knew he’d heard it. She rolled her eyes at him, but couldn’t help smiling too.
“You two are ridiculous,” Kate said good naturedly, her eyes bouncing between them. “How do you have entire conversations without saying a word?”
Lois laughed. “Years of practice.”
Clark rested a hand on the small of her back and kissed her cheek. “Shall we go check out the local artists?” he asked.
“Sure,” Lois said, then looked to Kate for her approval. Kate nodded, and they rounded up the children, heading down the hall to the atrium. They wandered the makeshift aisles, examining the art and chatting briefly with other parents. Lois felt the eyes on them, but she reminded herself that most people were happy for them. And if nothing else, the people that mattered most were all happy. Still, it didn’t keep her from tensing as she thought about it. Clark's hand slid from the small of her back up, rubbing her back soothingly.
They rounded a corner and found themselves face to face with the mayor.
“Ah, Lois,” the mayor said, a note of amusement in his voice. “I had a feeling I’d run into you tonight. That was quite an article in the Sunday edition.”
“There are two more to come in the series,” she replied sweetly. “I don’t suppose you’d like to answer a few more questions while I have you here?”
He sighed. “Call me tomorrow. I have some time free in the afternoon.”
Clark laughed, and the mayor turned his attention to him. “Clark. Good to see you,” he said, extending his hand. “How is life in academia?”
“Good,” Clark said, pulling his hand from Lois’ back to shake the mayor’s hand. “But not nearly as entertaining as working with Lois.”
“I’m sure that’s true,” he replied with an aggrieved sigh. “I don’t suppose you could convince her to take a position at the University with you.”
Clark laughed. “If you think I can convince Lois to do anything she doesn’t want to do, you have more faith in my powers of persuasion than are warranted.”
He rested his hand back on the small of her back, and they said their goodbyes to the mayor before she turned to gaze up at him with a smile.
“I don’t know,” she said. “You can be rather persuasive when you want to be.”
“I don’t suppose I could persuade you to get out of here,” he murmured, dipping his head to whisper in her ear. “Go home, put these kids to bed early…”
She laughed and reached up to stroke his cheek. “Soon,” she promised. “Soon.”
“Mommy!” JP called, tugging the hem of her dress. “Riley’s here!”
Lois’ gaze slid from Clark’s face and found Susan Walter and her husband approaching. Their daughter, Anna, was on Mattie’s soccer team, and their son, a second grader, was frequently JP’s playmate during practices and games.
“Clark,” Evan Walter said, extending a hand.
“Evan. Good to see you. How are you?” Clark asked, shaking the outstretched hand.
“Good, good. Anna’s already talking about spring softball. Are you going to coach again?”
“You look lovely tonight, Lois,” Susan said, drawing her attention.
“Thank you. So do you,” she said genuinely, taking in Susan’s black dress, a deceptively simple number that Lois was sure cost a small fortune.
“Anna pointed out Mattie’s drawing and said the farm is a family home?”
Lois smiled. “The farm Clark grew up on in Kansas. In Smallville.”
“Smallville?” Susan asked, raising an eyebrow and laughing. “Is that it’s real name?”
“It is,” Lois said with a laugh. “I was skeptical at first too, but it’s charming.”
Lois felt Clark take her hand, threading their fingers together, stroking gently with his thumb. She smiled and glanced over at him and caught him gazing at her. She blushed and turned her attention back to Susan.
“What did Riley’s class do?” she asked.
Susan launched into a description of their multimedia ocean scenes, and Lois nodded along, her mind distracted by the patterns Clark was tracing lazily on the inside of her wrist. She withdrew her hand from his, using it to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear, and cleared her throat softly, trying to regain her ability to focus. He moved his hand to the small of her back, and she glanced sideways and caught him smirking, deep in conversation with Evan.
Eventually the Walters moved on, attention drawn away by their children, and Lois turned and shook her head at Clark. “You need to stop,” she chided. “I can’t think straight.”
“Ah, but you forgot to be nervous, didn’t you?” He nodded at her empty wine glass. “Can I get you another drink?”
“Actually, I’ll get it. I want to look for Kate. I think that might be where she disappeared to.”
Lois accepted another drink ticket and wandered off in search of the bar. She exchanged her ticket for a fresh glass of wine and started back toward where she’d left Clark, glancing up and down the aisles of art for any sign of Kate and Abby.
She lingered in front of a panoramic portrait of the Metropolis skyline, her ears perking up when she heard a woman on the other side of the display speak in a stage whisper. “Did you see who’s here together? The Kents.”
“Mattie Kent's parents? They always attend things together,” another voice answered, bored. “Their next best seller ought to be a How To guide on the perfect divorce.”
“Wait, are they divorced?” a third voice asked, clearly confused.
There was a round of laughter, and Lois realized there was a whole group of women discussing her relationship, and she felt her cheeks flush.
“Yes, they’ve been divorced for years, though you wouldn’t know it to see them. I swear they like each other far more than John and I do.”
“Trust me, if they were planning to write that book, that ship has sailed,” the first voice rejoined, and Lois finally recognized it as belonging to Jessica Hernandez, a mom from Mattie’s soccer team. “They aren’t just here together like usual. They’re here together,” she insisted, putting the stress on the final word. “Seriously, they haven’t stopped touching all night. Holding hands, arms around each other’s waists. The whole nine yards. There’s nothing platonic about it.”
“I saw them too,” spoke up another voice. “Good for them. They seem happy.”
“Wait, back up,” the confused woman insisted in a slight accent Lois couldn’t place. “Why did they get divorced if they obviously like each other so much?”
“Who knows,” someone replied. “Good luck getting a single negative word out of either of them about the other.”
“I have no inside intel,” Jessica replied. “But did you follow their career pre-kids? This would have been back when you were still in Switzerland.” Elia Muller, Lois realized. The Swiss ambassador's wife.
There was a pause and Lois assumed the woman must have indicated that she hadn’t. “It was one insane trauma after another. Murder attemps, kidnappings, amnesia. Frankly it’s a miracle either of them is sane, let alone able to have a functional relationship.”
“And didn’t she almost die when their youngest was born?” another voice asked. “That was right before they split.”
“Yeah. Emma was in Mattie’s kindergarten class when the baby was born. It was awful,” someone answered, and Lois wracked her brain for the mother of Emma from Mattie’s kindergarten class. Sophie Blanchet, she remembered. Her daughter was in Mattie’s class again this year.
“And their baby was in the NICU for months,” Sophie added, sounding genuinely mournful.
“Well, that will do it,” someone said definitively. “That killed my first marriage.”
“Wow,” Elia replied. “That’s so sad. They seem so nice.”
“They are,” Jessica answered immediately. “He’s like…the nicest guy who ever lived. It’s almost disconcerting how friendly he is. And she’s a little reserved at first, but no wonder given their crazy past. She’s really nice once you get to know her though. She’s a great mom too. She adores those kids.”
“Who are we gossiping about?” asked a new voice conspiratorially, and Lois recognized it as Hannah’s mother, Eva.
“The Kents,” Sophie told her, laughing. “Have you seen them?
“We’re trying to decide if they’re here together or together,” another voice added, with a suggestive emphasis on the last word.
“Oh, they’re definitely back together,” Eva replied. “Mattie told Hannah a few weeks ago that her dad moved back into her mom’s house.”
“Oh, so it’s official-official!” Jessica replied, obviously delighted.
“Well then, good for them,” Elia replied “It sounds like they deserve to be happy after everything they’ve been through.”
“If he looked at me like he looks at her, I could die happy,” Sophie said, eliciting a round of laughter and overlapping comments about Clark’s good looks.
“There you are.” Familiar arms slid around her waist, his lips nuzzling her neck. “I was beginning to think Kate had kidnapped you.”
She leaned back against him and sighed contentedly.
“How much of that did you hear,” she asked quietly, not letting him get away with pretending he’d stumbled upon her by chance.
“Enough,” he said. “Everyone just wants us to be happy, Lois.”
She turned in his arms and reached up to stroke his cheek. “Let’s go home,” she said softly.
He nodded and smiled, kissing her sweetly on the forehead. “Kate has the kids over by the dessert table,” he admitted. “Let’s go get them.”
