Chapter 13
Clark was mending a fence in the upper field. Effortlessly he lifted the large beams, setting them in place. He picked up a nail, pulled a hammer from his tool belt, and gave the nail one strong hit to drive it firmly into the beam. His red/blue flannel plaid shirt and jean overalls flowed slightly in the cool breeze.
Lauren was standing a few feet away from him; her outfit a tiny replica of her father's. She was biting her lip in concentration as she hit a random spot on the beam with her plastic toy hammer. Every few seconds she would put the hammer back in her tiny tool belt and pull out the screwdriver or wrench, pretending to help fix the fence.
Clark glanced over at Lauren and chuckled when she pretended to miss the invisible nail and 'accidentally' hit her thumb with the hammer. Clark hit the last nail in place with a dull thud. "Ready to help get the cows into the corral?"
Lauren's eyes lit up at her favorite chore. She nodded enthusiastically.
"Let's go," Clark said, putting his hammer back in his belt. He climbed onto the tractor and set Lauren in front of himself. Clark maneuvered the tractor through the field, turning it left and right to position the herd where he needed them to go.
"Uh oh," Lauren said, pointing to a stray cow.
"You want to go get him?" Clark asked, a smile spread across his face.
Lauren nodded and grabbed the wheel of the large tractor. She pulled the tractor up alongside the cow, forcing it back in line. After a few minutes all the cows were in the corral, ready to be fed.
Clark climbed down, scooping Lauren off the tractor and into his arms. "We have to be very quiet," Clark said, carrying he into the house. "Mommy's sleeping."
"No, she's not," a voice called from the kitchen.
Clark set Lauren down, walked into the kitchen, and laughed. Chloe was standing over the coffeepot, a steaming mug in her hand. She was wearing a blue robe and her hair was tousled from sleep.
"Chlo, it's ten on a Saturday morning; why do you look like you just woke up?" Clark asked, biting back a smile.
"Because I just woke up and it's *ten* on a *Saturday* morning, Clarkie," Chloe said, emphasizing the nickname she knew Clark despised.
"Mommy, I'm hungry," Lauren said, walking into the kitchen. Lauren stood beside Clark, her feet a few inches apart, and her thumbs hooked in her belt loops. Clark was standing the exact same way.
Chloe burst into laughter. "Clark, what did you do to my little girl?"
A hurt look came over Clark's face. "She wanted to help me, and she can't wear those designer outfits you insist she wear if she's working in the field."
"She is her father's child," Chloe said, looking at Lauren adoringly as Clark beamed with pride.
"Laur, what would you like to eat?" Chloe asked, squatting down in front of Lauren.
"Ice cream and chili," Lauren announced with a confident nod of her head.
Chloe hid a look of disgust. "What about biscuits and gravy?"
Lauren shrugged. "Okay."
"Okay," Chloe repeated, standing and looking at Clark. "Daddy's going to fix breakfast while Mommy changes your clothes and takes a shower."
"Fine, fine," Clark muttered, a smile betraying his unhappy tone.
Chloe smiled, took Lauren's hand, and slapped Clark on the butt before leaving the room. She walked into Lauren's room and opened the large closet. "What do you want to wear today, Laur?"
"Purple," Lauren said firmly.
Chloe smiled. "Purple it is," she answered, rummaging through the rack of clothes. She pulled out a pair of deep purple, velvet pants that flared at the bottom and had diamond studs spread below the knee. "Here you go," Chloe said, pulling out a lavender peasant top. "Now you'll match Uncle Lex."
Lauren laughed. "Okay, Mommy."
Chloe smiled, set the clothes on the bed, and pulled out a pair of white socks and tiny purple, patent leather shoes. "Now when you get dressed go see Daddy. And don't get anything on your clothes, okay?"
Lauren nodded.
Chloe left the room, shutting the door behind her. She made her way into her bedroom, pulling open the closet door. She pulled out a black, v-neck shirt with purple and red embroidery stitched on it, and a pair of red pants. She hummed as she made her way to the bathroom. When she was done with her shower she ran gel through her hair, tousling it with her fingers, and then walked into the kitchen.
"Hey, Shorty," Clark said, grinning at her from the kitchen table.
"Hey, Big Foot," Chloe shot back, sitting beside Lauren.
"Munchkin," Clark retorted, his eyes daring Chloe to retaliate.
"Jolly Green Giant," Chloe replied, bursting into laughter. She laughed so hard her eyes watered. "Oh, that was funny. Get it? Green, like the meteor rocks. I amaze myself."
Clark stood and quirked an eyebrow. "You obviously haven't had enough coffee," he said, pouring Chloe a new cup.
"You can't tell me that wasn't funny," Chloe said, waiting for an answer. When Clark didn't say anything she turned to Lauren. "Mommy's funny, right?"
"You're silly, Mommy," Lauren answered, giving Chloe a curious look.
"I can handle silly," Chloe said, taking a gulp of coffee. "Oh! I almost forgot. I have an interview at one at the Ledger with the head editor of the Planet, Perry White."
"Right, right," Clark said, sitting back down.
"Wish me luck?" Chloe asked, smiling brightly at Clark.
"You don't need it," Clark answered, looking into Chloe's eyes.
Clark was mending a fence in the upper field. Effortlessly he lifted the large beams, setting them in place. He picked up a nail, pulled a hammer from his tool belt, and gave the nail one strong hit to drive it firmly into the beam. His red/blue flannel plaid shirt and jean overalls flowed slightly in the cool breeze.
Lauren was standing a few feet away from him; her outfit a tiny replica of her father's. She was biting her lip in concentration as she hit a random spot on the beam with her plastic toy hammer. Every few seconds she would put the hammer back in her tiny tool belt and pull out the screwdriver or wrench, pretending to help fix the fence.
Clark glanced over at Lauren and chuckled when she pretended to miss the invisible nail and 'accidentally' hit her thumb with the hammer. Clark hit the last nail in place with a dull thud. "Ready to help get the cows into the corral?"
Lauren's eyes lit up at her favorite chore. She nodded enthusiastically.
"Let's go," Clark said, putting his hammer back in his belt. He climbed onto the tractor and set Lauren in front of himself. Clark maneuvered the tractor through the field, turning it left and right to position the herd where he needed them to go.
"Uh oh," Lauren said, pointing to a stray cow.
"You want to go get him?" Clark asked, a smile spread across his face.
Lauren nodded and grabbed the wheel of the large tractor. She pulled the tractor up alongside the cow, forcing it back in line. After a few minutes all the cows were in the corral, ready to be fed.
Clark climbed down, scooping Lauren off the tractor and into his arms. "We have to be very quiet," Clark said, carrying he into the house. "Mommy's sleeping."
"No, she's not," a voice called from the kitchen.
Clark set Lauren down, walked into the kitchen, and laughed. Chloe was standing over the coffeepot, a steaming mug in her hand. She was wearing a blue robe and her hair was tousled from sleep.
"Chlo, it's ten on a Saturday morning; why do you look like you just woke up?" Clark asked, biting back a smile.
"Because I just woke up and it's *ten* on a *Saturday* morning, Clarkie," Chloe said, emphasizing the nickname she knew Clark despised.
"Mommy, I'm hungry," Lauren said, walking into the kitchen. Lauren stood beside Clark, her feet a few inches apart, and her thumbs hooked in her belt loops. Clark was standing the exact same way.
Chloe burst into laughter. "Clark, what did you do to my little girl?"
A hurt look came over Clark's face. "She wanted to help me, and she can't wear those designer outfits you insist she wear if she's working in the field."
"She is her father's child," Chloe said, looking at Lauren adoringly as Clark beamed with pride.
"Laur, what would you like to eat?" Chloe asked, squatting down in front of Lauren.
"Ice cream and chili," Lauren announced with a confident nod of her head.
Chloe hid a look of disgust. "What about biscuits and gravy?"
Lauren shrugged. "Okay."
"Okay," Chloe repeated, standing and looking at Clark. "Daddy's going to fix breakfast while Mommy changes your clothes and takes a shower."
"Fine, fine," Clark muttered, a smile betraying his unhappy tone.
Chloe smiled, took Lauren's hand, and slapped Clark on the butt before leaving the room. She walked into Lauren's room and opened the large closet. "What do you want to wear today, Laur?"
"Purple," Lauren said firmly.
Chloe smiled. "Purple it is," she answered, rummaging through the rack of clothes. She pulled out a pair of deep purple, velvet pants that flared at the bottom and had diamond studs spread below the knee. "Here you go," Chloe said, pulling out a lavender peasant top. "Now you'll match Uncle Lex."
Lauren laughed. "Okay, Mommy."
Chloe smiled, set the clothes on the bed, and pulled out a pair of white socks and tiny purple, patent leather shoes. "Now when you get dressed go see Daddy. And don't get anything on your clothes, okay?"
Lauren nodded.
Chloe left the room, shutting the door behind her. She made her way into her bedroom, pulling open the closet door. She pulled out a black, v-neck shirt with purple and red embroidery stitched on it, and a pair of red pants. She hummed as she made her way to the bathroom. When she was done with her shower she ran gel through her hair, tousling it with her fingers, and then walked into the kitchen.
"Hey, Shorty," Clark said, grinning at her from the kitchen table.
"Hey, Big Foot," Chloe shot back, sitting beside Lauren.
"Munchkin," Clark retorted, his eyes daring Chloe to retaliate.
"Jolly Green Giant," Chloe replied, bursting into laughter. She laughed so hard her eyes watered. "Oh, that was funny. Get it? Green, like the meteor rocks. I amaze myself."
Clark stood and quirked an eyebrow. "You obviously haven't had enough coffee," he said, pouring Chloe a new cup.
"You can't tell me that wasn't funny," Chloe said, waiting for an answer. When Clark didn't say anything she turned to Lauren. "Mommy's funny, right?"
"You're silly, Mommy," Lauren answered, giving Chloe a curious look.
"I can handle silly," Chloe said, taking a gulp of coffee. "Oh! I almost forgot. I have an interview at one at the Ledger with the head editor of the Planet, Perry White."
"Right, right," Clark said, sitting back down.
"Wish me luck?" Chloe asked, smiling brightly at Clark.
"You don't need it," Clark answered, looking into Chloe's eyes.