Linda's eyes were closed as she snuggled under her sheets, but she could smell the distinct aroma of hot chocolate; she smiled and sighed as she slowly opened her eyes. She saw a steaming mug of hot chocolate—topped with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles—on her nightstand, with a powder blue envelope under her glasses. The young girl grinned as she sat up and lifted her glasses to get the envelope; she carefully tore the top opened it and pulled out a white birthday card with a large, glittery blue number 16 on the front; he opened the card and saw three hand-written notes in familiar handwriting:
Happy Birthday, Short Stack. Love, Clark
Linda, you have been a blessing in our lives. We love you so much. Happy birthday! Love, Mom
Chores have been done, breakfast is ready when you are. Happy birthday, and enjoy your day off. Love, Dad
Still smiling, Linda put the card aside and grabbed the mug; she drank eagerly, downing the hot liquid in a few gulps. She leaned back against the headboard and sighed with content as she smacked her lips; no matter how old she got, the young girl knew she would never grow tired of her adoptive mother's homemade recipe. A soft mewl caused her to look down and see Streaky and Krypto, curled at the foot of the bed, staring up at their mistress.
"What?" Linda asked, still smiling as she put the empty mug back on the nightstand. Krypto quickly got to his feet and bounded over to the young girl, licking her face; Linda giggled as she scratched the puppy behind his ears and kissed his head. "Good morning to you too, fella." Streaky protested with a soft yowl, and Linda carefully leaned over and plucked the cat from the bed, cradling her in arms; she scratched the feline behind the ears, and Streaky's eyes closed in content as she purred loudly.
After a few moments, Linda extracted herself and got out of bed. She picked up her pets and carried them to her door; she set them out in the hall and closed the door. She then blurred around the room, making her bed and changing into her clothes; she stopped in front of her full-length mirror and admired herself. She wore old jeans, a work shirt, and a pair of old sneakers; her hair was pulled back into a ponytail. She carefully straightened her glasses on her nose and smiled satisfactorily before blurring out of her room and heading downstairs.
While Martha finished drying the last of the dishes and Krypto and Streaky ate from their dishes, Linda sat at the table, sketching on her sketchpad. The kitchen door opened and Jonathan walked in, dressed in his work clothes.
"Good morning, ladies," he replied cheerfully as he closed the door and removed his jacket, hanging it on the coatrack; he walked over and kissed his wife on the cheek. "How are you two doing?"
"Not bad," Martha replied, smiling.
"And how did you enjoy your birthday breakfast, Linda?" Jonathan asked as he walked over to his daughter; he kissed her cheek. "Happy Birthday, sweetie."
"She cleaned her plate in less than two seconds," Martha answered, smiling.
"Wow, that's impressive," Jonathan replied, amused, as he glanced down at Linda's sketchpad. "So, what are you working on?"
"Just some ideas I've been wanting to work on," Linda replied. She paused for a moment before she raised an eyebrow and glanced up at her adoptive father. "Could I spend the day in my gallery?"
Jonathan raised an eyebrow, a little surprised. "You don't want to stay here with your family on your day off?" he asked.
"It's not that," Linda replied honestly. "I just have some things I wanna work on, plus I need to get started on a few of the orders that came in last week," she shrugged, "and I promise I won't bolt for the city limits."
Jonathan stared at his daughter for a moment before he glanced over at his wife, who simply shrugged, her expression neutral. Sighing, Jonathan looked back at his daughter, smiling. "Sure, sweetie," he replied, "if that's what you want."
Linda grinned and kissed her cheek. "Thanks, Dad," she replied. "I'll be back around four." She stood up and grabbed her sketchpad before blurring out of the kitchen, closing the door behind her.
"Was I just imagining it," Jonathan asked as he walked over to the island, "or did I hear a little frustration in her voice?"
"No, you weren't imagining things," Martha replied as she put the dishes away, "she's just feeling cooped up, that's all."
"I stand by our decision to have her stay in Smallville until all her powers come in," Jonathan said.
"I know, and I'm not disagreeing with you," Martha replied, "but Linda's a teenager; even Clark felt cooped up sometimes when he was her age," she turned around and walked over to her husband, "but she's not going to say anything that might hurt your feelings any more than Clark would."
Jonathan smiled and kissed his wife. "How did you get so smart, Martha Kent?" he asked.
"Just luck, I guess," Martha smiled back. "Now, since our daughter's going to be away for the day, we should be able to get a lot of things done for tonight."
"What do you need me to do?" Jonathan asked, smiling.
(End of Chapter 1)