Mornings in the Kent family were always full of love.
After Ian finished breakfast, he put his plate in the sink, walked out of the kitchen, crossed the hallway, went upstairs, and pushed open the door to his room. The window was open a crack, and wind blew in from outside, making the curtains sway gently. The book on the desk was still turned to that page, and the glass of water was still half full.
The surface of the water rippled in the wind with the faintest of creases.
"Time for school."
Ian stood in the doorway and watched for a while, as if confirming that nothing had changed. Then he walked in, sat down by the bed, and lowered his head to look at his hands. Far outside the window, the Wheat Field glowed gold in the morning light, and wind blew across the fields, sending slow waves through the grass beneath the sun.
"But there's still plenty of time."
Jonathan's laughter drifted up from downstairs, along with the soft clink of dishes.
Ian sat there, listening to those sounds. Then he reached out and closed the window a little more, sat at the edge of the bed, and neither lay down nor stood up again. Morning light seeped through the gap in the curtains, drawing a long, thin golden line across the floor that happened to fall right by his feet.
"I really do like this kind of life after all." Ian lowered his head and looked at that line of light for a while, then leaned back against the headboard and gazed at the field outside, brightened by the morning sun.
Soon, after packing his books, Ian went downstairs. Lois was tidying the kitchen counter, while Clark had already changed into a shirt and was holding