Queenie, this is marvelous. You made the building collapses and the random fires and the traffic control system breakdown fade into the background and gave us a little boy who wants his daddy and a father who is desperately torn between love for his family and his perception of duty. And in just a few words, too! You rode this bicycle very skillfully, even if you did have to dust off the seat first.
My favorite section is the closing.
Clark picked up his son, tucking the boy's face into his shoulder so no one could get a good look. The coat and hat would probably need to disappear, but that could be taken care of later. Really, all of the repercussions of today could be dealt with later; right now, only one thing was important. “Come on, let's get you back to Mommy before your uncle winds up in the trunk of her car.”
I can see Jimmy frantically searching for Jon with the sure and certain knowledge that if he doesn't succeed almost immediately he's doomed. Touching and funny, this vignette is a success. Thank you.
