By Lote <kestrel@pacific.net.sg>
Rated: PG
Submitted: February 2002
Summary: Lois and Clark share a warm family moment with their baby son in this vignette.
"…goodnight my angel now it's time to dream
A dream of how wonderful your life will be
Someday your child may cry and if you sing this lullaby
Then in your heart, there'll always be a part of me…"
***
Lois drew the quilt over the child and turned to switch off the night lamp beside the bed. Lovingly, she placed a soft kiss on the dark head of the sleeping child and inhaled the comforting smell that only a toddler could have. For a moment, she stood there beside the bed, gazing upon her miracle child. For years, she and Clark had been trying to get pregnant without much success. They had even explored the option of adopting a child but to no avail due to the unsuitability of their jobs, to quote the adoption agencies. Yet, just when they were about to give up, he came into their lives, bringing back the joy and light to them.
An arm slipped around her waist as her husband drew her to him and softly kissed her temple. Like her, he gazed down on the little figure bundled warmly under the quilt. Whispering he asked, "Did he ask you to sing him the song again?"
She turned to face him and brought her arms around his neck as he fully embraced her. Still whispering, she took the opportunity to tease him. "Like father, like son, I'd say. He practically demanded I sing that lullaby."
Her husband spared a glance for his very own sleeping tornado as he called his son. "It's not me who's the stubborn one in the family," he teased her back. "I believe he inherited that trait from his mother."
"I should never have played that song in his vicinity," Lois sighed.
"That's not possible. After all, he was conceived while that song was playing. Don't you remember, my angel?" he whispered huskily close to her ear, sending shivers down her spine.
She blushed prettily in memory of the night their miracle happened, amazed at the ability of this beautiful man to make her feel loved and wanted even after being married for so long. "Of course. How could I forget? That was the night of our wedding anniversary and you managed to surprise me with tickets to a Billy Joel concert," she replied, remembering the great time they had at the concert, and then, the real surprise of meeting Billy Joel himself as they were ushered backstage. Her husband, the incurable romantic, had used his influence to let her meet her favorite singer-composer.
She knew now that he had been trying to save their marriage, trying to recapture the magic of the times before they became so torn by the issue of progeny. And for that one night, he had succeeded. Their lovemaking that night was perhaps the most memorable in the years of their marriage, bar their wedding night. Hating to lose the magic, he had arranged for their bedroom to be flooded with her favorite Billy Joel songs like 'Temptation', 'Lullaby' and 'To Make You Feel My Love', and chocolate desserts to tempt her.
Clark looked at his wife, knowing that she was no longer in their son's bedroom but was in the past, reliving that beautiful moment when they seemed to be one, joined in more ways than just the physical. He also remembered the times before when they were desperately trying to conceive; their lovemaking became mechanical and, to a certain extent, a chore. Then came the period of rejection, when neither actually even felt any interest in the other. It was a difficult time for both of them, a period when their love for each other was being tested to its utmost. Unconsciously, his embrace tightened.
"Sweetheart, it wasn't your fault," his wife reassured him, the years of marriage giving her the ability to follow his train of thought easily. "Nor was it mine. It would have been our fault if we had not done anything to save our marriage. But we did, and look at the result." She indicated the small figure, who at that moment chose to turn over to the other side, exposing his body.
This time, it was Clark who bent down to cover his son with the quilt. "Why don't we retire to our room, my lady?" he suggested with a slight leer.
Lois suppressed her laughter as she took the offered hand and led him out of the nursery. After closing the door carefully, they ran back to their room like two teenagers, giggling all the way. In their bedroom, she turned around and around amazed at the transformation. She looked back to her husband, who stood to one side of the bed, grinning unrepentantly. "Oh, sweetheart," she said softly, almost melting in the heat of his loving gaze.
"Surprise!" he exclaimed just as softly, opening up his arms in welcome. He had tried to recreate the same scene in their bedroom as four years ago; Billy Joel singing in the background, "…she's such a temptation, it's driving me crazy…", the delicious chocolate cake from Antoniette's in Belgium, roses strewn around the room and satin sheets on the bed. "I wish Billy was giving a concert this year at this time…"
She silenced him with a finger on his lips. "Shh…it's all right. This is all we need; you and I," she told him seriously. "All other things are enhancements. I love you."
"And I you," he said, as he took her in his arms and started dancing.
***
The night soon melted away, giving way to the rising sun. The first rays of daylight found the two lovers entwined in their bed after a passion-filled night. The door to the bedroom creaked open as a little dark head peaked in. Seeing the tangle of limbs on the bed, the cherub giggled mischievously before creeping softly to the bed. Once he reached the bed, he jumped up, landing on his father's stomach, and shouted into his ear, "Wake up!"
Instead of getting up, his father just grabbed him and placed him between them, before tickling him. The little boy laughed uproariously and struggled to free himself. His mother, having been woken up by the boy's shout, joined in the foray by tickling both her husband and son. Soon, it became a full blown, three way attack as the little family frolicked on the bed.
At last, the little boy managed to escape from his parents' grasp and settled himself at the edge of the bed. "Daddy, I'm hungwy! Want waffles, please," he pleaded with his brown, puppy-dog eyes.
Clark looked at his wife, amused.
"Hey, don't look at me," she protested. "It's your son. He sure has your appetite," she teased. "Come on, lazybones. We're hungwy," she said, mimicking her son.
"Lazybones, am I? Who was it who kept me up the whole night?" he asked, making his wife blush as he leaned forward to place his lips on hers for a light peck.
"Yucky!"
He turned to find his son putting his hands over his eyes in protest. "Hey there, that's not yucky," he told his son, ruffling the mop of dark hair. "Now since you woke me up, I guess I should feed both my wife and son. The sacrifices that a man must make for the sake of his family."
His wife rolled her eyes and gave a small, affectionate slap on his rump in retort. "Go on, now, oh great chef. Call us when it's ready," Lois said, gathering her son to her and pulling him to lie down beside her. The little boy snuggled close to his mother, giggling.
His father just shook his head and then leaned in to kiss his forehead, before stealing a sweet kiss from Lois. "All right. I'll holler when they're ready."
After he left, peace settled in the bedroom as Lois drifted off to sleep. She was woken up by her son squirming in her arms. "What's the matter?"
"Mommy, can you sing the lullaby? Please?" he begged.
She sighed, knowing that she couldn't refuse. "Oh all right. But just once."
Her son eagerly nodded.
*"Goodnight, my angel, time to close your eyes
And save these questions for another day
I think I know what you've been asking me
I think you know what I've been trying to say
I promise that I would never leave you
And you should always know
Wherever you may go
No matter where you are
I never will be far away*
*Goodnight, my angel, now it's time to sleep
And still so many things I want to say
Remember all the songs you sang for me
When we went sailing on an emerald bay
And like a boat out on the ocean
I'm rocking you to sleep
The water's dark and deep
Inside this ancient heart
You'll always be a part of me…"*
She smiled softly as the little boy struggled to keep his eyes open and failed. The lullaby by Billy Joel always did the job of putting him to sleep. However that didn't last long when a shout came from the kitchen, "Lois! Jon! It's ready!"
As if by magic, Jon's eyes flew open and he scrambled out of his mother's embrace and raced down to the kitchen, throwing a challenge to Lois, "Last one's a wotten egg!"
Lois shook her head, laughing as she slowly got out of bed and put on her robe. It had been a full ten years since she and Clark were married. In that time, they had gone through so much, but they had come out of it stronger. Glancing at the rising sun, she hoped that the next ten years would be just as fruitful, before walking out of the room to join her little family in their breakfast.
THE END
Author's note:
The songs quoted above are copyrighted to Billy Joel; Temptations and Goodnight My Angel — a lullaby. No infringement of rights was meant by using the words for this story. Thanks for reading.