Chapter 3 “Visit”

The wind gently caressed his face and caused his red cape to billow behind him. Clark took in the now familiar sights and scents as he slowly approached 312 Riverside Drive. Well, slow for Clark anyway.

Reaching the house, Clark took up his place behind the tree in the backyard and scanned the house. Jason was sitting in his bedroom, solving a puzzle. Richard gave Lois a hasty kiss as he put on his coat and walked out of the door. Clark flew a little higher to avoid detection.

Ever since Clark had flown out of hospital, he had taken up the habit of paying the White-Lane household a daily visit.

The engine of Richard’s SUV purred into life as Clark redirected his attention to Jason. His son. Clark felt his heart swell. His son. He watched as Jason tried to make a logical picture out of the many scattered pieces. Trying them together, changing the angle. He was so much like Lois, Clark mused. Solving riddles, looking at all possibilities. Luckily he didn’t inherit her impatience. Clark chuckled, trying to imagine what his son would’ve been like if he had inherited that particular part of his mother’s personality. He probably would’ve thrown the pieces across the room if they didn’t fit after his fifth try.

“Superman?”

The voice shook him out of his musings so fast, he started and whipped around in mid-air. Lois stood on the balcony, a glass of white wine in her hand, looking just as surprised as Clark felt.

“Superman, what are you doing here?”

“Nothing. Just … looking.”

Lois frowned in confusion.

“Jason” Clark clarified.

“Oh, I see …”

A short silence fell and Lois sipped her wine.

“You know,” Clark suddenly spoke up. “He’s solved this puzzle so many times now. You’d say he’d lose interest in it after a while.”

Lois looked at him, her face curious, “Exactly how often do you come here to look?”

Clark avoided her eyes and spoke softly, as if guilty of a crime, “Often.”

Lois put her glass of wine on a table and walked closer to the railing.

“I’m sorry you have to resort to this to watch your … our son grow up. I can’t imagine how difficult it would be to have to...But you understand why it has to be this way, don’t you?”

“I understand. It’s fine.” Clark reassured her, fighting to keep up the strong appearance he knew he was rapidly losing.

Clark shot a look at Jason again and noticed he had switched to another puzzle. His chest constricted, though not entirely uncomfortably, as he noticed that this one showed stars and planets. “Does he know? Jason, I mean,” he asked softly.

Lois shook her head.

“And Richard?”

Lois sighed, leaning on the banister.

“I told Richard.”

Clark looked up, surprised. “How did he take it?”

“Pretty well, I guess. He was shocked, of course, and angry. But he said it didn’t change how he cared for Jason. Nothing is going to change, really, so …”

Clark grimaced and turned away from Lois, wishing the uncomfortable conversation to be over. “You can still play a part in Jason’s life -,” she rushed to reassure him, but he cut her off.

“As Superman, not as his father.” Clark muttered dejectedly.

“Well…yes,” she admitted, her eyes dropping from his. Lois looked apologetic.

“Lois, it’s alright,” he murmured, not wanting to cause her pain even though it wasn’t alright. He wanted to be near his son, more than just watching him from afar. But he knew it was impossible, ”I want what’s best for Jason, so if that means I can’t be around him, then I understand that.”

A long silence fell. Both of them busy with their own thoughts. Clark was the one to finally break the silence. “Lois, do you love him?”

Lois held his eye and Clark regretted asking the question.

“Yes.” Lois said quietly. “Richard’s a good man.”

Clark dropped his gaze. Richard was a good man. A good man and a good father, “I know… I need to go…”

Without waiting for a response, Clark took off. He looked back only once, a couple of miles further. Lois still stood on the balcony, a single tear rolling down her cheek.

If there was one thing that Clark Kent hated more than seeing Lois Lane cry, it was seeing Lois Lane cry and knowing that he was the cause of it.