Catheryne
20th April 2003, 07:48
Everyday
Got a letter from the mail today
And I’m glad you’re doing fine
You tell me you’re missing me
And it’s cold in New York City
Chloe folded the worn letter she had printed earlier. It had only been twelve hours since it arrived, and already the paper was fit to tear at the number of times it had been refolded and read and passed around.
“Mommy, can I see it again?” the small voice piped in.
She glanced down at the little girl, whose eyes were only visible since it was only until that point that she passed the tabletop. “Sure, honey,” Chloe answered, and handed her the letter. “I’m sure Pam would like to see it too.”
“Pam can’t read yet, mommy. She’s just two!”
Chloe smiled down at Leah and knelt. And then she tucked the little girl’s hair beneath her ear and kissed her on the nose. “Well that makes it your job to read daddy’s letter to her. Because otherwise, she might forget daddy.”
“I can’t read well, mommy. What if Chelsea snatches the letter away again? She keeps doing that, mommy. Tell her to stop!”
“If Chelsea snatches daddy’s letter again, tell her she can have her turn later after you. But don’t yet at her, Leah. Chelsea’s very sad. Daddy didn’t come home for her birthday, you know, even though he promised he would.”
“Okay, mommy,” Leah mumbled before clutching the envelope to her chest and running upstairs.
Chloe opened her laptop and turned it on. She sat down and began to write.
Well me, and the girls, we’re alright
Thinkin’ about you night after night
And if you feel the same way too
Just imagine me whispering to you…
She pushed the computer away, knowing that at some point the tears would overflow. It cannot be fair that they always had to spend so much time apart. It cannot be fair to their daughters, and neither was it fair to the two of them.
When she and Lex had been married, he had promised her that she would always come first to him. She had not asked for a lot of things—only that he not place anything above whatever family they would be blessed with. To this, Lex had agreed easily. They were in love after all. Neither of them expected a trans Atlantic tragedy that would take Lionel Luthor away, forcing Lex to take on the reins of a corporate empire that he would have gladly relinquished had he not wanted to secure a comfortable future for his children.
It was unwelcome to the family. Lionel had been a hard man, but he had adored his granddaughters with a fervor that shocked the girls’ parents. Although the old man had never fully revived his relationship with his son or his daughter-in-law, Chloe had mourned the loss of the patriarch whose strength she had not known kept the family in their position and allowed her own new family to stay together as much as they had.
With Lionel’s loss, Lex was thrust into a position he was well equipped for but now unwilling to take on.
Everyday I’ll always love you
Everyday I’m always thinkin’ of you
Everyday’s another lonely day without you
“No, Lex! You promised me! You can’t just leave us like this,” she had argued when he told her about the trip.
“I know that. I know and I’m sorry, Chloe.” He took her hand in his and brought it to his lips. The kiss he pressed on her palm was gentle. “If I win this contract, the Pacific corporation will be set. You have to realize, there is tough competition with all the Southeast countries’ economies booming. They don’t need us anymore, Chloe. This time, we need them. Our employees need them.”
She hated when he appealed to those he knew she cared about when she was trying to be selfish. But Lex understood her need of possessing more of him that the business. He knew that she felt she had to do it for the children. “I just thought that maybe we can be a real family, Lex.”
“We are a real family, Chloe.”
“You’re going abroad or out of state every few weeks. When we married, we discussed things would be different,” she said softly. She had lost the argument and they were both aware of it. “You weren’t supposed to be the LuthorCorp executive anymore. You were supposed to be my husband. And their dad.”
“I am,” he assured her. “I’ll be home before you know it.”
Everyday you’re here beside me
Everyday I’m always dreaming of you
Everyday I will be right here waiting for you
Everyday I’ll always love you
I’m always thinking of you
I want you beside me
“Mommy, mommy!” Leah called out to her from the top of the stairs. Chloe rose from the seat and hurried to her daughter. “Chelsea’s trying to take daddy’s letter again. I’m not finished reading it.”
Chloe heard the other girl’s mournful weeping and said, “I’ll be right there, sweethearts. Mommy’s gonna go up now. Don’t fight ok?”
“I just want to see daddy’s letter!” Chelsea screamed.
“Well you can’t see it til I’m finished!” Leah retorted.
Chloe took Pam up in her arms and gently rocked her. “Girls, don’t fight over it. Daddy loves you all. He won’t like it if you fight over that. Give it to me.” Leah pouted and handed the letter to Chloe. “Now go on to mommy and daddy’s bedroom. We’re all sleeping there tonight.”
“In the really big bed?” Leah asked excitedly.
“Yes, Leah, in the big bed. And I’ll read you the letter and we’ll all sleep with the letter.”
“Okay, mommy.” She placed the three in bed and switched off the light. And then Chloe changed into her nightgown, the one Lex adored, and snuggled in the center. The three automatically rolled onto her. Leah threw her leg over Chloe’s. On her other side, Chelsea squeezed on top of her arm. Pam scampered on top of Chloe and laid her head heavily on her mother’s breast. “Read us what daddy says, mommy.”
“To my darling Leah,” Chloe began. “You’re the eldest, so I hope you’re taking care of Pam and Chelsea and mommy. I trust you and I know you won’t start any fights. Dear Chelsea, I wanted to be there so much when my young woman turned four, but daddy couldn’t make it. I’m sorry. We’ll celebrate again when I’m home. Pam, keep growing, baby. Daddy always remembers you, and daddy will bring home a nice stuffed dolly you can sleep with at night, so you don’t wake mommy and daddy by crawling in between us at dawn.” Chloe’s voice lulled the three into a peaceful sleep, and she placed a kiss on each of their foreheads. She took a deep breath and stared back at the piece of paper, where it only said, “Chloe, I count the days until I’m back with my family. There’s not a day when I don’t wish I never left you four. Don’t ever doubt your place in my heart and in my mind. I hope you understand why I needed to go. Keep the girls safe and close to your heart, because they are always in mine.”
Chloe placed the letter on the side table and closed her eyes, knowing sleep would not come until before morning. She still felt guilty about her reaction to the changes. Maybe she was guilty of things she had never admitted to before. Like everyone else around her, she had been wearing blinders that prevented her from being fully supportive of Lex. Granted, she had been terrified of the changes this would bring to her family. But she knew she should have trusted Lex to remain with them despite the responsibility he was taking on. It was panic that sparked the fight, just before he left. In her terror, she had not even recognized his own difficulty. Her husband, despite a public persona of aloofness, hated being away from his children. His position in the company had basically informed him that he would have to be away for long periods of time until LuthorCorp was back on its feet.
It’s another long and sleepless night
And thoughts run through my mind
Guess I’m just feeling lonely
It’s been so empty since you’ve been gone
She could hardly breathe. Pam was getting heavy. She was not a baby anymore. Leah and Chelsea squeezed her from both sides. But Chloe did not move. It was rare to have them all with her, quiet and peaceful like this. Lex loved these moments when the girls all converged on him. Soon. Soon she’d watch them lie like this, and see the utter joy on her husband’s face as the girls became his babies once again.
I’ll be holdin’ on for it won’t be long
I’ll be counting the days til I see you home
I know you feel the way I do
So just remember these words I’ll say
The phone rang mutely. The red light caught her eye. Careful not to wake the girls, Chloe reached out and grabbed the receiver. “Hello?” The line was faint, and she could hardly hear him, but she knew what he needed to hear.
Everyday I’ll always love you
Everyday I’m always thinkin’ of you
Everyday’s another lonely day without you
Everyday you’re here beside me
Everyday I’m always dreaming of you
Everyday I will be waitin’ for you
Everyday…
“Come home safe, Lex. Your girls are waiting for you.”
end
Got a letter from the mail today
And I’m glad you’re doing fine
You tell me you’re missing me
And it’s cold in New York City
Chloe folded the worn letter she had printed earlier. It had only been twelve hours since it arrived, and already the paper was fit to tear at the number of times it had been refolded and read and passed around.
“Mommy, can I see it again?” the small voice piped in.
She glanced down at the little girl, whose eyes were only visible since it was only until that point that she passed the tabletop. “Sure, honey,” Chloe answered, and handed her the letter. “I’m sure Pam would like to see it too.”
“Pam can’t read yet, mommy. She’s just two!”
Chloe smiled down at Leah and knelt. And then she tucked the little girl’s hair beneath her ear and kissed her on the nose. “Well that makes it your job to read daddy’s letter to her. Because otherwise, she might forget daddy.”
“I can’t read well, mommy. What if Chelsea snatches the letter away again? She keeps doing that, mommy. Tell her to stop!”
“If Chelsea snatches daddy’s letter again, tell her she can have her turn later after you. But don’t yet at her, Leah. Chelsea’s very sad. Daddy didn’t come home for her birthday, you know, even though he promised he would.”
“Okay, mommy,” Leah mumbled before clutching the envelope to her chest and running upstairs.
Chloe opened her laptop and turned it on. She sat down and began to write.
Well me, and the girls, we’re alright
Thinkin’ about you night after night
And if you feel the same way too
Just imagine me whispering to you…
She pushed the computer away, knowing that at some point the tears would overflow. It cannot be fair that they always had to spend so much time apart. It cannot be fair to their daughters, and neither was it fair to the two of them.
When she and Lex had been married, he had promised her that she would always come first to him. She had not asked for a lot of things—only that he not place anything above whatever family they would be blessed with. To this, Lex had agreed easily. They were in love after all. Neither of them expected a trans Atlantic tragedy that would take Lionel Luthor away, forcing Lex to take on the reins of a corporate empire that he would have gladly relinquished had he not wanted to secure a comfortable future for his children.
It was unwelcome to the family. Lionel had been a hard man, but he had adored his granddaughters with a fervor that shocked the girls’ parents. Although the old man had never fully revived his relationship with his son or his daughter-in-law, Chloe had mourned the loss of the patriarch whose strength she had not known kept the family in their position and allowed her own new family to stay together as much as they had.
With Lionel’s loss, Lex was thrust into a position he was well equipped for but now unwilling to take on.
Everyday I’ll always love you
Everyday I’m always thinkin’ of you
Everyday’s another lonely day without you
“No, Lex! You promised me! You can’t just leave us like this,” she had argued when he told her about the trip.
“I know that. I know and I’m sorry, Chloe.” He took her hand in his and brought it to his lips. The kiss he pressed on her palm was gentle. “If I win this contract, the Pacific corporation will be set. You have to realize, there is tough competition with all the Southeast countries’ economies booming. They don’t need us anymore, Chloe. This time, we need them. Our employees need them.”
She hated when he appealed to those he knew she cared about when she was trying to be selfish. But Lex understood her need of possessing more of him that the business. He knew that she felt she had to do it for the children. “I just thought that maybe we can be a real family, Lex.”
“We are a real family, Chloe.”
“You’re going abroad or out of state every few weeks. When we married, we discussed things would be different,” she said softly. She had lost the argument and they were both aware of it. “You weren’t supposed to be the LuthorCorp executive anymore. You were supposed to be my husband. And their dad.”
“I am,” he assured her. “I’ll be home before you know it.”
Everyday you’re here beside me
Everyday I’m always dreaming of you
Everyday I will be right here waiting for you
Everyday I’ll always love you
I’m always thinking of you
I want you beside me
“Mommy, mommy!” Leah called out to her from the top of the stairs. Chloe rose from the seat and hurried to her daughter. “Chelsea’s trying to take daddy’s letter again. I’m not finished reading it.”
Chloe heard the other girl’s mournful weeping and said, “I’ll be right there, sweethearts. Mommy’s gonna go up now. Don’t fight ok?”
“I just want to see daddy’s letter!” Chelsea screamed.
“Well you can’t see it til I’m finished!” Leah retorted.
Chloe took Pam up in her arms and gently rocked her. “Girls, don’t fight over it. Daddy loves you all. He won’t like it if you fight over that. Give it to me.” Leah pouted and handed the letter to Chloe. “Now go on to mommy and daddy’s bedroom. We’re all sleeping there tonight.”
“In the really big bed?” Leah asked excitedly.
“Yes, Leah, in the big bed. And I’ll read you the letter and we’ll all sleep with the letter.”
“Okay, mommy.” She placed the three in bed and switched off the light. And then Chloe changed into her nightgown, the one Lex adored, and snuggled in the center. The three automatically rolled onto her. Leah threw her leg over Chloe’s. On her other side, Chelsea squeezed on top of her arm. Pam scampered on top of Chloe and laid her head heavily on her mother’s breast. “Read us what daddy says, mommy.”
“To my darling Leah,” Chloe began. “You’re the eldest, so I hope you’re taking care of Pam and Chelsea and mommy. I trust you and I know you won’t start any fights. Dear Chelsea, I wanted to be there so much when my young woman turned four, but daddy couldn’t make it. I’m sorry. We’ll celebrate again when I’m home. Pam, keep growing, baby. Daddy always remembers you, and daddy will bring home a nice stuffed dolly you can sleep with at night, so you don’t wake mommy and daddy by crawling in between us at dawn.” Chloe’s voice lulled the three into a peaceful sleep, and she placed a kiss on each of their foreheads. She took a deep breath and stared back at the piece of paper, where it only said, “Chloe, I count the days until I’m back with my family. There’s not a day when I don’t wish I never left you four. Don’t ever doubt your place in my heart and in my mind. I hope you understand why I needed to go. Keep the girls safe and close to your heart, because they are always in mine.”
Chloe placed the letter on the side table and closed her eyes, knowing sleep would not come until before morning. She still felt guilty about her reaction to the changes. Maybe she was guilty of things she had never admitted to before. Like everyone else around her, she had been wearing blinders that prevented her from being fully supportive of Lex. Granted, she had been terrified of the changes this would bring to her family. But she knew she should have trusted Lex to remain with them despite the responsibility he was taking on. It was panic that sparked the fight, just before he left. In her terror, she had not even recognized his own difficulty. Her husband, despite a public persona of aloofness, hated being away from his children. His position in the company had basically informed him that he would have to be away for long periods of time until LuthorCorp was back on its feet.
It’s another long and sleepless night
And thoughts run through my mind
Guess I’m just feeling lonely
It’s been so empty since you’ve been gone
She could hardly breathe. Pam was getting heavy. She was not a baby anymore. Leah and Chelsea squeezed her from both sides. But Chloe did not move. It was rare to have them all with her, quiet and peaceful like this. Lex loved these moments when the girls all converged on him. Soon. Soon she’d watch them lie like this, and see the utter joy on her husband’s face as the girls became his babies once again.
I’ll be holdin’ on for it won’t be long
I’ll be counting the days til I see you home
I know you feel the way I do
So just remember these words I’ll say
The phone rang mutely. The red light caught her eye. Careful not to wake the girls, Chloe reached out and grabbed the receiver. “Hello?” The line was faint, and she could hardly hear him, but she knew what he needed to hear.
Everyday I’ll always love you
Everyday I’m always thinkin’ of you
Everyday’s another lonely day without you
Everyday you’re here beside me
Everyday I’m always dreaming of you
Everyday I will be waitin’ for you
Everyday…
“Come home safe, Lex. Your girls are waiting for you.”
end