A Family Stronger Than Steel

Chapter 12

Camila sipped her coffee. The comforting ambiance of her home and present company helped her. "I feel much better," she said, her voice soft, as she sat across from John.

"That is good to hear," John said. As he sipped his coffee with ice cubes, he continued, "Camila, I meant what I said—you're doing your best as a parent, and I deeply respect your commitment to your daughter."

Camila's eyes sparkled with genuine curiosity at John's words of encouragement. "You sound like you have some experience in parenting," she replied, her interest piqued by John's background. Her eyes reflected her eagerness to learn more.

John smiled, but it was a sad smile. "I did have some experience," he said softly, his gaze distant. "I had a wife... and a daughter a long time ago. She would have been about your daughter's age now."

Camila's heart went out to John. She could feel the depth of his loss, and it stirred a profound empathy within her. "Oh, I'm so sorry." From the way John carried himself, she never would have guessed that he had gone through the pain of losing a wife and child.

"There's no need to apologize when you didn't know," John said, keeping his voice steady.

"Can I ask what happened to them?" Camila inquired gently. Her voice was filled with deep empathy for John's loss, and her words carried the weight of her understanding.

John hesitated momentarily before replying; his voice tinged with a quiet strength. "It was... circumstances beyond my control. They were taken from me, and I miss them every single day. But I try to focus on the good memories we shared, and I know they would want me to keep moving forward." His resilience in the face of such tragedy was genuinely inspiring.

John's fortitude in the face of such tragedy moved Camila. "They must have been fortunate to have you in their lives," she said softly.

"And Luz is lucky to have you as a mother," John added with a grateful smile, appreciating Camila's kind words.

The two continued to enjoy their coffees in comfortable silence, finding solace in each other's company as they navigated through their shared experiences of love and loss. Their shared experiences and their shared pain created a bond. Something more beautiful was blossoming between them.

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Dell was shivering. He had never been this cold in his life. Is this what icy winds felt like on the peak of the Knee? He thought he was immune to stuff like this. Perhaps his body was expelling any of the adverse side effects of being close to those green rocks from last night.

Speaking of those rocks, Dell found the Kryptonian devices that stored Jor-El's memories. His father could answer some of the questions. Dell fiddled with it, though he needed clarification on what he was doing.

"Dell, put that down for now," Baba said, interrupting his thoughts. "The soup is almost ready."

"Th-th-thanks, B-b-bab-b-ba," Dell managed to stutter.

"And Dell's never had a history of being sick?" Luz asked Mom.

"Nope, he's always had a tough immune system, probably because he's a Kryptonian," Mom replied.

"Common molds, chickilisk pox, and even allergies seem to pass him by without a hitch," King said.

"So, it's strange that he's suddenly feeling unwell," Mom concluded.

"I'm n-n-not unw-w-well. J-just-t-t-t c-c-cold," Dell explained, his teeth chattering.

"Here, some griffon eggdrop soup should warm you up," Baba said, handing Dell a bowl. "I spiced it up with some healing herbs to help fight off any symptoms."