bakasi Thanks for your regular feedback. I'm glad the birth of the calf worked well.
Hi ArcadeDreams Thanks for your interest in my stories. I hope you find something you enjoy.
Songbird As is probably obvious, Bess is based on my cow, Mirren. When I started writing this story (April 2023), Mirren was 12.5 years old and had delivered a stillborn heifer calf 5 months earlier. She was aging, and I didn't have a replacement for her. The decision about whether to breed her again was weighing heavily and it leaked into my story. Like Clark, I did decide to try again. Mirren delivered a heifer calf in March, and both came through the birth safely. Mirren's almost 14 now. Do I try for another calf/lactation? I don't know.
Thanks for your comments, Songbird.
Nick Regarding Martha not being at the birth... from a story point of view, it was a great opportunity to build more closeness into the Lois/Clark relationship. However, I think it's realistic that Martha wouldn't be there. She has her own work, and being beef farmers, there would be many calves born each year. Also, Clark has all the skills/strength so she wouldn't be needed even if the calf had to be pulled.
Songbird, Morgana, Andreia Thanks for the good wishes re my granddaughter, who is going really well. The sheep are struggling, and we've had a few losses. It's been an extremely dry year with minimal pasture growth. But Spring is only a few weeks away, when things should improve.
Morgana That's the crux of this fic - two people, two different lives, two locations, no easy or obvious answer if they are to be together.
Thanks for the feedback!
Corrina.
