Chapter 14
Author's Note: This chap is dedicated to the most beautiful baby I have ever seen and her wonderful parents.
"I'm scared, Lex," Lana said, reaching over and taking Lex's hand as they walked up to a large stone building.
Lex gently squeezed her hand. "I know, baby," Lex said, reading a bronze plaque by the door that read: Metropolis Charity House.
"I just feel like I'm going to select a dog out of a kennel, not adopt a child," Lana admitted, her free hand shaking nervously.
"It will be alright," Lex assured her, opening the door and allowing Lana to precede him into the building.
"Mr. and Mrs. Luthor, how nice to see you," a man said, smiling brightly.
"Hello Mr. Caprio," Lex said, extending his hand and giving the man his business smile.
Lana nodded her head in greeting.
"If you will come into my office we will discuss the adoption process," Mr. Caprio said, gesturing toward a door.
Once inside Lana and Lex sat in front of Mr. Caprio's desk.
"As you know this is an orphanage for children who either have no parents, or their parents have disowned them. We have a wide range of ages from infants to teens. We encourage the teens to help the younger children adjust to living in a group home. We feel this teaches them responsibility. I've already looked over the papers and done an extensive background check on both of you," Mr. Caprio explained.
"Why so quickly?" Lana asked, holding onto Lex's hand, and sticking the other one underneath her leg to stop the shaking.
"I will not fool you. These children have a very hard life. We want for them to find a family as soon as possible. We don't want anything holding them back from a nice home. We try to file the papers as soon as humanly possible so fine couples like yourselves can become their guardians in the least amount of time," Mr. Caprio went on.
Lex nodded. "Tell us the process of choosing a child. I'm under the impression, and so is my wife, that it seems rather like picking a dog from a kennel."
"In a way it is, Mr. Luthor. First thing we have to do is pick an age. Of course the younger children will have an easier time adjusting to a new family than the older children. On the other hand, the older children sometimes need more love and care, because they've most likely been here the longest," Mr. Caprio said.
Lana looked at Lex before answering for them. "We'd like an infant, not any older than one."
Mr. Caprio smiled. "Of course. Would you like to see the children now?"
Lana nodded almost imperceptibly, grateful when Lex spoke up. "Yes."
"Follow me," Mr. Caprio said, standing and walking to the door.
Lana smiled weakly at Lex before leading the way out the door. They followed Mr. Caprio down a hallway. As they passed rooms Lana peaked in. There were children playing games, drawing, playing instruments, and sleeping.
"This is the older infants room," Mr. Caprio said, opening a door. "This is their nap time so most of them will be asleep."
Lana and Lex stepped into a room filled with baby beds. The beds lined the walls of the small room, counting nine in all. A woman sat on a rocking chair feeding a droopy-eyed baby.
"Hi, I'm Reagan Batey," the woman said, standing and walking to them.
"Reagan will talk to you and answer any questions you have about the babies," Mr. Caprio said. "If you need me, I'll be in my office."
"I'm Lex Luthor and this is my wife, Lana," Lex said gesturing to Lana.
Reagan smiled. "I'll tell you the children's names, then let you look at all of them. There's a chart above every bed with their background information; where they came from, how long they've been here, and any illnesses, etc."
Lana looked around the room at all the sleeping forms.
"The one I'm holding is Josiah who's five months. The one in the first bed is Morgan who's eight months. The brunette in the second bed is Graham, and he's six months. Madison is the blonde beauty in the third bed, and she's nine months. The tiny one is Turner and he's four months. The first two beds on the opposite walls are Jack and Braydon. They're twins and both seven months. Meredith is the redhead in the third crib and she's ten months. She's the oldest in this room. Hannah, who's six months, is in the last bed," Reagan explained.
"That's a wide range of ages," Lex pointed out.
"We don't get a lot of infants, so they're pretty much all grouped together. Once they reach one-year they move to the next room," Reagan told him. "Feel free to look at their charts. I have to try and get Josiah into bed."
Lana let go of Lex and walked to the first bed. She picked up the chart above the bed. "Morgan Veme. Abandoned at birth," she read aloud.
Lex moved to the next crib. "Graham Perna. Taken by Child Protective Services at two months."
Lana replaces the chart and stroked the baby's smooth cheek before going around Lex. "Madison Lin. Mother gave up at six months," she read, turning to Reagan. "Which child has been here the longest?"
"That would be Braydon over on the opposite wall in the third bed," Reagan said, laying Josiah into an empty crib. "He was found in a dumpster when he was a newborn."
"That's horrid," Lana said, walking to his crib. The baby had his eyes shut tightly. He was lying on its stomach, his knees tucked into its chest. She looked to her right when she heard gurgling noises.
"Meredith's our talker," Reagan said. "She's very loving, but she almost never smiles."
Lana tilted her head as she looked at the chubby baby. "You said she's the oldest?"
"That's right," Reagan answered, tucking a blanket around a baby.
Meredith's gray-blue eyes had dark navy blue flecks in them framed by long lashes. Lana reached in and smoothed her golden-red hair. Meredith sat up, tilted her head mocking Lana, and then reached her chubby arms up. "Can I hold her?" Lana asked, looking to Reagan.
"Of course," Reagan replied with a bright smile.
Lana reached in and lifted the hefty child into her arms. "Look at her, Lex. Isn't she gorgeous?"
Lex smiled and walked to Lana. "She's beautiful."
Lana ran a hand up Meredith's arm, feeling the soft pink skin. When she rubbed Meredith's back Meredith yawned and leaned into Lana, tucking her head into the crook of Lana's neck.
"She's precious," Lana said, feeling the silky strands of hair in Meredith's ponytail.
Author's Note: This chap is dedicated to the most beautiful baby I have ever seen and her wonderful parents.
"I'm scared, Lex," Lana said, reaching over and taking Lex's hand as they walked up to a large stone building.
Lex gently squeezed her hand. "I know, baby," Lex said, reading a bronze plaque by the door that read: Metropolis Charity House.
"I just feel like I'm going to select a dog out of a kennel, not adopt a child," Lana admitted, her free hand shaking nervously.
"It will be alright," Lex assured her, opening the door and allowing Lana to precede him into the building.
"Mr. and Mrs. Luthor, how nice to see you," a man said, smiling brightly.
"Hello Mr. Caprio," Lex said, extending his hand and giving the man his business smile.
Lana nodded her head in greeting.
"If you will come into my office we will discuss the adoption process," Mr. Caprio said, gesturing toward a door.
Once inside Lana and Lex sat in front of Mr. Caprio's desk.
"As you know this is an orphanage for children who either have no parents, or their parents have disowned them. We have a wide range of ages from infants to teens. We encourage the teens to help the younger children adjust to living in a group home. We feel this teaches them responsibility. I've already looked over the papers and done an extensive background check on both of you," Mr. Caprio explained.
"Why so quickly?" Lana asked, holding onto Lex's hand, and sticking the other one underneath her leg to stop the shaking.
"I will not fool you. These children have a very hard life. We want for them to find a family as soon as possible. We don't want anything holding them back from a nice home. We try to file the papers as soon as humanly possible so fine couples like yourselves can become their guardians in the least amount of time," Mr. Caprio went on.
Lex nodded. "Tell us the process of choosing a child. I'm under the impression, and so is my wife, that it seems rather like picking a dog from a kennel."
"In a way it is, Mr. Luthor. First thing we have to do is pick an age. Of course the younger children will have an easier time adjusting to a new family than the older children. On the other hand, the older children sometimes need more love and care, because they've most likely been here the longest," Mr. Caprio said.
Lana looked at Lex before answering for them. "We'd like an infant, not any older than one."
Mr. Caprio smiled. "Of course. Would you like to see the children now?"
Lana nodded almost imperceptibly, grateful when Lex spoke up. "Yes."
"Follow me," Mr. Caprio said, standing and walking to the door.
Lana smiled weakly at Lex before leading the way out the door. They followed Mr. Caprio down a hallway. As they passed rooms Lana peaked in. There were children playing games, drawing, playing instruments, and sleeping.
"This is the older infants room," Mr. Caprio said, opening a door. "This is their nap time so most of them will be asleep."
Lana and Lex stepped into a room filled with baby beds. The beds lined the walls of the small room, counting nine in all. A woman sat on a rocking chair feeding a droopy-eyed baby.
"Hi, I'm Reagan Batey," the woman said, standing and walking to them.
"Reagan will talk to you and answer any questions you have about the babies," Mr. Caprio said. "If you need me, I'll be in my office."
"I'm Lex Luthor and this is my wife, Lana," Lex said gesturing to Lana.
Reagan smiled. "I'll tell you the children's names, then let you look at all of them. There's a chart above every bed with their background information; where they came from, how long they've been here, and any illnesses, etc."
Lana looked around the room at all the sleeping forms.
"The one I'm holding is Josiah who's five months. The one in the first bed is Morgan who's eight months. The brunette in the second bed is Graham, and he's six months. Madison is the blonde beauty in the third bed, and she's nine months. The tiny one is Turner and he's four months. The first two beds on the opposite walls are Jack and Braydon. They're twins and both seven months. Meredith is the redhead in the third crib and she's ten months. She's the oldest in this room. Hannah, who's six months, is in the last bed," Reagan explained.
"That's a wide range of ages," Lex pointed out.
"We don't get a lot of infants, so they're pretty much all grouped together. Once they reach one-year they move to the next room," Reagan told him. "Feel free to look at their charts. I have to try and get Josiah into bed."
Lana let go of Lex and walked to the first bed. She picked up the chart above the bed. "Morgan Veme. Abandoned at birth," she read aloud.
Lex moved to the next crib. "Graham Perna. Taken by Child Protective Services at two months."
Lana replaces the chart and stroked the baby's smooth cheek before going around Lex. "Madison Lin. Mother gave up at six months," she read, turning to Reagan. "Which child has been here the longest?"
"That would be Braydon over on the opposite wall in the third bed," Reagan said, laying Josiah into an empty crib. "He was found in a dumpster when he was a newborn."
"That's horrid," Lana said, walking to his crib. The baby had his eyes shut tightly. He was lying on its stomach, his knees tucked into its chest. She looked to her right when she heard gurgling noises.
"Meredith's our talker," Reagan said. "She's very loving, but she almost never smiles."
Lana tilted her head as she looked at the chubby baby. "You said she's the oldest?"
"That's right," Reagan answered, tucking a blanket around a baby.
Meredith's gray-blue eyes had dark navy blue flecks in them framed by long lashes. Lana reached in and smoothed her golden-red hair. Meredith sat up, tilted her head mocking Lana, and then reached her chubby arms up. "Can I hold her?" Lana asked, looking to Reagan.
"Of course," Reagan replied with a bright smile.
Lana reached in and lifted the hefty child into her arms. "Look at her, Lex. Isn't she gorgeous?"
Lex smiled and walked to Lana. "She's beautiful."
Lana ran a hand up Meredith's arm, feeling the soft pink skin. When she rubbed Meredith's back Meredith yawned and leaned into Lana, tucking her head into the crook of Lana's neck.
"She's precious," Lana said, feeling the silky strands of hair in Meredith's ponytail.