Epilogue
There’s Always Something
By Xanabee
*****
Miracle at Hyperion Avenue
*****
“Lois? What’s the matter – can’t you sleep?” Clark stared groggily through the darkness at the vague outline of his wife as she sat on a chair near their bed with her hands supporting her swollen belly.
“I’m sorry, Clark, I didn’t want to wake you yet. But I think it’s time…”
Instantly Clark was wide awake and out of the bed. He knelt beside the chair, looking up at Lois with concerned eyes. “You mean – you’re in labor? Now?”
Lois smiled and nodded. “Looks like our special Christmas present is arriving a bit earlier than we expected.”
“Okay, Lois, stay calm - I’ll call our parents right away.“
“No – don’t do that yet, Clark. I’d like for us to stay together for a while longer – just you and me. I’ve been timing the contractions and they’re about thirty minutes apart. I was just getting ready to call you when you woke up.”
“Okay – if that’s what you want. I can’t believe I just slept through it while you were in pain and got out of bed. I’m sorry, honey – how long have you been up?”
“Not long,” Lois said vaguely, “I wanted to be really sure before I woke you up. It could’ve been a false alarm, you know. Mother says it sometimes happens; you’re in pain and get contractions, but then it’s not the real thing after all. You needed your sleep, Clark, you’ve been so busy these last few couple of days, helping out those poor people on those islands after that hurricane practically destroyed all of their homes.”
Lois lovingly smoothed back an unruly lock of hair on Clark’s forehead. “And you finally got to take a look at Mindy Church’s hideaway on St. Cyr, too,” she said teasingly.
Relieved to see Lois so calm and in good spirit Clark relaxed a bit and smiled back at her. “And it was still standing. Most of the damage was done at the other coastline. Those islanders were very confused. They’re not used to hurricanes that come as late as in December… Honey, do you really want to talk about Mindy Church right now?”
“Well, it will take my mind off things, you know; you were practically gone for three days, Clark, and when you came back today you were too tired to talk too much. But you did say you went to this ‘Ma Retraite’ place of Mindy’s on St. Cyr and I’d like to know what that was like; I’m curious!”
“I was curious too when I got there,” Clark admitted, “It was weird, walking around in that beautiful house where so many ugly plans have been made. I met Marc Lachapelle over there – he’s the oldest son of Mindy’s late husband.”
“I remember – he’s the one who sent a check to the Superman Foundation when he’d read in ‘The Daily Planet’ how Superman helped to catch Mindy. That was a huge amount of money, Clark. He also sent Perry a very nice letter, thanking all of us on behalf of himself and his brother. He seems nice.”
“He is – he and his brother were very attached to his father. Honey, are you sure you want to talk about this? Our child is about to be born, Lois. That’s… huge!”
Lois sighed, “She’s huge, all right. It feels that way, at least. Go on; tell me more about your meeting with Marc Lachapelle. I bet he was thrilled to meet and talk to Superman in person.”
“I guess…” Clark, still on his knees, looked conflicted. He carefully placed one hand over Lois’s belly. “Honey, you don’t look it, but are you in pain? Are you comfortable in that chair? Why don’t we – “
“Honey, relax. No, I’m not in pain right now. I feel all sorts of things going on in my body but it’s not painful right now.” Lois glanced at her watch. “I told you, the contractions are still about thirty minutes apart, so I guess it will take a few hours before she’s actually born.”
Clark turned his head to look at the lighted display of the alarm clock on the nightstand beside Lois’s side of the bed.
“It’s almost two thirty…and it’s December the fifteenth… Lois, this is… this is going to be Katharine’s birthday! She… you…”
Clark, suddenly overcome by a myriad of emotions, buried his face against Lois’s neck.
“See? That’s why I want to talk about mundane things, sweetheart,” Lois said teasingly, “I can’t have you falling apart just yet.”
Clark sighed softly against her skin. “Mundane? You think Mindy Church is mundane?”
“Well…” The intonation in Lois’s voice made Clark lift his head and smile at her.
“Okay, maybe you’re right; maybe we’d better talk about other stuff for a while.”
Lois nodded. “It helps you not to freak out, you know. When I realized what was happening I started to feel a bit panicky. So I forced myself to think about other things – like Perry and Alice’s wedding; how beautiful that had been and it helped me to relax.”
“Lois, you should’ve called me!”
“Why? So we could panic together? At least I’m calm now and I can help you relax. So, go on, tell me more about St. Cyr.”
“Well, if you insist… this I think you’ll like, Lois - Mindy’s marriage to Yves Lachapelle has been declared illegal. Marc Lachapelle says that’s possible under St. Cyrian laws. I have my doubts about that because she hasn’t been convicted yet, right? The case against her is still being built - But Marc told me the marriage has been annulled and all Lachapelle properties and businesses signed over to him and his brother already.”
“He probably pulled some strings - good for him! Does Mindy know already? Wow - she could be completely broke right now. Wonder how she’s going to pay those hotshot lawyers of hers if that’s the case.”
“Well, that’s her problem. Lachapelle thinks he’s seized all bank accounts, but knowing Mindy… she might very well have some hidden resources.”
“Have you told Bill Henderson yet? He needs to know, Clark.”
“I know – I just haven’t had a chance to... Lois? What’s the matter?”
Suddenly Lois gasped and floated out of the chair. Pain lanced through her, sudden and quick as lightning. Moaning, she flung back her head, then started to puff, rocking back and forth in the air.
Clark scrambled to his feet and in an instant he was floating beside her. “Here, honey, hold my hand – here’s the other one… grab on to it.”
Clark started to puff along with Lois until the pain subsided and she let go of his hands and floated into his arms. Clark carefully wrapped his arms around her and Lois sighed, flopping her head onto his shoulder, smiling tremulously up at him.
“Whoa! That was – boy, that really hurt! Mother’s Lamaze practice comes in handy though – it does help if you know what to do.”
“Lois, honey – “
“It’s okay, Clark, it hurts – it hurts a lot. But that’s all in the game, isn’t it? Hmmm… this is nice, floating around like this… you know, this being practically weightless really helps. It’s a bit like floating on your back in a swimming pool – sort of. Now, tell me – what exactly was Marc Lachapelle doing on St. Cyr? Is he planning to move into that mansion himself?”
Clark sighed; he didn’t want to talk about St. Cyr and Mindy Church anymore but he didn’t want to upset Lois so he answered obediently.
“I don’t know if he plans to live there, honey, he told me he’s there to sort out Mindy’s business deals with Lachapelle Industries, together with the local police. I talked to the St. Cyrian commissioner and he assured me the police is handing over all relevant files to our own commissioner here in Metropolis. He’s as anxious as Marc to see that Mindy is convicted. Seems she didn’t exactly endear herself to the St. Cyrians when she fired all local staff members at the house and replaced them by outsiders.”
“Really? I guess from her point of view that’s understandable. They were probably very attached to the Lachapelle family. That ditzy blonde is one very smart woman, Clark, but you know what - I don’t want to talk about her anymore… You’d better call our parents now, honey, and I was thinking… I’d like to have Perry and Bernie here too, if that’s all right with you.”
“I don’t mind, honey, but you’ve never said so before – are you sure?”
“I’m sure – I think it’s important to have the people who know about you – about us - here with us, when our daughter is born.”
“What about Bertha – do you want her to come here, too?”
“No – I don’t think so. I thought about it, but – no. She’d have to hang around with those four men for God knows how long, Clark. We’ll ask your Mom to call her as soon as the baby’s born.”
“Okay… d’you want to sit in the chair again while I make those calls?”
“Could you please take me to the bathroom first? And then we’d better go down to the kitchen and wait there for the parents; I’m thirsty… are you thirsty too? You know, Clark, maybe you could make some pancakes for the men. I bet they’ll get hungry, just sitting around waiting… Perry likes your pancakes and I bet Bernie will too… Clark, do you realize this is the last time you and I will be together – just the two of us?”
*****
“Okay, I’d like that; tell Sam I’ll be ready in fifteen minutes… thanks, Jonathan.”
Perry White dropped the phone in its cradle and turned to look at Alice, sleeping peacefully next to him. Not for the first time he wondered how on earth she always managed to sleep through the sound of a ringing phone and the conversation that invariably followed.
In the old days, during their first marriage, he’d shamelessly taken advantage of his wife’s ability to sleep like the proverbial rose. He’d leave the house in the middle of the night when duty called, too often not even bothering to leave her a note. He’d just assume she’d understand why he had to leave - he was a newspaperman and that meant being on call twenty-four hours, day and night.
Perry contemplated leaving a note on Alice’s nightstand but then decided against it. They had promised each other that this time around they would do things right – and that meant he’d have to discuss this with her first. He hoped she wouldn’t be too disappointed that she wasn’t included in the invitation; he hoped she’d understand, otherwise he didn’t think he’d be able to go.
“Alice? Alice, honey – wake up!”
“Huh… Perry… whassamatter? You’re not sick, are you?” Suddenly wide-awake, Alice shot upright.
“No, no, no, I’m not sick,” Perry said hastily, “I got a call from Jonathan Kent. Lois is about to give birth to her baby. He asked me if I’d like to come over to the house and wait with him and Sam Lane until the baby’s born. It’s a guy thing, you see – drink coffee, talk some, maybe play some chess – Sam is going to pick me up in ten minutes - that is, if it’s all right with you?”
“Of course it’s okay. So that means Lois is going through with it? She’s having the baby at home?” Alice slid out of bed while Perry started to dress.
“Looks like. You don’t have to get up, honey, you can go back to sleep now.”
“I will, as soon as you’re gone… Perry, that girl sometimes has very strange ideas. I mean - giving birth at home while you can do that so much safer at a hospital! When I first heard about this harebrained idea of hers I was astonished. And Martha and Ellen both support her in this and even agreed to help her. I mean - even if your mother is a nurse and your father’s a doctor…”
Alice shook her head in wonderment. “Oh well – that’s Lois Lane for you. I wonder what Clark really thinks about this?”
“Well, dumplin’, as far as I know he’s okay with it. Ah – there’s Sam - gotta go now. I’ll call you as soon as the baby’s born, that’s a promise.”
Perry hastily kissed Alice’s cheek and practically ran out of the room. He didn’t like to lie to Alice or tell half-truths; but he couldn’t very well tell her the real reason why Lois wasn’t going to check in at a hospital either.
For a moment Alice contemplated following her husband, even if only to say a quick hello to Sam Lane before he left. But then she shrugged and got into bed again. She knew that to Perry, Lois was the daughter he never had and Alice didn’t begrudge him this special bond with Lois.
Alice sighed as she thought about their own daughter-in-law, Janice. She didn’t know her very well and Perry hadn’t even met her yet. Their oldest son Harry met his wife when he was already living and working in Canada. They had eloped and never once visited his hometown Metropolis.
‘Maybe when the kids are older,’ Alice thought longingly. She’d always managed to visit them at least once a year. But one or two weeks were too short to really bond with any of them. She hoped that next spring Perry would want to come with her. It was high time he and his son got connected again and for him to finally meet his two grandchildren. So far, he’d only seen them in the snapshots their mother occasionally send to Alice. And Alice was always amazed to see how quickly they changed and how fast they were growing up.
‘Well, that’s another thing we’ll have to change,’ Alice thought determinedly, ‘Those kids should grow up knowing both sets of grandparents. I’m darned if I’ll just sit back and let this situation go on. I don’t want to feel jealous of Martha and Jonathan anymore, because they’re so close to their son. I want that too, and for Perry. I know we’ll have to work real hard at it and it’s starting right now!’
Alice slid out of bed again and padded over to the calendar hanging on one of the bedroom walls. She looked for and found a pen then ripped off the page that said December 14. For a moment, Alice stared at the date she’d just uncovered: December 15. Then, with a flourish, she wrote: Call travel agency and book two roundtrips to Vancouver. Date: ?
Thinking hard, Alice tapped the pen against her chin. Okay, she’d talk that one over with Perry first, she decided. But it had to be next spring – definitely early next spring.
*****
“You’re doing fine, Lois, just fine. Just one more time, then it will be all over.”
“Honey, you’re almost there – oh my! I can see her little head already!”
Through a haze of pain Ellen’s brisk and Martha’s excited voices reached Lois’s brain. Close to her ear she heard Clark murmuring reassuring words.
“Honey, I’m right here. Hold on to me. C’mon – one more time: push!”
“Push, Lois, push - now!” Ellen urged, followed by a chorus of mother and son: “Push, Lois, push!”
Suddenly irritated, Lois snapped, “I hear you already! I’ll push all right, okay! Aaaaaaarghgh!!”
“One more time, Lois, push! And here she comes!” Ellen deftly caught her slippery granddaughter as Martha looked on, wide-eyed and, for a moment, speechless.
As soon as air reached the baby’s lungs she let out an angry wail and soon she was crying lustily. Ellen walked around the bed and lay the squirming infant on Lois’s breast.
“Oh sweetie, don’t cry, here’s your mommy!” Lois crooned; all pain was instantly forgotten and she laughed through her tears as she closed her arms protectively around her daughter. “Let me look at you… oh Clark! Look at her! She’s so beautiful!”
The baby moved jerkily against her mother’s warm flesh, her angry cries gradually changing into soft whimpers.
“She’s beautiful,” Clark confirmed in an awed voice. Even though he’d closely followed her development the wonder of this moment brought tears to his eyes. Carefully he reached out and cupped his daughter’s back in his large hand. The baby squirmed against his palm, whimpering softly and Clark’s hand trembled as he finally let go of the iron self control he’d had to exercise while Lois went through the long, painful labor process.
“My baby…” Clark’s voice cracked and a sob tore through his throat; suddenly blinded by tears he turned his face towards Lois and touched his forehead against hers.
“It’s okay, sweetheart, I’m crying too, you know.” Through her own tears Lois smiled down at her daughter. “It’s such a miracle – she’s a miracle. And she’s ours, Clark!”
“Lois,” her mother’s calm voice penetrated her jumbled thoughts, “Give her to me – I have to clean her up now and we have to cut the cord. Clark, would you like to do that?”
Ellen’s matter of fact voice had the desired effect. Lois, suddenly feeling very tired, reluctantly released the baby. Clark drew a deep breath before lifting his head to nod wordlessly at Ellen who swiftly took control, issuing low voiced orders while gently shushing her now screaming granddaughter.
Martha, a happy smile on her tearstained face, had already positioned herself near the scale, her notebook in her hand. She’d already jotted down the time of birth: 6:59 am and when Ellen lay the baby on the scale she cried out triumphantly: “Seven pounds and three ounces!”
While Ellen expertly busied herself with the baby, Martha ran towards her son who enveloped his mother in a tight embrace.
“Oh Clark, I’m so happy! Congratulations – you’ve got a beautiful little girl! Now, go clean up first and then go downstairs, honey, we have to attend to Lois now. Come on, go on – I’m sure those men are climbing the walls by now.”
“I guess…” Clark reluctantly let go of Martha, then swiftly went into the bathroom. But before he went downstairs he couldn’t resist walking back into the room. He pressed a lingering kiss on Lois’s forehead and asked softly, “You okay, honey?”
Lois smiled wanly up at him. “Uhuh… you heard your Mom… go on; when you come back I’ll be all cleaned up and settled in our own bed.”
“I’ll come and get you when we’re ready in here, honey,” Martha said, “Now go! Before the cavalry storms in here to see what’s going on.”
“Okay, okay, I’m going!” Clark threw a longing look at his daughter who was still loudly protesting Ellen’s ministrations and reluctantly left the room, only to be surprised by four faces looking anxiously up at him from the bottom of the stairs.
“Well?” Sam Lane demanded, “We can hear her crying so we know she’s arrived. What took you so long! How’s Lois? Is she all right?”
“Lois is okay and the baby’s okay. I’m not so sure about me, though. I’m a wreck!” Clark grinned happily while he floated down the stairs, straight into his father’s arms.
“Great shades of Elvis!” Perry boomed while he clapped Clark on his shoulder. “You sure took your time comin’ down here, son, but we’ll forgive you! Sam! Congratulations! You’re a grandfather now, hahahah! Bernie, where’s that fresh pot of coffee you said you’d just made? I bet Clark could use some. And let’s go heat up that stack of pancakes – I’m starvin’!”
*****
The next couple of days Clark had his hands full, trying to keep his home from being stampeded by well meaning and not so well meaning Metropolitans who, for a short time, clogged Hyperion Avenue, trying to get a glimpse of their star reporter and her newborn baby.
A few die-hards continued to do so, even after seeing the stunningly beautiful, first pictures of the radiant new mother and her baby daughter, shot by a proud Jimmy Olsen and prominently displayed in ‘The Daily Planet’, three days after the birth.
Flowers and presents for the baby started pouring in and Lois had been amazed and touched when she read the kind, mostly handwritten good wishes on the congratulatory cards that came with the numerous teddy bears and teething rings.
“Clark – these come from perfect strangers! You’d think we’re celebrities or something.” Lois had cautiously peeked through the curtains at the street where photographers and reporters stood patiently, waiting for their big break, surrounded by other curious on-lookers.
One afternoon, even Superman had to come to the rescue when Clark spotted Ellen Lane and Bertha Avery trying to chase a tabloid reporter and his photographer off the steps leading up to his front door.
Clark rolled his eyes when he saw his mother-in-law viciously slapping the reporter around the ears with a copy of ‘The Daily Planet’ while Bertha feebly tried to push the photographer off the steps. The two women had just visited Lois and the baby and were headed to Martha’s for coffee and cake when the two men had boldly tried to storm past them into the house.
Lois grinned widely when Clark told her what had happened.
“I had to pluck those guys off the steps, Lois, they wouldn’t budge – in fact, they were just laughing at Ellen and Bertha – and I was afraid they’d roll down the steps, all four of ‘em. Don’t laugh, Lois, they could’ve seriously injured themselves!”
“I know, I know!” Lois laughed unrepentantly, “It’s a good thing you came home just in time to prevent that. Who would’ve thought - sweet little Bertha has homicidal tendencies! My mother – yes – but Bertha? Hahahah! Clark, you have to admit that’s – hahahah! Those guys were lucky Martha didn’t see them – she’d have slapped a pie in their faces! Hahahah! Oh God, I shouldn’t laugh like this - I’ll wake the baby! And it hurts!” Lois flopped on her back on the bed, trying valiantly to stifle her giggles.
Clark wisely refrained from saying ‘I told you so’ and peered solicitously into the crib instead. Tenderly he gazed down at his sleeping daughter. Carefully he extended one long finger and softly stroked the dark patch of hair on her perfectly formed little head.
Lois’s laughter finally subsided and she turned onto her side to look at Clark. She smiled as she saw the familiar, rapt expression on her husband’s face as he intently studied their baby’s small, heartshaped face, her rosebud mouth and tiny ears. She knew that unconsciously he was looking for a likeness – any likeness that might point to Katharine’s Kryptonian origin.
As soon as the baby was born Martha had joyously declared that Katharine was the spitting image of her father, but that had been immediately contradicted by Ellen. Katharine, she’d said firmly, was the exact image of Lois as a baby – and she had pictures to prove it, too! The two grandmothers agreed to disagree and happily continued their dispute.
So far, the only outward mark that couldn’t be traced to either Sam’s or Ellen’s origin was a tiny, egg-shaped birthmark on the baby’s left arm, just above her wrist.
“That,” Lois had pointed out to Clark, “she might very well have inherited from your father’s side – or your mother’s.”
Lois herself didn’t care who the baby looked like – to her, Katharine was the most beautiful child she’d ever seen - their perfect little angel. A constant source of wonder to her parents whether she was awake or sleeping peacefully. They invariably grinned at each other whenever she yawned luxuriously or squinted at them and their smiles softened when she’d contentedly fall asleep in Lois’s arms after being fed. And when at night they lay cuddled close to each other before falling asleep, they still gazed wonderingly at their precious little bundle in the crib beside their bed.
“We’ll have to move her to the nursery one day,” Lois murmured and Clark looked up, smiling ruefully. “I know… but she’s still so tiny, Lois, she’s only one week old. Maybe after New Year’s Eve, after Lucy and Lucas have left.”
“Okay.” Lois knew it would be hard for Clark to get used to leaving their daughter in another room, regardless of her age. “Her room’s still stuffed anyway. You know what – mother told me to take a nap but I’m not sleepy - in fact, I don’t feel tired at all.”
Lois slid out of bed, stepped into her slippers and shrugged into her comfy flannel housecoat.
She stretched out her arm and slowly floated a few inches upwards. She sighed regretfully.
“Look Clark – this is as far I can go up now. See - my powers are almost gone now. That’s why mother says we’ll have to try and get pregnant again as soon possible; before all the Kryptonian hormones are completely gone.”
“Lo-is!” Clark looked scandalized. “Don’t tell me you’re discussing our – you know – with your mother!”
Lois rolled her eyes. “Do you want another baby so soon after this one or not!”
“Honey, you know I’d love to have more babies! But I think it’s up to you - you had such a hard time and – “
“You mean – the birth? Piece of cake!” Lois said airily, “I’d like to have another baby, Clark, maybe we could have three, like Glenda and Gareth have.”
“Three, Lois? Are you sure? Glenda’s a stay-at-home-mom, you know!”
“Well, Eileen Vaughan has four kids and she’s a working mom.”
“She works at home, Lois. She lives right on top of her own shop, remember?”
“And we have your Mom and Dad living right next door! So what’s your point?”
“Lois, let’s not argue about the number of kids we’re going to have right now, okay? Why are you out of bed, anyway? Weren’t you supposed to take a nap?”
“I told you, I’m not tired at all. C’mon – let’s finally start sorting out those presents in Katie’s room. Mother’s already put some boxes and plastic bags in there. We can start filling the boxes, Clark, and then you can start delivering them to the orphanage and the hospitals. Oh – I almost forgot – look what Bertha brought today!”
Lois pointed towards an envelope on her nightstand. Clark picked it up and his eyes widened while he whistled softly through his teeth when he saw the amount written on the check.
“Lois! This is… this is…”
“Enormous! I know! Katie will be able to start her own foundation some day. Incidentally, this is a symbolic check only. The money’s already in a bank account in Katie’s name. Bertha had one stipulation though – Katie will only have access to the money when she turns twenty five.”
“Very sensible of Bertha, but – I’m not sure – you know, it’s – “
“Clark, we can’t give it back, it’s not our money, it’s Katie’s! Just think of all the good she’ll be able to do with it – maybe she’ll eventually donate it to the Superman Foundation, but that’s for her to decide. Don’t worry about it.” Lois grinned as she floated towards the door, “I bet we’ll get used to having a rich daughter before she turns twenty five!”
“I guess…” Clark still looked doubtful but willingly followed Lois to the nursery.
“Well,” Lois remarked as she surveyed the stacked toys in the nursery. Clark picked up a box and Lois immediately started to fill it with small toys, occasionally stopping to closely inspect one particular toy that caught her fancy.
“Look at this teddy bear, Clark, isn’t he a dear? He looks a little like my own Clarkie Bear… and there’s a tricycle too! You can definitely take that one to the orphanage, honey – we’re not going to babysit a tricycle for three years or more… Bertha’s check is easily the most amazing present Katie’s received so far but there are some pretty cute things in here, too. Too bad we can’t keep all of ‘em. Mother’s put the presents we got from our friends in the guestroom – so we can’t accidentally give one of those away.”
“Your Mother’s quite handy to have around sometimes.” Clark said while he followed Lois around the room with the box.
“I know – she can be very practical at times. It’s a nurse thing, I guess.”
“Well,” Clark said, looking smug, “Bertha’s present is mind-boggling, but I’ve got the best present of all!”
“What’s that, sweetheart?” Lois asked, smiling teasingly; she already knew the answer. Clark had been as happy as a little boy when she’d come home one day in November after a shopping spree with Martha and handed Clark a large package. His delighted grin had threatened to split his face when he’d uncovered a ‘face the parent’ Snugli.
Clark had clasped the baby carrier against his chest and alternately hugged and kissed his mother and wife, crying out delightedly, “Thank you, thank you, thank you – I love it! Just what I’ve always wanted! And in Superman’s colors too! Dad!”
Excited, Clark had turned to Jonathan who’d stood, watching his son’s exuberance with raised eyebrows. He was used to Lois’s frequent babbling outbursts but for Clark this was quite a novelty.
Lois and Martha had dissolved in amused chuckles as Clark had proceeded to demonstrate how to use the baby carrier to his Dad and again when he’d been reluctant to take it off.
“Clark, honey,” Martha had grinned, “you can’t sit down at dinner with that thing strapped to your chest. C’mon – take it off now. Lois, you better hide it until the baby’s old enough to be put in that thing.”
But Lois hadn’t done so and once in a while Clark would take the Snugli out of the closet and clasp it against his chest.
Ever since she’d caught him looking at his friend Gareth with a look of such intense longing on his face, Lois had decided she’d get Clark his own Snugli right away - they didn’t have to wait until their own daughter was old enough.
One day, Gareth Keyes had been carrying Charlotte in a brand-new Snugli, cooing at his three-months old daughter while the baby chortled and waved her little hands in front of her father’s face.
Lois’s throat had closed up when she’d seen the expression on Clark’s face as he’d watched his friend walk around and play with his baby. She could easily imagine Clark with Katharine strapped to his front, one hand gently patting their baby's back as they strolled along. So when Lois had seen a particularly colorful baby carrier in bright red, blue and yellow, she’d dragged Martha into the store and bought it on the spot.
Sure enough, Clark confirmed happily that the Snugli was his most favorite present of all.
“I can’t wait until Katie’s old enough, Lois… but why are we doing this so slowly? Honey, I can gather up those toys in a second and deliver them in the next.”
“I know, Clark, but we don’t have to give away everything. Tell you what – you can take those really big toys like that tricycle and that huge, scary panda to the orphanage right away. I want to sort through the smaller toys, okay?”
“Okay.” Clark whirled into the Suit, gathered the toys at superspeed and zipped away.
“Okay - now we’re talking!” Lois surveyed the nursery with a satisfied eye. Determinedly she started to inspect then toss various toys into empty boxes and plastic bags. When Clark came back he picked up the full boxes and zipped away again.
Suddenly, Lois felt very tired; she sighed as she mumbled to herself, “If mother saw me like this there’s no telling what she’d say or do. I’d better go take that nap now…”
At that very moment Clark whooshed back into the nursery and Lois smiled at him. “Hi honey – I think I’m done here for now. I’ll go take that nap now – wanna join me?”
Solicitously, Clark lifted Lois up in his arms. “You look tired, honey. I’ll kiss you to sleep, how’s that?”
“Mmmm… that sounds wonderful…” Lois sighed and closed her eyes, only to open then wide when Clark suddenly stopped in his tracks, just inside their bedroom room.
“Clark? Wha - ? Ooh!”
Clark hastily put Lois down and wanted to walk past her but she held him back.
“No, Clark, wait…” Los whispered as she stared, fascinated, at Clark’s Kryptonian Globe that was hovering above the crib, shooting rays of light into the air.
Lois held her breath; she could feel Clark’s accelerated heartbeat slamming against her back, his body poised to take off at a moment’s notice.
“Shhhh… it won’t hurt her, Clark - Omigosh!”
Clark too gasped as suddenly the rays came together beside the crib and a misty figure materialized – a young woman, dressed in a flowing white robe, her strawberry blond hair framing her sad, but smiling face in soft waves as she looked down at the baby.
“Mother…?” Clark’s voice broke and his body jerked against Lois’s when the ethereal figure gracefully extended an arm; the folds of her sleeve moved and through his tears Clark could clearly make out the light brown birthmark on her wrist.
“Clark! Look! Her arm…” Lois too had spotted the slightly larger but unmistakably identical birthmark on the woman’s arm.
The image of Clark’s birthmother didn’t take any notice of her son and his wife. For a few seconds she held her arm poised above the crib while her lips moved. She slowly removed her arm and, smiling softly, touched both her hands to her lips, once again dissolving into soft rays of light that disappeared slowly into the Globe.
While Lois and Clark watched with fascinated eyes, the Globe undulated a few times above the crib then slowly floated back onto the exact spot on the shelf in the bookcase where Clark had placed it so many months ago.
A great sigh shuddered through Clark’s large frame. Suddenly galvanized into action he swiftly lifted Lois into his arms and zipped towards the crib. Lois slid down and carefully lifted their sleeping daughter into her arms while Clark retrieved the now inanimate Globe from the shelf.
“Look, Clark, she’s all right – our precious little Katie’s all right.” And when Katharine stirred, Lois softly cooed while she gently rocked the baby, “Shhhh – it’s all right, sweetie, mommy’s here – and daddy’s here, too. Shhhh – go back to sleep, you have nothing to fear, little one, your grandmother is keeping watch over you too, you know.”
Lois turned a tearstained face to Clark who was still stunned and speechless, staring alternately at his wife and child and the Globe in his hand.
“It’s true, you know,” Lois said tremulously, “Your mother - she’s watching over her. I can truly feel it, honey.”
Clark shook his head in an attempt to clear the jumbled thoughts that raced through his mind. His mother – his birthmother Lara – had come to say hello to her grandchild. Or was it goodbye?
Maybe she would appear again someday or maybe this visit had been some sort of closure for her. They would just have to wait and see if either Lara or Jor-El, his birth father, would ever have a reason to materialize again.
“I can feel it too, honey,” Clark said huskily. Gently he lifted his daughter’s arm and pressed a kiss on the birthmark on her wrist. “Welcome to the House of El, Katharine Lara Kent.”
“Katharine Lara Kent…” Lois smiled and nodded her approval while fresh tears coursed down her cheeks. “This is your father, Kal-El, born on the planet Krypton.”
“ – son of Jor-El and Lara; raised on the planet Earth as Clark Kent by Jonathan and Martha Kent,” Clark added solemnly, “And this is your mother, Lois Lane, born on the planet Earth.”
Lois bowed her head and kissed her daughter’s forehead. “Welcome to our world, Katharine Lara Kent.”
For a long time Lois and Clark stood with their arms wrapped around each other and their child until the insistent peal of the doorbell penetrated their brains.
Reluctantly Clark released Lois who sighed softly and moved towards the crib. Gently she laid the baby down.
“Wonder who that can be, Clark? Are we expecting visitors?”
“That will probably be my Dad – I promised him we’d buy our Christmas trees today, remember?”
“Oh yeah, that’s right. Clark, will you also buy a little tree for Katie? I want her to have her own little Christmas tree.”
“Okay honey – all right, all right! Dad, hold your horses! I’m coming already!”
Lois chuckled as Clark zipped out of the room. She took a last peek at the baby then slid between the covers. Drowsily she turned her head towards the crib, speaking softly.
“I’d better get some shut eye while I can, sweetie. In an hour you’ll be hollering for your next feeding and mommy’s got to call auntie Lucy. Did I tell you she’s coming for Christmas? And she’s staying till after New Year’s Eve… cool, huh? And uncle Lucas is coming along too, of course. A lot of people are coming in and out of the house these days, Katie… you’ve got a lot of new uncles and aunts, you know. And kids to play with when you’re older… there’s Charlotte Keyes… and Eileen Vaughan’s twin boys, Duncan and Dennis… they’re your age, you know. Charlotte’s four months older than you are and the boys are two months older. Then there’s Eric and Simon, Charlotte’s brothers; they’re a few years older but that’s good; they can watch over you and Charlotte, right? Though I’m sure at one point you girls will not like that at all!”
Lois grinned then yawned contentedly and closed her eyes. Just before she fell asleep she managed to direct a last, cautionary speech at her daughter.
“Yep! This is a very busy household you were born into, Katie-girl, you better get used to it –– and fast! Because there’s always something happening!”
*****
THE END (for now)
