CHAPTER SEVEN
Takes place six years later. Chloe and her daughter are living at the Kent farm.
"Mommy, mommy, someone's here!" Leona Rachelle Sullivan, or Lee as everyone called her, yelled from the 'Fortress of Solitude.' When they had just moved there, only a year before, Lee had ran straight to the doors of the barn and up the stairs. She had taken a liking to all of the things there and soon, you couldn't get her to leave without physical force.
Chloe got up from the flower beds in front of the house and slowly turned. There was a tall man with dark brown hair, glasses, and dressed in a suit. Chloe took off her gardening gloves and set them on the porch railing before she walked up to the stranger.
"Can I help you?" she asked politely.
"Yes, I was looking for my parents."
"Oh, Martha is inside cooking dinner and Jonathan hasn't come home from town yet."
Lee ran to her mother and clung to Chloe's waist. She scrutinized Clark from head to toe with her hazel eyes widening in curiosity. "Mommy, who is he?"
"This is Clark, honey. Clark, this is my daughter, Leona."
"Nice to meet you, Leona," Clark greeted her, sticking his hand out to the little girl.
Lee took it in her tiny hand. "It's Lee. Lee Sullivan."
"Lee, go find Martha. Tell her that it's urgent."
Lee nodded and ran into the house, her auburn pigtails flying behind her. Clark watched her, being reminded of Chloe's spunk, then turned back to the woman before him.
"So, Chloe, you have a daughter."
"Pretty much stating the obvious."
"Who's the father?"
"My fiancé back in college. He died before Lee was born."
"Why are you living with my parents?"
"I needed a place to stay after my father died and I had to sell off the house to cover debts. Your parents were gracious enough to offer me a place to stay, as long as I earn my keep. I work as a high school journalism teacher and I help out with whatever I can around here. What are you doing back anyway? I thought that you were the hotshot reporter of the Daily Planet and you were married," Chloe explained.
"I was married. Lois died in a car accident a couple months back. I'm on a forced vacation from my editor."
"How ironic."
"What do you mean?"
"Jay, my fiancé, was killed in a motorcycle accident."
They were silent for a few seconds before Clark finally broke in with a question. "Why didn't you ever become a reporter? I mean, you were so driven in high school. I would've thought that no matter what you would become one."
"Well, actually, I was all set to be a journalist. I had the degree, the job offer, I was going to be getting married to a wonderful man who loved me, and I had a child on the way. Then life happened. I got a call late one night saying my fiancé was dead, I couldn't keep the apartment that we were living in, Lee was coming, and I couldn't handle all the pressure anymore. I moved back here and lived with my dad until he had a stroke and died. Now, I take care of my five-year-old daughter and I help your parents out. I have a good life and I wouldn't change it for the world," Chloe replied.
Clark studied her as she told him all these things. "So, you're happy?"
Chloe nodded. "Yeah, more than you know."
At that point, Martha came out of the house and Jonathan drove up in the truck. "Chloe, Lee said that there was an emer.gen.cy," Martha said, noticing her son standing beside Chloe.
"Clark, what are you doing home? Jonathan, come say hello to your son," Martha said, as she came down from the porch and embraced Clark. Jonathan joined them just seconds later and enveloped Clark in a hug after Martha let go.
"Hey son."
"Dad."
Chloe backed away from the trio and went into the house, leading Lee away from the open doorway. "Mommy, why are the Kents treating Clark like that?"
"Clark's their son and he hasn't been around for awhile, that's why."
"Oh. Why hasn't he been home for awhile?"
"Um, I don't know. Maybe it's because he has a busy life in Metropolis. You'll have to ask him yourself. Now, come on, let's go finish dinner for Martha. I'm sure she and Jonathan have a lot of catching up to do with Clark."
Takes place six years later. Chloe and her daughter are living at the Kent farm.
"Mommy, mommy, someone's here!" Leona Rachelle Sullivan, or Lee as everyone called her, yelled from the 'Fortress of Solitude.' When they had just moved there, only a year before, Lee had ran straight to the doors of the barn and up the stairs. She had taken a liking to all of the things there and soon, you couldn't get her to leave without physical force.
Chloe got up from the flower beds in front of the house and slowly turned. There was a tall man with dark brown hair, glasses, and dressed in a suit. Chloe took off her gardening gloves and set them on the porch railing before she walked up to the stranger.
"Can I help you?" she asked politely.
"Yes, I was looking for my parents."
"Oh, Martha is inside cooking dinner and Jonathan hasn't come home from town yet."
Lee ran to her mother and clung to Chloe's waist. She scrutinized Clark from head to toe with her hazel eyes widening in curiosity. "Mommy, who is he?"
"This is Clark, honey. Clark, this is my daughter, Leona."
"Nice to meet you, Leona," Clark greeted her, sticking his hand out to the little girl.
Lee took it in her tiny hand. "It's Lee. Lee Sullivan."
"Lee, go find Martha. Tell her that it's urgent."
Lee nodded and ran into the house, her auburn pigtails flying behind her. Clark watched her, being reminded of Chloe's spunk, then turned back to the woman before him.
"So, Chloe, you have a daughter."
"Pretty much stating the obvious."
"Who's the father?"
"My fiancé back in college. He died before Lee was born."
"Why are you living with my parents?"
"I needed a place to stay after my father died and I had to sell off the house to cover debts. Your parents were gracious enough to offer me a place to stay, as long as I earn my keep. I work as a high school journalism teacher and I help out with whatever I can around here. What are you doing back anyway? I thought that you were the hotshot reporter of the Daily Planet and you were married," Chloe explained.
"I was married. Lois died in a car accident a couple months back. I'm on a forced vacation from my editor."
"How ironic."
"What do you mean?"
"Jay, my fiancé, was killed in a motorcycle accident."
They were silent for a few seconds before Clark finally broke in with a question. "Why didn't you ever become a reporter? I mean, you were so driven in high school. I would've thought that no matter what you would become one."
"Well, actually, I was all set to be a journalist. I had the degree, the job offer, I was going to be getting married to a wonderful man who loved me, and I had a child on the way. Then life happened. I got a call late one night saying my fiancé was dead, I couldn't keep the apartment that we were living in, Lee was coming, and I couldn't handle all the pressure anymore. I moved back here and lived with my dad until he had a stroke and died. Now, I take care of my five-year-old daughter and I help your parents out. I have a good life and I wouldn't change it for the world," Chloe replied.
Clark studied her as she told him all these things. "So, you're happy?"
Chloe nodded. "Yeah, more than you know."
At that point, Martha came out of the house and Jonathan drove up in the truck. "Chloe, Lee said that there was an emer.gen.cy," Martha said, noticing her son standing beside Chloe.
"Clark, what are you doing home? Jonathan, come say hello to your son," Martha said, as she came down from the porch and embraced Clark. Jonathan joined them just seconds later and enveloped Clark in a hug after Martha let go.
"Hey son."
"Dad."
Chloe backed away from the trio and went into the house, leading Lee away from the open doorway. "Mommy, why are the Kents treating Clark like that?"
"Clark's their son and he hasn't been around for awhile, that's why."
"Oh. Why hasn't he been home for awhile?"
"Um, I don't know. Maybe it's because he has a busy life in Metropolis. You'll have to ask him yourself. Now, come on, let's go finish dinner for Martha. I'm sure she and Jonathan have a lot of catching up to do with Clark."