Lex was a Kent.

Not by name. They'd given him the choice to change his last name if he wanted, and after thinking about it, he decided not to. He figured that if his mother was dead and his father was in prison, and he was the only one to carry on the Luthor name, it was up to him to change what that name meant.

So his name was still Alexander Luthor. But he was absolutely, and legally, a part of the Kent family.

Jonathan carried Clark up to his bedroom while Lex helped Martha take out the ingredients for cookies in the kitchen. When Jonathan came back downstairs, he was carrying a small wrapped box. "We got you something, Lex."

Lex's heart swelled at the gift. He hadn't had a birthday or Christmas with them yet; they had never gotten him a present before. He gingerly took the package. "Can I open it?"

"Of course," Martha said, and he tore through the wrapping paper.

Inside was a silver key—it looked just like the house key, but newer. Hooked onto the ring was a keychain—it housed a tiny copy of the family photo they'd taken at the courthouse.

Lex's eyes stung for the millionth time that day. "Thank you, sir."

Jonathan put a gentle hand on his cheek and kissed the top of his head, then looked him right in the eyes. "This is your home."

"I know."

"We're your parents. For life."

"I know . . ." He winced.

Martha frowned. "Is there something wrong, sweetheart?"

"It's just . . . now that I'm your son, officially, you probably want me to call you . . ." He couldn't bring himself to say the words.

"Mom and Dad?" Martha asked. "We should have offered to let you call us that a long time ago."

He cringed. "I . . . don't know if I can." Too much pain around the name Mom. Too much fear around Dad.

Her eyebrows raised, and she gave his shoulder a light squeeze. "That's okay, Lex. We understand."

"Is there something you'd rather call us?" Jonathan asked.

Lex swallowed hard. They'd probably be okay with Ma and Pa or something, but those names just didn't sound right in his mind. "I . . . I dunno if you'd be okay with it if I kept calling you Martha and Jonathan. Maybe someday I can switch, but, um . . ."

"Oh, baby." Martha kissed him on the forehead. "We're okay with whatever's comfortable for you."

"Really?"

"Really," Jonathan said firmly.

Lex smiled. If his other dad had said something like that, it would have been a trap. But when the Kents said it, Lex believed them.

Martha's eyes filled with tears. "We love you so, so much."

"I love you too." He melted into his mom's arms, and his dad came over to hug him from behind a moment later.