Monday November, 10, 2008 (continued)
“Oh my god, why am I so nervous?” Lois asked, laughing softly, as she chopped vegetables for a salad. “They’re going to be thrilled. What other possible reaction could they have?”
Clark stepped behind her and slid his arms around her waist. “I’m nervous too. It’s just a big moment.”
She twisted in his arms to face him. “I just want to get it right, you know? I just want to say the right things.”
“I know.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and kissed her cheek. “It’s going to be fine, I promise.”
The rest of their session with Dr. Booker had been helpful in clarifying not only that they needed to rip off the bandaid and talk to the kids, but also what topics to cover. For now, they just needed to tell the kids that they loved each other, that they wanted their family to be together in one home, and that Clark was moving back in. It was okay to admit they didn’t have to have all the answers to every other question. One step at a time.
At lunch, after their session, they had gone over it again and agreed to talk to the kids immediately. There was nothing to be gained by waiting a few days or weeks. But now, in the kitchen of their home, Lois felt herself wishing for a brief reprieve.
Clark pulled the chicken from the oven and set it on the counter, the rich mushroom aroma of the sauce filling the kitchen.
“That smells amazing,” Lois said. “You know what it reminds me of?”
“The mushroom chicken at La Belle Vie that you love?” he replied with a smirk and a raise of his eyebrows.
“Yes! How did you-?”
“It’s a copycat recipe. I found it online.”
Lois reached for his tie and pulled him in for a kiss. “You spoil me. You know that, right?”
“I know,” he said, clearly pleased with himself.
She pushed him away and turned back to the salad, nerves soothed temporarily.
“What is that smell?” Mattie asked suspiciously, turning the corner into the kitchen after emerging from her bedroom for the first time since Lois had picked them up from school.
Clark gestured to the dish on the counter. “It’s a mushroom chicken-”
“Daddy!” she cried, obviously delighted to see him.
“Hey, Mattie-bug,” he said, catching her in a hug.
“I didn’t know you were here. I thought Mom was cooking.”
“And you didn’t think I was capable of making something that smelled that good?” Lois teased. “Is that what you are saying?”
“Well...I was a little surprised,” she said with a grimace.
Lois rolled her eyes. “Help set the table.”
Mattie gathered plates and bowls and took them to the table while Lois went to browse the wine selection, settling on a rich red to complement the mushrooms. She opened the bottle and poured two glasses. When she turned around, a wine glass in each hand, Clark was blowing on a spoon with a taste of the sauce.
“Try it,” he said, extending the spoon to her. She opened her mouth and accepted the taste, closing her eyes in bliss immediately and groaning.
“It’s so good,” she said, after she swallowed. “It tastes exactly like the restaurant version.”
His gaze, which had been riveted on her mouth, slid up to her eyes, and he gave her a self-satisfied smile. He winked at her, and she felt her heart rate kick up. Her eyes flicked to the dining room, where Mattie was setting the table. “Do not flirt with me right now,” she teased quietly. “I need to be able to concentrate on this discussion without getting all flustered.”
He laughed. “Can I flirt with you after dinner?”
“I’m counting on it,” she said, smiling at him one more time and then taking the glasses to the table.
Mattie and Clark finished setting the table and carrying over food, while Lois retrieved JP from the swing set in the backyard. They all sat down and served up food, and Lois looked around at her family gathered around the table, Clark cutting up JP’s chicken for him, and felt a lump in her throat.
Clark finished cutting and slid JP’s plate over in front of him, then looked up and caught Lois watching him. She took a breath and opened her mouth to say something, but no words would come. He nodded and smiled, then set down his utensils.
“Hey, guys,” Clark said, drawing their attention. “There’s something your mom and I want to talk to you about.”
Mattie’s eyes shifted from Clark to Lois and back again. Lois could see the wheels in her head turning already. “Is it good news or bad news,” she asked suspiciously.
“It’s good news,” Lois said quickly, desperately hoping Mattie thought so too.
“Are we getting a puppy?” JP asked, bouncing in his seat.
“What? No. Why would you-?” Lois fumbled for a response.
“Alex in my class got a puppy!” JP rushed to answer. “It’s brown and white and has a smooshie face-”
“Oh my god, shut up about the puppy so they can tell us whatever it is,” Mattie snapped.
“Mattie,” Clark said, the warning clear in his tone.
“What? I want to know what’s going on and he won’t shut up about-”
Lois held up a hand to Clark, silently asking him for patience and grace for their daughter who clearly knew something big was happening. She put a hand on Mattie’s arm, drawing her attention. When Mattie quieted, Lois nodded her head back at Clark and Mattie turned to look at him again, quietly this time.
“I know you’ve both probably noticed that your mother and I have been spending more time together recently,” Clark started. “Even more than normal. And that…”
He looked at her for help, and Lois started over. “Your father and I love each other very much,” she said quietly. “We always have. For a while, we needed time apart. Time to heal from some things that had happened in the past. And time to heal our family. We’ve worked hard to make our family happy and healthy for you, even when we couldn’t all be together all the time.”
Mattie’s eyes narrowed. “You mean, when you got divorced.”
“Yes, Mattie,” Clark confirmed gently. “We needed time apart. For us, that meant a divorce and separate homes. But things have changed now. We don’t want to live separately anymore. We’re ready for our family to all be back together all the time.”
“So you’re...getting married again?” she asked, and Lois could hear a thread of hope running through her skepticism.
“We haven’t really talked about marriage yet,” Lois said, glancing up at Clark who nodded in acknowledgment of her accurate prediction. “For now, we just want to focus on our whole family being together again. No more going back and forth between two houses. We can all live here again, like we used to.”
“Daddy’s moving back in?” Mattie asked, then turned to Clark for confirmation.
“Yeah, sweetie. I’m going to move back in. And we’ll all be here together all the time. No more going back and forth between the houses.”
“What will happen to your house?”
Clark shrugged. “I’ll sell it probably. Not right away. There’s things we’ll need to take care of. We’ll figure it out.”
JP looked back and forth between them, his brow furrowed, and Lois wondered how much of this he understood.
“Buddy? Do you understand what we’re saying?” she asked. “Daddy is going to live here with us all the time. Won’t you like that?”
“Every day?” he asked, his little voice hopeful.
“Yes, every day. Forever. Daddy will come home and we will all be together all the time.”
“Do I still have to go to school?”
Lois looked up at Clark, eyebrows raised and hands in the air, as if to tell him this one was all his.
“Yes, buddy,” Clark said laughing. “We’re going to keep doing all the same things we do now. School. Work. T-Ball. All of it. We’re just going to do it all together. Instead of taking turns sleeping at Mommy’s house some nights and Daddy’s house some nights, we can just have one house for our whole family.”
“Can we get a puppy?”
Lois burst out laughing. Somehow she hadn’t predicted this ongoing theme to tonight’s discussion.
“Mattie?” she prompted, when her laughter subsided. “What are you thinking?”
“Forever?” Mattie asked.
“Yes, sweet girl,” she confirmed. “Mattie, I know you’ve noticed things changing between your dad and me. The reason we didn’t tell you this before, is because we didn’t want to say anything until we were totally sure. But we’re sure now.”
Mattie turned to Clark. “Starting tonight?”
Clark nodded. “Starting tonight.”
Mattie shoved her chair back from the table and launched herself into Clark’s arms. Clark stroked her hair and looked up at Lois, who smiled at him through her tears.
Later, after dinner and cleanup and bedtime routines, when the kids were tucked in and they were finally alone, Lois laced her fingers through Clark’s and tugged him toward their bedroom. “You know what I really want to do to celebrate?” she asked, pulling him in the room and closing the door.
“I could wager a guess,” he whispered, capturing her lips in a kiss.
She sighed contentedly as his lips caressed hers, sliding a hand into his hair and holding him in place while she deepened the kiss. Then she abruptly stepped back, and gave him a mischievous smile. “Unpacking.”
“What?” he asked, struggling to catch up with her.
“That’s how I think we should celebrate. Go get a load of clothes and toiletries and whatever you’re going to want right away, and I’ll clear out some drawers and closet space. We can figure out the rest later, but this way you won’t have to go home- won’t have to go back,” she corrected herself, “to get dressed every morning.”
“I like my celebration idea better,” he said, advancing toward her and resting his hands on her waist. He kissed her again, and Lois felt her resolve waver.
“Ah ah ah,” she said softly, as she pulled back and rested one fingertip against his lips. “Unpacking first. Then we’ll celebrate your way. If you hurry with the clothes,” she teased, sliding her finger from his lips to his chest, drawing a slow S, “I bet we have time to celebrate your way at least twice.”
Clark looked as if he were considering arguing the point further then realized it was just a waste of time. He stepped back, spun in the suit, winked at her, and disappeared off the balcony.
“Wow,” she whispered, desire for him tightening in her chest. She shook her head to clear her mind, and strode to the closet. Luckily, it was a large closet and though she’d spread out over the years, there was plenty of room to shift things around, emptying the bar where he’d always hung his suits. She pulled shoes and bags from the shelves beside the empty bar, finding homes for them quickly on her side of the closet. Then she stretched to run her finger along the edge of the top shelf, smiling when she found the latch. It took a few tries after years of disuse, but eventually, she felt the lever flip, and the entire shelving unit releasing from the wall on the left hand side. She pulled it open, the hinges squealing a little, revealing the hidden compartment behind the shelves with another empty bar for a different set of suits.
She walked back out of the closet, through the bathroom, and into their bedroom, where a pile of clothes lay on the bed, still on their hangers. Clark was nowhere to be seen, and she assumed he’d gone back for another load.
She turned her attention to the dresser that had been his. It was only half full, used to store some of her off season clothes now as well as a few throw blankets. Another easy fix. She pulled the baskets from the bench at the foot of the bed, and set them on top of the bench. She combined their contents into a single basket to be sorted later, and then set about folding the blankets in the drawers to fit in the baskets.
She was folding the second blanket when she felt a familiar thump, and her mouth curved up into a smile. She turned to greet him as he walked in the door, and realized he was carrying an arm full of dresser drawers.
“It seemed easier to contain everything in the drawers,” he said, answering her unspoken question, as he set the drawers on the bed. “I’ll transfer the contents and take them back. That seemed like a better idea than trying to carry them loose. The last thing I want to do is leave a Hansel and Gretel trail of shirts and shorts and underwear from my house to yours.”
“Ours,” she corrected gently, laughing at the mental image.
“Ours?” he asked, distractedly, already moving socks and underwear into the empty top drawer.
“From your house to ours,” she said simply, continuing to fold. “Have you thought about what you want to do with your house? Do you want to sell it?”
Clark exhaled and ran a hand through his hair. “Eventually. But I bought at the top of the bubble, and if we sell it now, we’re going to take a big loss. I’d rather carry the mortgage for a few years and let the market adjust. Maybe we can rent it out.”
“That’s fine. If you aren’t in a rush to sell it, we have plenty of time to figure that out.” She finished folding the blankets, and tucked them into the baskets, sliding them back into the bench. Then she crossed the room to her nightstand, taking something from the drawer, and walked back over to Clark, who was methodically transferring the last of the drawers.
She slid her arms around him, pressing against his back and resting her cheek against his shoulder blade. “I have a present for you,” she teased, opening her hand to reveal a garage door opener.
He took it from her, then turned around to face her, kissing her quickly and then looking at her questioningly, holding up the remote.
She shrugged. “I thought it would be cute and symbolic to give you a key to the house, but...you already have a key.” When they’d signed their divorce papers, he’d taken the key off his ring and slid it across the table to her. She’d slid it back, unable to meet his eye, and told him to keep it for emergencies. Over the years, he’d used it only a handful of times, but she knew he still had it. “So...I thought maybe a garage door opener was the next best thing.”
He grinned and rolled his eyes at her, but she could tell he appreciated the sentiment. “Thank you. Don’t worry,” he teased. “I won’t tell anyone how sweet and thoughtful you are.”
“Why don’t you finish unpacking, and I’ll show you how sweet and thoughtful I can be.”
He kissed her fast and hard, then stepped back and disappeared into a blur. When he stopped, seconds later, the bed was clear and he was finished unpacking.
Tuesday November 11, 2008
Lois waved at Kate as she wove through the crowded restaurant and slid into the chair across from her.
“Well, this is a nice surprise,” Kate said. “We never meet for lunch. What’s up?”
Last night, after dinner, Mattie had asked to call Abby, and Lois had realized abruptly that this news was something she didn't want Kate to hear third hand from her daughter. She’d asked Mattie to wait until school the next day to tell Abby, and had shot Kate a text hoping she’d be available for lunch.
“Well,” Lois hesitated, unsure where to begin.
Kate’s face split into a wide grin. “You eloped.”
“What? No!” Lois blushed and looked down at the bare finger on her left hand. “We did not elope!”
“But you’re thinking about it, aren’t you?” Kate shot back. “I’m not that far off.”
“Clark is moving back in. We haven’t decided anything about marriage yet.”
“Ha!” Kate exclaimed, raising her water glass in a toast. “I knew it!”
“You don’t know anything. That was a guess, and you weren’t even right,” Lois replied, rolling her eyes.
“I knew you were madly in love with him, no matter how much you insisted otherwise. And I knew after you slept with him again it was only a matter of time.”
Lois blushed again. “Fine. You were right about that. But not about the eloping.”
“What are you waiting for?” Kate asked, sipping her water.
“What? We’re not waiting for anything. We just got back together. Can we have just a minute to be happy and get settled before we have to discuss marriage?”
“You haven’t discussed it at all?” Kate asked, raising an eyebrow skeptically.
“Ok, we’ve discussed it a little. But we haven’t decided anything.”
“Let me guess...you are trying to figure out what you want, and Clark is leaving the ball in your court.”
“Are you actually some sort of psychic or do you just secretly spy on me?” Lois asked, and Kate laughed.
“I don’t need to be a psychic or a spy to see what’s going on between you two. Clark has been inching his way back into your life for years. That man has the patience of a saint. Of course he’s waiting on you to make the call about marriage.”
“I don’t want another wedding,” Lois said softly. “I don’t want to do all of that again.”
“Of course you don’t. Notice I asked if you eloped — I didn’t ask if you were planning a wedding. I’m just talking about putting things back together legally. If you don’t get remarried, you’re going to need a lawyer to draw up paperwork like medical power of attorney, so he’s your next of kin in case you are in an accident or something. I’m assuming he’s the one you’d want making medical decisions for you, and you’d want him to be able to visit you in the hospital and talk to your doctors.”
Lois blanched. She hadn’t even given consideration to the legal aspect of their relationship.
Kate shrugged. “If you decide to go that route instead, let me know and I’ll get you some names of a good family attorney.”
Lois was quiet, contemplating Kate’s advice.
“Don’t worry about that for now,” Kate said, waving a hand in the air. “I want all the details. You looked like you were going to jump him on Halloween, but Martha said she was in town for the whole week. Did you have to sneak around like high schoolers?”
Lois blushed immediately. “Oh god. He asked Martha to babysit Saturday so we could go out. But he didn’t tell her that’s what he was doing. I was trying to avoid having that conversation with her for a while. So he just said he had something important to do. Anyway, we went out, had dinner, and went back to my place.
“The perks of having two houses,” Kate said wryly, and Lois laughed.
“It was…a hell of a perk,” Lois confirmed with a raised eyebrow. “Anyway, afterward, we’re lying in bed and Clark’s mom sends him a text basically telling him not to bother coming home that night because she told the kids to let him sleep in and wake her up in the morning so he could sneak in. I’m not going to pretend I wasn’t grateful, but…oh my god. She’s his mother!”
Kate snickered. “Wait! Let me guess. You accused him of telling his mom about the date.”
“Well, I wouldn’t say I accused him,” Lois blustered. “I might have asked-“
Kate’s snicker turned into a full blown laugh. “Lois, you really thought Martha Kent watched you practically throw yourself at her son all night on Halloween and had no idea what the ‘important thing’ was he needed to do the next night? An important thing that necessitated a babysitter?”
“I did not!” Lois exclaimed more loudly than intended. When she caught the diners at a nearby table raising their gazes in her direction, she shifted her chair to avoid meeting their gaze, and dropped her voice to a loud whisper. “I was not throwing myself at him.”
“I mean, it was a hundred percent mutual, so I hardly think it’s something to be embarrassed about,” Kate said with a smirk.
“I’m not embarrassed,” Lois insisted petulantly. “I just don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Kate’s laughter faded to a fond smile. “You know I like giving you a hard time. But I’m not kidding about everyone in your orbit seeing the sparks the two of you were putting off that night or any other time you’re together. You’re like…magnets. You try so hard to pretend you don’t notice each other, to put space between you, to keep your voices neutral when you speak to each other. And then over and over, you just slide back together, his hand on your back, your hand on his arm, whispering about god knows what. It’s almost hard to watch sometimes, for those of us that care about you. I like to tease you about your animal pheromones or whatever. But the truth is, I’m so damn happy for you. You’ve loved each other this whole time, and I’m so glad you don’t have to fight it anymore.”
“Kate, I…I don’t know what to say,” Lois said, her throat tight. It was so unlike Kate to drop her provocative facade and speak candidly like this.
“Just say: you were right, Kate. You totally called it,” she teased.
“You were right, Kate. You totally called it,” Lois parroted, and then continued with a more serious tone. “And thank you. Thank you for always being there for me. For always listening. For telling me I deserved to be happy.”
Kate reached out and squeezed her hand. “That’s what friends are for. Now,” she said, settling back into her chair and opening the menu, “more importantly, have you tried the honey glazed salmon here? Because if not, that’s what you need to order.”
****
Lois had just gotten home from work and was in the kitchen when she heard the garage door open and smiled to herself.
They had decided to keep their Tuesday schedule the same, with Clark picking the kids up for a quick dinner and dropping them off before his evening class. At least for the time being, it made sense to try to keep some routines in place for the kids, and Lois appreciated having the extra hour in the newsroom and not having to think about dinner on Tuesday nights.
A minute later, the kids burst through the mudroom and into the kitchen, clamoring for her attention, telling her about school news and friend drama.
“Hey, hey,” Clark said jovially, walking in, keys in one hand and a restaurant take out container in the other. “I only have ten minutes. Let me have your mother’s attention. You can have her all to yourselves when I leave.”
Mattie rolled her eyes, but smiled, and Lois could tell she was secretly pleased. She wandered into the living room, and JP took off upstairs.
Clark put the container and the keys on the counter. “I brought you dinner,” he said, turning and reaching for her. He settled his hands on her waist and kissed her sweetly. “How was lunch with Kate?”
“It was great,” she said, sliding her hands around his neck, stroking the soft hair at the nape. “She was thrilled. You know she’s your biggest fan.”
“Oh, really? I thought you were my biggest fan,” he teased.
Lois considered a smart aleck reply, but decided to kiss him instead.
“I thought that went without saying,” she said when she pulled away. “Seriously though, she’s been your tireless defender. Last month, she threatened to marry you herself if I didn’t get my act together.”
“Remind me to send her flowers or wine or something,” Clark said with a laugh. Then his voice turned softer and more serious. “She’s a good friend to you. I’m glad you have her.”
She smiled and stroked his cheek, but before she could say anything else, she was interrupted by JP who had reappeared wearing his trusty cape and buzzed through the kitchen, slamming into her and wrapping his arms around her legs for an over-enthusiastic hug.
Clark steadied her, his smile gone, brow furrowed. He dropped to one knee, his right hand still on her waist, the left snagging JP before he could take off.
“Hey, buddy,” he said, his voice quiet but his tone firm. “That’s too rough. Be gentle with Mommy.”
“I’m super fast-” JP started to explain, unaffected by Clark’s admonishment.
“No,” Clark said firmly, cutting him off. JP’s eyes went wide and he stopped arguing. “If you are super fast and super strong, it’s even more important to be gentle with the people you love. Watch how Daddy touches Mommy. So gentle.” He stroked her hip, feather light. “You need to be careful not to hurt anyone, but I especially do not want to see you hurt your mother. Be gentle.”
JP nodded solemnly, and Clark released him. He took off, flying through the living room, and Clark stood, his face still serious. He stroked her cheek, obviously still unhappy.
“He’s just a baby,” Lois said softly. “He doesn’t mean-”
“He’s not a baby, Lois. He’s almost six. There’s a good chance we have five, maybe six years before he’s strong enough to seriously hurt you. Do not let him get away with being rough with you like that.”
Lois nodded, understanding the gravity of his fear. Clark’s face relaxed, and he leaned in for a kiss.
“I have to go to work,” he said reluctantly.
“I’ll be here when you get home,” she said, giving him a flirty smile.
“You have no idea how much I love the sound of that,” he said. He kissed her again, this time with years of pent up longing, and when he released her, her eyes were unfocused and her chest heaved for air.
“Hold that thought,” he said quietly. “I’ll be home as soon as I can.”
Last edited by AnnieM; 12/07/21 12:27 AM.
