Little Alex sat on his bed in a little black suit. It was the first black suit he had ever worn and the last he would wear for a while. He looked glumly at his hands. He couldn't believe what had happened in the last couple of days. His six year old brain had difficulty comprehending everything. He remembered waking up late at night to the sound of a baby cry. He could hear his father's voice and Uncle Clark's and Aunt Chloe's. "Mom must have given birth to my baby sister!" though Alex. He ran downstairs and into his sister's room that his parents had been preparing for quite a long time. "Daddy what's her name?!" asked Alex excitedly. Lex smiled wearily at his son, "Her name is Lilly, Alex. Come meet your baby sister." Lex picked his son up and leaned him over the crib. "Wow! She's awesome!" Yeah, isn't she?" asked Lex kissing the side of his son's face. Alex looked and smiled at Uncle Clark and Aunt Chloe. They smiled back, but Alex knew it wasn't like them to be so quiet. Alex looked around the room for Mommy, but there was no trace of her. "Daddy where's Mommy? Is she still resting at the hospital?" "Well that is what I have to talk to you about…" said Lex biting his lips. "You guys can stay a while?" asked Lex. "As long as you need," said Clark firmly, but sadly while Chloe nodded. This was when Alex got a gist that something was wrong.
Lex took his son to his own room and turned on the light. He sat on his bed and placed his son on his lap. The little boy looked up at his father puzzled. Lex ran his hand through his son's hair. "Alex…your mother has gone to sleep forever," said Lex stuttering on the last words. "What?" Alex asked, unable to believe his father's words. Lex kissed Alex's forehead. The little boy watched a tear slide down his father's face. Lex rubbed the tear away. "It was her time to go…to be happy forever. It's like she slipped out of the house and is watching us through the window, but we can't see her, but she'll always be with us." "No! That's not good enough!" yelled Alex. He hopped off of his father's lap and ran into his room. He hid under the bed and began to sob. His mother was dead. Lex cam in and pulled his son out from under the bed. Sitting cross legged on the floor h rocked his son back and forth. The little boy cried in his father's shirt. "There, there," said Lex while tears flowed off of his own cheeks. The little boy slept in his father's bed that night. Lex had sobbed alongside his son. It was the first time Alex had seen his father cry, but before the little boy had slipped to sleep his father had whispered to him "We are going to be okay." The little Alex tried his best to smile at his father. Lex ran his hand through his son's hair again and whispered to him to go to sleep.
It had been so strange waking up on that Christmas for Alex. For a second he had forgotten that his mother had died and he thought joyously about presents. He sat up and was instantly puzzled about why he wasn't in his own bed. Then he remembered last night. Christmas had given him a sister, but had taken his mother. Alex looked to the other side of the bed. His father was already up. Lex had gotten up early to take care of Lilly and get out the Christmas presents. Lex was sad…he would need to return all the gifts he had bought for Lana as well as donate her clothing to the homeless center. He couldn't bear to keep those clothes in the closet. Lex sighed. He had to be strong today, but it was going to be really hard. Lex had waffles on in the kitchen. He knew his son would be up soon. Alex walked down really quietly. When Lex turned away from the stove there was Alex. Lex remembered last Christmas. His son had come to the kitchen pounding down the stairs. Not this Christmas. Lex could see his son was trying to be strong. "I made waffles," said Lex softly. Alex smiled. He was in such a daze. Lex set the waffles on the table and Alex ate one slowly. Lex poured his son a glass of milk and Alex drank that too. Lex ate too. "Now," said Lex when they were done eating "Let's open presents." Lex led his son to the Christmas tree. Lex brought Lilly down. There Alex crept over to his father and sister. Alex stroked his sister's cheeks. She smiled at him. Alex smiled back, but then burst into tears. "It's not right without Mommy!" sobbed Alex. Lex hugged his son, but resisted crying. Lilly began crying too in response to her brother. "I can't do this all by myself," thought Lex. Just then the doorbell rang. "Sshh now," said Lex gently to his son. Lex went to the door. It was Clark. "Clark…" said Lex embracing the taller man. "How is everything?" asked Clark gently putting his hands on Lex's shoulders. "Oh well you know Clark…hard." Clark nodded. "I was wondering if I can spend some Christmas time with you and your family." "Sure Clark…thanks." Clark smiled. "Hey Alex," said Clark coming into the room. "Hey Uncle Clark!" said Alex embracing Clark. Clark did help lighten the mood. That had been Christmas. The only Christmas that it had been hard to open presents.
The next day had been the funeral. Alex had cried the whole time. Not his father though, though Lex had allowed a drop to fall now and then from his eyes. The little boy kept staring at the floor of his room. He felt so drained from all that crying. Downstairs he knew it was a mess everywhere. His father hadn't cleaned up yet. He knew what his mother would be saying if she was alive. She would be calling his father a slob and yelling at him for it. Lex would start to clean up as his wife was yelling at him and Lex would give cute faces to Lana until she broke down into a smile or a giggle and then Lex would pounce on her and kiss her. "No Lex I'm supposed to be mad at you." Naw ahn," Lex would say imitating his son's voice and Lana wouldn't be able to stay serious. Lana wasn't around now to get Lex to help clean the house. Lex walked into his son's room. He looked at his son. His son looked at him. "Mommy would be telling you to clean up the house now." Lex broke into a laugh. "Come on. You can help pick up the wrapping paper," said Lex smiling and extending a hand to is son. His son took it.