Shayne, this is beautifully written, and so bittersweet. I loved how you inverted Lois and Clark's aging processes and gave us such intimate insight into Lois' psyche.
This, in particular, was so poignant:
Lois tried not to let the old bitterness overwhelm her. He’d given himself for them ... not all at once, but a piece at a time, invisibly.
That's what has always drawn me to Clark's character: His willingness to chip away at his emotional and physical reserves a bit at a time, giving completely of himself to others without asking anything in return. He knows it's a tragic character flaw that could prove fatal someday, but he can't *not* help others. So he bleeds a little more every day for the world, though it's blind to his invisible wounds. And in two simple but incredibly powerful sentences, you've stated that so beautifully.
Whoops, bit of a tangent there, sorry.
(That's what too much Starbucks'll do!) But seriously, thanks for sharing such a lovely vignette.
