Mr. and Mrs. Kent followed the imposing figure
down the long hallway. Behind them Jonathan and his girlfriend Nell trailed
even father behind. Jonathan's letterman coat was wrapped around Nell's
shoulders as she disdainfully glanced at the dark walls.
"Do we have to be here?" she asked in a whisper
breaking the silence.
Jonathan glanced down at his long time girl friend a frown coming
over his features. "I have to be here, you could look around by yourself."
"I think I will," she huffed spinning around. Jonathan
watched as she walked away surprised to find that he didn't really care.
The sound of a throat clearing brought him back to reality. He
hurried and caught up.
Impatiently the woman pushed open the door and the trio walked in. There playing in front of the judges bench was a small girl. She was four and had short strawberry blonde hair, and strikingly blue eyes. They could hear her making noises as she tried to climb the front of the bench.
A bored social worker was reading a file and not paying attention to the child, and the judge was hurriedly putting out a cigarette as they walked in.
Clearing his throat he directed his comments to the social worker, "are these the prospective parents?"
At her nod he began to fill out some papers, "What name are you giving to the child?"
"Kayla, your honor," Mrs. Kent responded. In the corner of her eye she saw Jonathan walking over to where Kayla was now sitting.
Slowly he approached the girl whose lower lip was beginning to tremble slightly. "Hi Kayla," he said softly not wanting to scare her.
She looked at him her blue eyes widening in her small face, "your new," she told him.
"I'm not new; I just didn't get to meet you last time. I'm Jonathan." He told her, his mind flashing back to last weekend and his trip with Nell.
Satisfied with his answer she came closer to him. "You smell like the outside," she said as she sat down in his lap.
"You will to once we get you moved in on the farm. In fa--"
The pounding of the gavel interrupted him. Startled he looked up to see the judge leaving and his parents crossing over to them.
Smiling Kayla launched herself into Mr. Kent's arms squealing "Daddy!"
"Your right mom," Jonathan said getting up, "she is adorable."
Mrs. Kent smiled in reply pulling Kayla into her arms.
Squirming Kayla was let down. Immediately she went over to Jonathan. Holding up her arms she said, "up please."
With a laugh he picked her up placing her on his shoulders. He then led the group out of the room and back out into the busy Metropolis street.
He was meet by an impatient Nell tapping her foot against a shopping bag she had placed on the ground. Her gaze immediately traveled to the little girl who was laughing on Jonathans shoulders. Not wanting to share what she though of as hers she slid over to him. "Honey, don't you think she would be better off walking, or even with your parents."
Jonathan looked down at the manicured nails tracing a light pattern down his chest. "She is fine up there and having fun. I'm not going to take that away from her."
Angry Nell stepped away from him and picked up the
bag. Missing the tongue that Kayla was sticking out at her. As she stood
up she began to wonder if she was losing her hold on Jonathan. Shrugging
off her worry she decided that he would tire of the brat in a few days,
she could wait that long. In the meantime she had the number of the man
she had met at the store a Lionel Luther. Nell smiled as she thought again
of the man married or not Nell always got what she wanted.