Time to respond to the sagacious feedback y'all have dropped!
Blueowl, you want them to stay as just friends? Interesting. I agree that a lot of turbulent water has passed under a couple of bridges, but this is, after all a "Lois AND Clark" board. We'll see how the relationship develops from here on in. I promise that they won't jump into the bed at the Luxor any time soon. But your suggestion is one a bold and daring author might undertake. Hmm...
Thank you, Toomi8. I seem to have succeeded in portraying Rachel as a heroine. And she's braver than I would have been had I ever found myself in a similar situation. Many are the times I've wished for a do-over in my own life. I think both of them handled it pretty well.
Bakasi, you don't owe me any feedback. But I always enjoy reading your comments because they're always intelligent and thoughtful. They both needed to talk, and even more important, they both needed to listen.
Supesfan, you cast your vote for Clachel (Clark/Rachel) too, eh? I've learned that a man and woman don't really love one another as they should unless they're already friends. I'd hate to be married to a woman I didn't want to be around. (I think my wife feels the same about me.) At this point, I'm not planning a sequel, but the best-laid plans of mice and men gang aft aglay (or "oft go astray" as the common translation phrases it). We'll see what the muses give me, assuming they give me anything.
And L, you agree with the friendship path. You're right that Lois was abusive to Clark, but she's turned 180 degrees around on her attitude and asked him to forgive her. Now it's Clark's job to either do so or hold a grudge, and we all know that can lead to shotguns pointed at sheriffs.
Cuidadora, I'm glad you like Snarky Lois. I hope Inner Rachel also pleases you. I have a hard time doing introspection, so using an imaginary or inner antagonist helps to get the conflict described to the reader without taking up too much space or time. And I'm glad you're along for the ride. I hope you find "the rest of the story" at least as interesting as it has been so far.
I will reveal now that there is an epilogue for this epic. Two, actually, and I haven't quite decide which path to choose. Who knows? I might post both and let the readers decide which one to keep.
If it weren't a bad pun, I 'd suggest that doing the above would be a novel idea.
Chapter 24 up in moments!
