Overflowing

Standing in front of the window, I cradle my sleeping child in my arms, as I look out over Star City's skyline without seeing. The early sun is streaming through the hospital mini-blinds and beams a feeling of peace right into my heart.

I can feel his warmth, his softness, smell his newness and hear his heart flutter. But I can barely register his weight in my arms and I mentally note that I will have to relearn daily how to handle him without crushing him as he grows. I'm thrilled at the challenge.

He woke about 2:00a.m., fussy and needing desperately to be fed. So, after he lustily downed a bottle from the nurses and received multiple changes, this is where we've been, standing, pacing and swaying; he slept as I stayed awake.

A tiny sigh breaks the silence and I look down at the miracle of my son. My son. His lips are perfect, pink and pursed together like he's waiting to be kissed. He has his mother's button nose and my long dark lashes, lying straight against his dewy cheeks.

Knowing he has a part of me in him, I carefully tug back the blanket from his head full of fine dark hair and allow him his first dose of sunlight. At the glow's touch, his lips part and stretch open into a big yawn. I've seen babies yawn before and it's very cute and sweet at the same time, but this is the first I've witnessed on my child. And my throat tightens at the magnitude of emotion washing over me, the need filling my every fiber to protect him and push him to learn about his heritage, his human heritage.

Taking a quick breath and brushing tears from my cheek, I focus more clearly and am taken by surprise at the blue eyes looking up at me solemnly. I whisper, "Good morning, little man."

He blinks his large eyes, totally relaxed in my arms. "You sure arrived into a special place." Shifting him carefully, I hold him out in front of me as we regard each other. "There are people here who already love you and they haven't even met you yet."

His back arches against my hands; his mouth opens wide into another yawn causing his eyes to close at the space needed. I can feel a warmth flood my insides and I let out a long-held chuckle at the funny contortions his face just made. "I'm sorry, am I keeping you up?"

A deep breath fills the quiet of our room and a sleepy voice crackles, "Yes."

I can hear her legs slide against the sheets as I turn to greet my wife's face; the first I've seen her eyes open since the surgery prompted by my son's eager arrival. She was unstirred by his hungry cries earlier due to the morphine. "Good morning, my sweet sunshine."

She smiles out loud, a shy sleepiness I've not beheld on her since the morning after our wedding night.

"How are you feeling?"

She raises her hand to rub her pale forehead, bringing the twisted IV lines along. "Hmm," her hand falls back to her lap and quiet bliss washes over her as she focuses first on the awake bundle in my hands and then on my fast-watering eyes. "Hungry."

Even her eyes are smiling and I have to choke back tears at the joy filling me all over again. "Would you like to hold your son while I try to find some peach halves for you?"

Her eyes widen and a glow passes through the blueness there. She takes a breath and smiles, the twinkle is back, "I don't know, he looks pretty content with his daddy." I can see the eagerness in her arms and the straightening of her posture, so I know she's teasing.

Eager to do a little teasing of my own, I tilt my ear toward the baby, "What's that?" Beth's eyes pop up to me in curiosity. "He says he needs to see his Mommy."

Pulling up slowly, she grins wryly at me, "Super hearing, I guess?"

"Well, of course, he's my son, too." Bending toward her, I lay his warmth into her eager arms and watch as they fold up in a slow hug around him, her lips brushing his forehead sweetly.

She gasps lightly and I can hear her sniff as she lifts all five of his fingers over her one. "Hello, beautiful, I'm s-so glad to finally meet you. I've b-been waiting so long." She sniffs again and when his rosebud mouth yawns widely, she whines, "O-oh," and looks up at me. Her shiny happy eyes lock with mine and her smile softens, "I love you, Clark Kent, look what you've given me."

"I think you've got that backwards, Mrs. Kent." I tease as she pulls her feet up and then I remember she's just awakened from surgery. "Are you okay?"

"Mm hmm," she murmurs without looking up as she shifts his weight. She props the baby against her thighs and a smile widens her cheeks, deepens her grin lines and settles her shoulders. "Hi sweetheart," she coos. One hand strokes his cheek and glides up over his head; a sensual touch I've always loved. "He sure is your son," her fingers push his hair back and forth softly. "Look at that hair." She glances at me to make sure I'm still paying attention and I catch tears pooling in the corners of her eyes.

Needing to see both of their faces, I kneel at her bedside and lean against the mattress. As I look up at her, she smooths my hair back with a wave of her soft hand. I fight to keep my eyes open at her touch, I want to watch her. I sniff, "He's got your eyes, babe."

She looks back at our son, "Maybe," she tilts her head in study. "All babies are born with blue eyes, though, and his have green flecks like yours." Her face is glowing as her eyes gloss over every inch of my son, her son.

"We'll have to wait and see," I gush at her beauty and suddenly I remember something, "Oh, I forgot." I walk to the chair by the door. "Mom brought this and told me to have you open it," I set a soft wrapped package against Beth's hip, "when you finally got to hold him."

Her eyes stay on the baby, "Do you know what it is?"

"No idea." I kneel again.

Her thumbs stroke his fingers, "I'm kind of busy, do you mind?"

I roll my eyes and plant my hands on my hips playfully, and moan, "And it begins…"

"Clark Kent." She giggles and then grimaces. At my stare, she smiles weakly, "I'm okay." Reluctantly, I tug at the crinkly paper. Beth asks without looking, "What did she think of her grandson?"

"She hasn't seen him." Her face pops up at me in surprise. "She refused, painfully, until you could greet him properly, first. Everybody else agreed with her."

"Your mom..." She dabs her leaky eye. Her face becomes animated, "That's right, little one, your grandma will be so happy to get her hands on you!"

Tearing the paper, I pull out a quilt, my quilt. "Oh." A guttural noise escapes unbidden as I try to stifle tears.

"Oh Clark, that's yours." She smiles tearfully as she drags the soft fabric across her knees. "Oh, and it has new edging." She fingers the red and blue borders as I swallow the lump in my throat. "It's perfect." Her cool hand strokes the edge of my jaw in her comforting way and I lean into it gratefully, but I can't look at her.

Regaining control of my emotion, I pull up a card from the paper. "Here's a note." Opening it, I read my mother's writing out loud. "This was all Chloe's idea. She asked me to update it a little and I thought it was the perfect way to welcome our new baby! Hugs and kisses for everyone, especially our tired Mama, from Mom." I clear my throat of huskiness.

Looking up from the card, I see Beth has already spread it over our son's body. Her hands are lovingly and gently tucking and she whispers, "Clark, look!" Focusing through my tears, I see my son's large eyes drift shut and his lips part for sweet breaths. "He's ours, right? We can take him home with us?" She looks up at me soulfully and happily as her hand worms its way into mine.

Smiling at her is all I can do. I can't open my mouth and risk crying out. She means so much to me. "Here," I whisper and wipe my eyes. Reaching into my back pocket, I pull out a wad of paper and push it into her fingers. She pauses, looking at me questioningly. I choke out, "It's from me." As she opens it, I add, "I wish it were pretty like a greeting card, but,"

"Shh, baby, I'm reading." At her soft reprimand, I glance up at her eyes and see a smile of love.

"Okay, shushing." I swallow the tightness in my throat.

"Thanks," she sniffs as she focuses on my attempt at legible handwriting.

Dear Elizabeth, my friend, my lover, my wife, and now the mother of my child:

I was the one with big mistakes, big regrets and bigger breaks than I'd ever care to confess.
Oh but, you're the one who looks at me, and sees what I was meant to be - more than just a beautiful mess.

Where would I be without someone to save me?
Someone who won't let me fall?

You are everything that I live for, everything that I can't believe is happening.
You're right in front of me with arms wide open.
All I know is, every day is filled with hope.


You are everything that I believe for, and I can't help but breathe you in, breathe again,
Feeling all this life within every single beat of my heart.

You're everything good in my life, everything honest and true.
And all of the stars hanging up in the sky could never shine brighter than you!

You are, you are everything!

Love you forever,

Your never-normal Luke Skywalker,

Clark

*** Song lyrics by Matthew West, Everything ***