Chapter Five:
Cold and sterile, this was a place to stay not a place to live. It had all the personality of a hotel room. It took Clark a second to realise that he was in Metropolis. He turned his head when a door swung open and a woman strode in, a black leather briefcase in one hand, and a cell phone in the other. She wore a two-piece suit of emerald green that sent sparks through her shoulder length fiery auburn hair.
"Mom" Clark breathed, watching her dump the briefcase onto a sumptuous black leather sofa. Her cell phone began to trill and he watched her answer it.
"Hey dad, what's wrong?" Clark watched her kick off her shoes and lower herself into a chair, sighing quietly and wriggling her toes. She frowned.
"I've been chained to the office all day, I've literally just walked through the door. Can't this wait?" She sighed again, more forcefully.
"I can't do it, not tonight, please don't ask me" her voice became pleading and Clark frowned.
"What doesn't she want to do?" he looked at his companion who was regarding Martha intently. After a second she looked at Clark.
"The firm hold an annual Christmas party for the families of the staff who work for them, lawyers, associates, messengers, cleaners. They're all invited. Her father is asking her to host it and she doesn't want to" Clark looked back at his mother. He didn't care what his companion claimed; this woman was his mother in all but birth.
"Because she can't have children she feels uncomfortable being around them," he murmured.
"Precisely. But her father is a very persistent man, he always gets what he wants" Clark chose not to answer that, his maternal grandfather had made a choice not to get involved in his life and it still stung even now. Clark returned his attention to Martha, to see her put the cell phone onto the glass coffee table in front of her. She stared at it for a long moment before getting to her feet. She walked, barefoot to the huge picture window that afforded her a spectacular view of the twinkling lights of Metropolis. Clark just observed her. He glanced to his companion.
"She's going to do it isn't she? She's going to host the party for the kids" it was a statement rather than a question and beside him, she nodded.
"She always does what her father asks. She can't refuse him anything. And in a way she feels kind of beholden to him, he told her that Jonathan Kent would have nothing to offer her and he was right, he didn't" Clark looked at her.
"He loved her, still loves her" he argued.
"Love wasn't enough Clark, all Martha wanted, still wants, is a child to hold and love and call her own"
"That's not my dad's fault. They told me that nobody knew why they couldn't have kids, it was just one of those things" his guide just looked at him, her blue eyes pure and unblinking and Clark began to feel distinctly uncomfortable.
"It was enough to destroy their marriage Clark" he sighed and returned his attention back to Martha. He observed the way she stared sightlessly out of the window, not seeing the sparkling vista before her. He frowned when he saw the unshed tears in her eyes.
"She still loves him," he murmured. He felt his guide's hand on his and he looked at her.
"She won't defy her father again Clark," she informed him gently and he knew that she was right.