This was written in 25 minutes and is entirely KSaraSara's fault.
Clark tilted his head, trying to make sense of the splotches of color strewn across the canvas.
"These lines here represent your flying," his mother helpfully pointed out, gesturing to a corner of the piece. "And of course, this bit is your cape."
"Of course," Clark parroted. "Um…is the rest of me anywhere in here?"
His mother laughed. "All of you is in here, Honey! Look, here's your glasses…" She motioned towards some concentric circles. "...and your strong sense of justice." Apparently, Justice was yellow.
"It's, uh, very nice, Mom." Clark glanced over to his father, but no help or guidance was forthcoming.
"You can hang it in your apartment, next to that cute little statue you picked up in Guam!"
Clark managed to keep from grimacing. "Sure, Mom. That sounds…lovely."
***
Lois was still talking, not even breaking her stride as Clark opened the door for her. He closed it gently once she was safely inside his living room.
"...and if we can prove he was the one who wrote the letter, then it's just a matter of—" She broke off suddenly, staring at his wall.
Clark followed her gaze to the framed monstrosity. "That's just…something my Mom painted."
Lois was unresponsive for a moment. "Your..
mom? Painted this?"
Clark nodded. "She's been really into abstract art lately, and I didn't have the heart to tell her… I mean, it really makes her happy, you know." He scratched the back of his neck. "Anyway, she says it's a picture of me."
"Uh…huh." Lois tilted her head one way, then the other. Finally, she turned to face him. "So you're Superman?!"
"What?!" Clark sputtered a bit. "What makes you say that?!"
"Well, it's all here…" Lois's waved a hand over the painting. "Your glasses, the cape…I guess this yellow part here is your sense of right and wrong…"
"Justice," Clark automatically corrected, staring blankly at her.
Lois nodded. "That's it. So, do you really think it's smart having that on your wall for everyone to see?"
Clark stared again at the mess of shapes and squiggles. Well, at least now he had a good excuse to return it to his mother without hurting her feelings…
The End
