Chloe sighed in ease as her toes dug in the warm sand. She'd been surprised to hear Oliver accept Hal's suggestion of relocating to Coast City for Christmas, even more so when he'd urged her to pack right away. After all, Hal's beach house was far less secure than the penthouse on the top of Queen Tower, and he'd been adamant to keep her wrapped in a safe cocoon. Her gaze erred on the silver and pale gold glitter in front of her. She was glad he had decided to come.
The December wind sent shivers up her bare limbs. She brought her legs close to her chest with her arms wrapped around them for warmth. One minute she was freezing and the next her body felt like a furnace. Another kick from being pregnant she supposed. She would have to go back inside soon anyway, she just wanted to enjoy the peaceful scenery a little longer. The turf's lullaby quietened the endless race inside her mind. Chloe rested her cheek on the top of her knees and sighed in ease, her eyes on the horizon.
"Chloe!" Oliver called from somewhere inside the house.
She rose to her feet with one last wistful glance toward the sea and walked back through the glass doors to see what Oliver wanted. He'd shooed her out almost so fast when they had arrived, she had barely enough time to admire the nautical white and blue décor.
"Hey Cuz!"
"Lois!"
The blonde dropped her shoes to rush into her cousin's arms. "I didn't know you were coming, I thought…"
"Your boyfriend sent his jet."
Chloe let out a chuckle before she untangled herself from the bear crushing hug. "Of course he did."
She glanced above her cousin's shoulder looking for the man in question. Instead, her eyes halted on one of the smaller silhouettes next to him. Her eyes filled and a sob escaped. Another pair of arms opened and she walked into them with her heart in her throat.
"Chloe… Oh God… Chloe… My sweet, precious Chloe…"
Martha Kent closed her arms around her and Chloe started to cry in earnest, engulfed in memories of Sundays' dinners at the farm, teenage dreams spilled in a patient ear, and the unconditional love of a surrogate mother. "I missed you so much…"
"I should never have let you go after Lionel. I should have put my foot down, step in when your father didn't. I shoulder have… I'm sorry, Chloe… I'm so, so sorry…"
Chloe heard a sniffle somewhere behind her, probably Lois. Gentle hands settled on her shoulders, Clark's, tried to pry her away. She resisted, her face buried in her neck while his mom murmured sweet, calming words into her ear. The swell in her chest made it hard to breathe. She felt so much it hurt.
Finally, the pain inside her subsided. When sobs quit racking her small frame and turned into sniffles, Martha herself eased her vice-like grip. "Clark, why don't you and Lois go and make some tea?"
"Of course, Mom."
"I'll show you where everything is, Clark."
Chloe wiped her head to the side to stare at Oliver. Oliver had given her this. She tried to go to him and found she was still unable to let go of Martha. He grinned and winked at her. "I'll be right back, Sidekick."
Martha guided her to a sofa. Chloe's eyes darted here and there on the simple décor of eggshell white and Air Force Blue, always coming back to the older woman she was yet to release from her grasp. Martha smiled at her, her own eyes shiny. "So, Oliver, hum? He's very handsome…"
The tease seemed to shake Chloe from her stupor. "Yes, yes, he is… He… We met here, right on this beach, three months ago."
She sniffled again, hooted out a strangle giggle when Martha offered a tissue. "He wouldn't take no for an answer." The blonde shook her head, her eyes watering again even as she smiled and blushed at the memory. "Sorry."
"Why be sorry? You deserve to have your very own prince charming at your beck and call."
Chloe blew her nose and dried her cheeks while she tried to absorb everything at once, the strength of Martha's hands around hers, the once vibrant auburn head now stricken with silver and the small crinkles around her mouth that hadn't seem to exist four years ago. "Mrs. K… I'm sorry for Mr. Kent… I wish…"
She couldn't finish her thought, her voice thick with fresh tears. Martha squeezed her hand. "Chloe, don't. Don't torture yourself over something you had no control over. Jonathan's heart attack was several years in the making. He chose to ignore the signs, because he wanted to do what he thought was right for Clark, and for me."
At the mention of Jonathan Kent's deadly condition, Chloe's gaze fell on the smartwatch on her wrist. Martha followed her stare and frowned for a minute, no doubt taking a mental note to ask about it later. Then the older woman smiled brightly. "Enough gloomy talk. We're going to have tea, then we'll start planning. I'd rather have your help in the kitchen and keep Lois out of trouble."
"Hey, I resent that!"
"It's true, Lo." Clark interfered as they reentered the living room. Oliver placed a tray with five cups and a teapot on the vintage steamer trunk that apparently served as a coffee table. "Do you remember—"
"If you dare bring up that stupid pot roast again, Smallville…" The brunette let the threat hung in the air, her eyes promising body harm. "I swear, I forget about the timer once…"
"I had to repaint the whole kitchen, Lois."
"Psshhh, it took you what, three minutes?"
The other couple continued bickering, apparently oblivious to the amused glances they received from their audience. Chloe refrained a giggle at Oliver's poor attempt to keep a straight face while he handed Martha her cup first, then went on pouring another for her.
Oliver apparently decided Lois and Clark could fend for themselves and leaned into the couch with one arm on the headrest behind Chloe, his tea balanced on his ankle.
"It's nice to finally meet you in person, Senator Kent."
"Please, call me Martha or Mrs. K. That's what Chloe and Lois do."
"Only if you call me Oliver."
"Oliver," Martha repeated with a regal nod. "Chloe was telling me you met here?"
The fingers playing with the hair on her nape twirled her locks a little faster. Chloe suddenly realized that Oliver had probably never done the whole "meet the parents" routine before. "Yes, we did. I was spending the day with a friend and Chloe… You know, I'm not sure you ever told me why you were in Coast City that day."
Chloe started a little when the attention focused back on her. "I had an interview with Cecile Adams. I'm a journalist, Mrs. K."
Saying it out loud and seeing the pride in the cornflower blue eyes made her heart pang. Followed the inevitable ping of her watch. Chloe sighed, glimpsing toward Oliver.
For once, he pretended he hadn't heard the warning. "Right. Mary Frankenstein." He sipped his tea and smiled at her then Martha. "We met again in Star City after that, completely by accident. I fell first. Chloe took some convincing."
Chloe tried and failed to contain her flush when he leaned sideways to press a kiss on her cheek. "You're giving the shortened, fairy tale version…" she complained.
Oliver grinned as he pushed to his feet. "Of course I am. No need to remind the parents of my sterling reputation or to walk through all the doubts and angst, now, is there? How about I give you a tour of the house Mrs. Kent? So Chloe can get some down time."
Hoping she could rest with the chattering in the background was a bit of a stretch. And she didn't need rest. She wanted to keep Mrs. K. near her and listen to his voice relate how he'd saved her from herself. Martha freed her gently from Chloe's grasp gently as she stood. "I'd love that. And you can give me the elongated, not-rainbow-colored version as we do."
Oliver's winning smile barely faltered.
Chloe leaned back into the spot he'd vacated with her cup, thinking about the billion ways she would be able to tease him about it later. Lois dropped on the sofa. The tea sloshed in the cup. Chloe was about to chastise her when she spotted the mini-quiche in her hand. Her mouth watered.
"Where did you get that?"
"Kitchen."
"I want one."
Chloe braced both hands on the cushions to help herself off the sofa. Lois pushed her backward non too gently. "Sit. Oliver said you were to rest. Clark! Bring some munching, will you? Chloe's hungry!"
Chloe winced. "Lois, you do know that Clark has super-earing, don't you?"
"Yeap. But your Oliver doesn't. I bet he's going to jump at the opportunity to escape Inquisition."
"You're ridiculous…"
He'd survived Lois— and Tess and Clark— relatively unscathed, she supposed he could sustain Mrs. Kent's interrogation. Chloe bit her tongue when a familiar shadow fell on her less than a minute later.
"Everything's okay? I heard shouting…"
The tips of his ears were a little red. Chloe rolled her eyes at her cousin then smiled sweetly. "Never better. You?"
