Clark smiled as he entered the house, his blue eyes scanning the kitchen for his parents. Their sparkle dimmed when he didn’t see them. “Mom? Dad?” he called, pausing for a moment to listen for any response. His bright smile turned into a frown when he didn’t hear one. “I’m home!” He headed into the living room, relaxing when he saw his parents. However, his father looked more serious than he normally did and his mother’s perpetual smile wasn’t there that day. “Hey,” he said. “Is everything okay?”

“Clark, we need to talk to you,” his mom began. He sat down on the couch next to them, eyeing them with wary curiosity.

“About what?” he asked suspiciously. I can’t be in trouble, he mused, because I haven’t done anything wrong… Slightly reassured, he focused his gaze on his mother’s face.

“Just to let you know, you’re not in trouble,” she assured him.

“That’s good. I haven’t done anything to get me in trouble,” he replied. His father nodded, but Martha glanced at her folded hands.

She looked at Jonathan and unclasped her hands, taking one of her husband’s hands in hers. “Clark, what do you think about us adopting another child?”

“Why?”

“Please answer the question.” His eyes widened as he stared at his parents. They were serious! Then again, why shouldn’t they be? Martha and Jonathan were both healthy and though they weren’t rich, they would be able to support another child if they made a few sacrifices. Thinking about it, he realized that his longing for a little brother sister was stronger than ever, especially after Ryan.

“I’d love it!” he answered. His parents looked surprised; they had expected Clark to be stunned by the suddenness of it all. “I mean, both of you are great parents and have a lot of love to offer. It’ll be good for you since I’m off to college.” His eager expression turned serious. “We’d have to make some sacrifices, but I don’t mind.”

“Well, um, to be honest, we weren’t expecting you to be so...receptive. But we’re glad you agree,” his mom said, obviously relieved that he was taking the news so well. He had seemed so lonely since Pete had moved…

“It will indeed require sacrifices... I mean, you’ll have to be extra careful about your powers...” his father admonished. Clark laughed.

“Dad, trying to keep something that big from an immediate family member would be impossible! The kid will find out sooner or later. What do we have to lose by being up front?” he inquired.

“I do agree that keeping Clark’s gifts a secret would be impossible, but we still need to be careful. He...or she may not like the news and children are vulnerable.” They all paused, remembering Ryan. “They might accidentally let it slip...”

“Mom, I believe the benefits far outweigh the risks. I get a sibling to dote on, you get another child to love and nurture, and Dad gets a helper around the farm. I really think that this is a good idea.”

All three of them were silent. Jonathan, Martha, and Clark were all weighing the impact another child would have on the family. Sacrifices would indeed need to be made and the child would be in danger from people who were eager to learn Clark’s secret. They would have to be extra careful. Clark didn’t think that would be much of a problem.

“We’ve been considering this for a while now, son, so this isn’t a decision that we’ve made lightly,” Jonathan announced. Clark drew back a little.

“Why didn’t you tell me that you were considering this?” His question was more of a demand for an answer. He had a right to know when they were considering something that would drastically affect all three of them!

“We weren’t sure how you’d take it… We weren’t even sure up until today,” his mom answered. “We didn’t want to get your hopes up…” Clark nodded, grudgingly accepting this explanation, which seemed reasonable to him.

“I… guess it’s settled then,” he said. His parents nodded.

“It’ll be a long process, Clark, maybe even up to a year.” He nodded. “But it’ll be worth it…”