July, 2018
As the summer heat seeped into the farmhouse, the window air conditioning unit kicked on. The sound it made was white noise to the little girl sitting on the couch. Before leaving for an afternoon appointment, Martha Kent had left her granddaughter with scrapbooks of pictures chronicling from when her father was around her age up to when her parents were finally together as a couple. Callie enjoyed looking through them and seeing her parents' happy faces, questioning everything she could about each photograph. She sat there going through the pages, mesmerized by the book and its contents.
"What are you doing, lovebug?" Lois asked, rounding the corner into the living room looking for her daughter. Clark had gone out to the store to pick up more food while they were staying at the farm as a "summer vacation" for the month at Callie's request. It was cheaper than Disneyland, so Lois wasn't complaining.
"Looking at pictures." Callie said with the scrapbook on her lap.
Lois knew that grandmother and grandchild had been venturing down memory lane, she just couldn't believe her daughter hadn't lost interest already. "Ah, anything good in there?"
"I like this one!" Callie said pointing to a picture of Lois and Clark on one of their early dates in their relationship, greenery displayed behind them.
Lois smiled, remembering the day well. "I like that one, too."
"Where was it taken?"
"That was in Centennial Park in Metropolis." Lois recalled.
"What were you doing?" She asked.
"You snooping for a story?"
"Huh?" Callie asked, her face scrunched up in confusion.
Lois shook her head and chuckled. "Nothing. Just my little reporter asking a zillion questions."
"Grandma says there's a story in every picture."
"Okay, okay. Let's see…" Lois said, sitting beside her daughter, then pulling her into her lap with the book in tow. "It was a bright sunny day and I had made a subtle suggestion to your dad about having a picnic in the park…"
2010
Centennial Park, Metropolis
At the base of an oak tree, Lois leaned into Clark on the red and black plaid picnic blanket he had laid out. It must have been from the barn since the breeze brought the scent of hay to her nose. She didn't mind it at all. It made her think of the farm, of Clark, of home. She still thought it was too early to equate Clark with being her home, but the more they pushed forward in the new level of their relationship, the harder it was to deny. He was it. He was the one. While his back was against the trunk of the tree, he acted like a willow, providing strength, stability, and safety. She just never wanted to lose it.
"Are you still keeping track of PDAs?" Clark asked, his arms wrapped around her.
She scoffed and made a face, "No."
It was PDA number 11 on date number 9.
"Then what are you thinking about? I get concerned when you're silent for too long."
"Well, maybe I'm just not uncomfortable. Did you ever think of that?" She said, lightly hitting his chest.
"No," he laughed. "I didn't."
Lois snuggled closer to him, his dark jacket parting as her cheek laid on the cotton fabric of his gray T-Shirt. "I'm pretty comfortable."
His hand started at the top of her head, fingers combing through her hair, until it cupped her cheek. He turned and lifted her face toward his. He grinned and then dipped down, capturing her lips with his.
PDA number 12.
"Me, too." He whispered against her lips.
How Clark Kent could say such simple words yet the effect of them caused her body to react was beyond her.
"If we keep this up then the rest of that food you put together will go to waste."
"We don't want to be wasteful." He said, his eyes sparkling as they looked into hers.
"No, that wouldn't...that wouldn't be good." She said leaning in again.
Just as they were about to kiss again, Lois felt something scurry past her leg. Her head whipped to the side, causing Clark's lips to collide with her cheek instead. Lois' eyes zeroed in on a bushy tail waving in the air, while the body it was connected to was head first into the wicker basket.
"Hey!" She called out.
The squirrel turned and popped its head up, a piece of baguette lodged in its mouth. It squeaked then jumped out of the basket, zagging around Lois and up the tree.
"Looks like someone else was hungry." Clark remarked amusingly.
"That was mine." Lois huffed.
"I guess you'll just have to learn to share."
"I'm not at the age of feeding squirrels from a park bench, Smallville. This was our picnic! You're lucky I was sharing it with you."
Clark looked at the empty plates then back at her. "You did hog the pie."
"Well, it was good pie! Mrs. K caliber." She defended.
"You think so?" He asked, prideful.
She smirked, "What? Like you baked it?"
He started to blush.
She tilted her head. "Really?"
His eyes shied away from her and she started to chuckle.
"Aw, honey, you baked for me?" She teased.
His eyes, now bright, shot up to meet hers with his eyebrows high in surprise. "Honey?"
She started to choke on her breath. Now it was her turn to divert her eyes and blush. She was way too comfortable to be using a pet name with her gentleman caller. She was supposed to be taking things slow. She started to pull away from Clark, but his grip on her tightened and brought her right back to him like a boomerang.
"It's... it's...a line. From a movie." It took her a moment but she actually recalled a movie that used a line close to what had tumbled out of her mouth. "Clueless! It's from Clueless."
She could see the slight disappointment on his face, but it recovered quickly. "I didn't know that movie made it into your DVD collection."
"Lucy's. Not mine."
"Right."
"How about a walk to work off the pie? Hmm?"
Clark reluctantly let go of her and she bounced up, putting her arms behind her back to stretch which caused her brown jacket to rise up over her teal shirt. She breathed in the fresh and caught a sideways glance of Clark. He probably thought she was stretching before sprinting away, but she wasn't bolting anywhere. She just had to be more careful with what she blurted out, no matter how happy she felt inside.
Grabbing his arm she started to pull him to the walkway of the park.
Clark pointed to their picnic spot. "If we leave that behind, there might not be anything left if the squirrel returns."
"Someone annoying said I needed to learn to share."
She heard Clark laugh as his hand found hers. It was the best feeling having his hand entwined with hers. Like they were an unbreakable force that nothing could get through as long as they held onto each other.
They carried on, hand in hand, taking in the scenery of the park. The blooming flowers, budding trees, and people walking and enjoying the outdoors and company just as they were. It was normal. With Clark it was normal. It was so normal and perfect that it needed to be documented as proof.
"I think this calls for a Kodak moment." She said retrieving her cell phone from her jacket pocket.
They stood by each other closely, posing for the selfie. As she was about to take the picture a teenager on a skateboard rode past them, hitting her arm and causing her phone to go flying. Miraculously, Clark's lightning fast reflexes somehow caught the phone before it hit the ground, but he was more concerned about her arm and checking her just as quickly.
"Lois, are you okay?"
"I'll be better when I grab that skateboard and half pipe it up that kid's-" She said as she began to stalk off in his direction.
Clark stopped her and examined her arm again.
"Are you sure you're okay?"
"Yes."
"Good." He said, rubbing his hand up and down her arm anyway, the friction warming every part of her body.
"That was terrible what that youngster did. No manners anymore." An elderly man stopped to comment and shook his head.
"But I see you're being taken care of," the elderly woman at his side added with a smile.
"Yes, I am." Lois said, glancing at Clark.
"You looked like you were about to take a picture. Would you like us to take it for you?"
Lois was about to object when Clark asked the woman, "You don't mind?"
"Of course not!" She waved off.
Clark handed Lois' phone to the couple and they started to fiddle with it.
"How does this work again?" The man asked, pulling up the glasses that were on a chain around his neck and putting them on.
"It's like Annie showed us," the woman turned to the young couple and said, "that's our granddaughter," she turned back to her husband and pointed at the center button, "you push that."
Clark then left Lois' side and walked over to the elderly couple and explained what they needed to do. Usually, Lois would be aggravated, or at least that's what she expected of herself. Yet, she was watching with adoring eyes. She was envious of the elderly couple even. They had years of being together, a history filled with adventures and experience, resulting in a grandchild they mentioned, possibly more than one. She tried to stop her mind from venturing where it wanted to go. Instead, she focused on the good nature of Clark Kent and how he was rubbing off on her.
"Okay, okay. I think I've got it now. Thank you." The man said.
"You're so kind. Such a good boy." His wife commented to Clark.
He corrected her and said, "Man, sweetie."
"At my age they're all still boys." She countered.
Clark flashed a smile and was soon back at Lois' side.
"Get closer." The woman instructed as she and husband lifted up the camera.
Clark pulled Lois closer and she stumbled into his chest. Her hand fell upon it and she looked up at him. The way his eyes shined as the sun hit them made her heart skip a beat. Under her hand she could feel his heart racing. She was glad to know she had an affect on him, too. Her hand trailed down until both arms were wrapped around his torso.
"Oh, look at them, Russell." She gushed.
"I am, Franny. I am. Now, I press this button?"
"Yes, this one." She turned back to Lois and Clark. "Big smiles!"
The couple turned to the camera and smiled as they held each other. They then heard the sound effect of the shutter.
"Oh, lovely. Just lovely!" Franny clapped.
"Here you go, young man." Russell said, handing the phone back to Clark.
"Thank you for taking it."
"It was our pleasure!" Franny hooked her arm around her husband's. "Good luck, you two. Many blessings and happiness for you both!" She then turned to Lois and winked.
"Uh, thanks."
As the elderly couple left and went on their way, Lois and Clark stood and stared at each other.
"Well, let's see how they did."
Clark opened up the photos application and brought up the newest one of them.
"Wow," Lois breathed as she looked at how natural and right she and Clark looked together. "Not bad."
"Definitely a keeper."
"Does the pose look like we're at prom or…"
"Lois, it's perfect." He assured her.
"Are you going to put in that scrapbook you have?" She inquired, beginning to tease him again.
"I told you, my mother put those together." He said as he grabbed her hand.
"You say that, but I don't know what secret hobbies you have." She commented as they started walking again. "You bake pies apparently, so what other Martha Stewart qualities do you have?"
He stopped and stared at her intensely. "I guess you'll just have to stick around to find out."
"I am good at uncovering things." She stated.
"The best." He added.
"That just earned you some more points, Mister."
She leaned up and kissed him. They stood in the middle of the walkway. The cool breeze brushed against them, birds chirped, and pedestrians kept moving as they stood still in their own world.
PDA number 15, but who was counting?
*/*/*
"So, that nice couple took our picture and that teenager didn't have to walk funny." Lois said, finishing the story.
"Did Daddy put it in the scrapbook?" Callie wondered aloud.
"Not until much later."
"Where did he put it?"
Lois pointed to the mantel above the fireplace. "He put it up there in a frame. Then he moved it around to other places."
"Now, I'm up there!" She exclaimed with glee.
Lois kissed the top of her daughter's head. "Yes, you are."
The side door to the kitchen opened and Clark stood there holding a bag of groceries.
"Daddy!" Their daughter exclaimed. She put the book on the table and ran for her father.
Clark tossed the bag of groceries on the counter and caught his daughter as she flung herself at him.
"Whoa, there." He said lifting her. "What were you two up to?"
She smiled brightly and said, "Looking at pictures!"
"What pictures?"
"Of you and mommy!"
"Oh yeah?"
Callie nodded. "Mommy said you had a picnic!"
Clark nodded. "We did. We've had quite a few of them."
"And a nice man and lady took your picture."
"They did." He confirmed.
"And mommy didn't have to make a teenager walk funny."
Clark snapped his head to Lois and she just shrugged. "It's true, though."
He shook his head and turned his attention back to his daughter.
"Can we make a pie?!" She asked, bouncing in his arms. "Mommy said you can make pies like Grandma and she's not here to make one."
"I guess we can do that, but Mommy has to help."
"Mommy, come help us!" Callie called out.
Lois slapped her knees before standing up and heading toward her daughter and husband.
"I'll supervise."
Clark sat Callie on the counter and started pulling out the ingredients and putting the items he had gotten from the store away while he was at it. He grabbed the canister of flour from the bottom cabinet and opened the top carefully.
"We have to follow the directions, okay?" He said as he leaned his forehead onto Callie's, there's noses just touching.
"Okay!"
He leaned back and muttered. "No shortcuts like, Mommy."
"Hey, I didn't need superhearing to hear that, you know." Lois pointedly said to him.
He started to laugh as he went to the cabinet behind him to grab more ingredients. When he turned around he was met with a handful of flour in his face.
"Could have used your speed there, honey."
Clark coughed as the flour went up his nose, which caused his daughter to laugh.
"Oh, you think that's funny?"
Callie nodded, looking at both of her parents with anticipation.
Clark then scooped out some flour and threw it in the air above her, causing it to rain down. She laughed even louder. Soon the three of them were reaching for the flour; soon it was flying everywhere and getting over everyone and everything.
Eventually, a pie was made that day. However, there certainly was a mess and they didn't want Martha Kent to see it in real time. When Grandma Martha returned, she did not approve of the method, but was amused, especially since the process was recorded for her to see. Later on with a printed photo in her hand of the flour caked faces of Lois, Clark, and Callie smiling in a selfie in the kitchen, Martha grinned as she added another picture to the scrapbook.
