"Lois?" asked a bleary-eyed Lucy. "What are you doing here? You know I have to sleep in. I've got to work tonight."
"I know, Lucy, and I'm really sorry, but I have something important to tell you."
"And it can't wait?" she asked tiredly.
"Not really."
"Okay," Lucy said, her voice full of defeat. She moved to the side to let Lois come in, "but this better be important."
They took a seat in the living room. "Lucy," Lois began. "How much do you remember about, Mom?"
Lucy looked at her in disbelief. "You came here to ask me that?"
"Please, just humor me."
She shrugged. "Not much. Sometimes I think I can remember something about her when I'm waking up like her the sound of her voice, but really I can't. I guess it's the losing her that I remember most. I just cried and cried. I don't think I've ever thanked you for letting me sleep with you, so thank you. You were a wonderful big sister, and you still are. I'm just sorry you had to be a mother to me too."
Lois ruffled her hair, "I'm sorry too, but I didn't do too bad a job getting you raised, did I?"
She grinned, "I guess not. Anyway, getting back to your question that's all that I remember. I missed her sometimes growing up, but how much can you miss someone you didn't know? I think I missed having a mother more than my actual mother."
"I sometimes wished that I didn't remember her."
"Why?" Lucy looking completely alert now and interested. Lois had never opened up about her before.
"Because they weren't happy memories. Maybe there's more to why you don't remember than just your age. Maybe you wanted to forget."
"I don't understand."
"What if I told you she was still alive?"
"Who?"
"Mom."
"I'd say you were crazy," Lucy answered, not liking where this questioning was going.
"Well, she is."
"Is this some sort of sick joke?" Lucy asked, not sure whether to be angry or play along.
"Lucy," Lois said, looking her sister in the eye. "You know I wouldn't joke about something like this."
"I don't believe it, so you and dad lied to me? I thought all those years when I would hit a brick wall trying to ask you guys stuff that it was because she was so great and you were in such terrible grief, but you were just liars."
"We were grieving, only she wasn't dead. I think we both thought, or at least I thought, that someday we'd find the right time to tell you, but it just doesn't get any easier with time."
Lucy had tears falling, "So she was a jerk then?"
Lois nodded, "Yeah…she was."
"How?"
"Well, she drank a lot, and that's it really. She didn't take good care of us, emotionally I mean. She was a selfish person, who at that time cared only about herself and her drinking."
"And she left us?"
"Yes."
"Well, then good riddance."
"I didn't mean to make you angry toward her. I was just trying to be honest," Lois tried to explain.
"I know and I'm glad you finally told me."
"There's a reason I'm telling you. It's not out of the blue."
"She's back?" Lucy guessed.
Lois nodded.
"Did you tell her where she can go?" Lucy asked bitterly.
"At first, I didn't even speak to her."
"Good for you."
"And then Clark—"
"Lois, don't tell me you fell for whatever crap she tried to feed you."
Lois got fierce. "I don't fall easily. You know that. I didn't believe she'd changed, but she gave me blood and there's no sign that she hasn't stopped drinking. I think she's genuinely sorry and genuinely wants to make up for what she did in the past."
Lucy looked stricken, "She gave you blood?"
"Yeah, why? What's the matter?"
"I think I saw her at the hospital. Does she have grayish brown hair and brown eyes."
Lois nodded.
"I saw her and I had a conversation with her with no clue as to who she was."
"I'm sorry, Lucy. I should have told you sooner."
Lucy didn't respond to her comment. "That's why she looked like she wanted to run. I thought she was just upset about a family member, but she didn't even want to talk to me."
"Yes, she does, Luce. Clark told her not to be seen by you, because he knew it would upset me. She wants to meet with you. That's why I'm here. It's up to you if you want to or not, but I think you should."
"Why? It's too late to play mother now. She left us, Lois. Why should we have anything to do with her?"
"Believe me, I know how you feel. I had those same thoughts, but I think it's something you need to do and whether you go or not, whether you try to bond again or not, I'll support you all the way."
"Will you go with me?" Lucy asked.
"If you want me to. When do you want to go?"
"Let me get ready and I'll go now. I don't think I'm going to be getting anymore sleep and if I wait too long, I might change my mind. I'll call the airport and see if they can't get someone to take my place tonight."
"I'll call her and let her know we're coming over. Do you forgive me for not telling you?" Lois asked.
Lucy smiled, "Of course, I do. I know you were just trying to protect me. However, I still haven't forgiven you for ripping off my Barbie doll's head when we were kids."
Lois laughed. "Barbie had it coming."
---
Lois led the way into the apartment. Ella answered the door this time.
"Lucy," Ella said tenderly as she made a move to hug her, but Lucy backed away behind the security of Lois.
"I'm sorry about the hospital, dear. I should have told you, but I thought it was the best thing to do at the time."
Lucy came back to the front to face her, good and angry, "Just like when you left us?"
"Yes. I'm not saying I wasn't wrong, but I did think I was doing what was best for you girls."
"That's just it! We were girls. We needed our mother. Did you know the only open affection I got growing up was from Lois? I was too much of a twit at the time to appreciate it, but she's more of a mother to me than you'll ever be. It was an unfair, crappy thing to do to her though, to the both of us. Of course, us being together didn't last too long. Dad couldn't really handle a girly girl. Lois wasn't and I was. Guess who got shipped off?"
"I'm sorry, Lucy."
"Sorry doesn't cut it, Mother. Both Lois and I had crappy childhoods and I don't know how much better it would have been if you'd stayed, but at least I could have stayed with my family, instead of in Switzerland."
"I'm sorry," Ella repeated.
Lucy snorted. "But you can't do anything to change it, can you?"
"No, but I can be your friend."
"My friend?" Lucy asked.
"I know you want to take it slow. I know it has to be taken slow. It's the same thing I'm doing with Lois. Think of me as a new person, because I really am. And I know you girls aren't the same little girls I knew either. We'll take it slow and get to know one another all over again."
"I guess I can do that much, but I can't make any promises that we'll become friends," Lucy told her.
"I know."
"I've got an idea," Lois said. "Sunday is Mother's Day and Clark and I always celebrate at Mrs. Kent's. Why don't you join us, Mom, Lucy. It won't be anything special. Just kind of a get to know the family sort of thing."
Ella smiled, "I'd love to."
"Sure sign me up. I like Clark's mother," she said, staring pointedly at Ella.
Lois shook her head knowingly. She had a feeling the path to reconnecting with Lucy was going to be a little bumpier for her mother than her path. Lucy looked like the least likely of the sisters to get angry or be stubborn and she was, but on the rare occasion when she was angry or stubborn, it was matchless. Lois remembered her own rocky path to reconnecting with Lucy. It might be awhile before she warmed up completely.
TBC