#I totally wasn’t inspired by beauty and the beast hush

[theartistisme43]

I sent a bit crazy with princess smg3

[dreadhaus-literature]

{January Collection} #27

Stained Glass on My Window

Inspiration ♥

Seeing the world through rose-tinted glass is sometimes the only way to make it through the day.

Some people think churches have the monopoly on stained glass, but that isn’t true. Intriguing rumors persist about others outside the religious institutions, who weave stained glass for healing purposes.

Being known as the world’s greatest reporter is not just a title for Lois Lane; it’s a fact, and something she proves time and time again. It allowed the highly celebrated wife and mother to hold her shoulders square and her head up, posture that follows her even into her home; after all, she’d earned it! Pushing the garage door closed with one hand, Lois was careful with the brown wrapped parcel underneath her other arm, mindful even of her purse brushing against it.

“Hello? I’m home!”

“Welcome home, sweetheart.” Seated at the kitchen island, Clark Kent looked up with a loving smile aimed at his wife, standing as she came in to give her a kiss. “Any luck?”

“I found it!” Lois drew back, holding up the parcel with a triumphant smile. “I found her and I swear, Clark, it was like she was expecting me.”

Clark’s smile deepened, giving Lois’s arm a rub. “You were right about this.”

“I’m right about everything, but it’s nice of you to acknowledge this particular time.” Lois draped her purse over the back of the bar stool with a wry smirk aimed at her husband.

“I...” Clark rubbed the back of his head with one large hand. “I’m pretty sure I always acknowledge it.”

“No you don’t.” Lois opened a nearby drawer, scooping up a pair of scissors before bumping the drawer closed. “And you know the craziest thing about all this? She didn’t even charge me.”

That gave Clark a start, and he moved around to stand behind Lois, curious about the work of art she was unwrapping. “Really? That normally implies something shady...”

“Right? But this was honestly the nicest woman I’ve ever met, and I have met your mother.” Lois teased, but there was a wealth of love in her voice for her mother-in-law.

This package was something special, and the care that Lois was handling it with was well-deserved; they’d been trying to locate this shop for weeks with no luck, even with Clark’s super abilities and Lois’s field experience they’d come up empty-handed every single time--but the tides had turned, today, as if some invisible force that was keeping them from finding what they were looking for was lifted. Lois couldn’t believe how easy the shop had been to find, today, especially after searching for it for so long. That couldn’t just be coincidence, but she had no other explanation for it--she wasn’t looking for one, either. All that mattered to her at the end of the day was that they got what they’d been searching for.

Clark whistled lowly as the parcel paper was carefully cut and then pushed aside, revealing an intricate, absolutely breath-taking piece of art. It was a stained glass window pane, cut to size so that it could hang over an existing window and use the natural lighting to filter through the intricately woven glass. With Clark’s abilities he could feel a certain energy pulsating from the glass, but rather than feeling threatened by it, he felt calmed, soothed, and when he reached out to touch the glass it was warm to the touch. The panes themselves were a mixture of sapphires and fiery pinks, all blending together to create a floral rose pattern at the dead center of the hanging glass.

“When I went into her shop, she asked me what Monica’s favorite fairy tale was, and I told her Beauty and the Beast.” Lois explained, her voice hushed as if she was afraid of disrupting the soothing aura the glass had settled over the kitchen. “I don’t...know if that’s exactly right, but I know that’s her favorite Disney movie? And Francesca seemed to agree it was the right choice, said she’d had a feeling and this was the piece she’d created to suit Monica’s needs.”

“Francesca?” Clark mused, turning the name over as if trying to see if he recognized it.

“Yes, Francesca Del Ponce. She said she was from France, but her accent sounded more mixed than that and when I’d asked she did mention she and her husband Gabriel had originally come from the Carpathian Mountains in Europe.” Lois looked up at her husband. “Can you believe that? I mean, it explains the artistry of this piece, it’s absolutely breath-taking. All the rumors about her work were true. This woman’s a true artist, I mean just look at this.”

Clark couldn’t deny it, and initially he’d been a touch skeptical about the renowned claims of others about a “healer” who could soothe and cure with glass. That just didn’t seem like a normal claim, but the more he and Lois had looked into these claims, the more they couldn’t find a single person dissatisfied with Francesca Del Ponce’s stained glass work. It was a fortunate thing, Clark thought, to be wrong. He’d wanted just as badly as his wife had, to find this miracle healer and request a piece for their little girl. Monica had been struggling lately, and waking up seemed to be the hardest time of the day for her; what had started as an internet search for ways to help battle depression in the morning turned into looking up different ways people dealt with depression, until one night while reading through a forum Lois had come across several people who said they’d gotten special stained glass charms or even full windows installed in their house from a healer named Francesca Del Ponce, and that it had drastically improved the start of each day. Lois and Clark were willing to do anything they could to help Monica get better; she was the heart of their little family and it broke their hearts, day in and day out, that she struggled so much. She didn’t deserve to. Anything they could do to help, they would.

That had begun the search to find the elusive Miss Del Ponce, and Lois had refused to give up once she started. If there was even a slight chance that this glass could help Monica, Lois was going to find this healer and she was going to request a special piece done--but when the shop had suddenly turned up on the same street as Lois and Clark’s skyscraper workplace, it had seemed almost like magic. Lois walked past the same store fronts every single day, how had she possibly missed this? She’d entered Francesca’s store almost in a trance, as if she was afraid to blink or step too heavily and shatter the illusion. As the door had shut behind her, the entire world dropped away; she couldn’t hear the busy traffic or the people passing by on the sidewalk. There wasn’t anyone else in the store, and behind the counter sat a stunning, elegant looking woman with long, dark hair and eyes that seemed too dark to be kind, but were motherly and affectionate as they met Lois’s over the glass top.

“Um, hello, my name is Lois and I’m interested in one of your pieces.”

Francesca had extended her hand, giving Lois’s a gentle shake that was almost more a show of holding hands, and Lois was surprised at how soft and warm her touch was--it was soothing, and she felt her nerves dissipating until they were gone. Once she felt at ease, Francesca let her hand go, and asked, “Tell me, Lois, what does your loved one need most?”

Lois couldn’t be sure, even now, why she felt this way but she was pretty convinced Francesca already knew who she was and why she was there. She’d allowed Lois to talk about Monica and though Lois hadn’t intended on divulging much about Monica’s struggles to a total stranger...Lois wanted so desperately for Francesca’s work to be able to help. In the end, she told Francesca that the thing Monica needed most was hope.

“I’d say love, everyone needs love and to feel taken care of but she’s got love and support in me, my husband, our son--what she needs is hope. A reason to get out of bed every morning. No matter what we do, I’m afraid we can’t give her that.” Lois had blinked back tears, clearing her throat and lifting her chin. “Can you really do this, Francesca? Do the things people say you can? My little girl, she needs help.”

Francesca’s smile put Lois at ease. “I can, and I have. If it’s hope she needs, it’s hope she’ll have.”

Lois had thought initially that Francesca would need time to prepare a piece specifically for Monica, but this next moment was what led Lois to believe Francesca...wasn’t exactly human, or was at least a psychic of some sort. She’d gone into the back and come out a few minutes later with that same breath-taking piece of art that was on she and Clark’s kitchen counter.

“All of my pieces are originals, intended only for the person I make them for. I promise, this piece is for Monica alone.” Francesca had run her long, elegant fingers over the glass and Lois had felt the responding vibrations. It was soothing, like a mother’s humming. “You told me her favorite fairy tale was Beauty and the Beast and so I chose a rose, to represent the hope that all flowers have, for sunshine and rain each day. It will remind her that even during the rainstorm, because of the rainstorm, flowers bloom, and that every day, the sun will rise. It will remind her that she is the rose at the center of your family’s garden, necessary and needed. It will give her hope to bloom each passing day, as no matter how the wind howls or the skies darken, flowers do what they must do. They bloom.”

Lois didn’t know how Francesca did what she did, she didn’t know how Francesca had this custom piece when she’d only just learned Monica’s favorites minutes before, but Lois hadn’t felt compelled to ask. Staring down at the handcrafted piece, all she knew was that she believed Francesca.

What neither Lois nor Clark had any way of knowing was that yes, Francesca did know who Monica was, had known for longer even than they’d begun searching her out for a piece of her healing art. Francesca and Gabriel had been drawn to Metropolis to present this piece to an ailing girl, wanting to ease her suffering because she deserved it. She deserved to be happy and the pair of lifemates were compelled to do all they could for her...as if she were another piece of their very souls...

In the end, Francesca would not accept payment from Lois, only asked that Lois take her business card and keep her updated regularly on Monica’s progress. It was something Lois didn’t mind doing, and was truthfully touched that someone else was watching out for Monica. Now that she was home, Lois was eager to hang the piece in the bedroom the three of them shared.

“Where is she?” Lois asked, moving to pick up the pane of colored glass. Clark, however, was faster.

“She’s in bed,” he answered, a little grimly. “Today wasn’t a good day.”

Lois’s smile was motherly and determined as she started toward the stairrs. “Well, it will be.”

The master bedroom door opening drew the attention of the occupants lying in bed; Monica lifted her gaze over the top of Jonathan Kent’s little head, the 10 year old turning without relinquishing his hold around his Mom. Their little family was a never-ending cycle of love and affection, with Monica at the very center, and both Lois and Clark couldn’t help their smile at the sight of their son in bed with Monica, trying his best to give her some of his sunshine.

“Mom! Dad! I got her to smile!” Jon beamed, causing Monica to laugh, and Clark and Lois joined in immediately.

“Way to go, champ.” Clark flashed Jon a thumbs up, careful to keep the gift hidden behind Lois.

“Monica, sweetheart, we have a surprise for you.”

Monica pushed herself to a sitting position, laughing lightly as Jon helped her sit up; she could never get used to his strength in such a string-bean body. As she came to rest against the headboard, Jon wrapped his arms back around her waist, resting his head on her chest; he got clingy when she wasn’t feeling well and it was something she appreciated. He may not understand what she was feeling but he never stopped trying to make her smile and if she really couldn’t, then he’d nod and say, “Then, I’ll hug you until you can, Momma!” And this little ray of sunshine did just that. He stayed by her side, loyally, because he loved her more than anything in the world.

“Y-You guys didn’t have to do anything,” Monica shook her head, settling her arms back around Jon as Lois and Clark came to stand by the bed.

As Lois sat on the edge of the bed, Monica’s eyes were drawn to the beautiful piece of hanging stained glass in Clark’s hands and she audibly gasped. It was beautiful. The moment she laid eyes on it, she felt not one, but two pairs of arms wrap around her, surrounding her in a warmth that made her heart stammer. In her head was a gentle chant, a soft murmuring of one male and one female voice, speaking as if to her very heart and soul, and involuntarily tears sprang to her eyes. For the first time in a long time she felt...okay. She couldn’t understand the words in her head, she had no idea where they were coming from or who was speaking to her, but she didn’t question what she was feeling because it was just nice to feel the weight of sadness, of numbing pain, lift off her petite shoulders for a little while.

“What do you think, sweetheart?” Clark asked, giving her that handsome smile of his. “Lois had it made special for you.”

“It’s from all of us,” Lois gave her husband a pointed look before she turned to her wife, her little girl. Their little girl. Lois reached out, taking hold of Monica’s hand. “It’s special, made just for you by a new friend of the family. She’s a healer, and it’s supposed to help you feel better.” Lois searched Monica’s face with a smile. “Is...Is it working?”

Monica gripped Lois’s hand, turning her face to bury in Jon’s unruly dark hair as she nodded, unable to speak around the ball of emotion in her throat.

Lois tightened her hold on Monica’s fingers, feeling proud and extremely grateful to hear that. Clark had to stop himself from letting out a cheer, his broad shoulders visibly relaxing to see Monica responding positively to this. He strode over to the window nearest their shared bed, immediately hanging up the stained glass and as it caught the setting Metropolis sun, the entire room took on the feel of a sanctuary, somewhere safe and warm. There was magic in that glass, in that moment Clark himself became convinced. Lois slipped further up onto the bed, cradling Jon between herself and Monica as she wrapped her arm around Monica’s little waist. She pressed a kiss to the top of Monica’s head.

“We love you, honey. You know that? We’d do anything for you, anything at all.”

Clark took the offered spot to spoon Monica’s much smaller frame, immediately wrapping his heavily muscled arms around her so that she could rest back against his chest, be dwarfed by him so she could feel safe and very much loved. He rested his head against hers.

“It’s okay if every single day is a tough day,” Clark murmured reassuring words to mirror Lois’s, wanting to comfort his little girl, his wife. “You aren’t going through it alone.”

Jon burrowed closer to Monica’s chest, holding her tightest of all! “You’ve got Superboy and Supermom and Superman to help save your day!”

"And what is it we say, sweetheart?” Clark nosed a kiss to Monica’s temple. “What do we Supers say?”

Monica sniffled but laughed all the same. “Up, up, and away.”

Every single day. One day at a time.