Chapter Twenty-Three
Ted and Audrey arrived late that evening, having run into a delay at their airport. They called to let everyone know they had arrived but would not be stopping over that evening. The family planned to meet at Bennett’s Fresh Roast, the most popular breakfast spot in the city, the next morning. Upon their arrival at the restaurant, Lara finally got to meet Ken’s younger brother, Ted, and his wife Audrey. Lara took an immediate liking to Audrey who was her age, 23 and had been married to Ted for just over a year. Amy, Audrey, and Lara grew very close over the next few days as they enjoyed each other’s company immensely.
Christmas Day dawned clear and sunny, with temperatures in the low 70s. The family met at Charles and Lydia’s for breakfast, buffet style. Lydia had set up the various dishes on the large dining room table where everyone dug in and talked while they ate. After breakfast, everyone moved to the living room where they sat around the tree.
Lydia handed out gifts and over the next hour everyone expressed delight with their presents. The last present Lydia pulled out was a small square box wrapped in expensive-looking paper topped with an extravagant bow.
“Lara, this one’s for you,” Lydia said with a knowing smile.
“Hmm, what a pretty bow, I wonder what could be inside?” Lara mused. She removed the bow carefully and pulled at the corners of the paper to reveal a burgundy velour box. With shaking hands, she opened it to find a beautiful diamond solitaire ring!
Ken, who had been sitting beside her, dropped to one knee in front of her and grasped her shaking hand.
“Lara, I’ve loved you ever since we met and I can’t imagine not having you in my life. Will you marry me?” Ken said, his eyes locked onto hers.
Lara’s eyes welled up with tears and her lips widened into a smile that outshone that of her father.
“Yes! Oh, Ken, yes, I’ll marry you!” Lara exclaimed to the applause of the assemble McCarthy family. Ken drew the ring out of the box and slid it slowly up the third finger of her left hand. It fit perfectly. Ken drew his fiancée into his arms and kissed her deeply. When the wolf whistles and catcalls grew too enthusiastic Ken broke the kiss looking at his family proudly.
“Ken, honey, where did you find this ring? It’s perfect!” Lara exclaimed proudly showing off her ring to everyone.
“I didn’t buy it. It’s my great-grandmother Charlene’s ring. Mom has been saving it all these years and when I saw it, I knew you would love it.”
“Your great-grandmother’s ring? I love it and I love you for giving it to me. Thank you, everyone, for sharing this family heirloom with me,” Lara said humbly.
“I’m so glad you like it, dear. Grandma Charlene would be proud to know that you love it too,” Lydia said. She drew her future daughter-in-law into her arms for a fierce hug. Everyone congratulated the young couple with hugs for Lara and hearty, backslapping hugs for Ken by the guys and kisses from the ladies. More than once Lara had to make sure her feet were still on the floor throughout the day, so proud and happy was she.
Later that day Mary drew Lara aside. “I’m so glad you like my mother’s ring, dear. When Mom passed, she told me to give it to Lydia for one of her sons to give to his bride. Seeing it on your finger and seeing how happy it makes you I’m sure my mother would be proud that you’re wearing her ring.”
“Thank you, Mary. It’s beautiful and just my style. Ken and I used to check out the jewelry stores on Michigan Avenue and I always gravitated to the diamond solitaires. They look so elegant and classic compared to the newer styles that, to me, look too gaudy.”
“I agree, dear. I can tell that you and Kenny are made for each other, the way you look at each other across the room warms my heart.”
“You know, I wasn’t looking for someone when we met, but now I can’t imagine myself without him in my life,” Lara replied dreamily. “I can’t wait until we’re married and thanks again for letting me have your mother’s ring.” Mary kissed Lara on the cheek and gave her a big hug and the two of them rejoined the group.
After dinner, they chose teams chosen for a Pictionary tournament with the winning distributed evenly between the teams. It was after midnight when the party broke up and they decided to meet at Bennett's again for breakfast at 9:00 a.m.
Lara and Ken returned to their hotel holding hands on the way to Ken’s room. When the door closed Ken drew Lara into his arms and kissed her deeply. Lara responded to his kiss with passion such that when the kiss ended, both were gasping for breath.
“God, Lara, what you do to me,” Ken said as his chest heaved.
“The same as you do to me, I suspect,” Lara replied, her body alive with desire.
“Honey, as much as I might want to go further, I know we’re not ready, so we need to slow this down, okay?” Lara nodded, reluctantly.
“Ken, honey, would you mind if we flew to Smallville to tell my family about us?”
“Hey, that’s a great idea! Your folks are early risers so we can see them before breakfast.” Ken yawned just then which showed just how tired he was.
“You get to bed and I’ll see you at 6 o’clock, okay?” Lara gave Ken a quick but passionate kiss then headed down the hall to her room. Lara undressed quickly and hopped in bed but she couldn’t sleep so she dressed quickly and walked out the back door to the parking lot. After a glance around she shot into the sky, a silent black blur. Higher and higher she rose until no sounds from below penetrated then she turned onto her back to gaze at the stars as she floated aimlessly where the winds moved her, lost in her thoughts.
She’d been so surprised when Ken had proposed! Granted she knew, as soulmates, that someday he would ask to marry her but she wasn’t expecting a proposal so soon as they had only been dating three months. Now they could start their married life that much sooner. Lara planned to ask Ken to set a date then she’d enlist her new in-laws and her family to assist. With so many hands she was sure the wedding would come together quickly.
Lara looked at the ring on her finger for about the hundredth time. The setting was beautiful and it looked wonderful on her hand. Lara planned to ask her grandmother for ideas on where she could put her ring during future rescues as it would not do to have the press and the public speculate on Superwoman’s engagement. It pleased Lara so much that Ken had thought so much of her to give her his great-grandmother’s ring. It was such a humbling act, giving her something that had so much sentimental value for Ken and his family. If she hadn’t been sure they accepted her she certainly was now.
After a couple of hours, Lara felt more relaxed and able to sleep. It was a good thing she didn’t need more than three hours of sleep a night as it was almost three a.m. now. Lara slowly flew back to the hotel to zip down where she landed behind some bushes. Once in her room, she extended her hearing next door so she could hear Ken’s deep even breathing. She spun into her pajamas and was asleep in moments.
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Lara knocked on the connecting door precisely at 6:00 a.m. Her fiancé wore a crisp blue dress shirt with dark blue Dockers, freshly shaved, and smelling wonderful.
“Good morning, beautiful,” Ken said as he drew Lara in for a quick kiss. Lara returned the kiss enthusiastically but she withdrew quickly since they needed to get going.
“Are you ready?” Lara asked.
“Yep, just let me get my coat, it’s cold in Kansas this time of year.”
Ken grabbed his coat from the closet and draped it over his shoulder. The couple walked to the rear parking lot where Lara did a quick scan, spun into her suit and they took off. Lara flew as fast as she dared while carrying a passenger, so it was less than five minutes later that the white farmhouse came into view. She hovered for a moment then she zipped down to land on the back porch. With a quick knock on the door, she opened it to find her family at the table ready to start their day.
“Lara! Ken! It’s good to see you! Merry Christmas!” Clark said when the couple entered the kitchen. “What brings you here so early?”
Lara broke into a wide grin and her smile lit up the room. She raised her left hand and wiggled her fingers.
“We’re getting married!” Lara exclaimed. The Kents swarmed the couple with hugs, kisses, and congratulations, along with a few happy tears. Martha herded everyone to the table where she poured coffee along with fresh cinnamon rolls, frosted with vanilla icing already on the table.
“That’s a beautiful ring, Ken, where did you get it?” Martha asked as she held Lara’s hand.
“It’s my great-grandmother’s ring. When mom showed it to me, I knew it was perfect for Lara. It even fits perfectly, it’s as if it was made for her.”
Lara blushed and gazed into Ken’s eyes. He leaned in to give her a quick kiss.
“When did you propose, Ken, and have you guys set a date?” Clark asked.
“I proposed Christmas morning, in front of my whole family but we haven’t talked about a date yet. Oh, that reminds me, my brother recorded a video of the proposal. He’ll send it to you once he gets back home, Clark.” Ken turned to his fiancée. “Do you have any preferences, honey?”
“I’ve given it some thought and I was thinking mid-June. Does that sound good?”
“Yeah, a June wedding would be great,” Ken replied.
“Grandma, would you help me plan the wedding? I’m going to ask Ken’s family for help too, of course.”
“I’d love to help!” Martha exclaimed. “This is going to be so much fun!”
“Oh, Grandma, I’d also like to discuss what we can do to modify my suits so I have a place to put my ring,” Lara said.
“Let me think about it and I can have some ideas for you next week,” Martha replied.
“Thanks, Grandma. That’s perfect.”
They discussed wedding details for another hour then it was time for Lara and Ken to meet his family at the restaurant.
“Bye, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa,” Lara said. She kissed her family goodbye and Ken hugged everyone too then they all stepped out onto the porch. Lara stepped back, spun into her suit, then they rose slowly off the porch and with a wave, disappeared into the cold morning sky.
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Lara landed behind the trash dumpster enclosure then the two of them hopped into their car for the drive to the restaurant. They arrived a few minutes after 9 o’clock and made their way to a large table.
“Good morning everyone,” Lara said as she and Ken sat down just as the waitress was taking drinks orders. Ted and Audrey arrived a few minutes later completing the family group. The main topic of conversation that morning was the engagement and the setting of a date for the wedding, June 15th. Since both Lara and Ken lived in Illinois and his brothers lived in neighboring states, they decided to have the wedding in Illinois.
Lara asked her future in-laws for their help so that by the time breakfast ended Lara felt excited and calm at the same time. She knew with all the help on offer everything would be great.
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The day after Christmas was a slow news day so Lois was able to go home earlier than usual. She had just placed an order for Thai takeout when there was a knock on her balcony door. She opened it and ushered her visitor into the kitchen.
“Good evening, Superman, it’s good to see you,” Lois said as she closed the door behind the superhero.
“Good evening to you too, Lois. I wasn’t sure you’d be home this early but when I flew by the Planet and I didn’t see you there so I came here.”
“Yeah, slow news day, I’m sure you remember those,” Lois replied and she sat on the couch. As had been their custom Clark spun out of the suit and joined Lois on the couch.
“I just ordered dinner. If you’re hungry I can call and add to it,” Lois said hopefully.
“I could eat if it’s not too much trouble.”
“Great!” Lois grabbed her phone and called the restaurant, adding another helping of Panang curry and cashew chicken for them to share. The order would arrive within 45 minutes which would give them time to talk.
“You stopping by is getting to be a regular thing. Is there something you need to tell me?” Lois said with certainty. She gazed at Clark who had a similar grin on his face.
“I can’t fool you, can I? Yes, I do have something to tell you. Our daughter is getting married, Ken proposed Christmas Day.”
“So your prediction turned out to be spot on, huh? Too bad we didn’t bet on that, you could have made a couple of bucks.”
“It’s not fair to take advantage of a sure thing, Lois. I’d have been more surprised if he hadn’t asked her then,” Clark replied with a grin.
“So, did she call you to tell you?”
“No. They flew over early this morning before they were to meet Ken’s family for breakfast.”
“Those superpowers sure come in handy. A visit beats the heck out of a phone call, that’s for sure.”
“Yes, it gave Lara a chance to show off her ring. It was Ken’s great-grandmother’s ring. It’s elegant and it fit without any adjustment and, of course, she loves it.”
“That’s so wonderful. Ken’s family must love Lara to give her an heirloom like that.”
“They do. From what Lara told me she feels like she’s known them forever.”
“I’m glad. It makes marriage much easier when the family accepts the new member enthusiastically. I’m kind of glad I never got married. My parents would have been the in-laws from hell!” Lois laughed but there was a tinge of sadness there too.
Clark laughed along with her though inside he was thinking that he wished he’d had the opportunity to find out.
“I hope you don’t think I’m interfering, but did you ever tell your parents about Lara?” Clark asked carefully.
“Yes and no. I told them I was pregnant, of course, but I told them the father was an old boyfriend who was only in town for a conference. I told them I was not keeping the baby but was giving it up for adoption. That’s all they know. Why do you ask?”
“You saw how happy she was at Thanksgiving, being with Lucy and her family, and you of course. I think she might like to at least meet her other grandparents, that’s all. It’s completely up to you though.” Clark added quickly. “I’m sure this will cause issues with them, your mother for sure, I bet.”
“Yeah, probably. You think she’d like to meet them?” Lois asked skeptically. “They haven’t changed much in twenty years. They can barely be in the same room together for more than an hour without fighting.”
“Please think about it. I’m pretty sure Lara would like to meet them, at least once. Then she can make up her mind about having a relationship.”
“I’ll think about it, but no promises!” Just then the doorbell rang signaling their meal had arrived. Lois rose from the couch and paid the delivery boy while Clark grabbed plates, silverware, and drinks and brought them to the coffee table.
“How did you…? Oh, right, x-ray vision,” Lois said upon seeing the plates on the table.
“I hope you don’t mind…?”
“No! Not at all, let’s eat.” Lois pulled the hot containers out of the bag and set them on the table. They dug in, and delicious smells filled the room.
“Hey, this is good. Is this a new place?” Clark asked between bites of Panang curry.
“Yes, it just opened at the beginning of the year, it’s called Jimmy Thai. It’s my new go-to Thai place.” They ate with minimal breaks for conversation in between bites of the delicious food. When all the cartons were empty Clark grabbed everything and crushed it down then he dumped it in the trash.
“I’ve had a wonderful time, Lois, thanks for sharing your dinner with me,” Clark said as he rose and spun into the suit.
“Thanks for keeping me informed about Lara. Dinner was fun, we should do it again sometime.” Lois smiled when Clark nodded in agreement. She slid the patio door open to allow Superman to exit. Clark leaned down and kissed her cheek quickly then he was gone, faster than the eye could follow.
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Continued in Chapter Twenty-Four
