Saturday November 22, 2008 (cont.)
Lois hit send on the email and sat back in her chair.
After the game -- which Midwest had managed to lose after being on top for the entire third quarter and most of the fourth -- she had retreated to her office to update her final article with information and quotes from the mayor. In his effort to be charming and agreeable, he had managed to implicate himself and his office in the voter suppression efforts he had originally claimed were coincidence and not an attempt at suppression at all. He had admitted to wanting to “smooth things over with community leaders” -- by which he meant special interests and high dollar donors to his election fund -- and using his influence to “encourage” the Secretary of State’s office to close certain polling places and allocate those extra machines to others.
It was damning information, and it came straight from the horse’s mouth. She would have been gleeful if she hadn’t been so appalled. She wound up rewriting a good chunk of her final article to reflect this new information, and she was somehow able to rouse both the Secretary of State and Devonte Armstrong for reactions. The Secretary had given a terse “no comment” but Devonte had been far less circumspect.
Once it was finished, she’d emailed it to Gavin, and now she was waiting eagerly for his reaction. She didn’t have to wait long. He must have been sitting at his desk when the email arrived and skimmed the article immediately.
She was smiling as soon as the phone rang. “Did I deliver, or did I deliver?” she said when she picked up the phone, not bothering with a greeting.
“You always do,” he said, as gleeful as she felt. “The finished draft from yesterday was great, but this is… This could be another Pulitzer.”
She felt her cheeks warm. “Well, we’ll see about that. But I’m thrilled to have shed light on this. Hopefully this is going to result in some major outcry from the general public and some changes. I’d like to stay with this and see what happens. Surely there will be follow up pieces to write.”
“Of course!” he said immediately. “You tell me when you have something new, and we’ll publish it.”
“I still can’t believe this information came out at the last second,” she said. “I thought I was done.”
“Why were you still calling the mayor anyway if you thought it was done,” he asked. “Not that I’m complaining. Or did he just finally call you back?”
“No, no. I ran into him yesterday at an event at my kids’ school. He mentioned that he’d read last Sunday’s piece, and he looked a little queasy. I offered him another chance to tell his side of the story. I think he thought he could butter me up and convince me he was just on the outside looking in, just following orders, trying to be a nice guy and keep everyone happy.”
Clark appeared in the doorway of her office, leaning against the door jam. She smiled at him and held up one finger.
Gavin laughed. “Your kids’ school? My god, you never stop do you? You are delightful.”
Lois laughed too. “I don’t think that’s the word most people use for me. I’ve got to get going. I’m not going to be in the office next week, but email me any edits or follow up questions, and I’ll get it fixed and back to you asap.”
“You got it. Thanks again. Fantastic work, Lois.”
“Thanks, Gavin,” she said, and then she tapped the end call button and turned her attention to Clark. “Hey you.”
“Hey,” he said, his face impassive, except for the tiny tic by his eye that meant something was bothering him.
“What’s wrong?” she asked. “Did the kids go down okay?”
“Yeah, they’re fine. Mattie’s reading. You sent in your article?”
She nodded. “All done for now. I’m sure Gavin will have plenty of notes for me tomorrow.”
There was that tic again. Her eyes narrowed. “What is going on in your brain?”
“Nothing. Do you want to watch a movie? Or we could go read in bed if you’ve had enough TV for today?”
Her computer dinged with the sound of a new email, and she saw it was from her boss. “Hold on, that’s Gavin. Let me make sure I don’t need to work on something before we get settled.”
She clicked on the email and watched out of the corner of her eye as Clark clenched his jaw and then took a deep breath and forced himself to relax. The email was just a group message to senior staff about a meeting she wouldn’t be attending next week. She closed out of her email program and shut the laptop.
“Nothing important. I’m all yours,” she said with a smile.
He quirked an eyebrow. “Nothing important? What, he just wanted another chance to tell you how delightful you are?”
She was confused for a second, then understanding dawned on her. “Were you listening to my phone call?”
“I wasn’t listening in,” he said immediately. “I was standing right here in front of you. I could hear him without using any powers. Is that how he always talks to you?”
“He’s just happy with the new information in my article,” she countered. “He didn’t mean it personally.”
Clark rolled his eyes. “Give me a break.”
“No, you give me a break. Why are you acting all jealous? He’s my boss. How many times did Perry call us at home at night to discuss articles we filed late?”
“That was different.” He bit off his words, clearly unimpressed with this line of reasoning.
“How? How is it different?” she implored.
“It just is.”
“That’s not good enough, Clark.”
“Because Perry was like family to us. Because Perry was like a father to you. Gavin,” he said, spitting out his name, “is neither.”
She waited, refusing to say anymore. Letting him stew. Giving him the space to finish.
“You really think he’s never looked at you and imagined you as the other half of a Daily Planet golden couple?”
“Did you just make this all up in your head right now, or have you been nursing this fiction for a while now?” she asked cooly.
He shook his head, lips tight to prevent him from saying more.
“Is there something I need to know about him?” she asked suddenly. His brow furrowed in confusion. “Is he a megalomaniac bent on killing Superman and destroying my life? Is he a Druid priest planning to sacrifice me to the ancient gods? Because sometimes when you get jealous, you are actually right that I need protecting. So I’m just trying to give you the benefit of the doubt here. Is there something Superman knows about Gavin that I should be aware of? Some reason I shouldn’t trust him?”
Clark looked abashed. “No,” he admitted. “Nothing like that.”
“Then...what?”
“Does he know we’re back together? Does he know you aren’t available?”
“Clark, why would he know that? Why would I talk to my boss about my relationship status?”
“I don’t know? Why would your boss call you at home on a Saturday night?”
“Are you accusing me of something,” she asked.
“I’m not accusing you of anything,” he said, his voice softer. “I know you love me.”
“But do you trust me?” she asked, her voice soft and sad. “Because love isn’t enough, Clark.”
“Of course, I-” His head jerked to the up, his eyes unfocused. “I have to go.”
“Oh, no. No no no,” she said, raising a hand to stop him. “Don’t you dare.”
“Lois, I have to,” he implored, his face awash with regret.
“You’re going to leave in the middle of this?”
“I’m sorry,” he said, his face imploring her to understand. And then he was gone.
She screamed, low and angry and quiet enough to keep her voice from traveling up the stairs where the kids were in bed. She snatched the first thing she could reach and threw it at the door jam where he’d been standing only moments ago. Her aim was true, and the plastic cup hit squarely on the door jam, pens and pencils flying in every direction.
“You know I hate when you do that!” she yelled, confident that he was still listening, and feeling petty enough to want the last word.
When he returned home three hours later, she was still awake, still sitting in her office. The plastic cup of pencils was back in its spot on her desk.
She had almost gone to bed, but she’d known sleep was a pipe dream, and she didn’t want to be waiting in bed for him when he returned. This wasn’t a fight that could be resolved in bed.
She heard his footsteps on the stairs and refused to look up. She continued typing, writing yet more pages in her book that would almost certainly be scrapped later and rewritten when she was in a better state of mind.
He tapped lightly on the door frame. “Lois,” he said softly.
She looked up from the screen, but said nothing.
“I’m an idiot. I’m sorry. I was so incredibly out of line.” His face was tired and drawn, clearly expecting her wrath.
“I didn’t do anything to deserve that,” she said finally.
He shook his head. “No, you didn’t. I’m sorry, sweetheart. That was all about me and my insecurity. I was jealous.”
“Why?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper. “How can you be jealous or insecure? I love you so much. I want you so badly. I can’t bear to be away from you. I can’t get enough of you. How is that not enough, Clark? What do you want from me?”
“Oh, honey, no,” he said, shaking his head. “There’s nothing else you can do. This isn’t about you. You’re...perfect.”
They were quiet for a minute while he struggled to explain and she waited, refusing to let him off the hook.
“I think there’s a part of me that’s still that rookie reporter absolutely in awe of his new partner, who barely gives him the time of day. I wanted you for so long, dreamed of you for so long. Sometimes it still feels like a dream, and I’m scared I’m going to wake up and find you gone.”
“Clark, that was fifteen years ago. You’re not some inexperienced reporter writing articles about geckos for the Borneo Gazette. You’re a college professor with a PhD. You’re an award-winning journalist. You’re a bestselling author. You’re my equal in every way.”
“You’re so smart, and so beautiful,” he said, his voice full of longing, and for a moment she wanted to tell him not to try to score points, but the look on his face said he wasn’t playing.
“Women throw themselves at you everywhere you go, Clark. Do you hear the things the other moms at school say about you when they think you can’t hear? Not to mention the women who literally throw themselves out windows to get your attention.”
He had the good grace to blush.
He started to say something, then caught himself and stopped.
“What?” she asked. “What were you going to say?”
He took a deep breath. “You’ve talked a lot lately about feeling like you don’t deserve me. But I feel like I don’t deserve you either. I didn’t deserve you then, and I don’t deserve you now.”
“Why, Clark?” she asked, reaching for him finally.
He entered the room, walked around her desk, and pulled over a chair to sit beside her. “I was so controlling, so disrespectful to you. I promised never to hurt you, never to make you cry, and then I just... . I don’t know, Lois. I still don’t understand what happened. I was so desperate not to lose you, that I smothered you. I took the thing I’ve always loved most about you, your independence, and I tried to strip it from you and bend you to my will. I was just like every other man in your life. I tried to own you, possess you, instead of trusting you to love me. It’s my fault you left, and no matter how hard I tried, I never really believed I could convince you to take me back because I knew I didn’t deserve it. I finally got the one thing I wanted more than anything in life, and I ruined it. I’m so thankful for your forgiveness and your love, but I don’t feel like I deserve them either.”
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she finally opened her eyes, he was watching her with such remorse that it broke her heart. “Clark, you are not like any of the other men in my life. Not even a tiny bit. Even at our worst, you never treated me the way you’re describing. You did try to control me, you did smother me. But it was done out of love. You weren’t trying to possess me, you were trying to protect me. That doesn’t make it okay, and we dealt with all that. But you’ve rewritten this history and made yourself the villain when you are just a flawed human being who is trying his best.”
“Point of order,” he said with a small grin, and she rolled her eyes.
“Fine, a flawed Kryptonian who is trying his best.” She laughed and reached out to stroke his cheek. “I know you love me, Clark. I know you never wanted to hurt me. I know you’re sorry. You don’t have to tell me all of that again. I know because you show me every day. You’ve been showing me every day for years. You don’t have to be perfect to deserve my love.”
Clark just looked at her and cocked an eyebrow, waiting. “Point taken,” she whispered.
“Can I kiss you yet?” he asked, unsure. She reached for him, and he came slowly, resting his forehead against hers first. “I love you so much. I’m sorry I hurt you. I’ll do better.”
His lips were soft against hers, gentle and tender but sure. She stroked his hair, his cheek, his neck, telegraphing her love for him.
When they pulled apart, they were quiet for a minute.
“We need to talk about Gavin,” Lois said finally.
Clark’s eyes shuttered, and Lois could see him retreating.
“He’s my boss, Clark. I have to work with him. And I like working with him. He’s not exactly my friend, but we’re friendly. We have a good working relationship. I need that not to be a problem for you.”
He nodded, not making eye contact. “It’s not a problem. I’m sorry.”
“I’m not attracted to him,” she said softly. “I’ve never thought about him like that.”
He lifted his head to meet her gaze. “Never?” he said tentatively, and suddenly she understood.
“Clark, when we were apart-”
He put up a hand to stop her. “You don’t owe me any explanations for that time,” he said quickly. “I shouldn’t have said anything. It’s none of my business. It doesn’t matter to me. You’re with me now.”
His gaze dropped to his lap, and her heart ached for him, the way he was trying so hard not to care, when she knew he must be dying inside imagining it. Because she knew the desperate aching dread she had felt imagining him loving anyone else while they were apart.
“Clark, listen to me. There was no one. It was always only you. When we were apart, I wasn’t with anyone else.”
His breath came out in a strangled gasp, and he raised his face to look at her. “It doesn’t matter,” he repeated, trying to convince her or himself or maybe both of them.
“I know,” she said. “But I want you to know.”
He nodded slowly, accepting this gift.
“I was never even tempted,” she said. “If I can’t have you, I don’t want anyone. I’d rather be alone.”
His eyes met hers, and she struggled to breathe, drowning in the intensity of his love. She reached for him, sliding her hands around his neck, pressing her forehead to his. Her heart twisted and squeezed, the pain of their years apart and the agony of believing it was forever suddenly a fresh wound. She didn’t know how they had ever survived it.
He pulled away and met her gaze again. “I’ve loved you from the beginning,” he said softly.
“And I’ll love you ‘til the end,” she finished, stroking his cheek. “Only you.”
Sunday November 23, 2008
“I’m going to throw away my alarm clock and make you wake me up like this every morning,” Lois said with a contented sigh. She stretched, catlike and self satisfied, then pressed her back tighter against his body. His hand stroked her hip while his mouth trailed a lazy string of kisses along the crook of her neck and her shoulder.
She felt him smile against her skin and then resume his gentle exploration. He scooted back and pressed on her hip, rolling her onto her back. Then he rolled over her, raising up on his forearms, insinuating one knee between her legs, and smiled at her. “Good morning,” he said with a grin.
“I’ll say,” she replied, reaching up with both hands to stroke his neck.
He laughed and peeled her hands off him, laying them gently on the pillow above her head. She raised her eyebrows playfully, and he dropped his mouth back to her neck. “Just lay there and let me love you,” he said, his voice low and quiet, sending an electric jolt to all her most sensitive spots.
He lowered his mouth back to her skin, one hand stroking her side. The sweet, chaste kisses from his wake up call had morphed into a trail of hot, wet kisses that moved lower, following the neckline of her tank top, while his hand found its way under the hem of her shirt, sliding up to cup her breast, his thumb stroking her nipple until it pebbled into a tight peak.
“Please tell me the kids are asleep,” she whispered, her breaths becoming shallow as her desire for him coiled tightly in her belly. “Don’t start something we can’t finish.”
He lifted his head and stared at the wall, first in one spot and then another. She knew the second he saw a stirring child. His head dropped to her shoulder and he groaned in frustration.
“Clark,” she whined.
“I’m sorry, baby,” he whispered. “He was asleep when I woke you.”
She lifted her hands from the pillow to stroke his back. “You’re lucky I love you,” she whispered, teasing gently.
He lifted his head to look her in the eye. “So lucky. So so lucky,” he said, without a trace of humor. And she knew he was still thinking of their fight yesterday and his confession when he came home.
She slid a hand to his cheek and shook her head softly. She pulled him down on top of her, wrapping her arms around him. “I love you so much,” she whispered fiercely.
He rolled to the side, pulling her with him so they were facing each other, using his free hand to stroke her cheek, her arm, and finally her hip, his touches soothing rather than erotic. “I love you, too,” he whispered finally. “Just stay here and let me snuggle you until he comes to get us.
She snuggled closer, returning his touches with her own, stroking his chest and then his arm, tracing the muscles with delicate fingers.
She didn’t need superpowers to hear the footsteps in the hall. She laughed softly and Clark kissed her on the cheek. “We’ll finish this later,” he promised.
Fifteen minutes later, she was in the kitchen, wrapped in a robe and pouring a cup of coffee while JP ate a bowl of cereal at the island. She took a travel mug from the cabinet and filled it with coffee, fixing it just the way Clark liked it, with more cream and sugar than seemed reasonable.
Clark entered the kitchen just then, dressed in jeans and t-shirt, his hair still wet from the shower. She held up the travel mug, and he smiled at her, dropping a kiss on her lips as he reached for it.
“Thanks. I’m not sure what time I’ll be back. I want to make a few trips to get stuff, and I have a bunch to do at the house. Hopefully I’ll be done by lunchtime since I’m getting an early start. But I’ll keep you posted.”
“Ok,” she said softly, reaching for him and pulling him in for a kiss.
When they pulled apart, he stroked her cheek and smiled at her and she felt herself blush. “Oh my god, just go so I can stop acting like a ridiculous schoolgirl,” she said, laughing at herself.
Clark laughed too, and then turned and took a few steps over to the island. He kissed JP on the head and then ruffled his hair. “I’ll be back later, buddy. Be good for Mommy today.”
He left through the garage, taking his truck, and she assumed that meant he planned to move another load of stuff in when he got back. That reminded her of the box of awards and books in the closet, and she decided to drag those out while he was gone and get a head start.
She sipped her coffee, enjoying the quiet of the morning. JP finished his breakfast and begged to watch a show. Lois hesitated, not wanting the television on all day, and then decided to allow it. The weather was going to be miserable, a wintry mix of slushy snow and sleet, and he probably would wind up watching more television than she liked anyway, so she might as well enjoy her quiet morning.
She turned the TV on for him, adjusting the volume to a reasonable level, and then took her coffee into the office. It didn’t take her long to dig out the box, and she set it on her desk and used a pair of scissors to slice through the packing tape.
She pulled out their awards -- three Kerths and two Meriwethers -- and a hardback copy of each of the books they’d written together. She opened the glass door of the display cabinet and moved her individual awards down, displaying their joint awards and books on the top two shelves. It was going to be tight, she realized with a grin, when Clark brought his individual awards. If either of them won any more awards or published any more books, they were going to need a bigger display case. Books. She had a copy of his book, she realized. She didn’t need to wait for him to bring one.
She sat at her desk and opened the bottom left hand drawer. She lifted a few file folders and withdrew the hardback book underneath, setting it on her desk and running her fingers over the glossy dust jacket. She hesitated, and then opened the cover, flipping to the title page, where he’d written her a note. “I could never have done this without you. Thank you for being such an incredible mother to our children and such a wonderful partner to me. Love always, Clark.”
He had given her the book six months ago, when he had gotten his copies of the first printing. He had handed it to her, along with a bouquet of wildflowers, when he’d come to pick up the kids one evening. She had laughed and told him that he had it all wrong. She should be giving him flowers or gifts to celebrate his accomplishments.
In reality, she had already taken him to a fancy lunch, just the two of them, to celebrate when he signed his book deal. And she and the kids had taken him to dinner, where she’d given him a beautiful set of cufflinks, after he’d successfully defended his dissertation. But still, she hadn’t expected flowers.
He had smiled and handed her the book and flowers, telling her how much he appreciated her willingness to step in for him when he had other commitments, whether it was a Superman rescue or a meeting with his advisor. He told her how much her support meant to him, both the encouragement she offered him and her quiet, steady willingness to do what was needed. She had been so touched by his words, by the gentle sincerity of his voice, that she’d felt a lump form in her throat and struggled for words to respond.
It wasn’t until later, after he’d left with the kids, that she opened the book and saw what he had written. The tears she had choked back in his presence couldn’t be staunched that time, and she’d cried herself to sleep that night with his voice in her head. Love always, Clark.
She ran her fingers over his handwriting, remembering how it felt to yearn for him, never allowing herself to believe she could have any more than the partnership and friendship they had rebuilt. She took a deep breath and closed the book, standing and walking to the case and finding a place for it.
She had just closed the door and was stepping back to look at the case when she heard footsteps and Mattie appeared in her doorway. Her brow was furrowed and she had the same tic by her eye that her father always had when something was bothering him.
“Where’s Dad?” she asked quietly, suspiciously.
Lois looked askance at her tone. “He’s at his house. He had some things to do there this morning. He’ll be back this afternoon.”
Mattie huffed, her lips tightening into a thin line. “Can I have frozen waffles for breakfast?” she asked, averting her eyes from Lois’ gaze.
“Sure,” Lois said, deciding she must have just woken up on the wrong side of the bed and hoping a treat would reset her attitude. Mattie disappeared and Lois went back to admiring the display case.
The waffles didn’t help. Neither did Lois’ offer to let her watch a movie or read a book with her. Neither did asking if she wanted to call Abby and see if she was available to come hang out. By lunchtime, Lois was seriously out of ideas and out of patience. She had no idea why Mattie was so angry with her, and Mattie refused to say.
After an awkward lunch of grilled cheese and tomato soup, where thankfully JP chattered enough to keep the angry silence from being oppressive, Mattie retreated back to her room.
Lois picked up her phone and called Clark. He answered on the first ring. “Hey, sweetheart. Sorry, I’m still neck deep-”
“It’s fine,” Lois said. “I wasn’t calling about that.”
“Oh, so you are in no hurry for me to come home now,” he teased.
“I’m always in a hurry for you to come home,” she couldn’t resist responding, her voice low and suggestive.
He groaned her name, and she laughed. “You did that to yourself,” she said. “I was not calling to torture you.”
“Okay,” he said. “You weren’t calling to check on my ETA or to torture me, so why were you calling?”
“Did you by any chance forget you had plans with Mattie today? Or maybe say something to her about plans for today?”
“Not that I can think of,” he replied. “Why? Did she say we have plans?”
“No, she’s furious about something, and I can’t figure out what. She came down this morning and asked where you were, and she’s been shooting me death glares ever since. She hasn’t said more than five words to me all morning, and she’s either hiding in her room or glaring at me.”
“Huh,” Clark said. “I have no idea. She was fine yesterday.”
“Yeah, who knows. It’s probably just hormones. Or maybe some sort of girl drama. I offered to invite Abby over and she just rolled her eyes and slammed her door. Maybe I’ll text Kate and see if she knows anything.”
“Sorry I’m no help,” he said. “If she gives you a hard time again, have her call me. I don’t want her rolling her eyes and slamming doors at you. That’s unacceptable.”
Lois rolled her eyes. “Clark, she’s a ten year old girl. There’s going to be some door slamming. I don’t really care, I was just hoping to get to the bottom of whatever’s bothering her.”
Clark paused. “Fine, but if it continues, tell me. I’ll talk to her when I get home.”
“Okay, speaking of...any idea when you’ll get home?”
“Ah ha, so you DO want to know when I’m coming home,” he teased. “I thought that wasn’t why you called?”
“Well, since I have you on the phone anyway…”
He laughed. “Another hour or two. I’ll hurry.”
“Good, you do that.”
“I’m going now. So I can finish and get home to you. I love you.”
“I love you too,” she replied, grinning at their ridiculous back and forth.
When he arrived home two hours later, Mattie was still shut up in her room being antisocial. Lois and JP were curled up on the couch with books, and Clark kissed them both and then went upstairs to check on Mattie.
He came down a few minutes later shrugging. “She wouldn’t say anything,” he said. “When I asked why she was mad, she said she wasn’t mad. But she’s clearly mad.”
Lois nodded. “Yep, welcome to my day.”
Clark sighed and shrugged. “I’m going to bring in some boxes. I got the office stuff you asked for.”
“Oh, good,” Lois said. “I already started in there. Just bring me the stuff and I’ll finish when I’m done reading this book.”
Lois finished reading the picture book and then left JP on the couch with a stack of books to look through, while she joined Clark in the office.
He was admiring the display case when she walked in. She went straight to him, sliding her arms around his waist. He’d added his awards, including the Kerth he’d won on his own before they were dating, when he had taken her to the ceremony as his date despite her outrageous jealousy over not being nominated herself.
“That’s it,” he said. “We can’t win any more awards. The cabinet is full. I’m not even sure where we’re going to put your book when it comes out.”
“We’ll figure something out,” she said happily.
“I brought a copy of my book,” he said quietly. “But I saw you put your copy in. That’s...that makes me happy. I like that better than putting in a blank copy.”
She stepped back and he turned to face her, sliding his arms around her waist. She wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder.
“I was afraid you’d be angry or upset when you saw what I wrote,” he confessed.
She huffed out a small, sad laugh. “I was not angry. I cried.”
He reached up to cup her cheek and she leaned back to look at him. He stroked her cheek and then bent his head to kiss her tenderly. She whimpered into his mouth and he kissed her more deeply.
“Seriously?” Mattie’s voice from the doorway startled them, and they stepped apart quickly like teenagers caught by a teacher.
“Mattie,” Lois said, her voice concerned. “What is going on? Why are you so upset?”
“I see Dad’s home,” she said, not answering the question.
“I told you he’d be home this afternoon. He just had some stuff to do at the old house. Some stuff to gather up and bring over,” Lois said, waving a hand at the display case and the box of framed degrees and various personal items sitting on the desk.
Mattie looked back and forth between them skeptically, her anger clearly simmering right underneath the surface. She looked so much like her father sometimes, Lois thought. That thin veneer of civility when he was seething and ready to lash out.
“Why even bother,” she spat out. “You’ll just have to take it back eventually.”
“Mattie!” Clark said, appalled by her tone. “Don’t speak to your mother like that.”
Mattie ignored him, focusing all her energy on Lois. “That’s what’s going to happen, right?” she asked, nodding her head and throwing her hands in the air. “You’re not getting remarried. You’re not selling Dad’s house. You’re not really serious about this being forever. You act all lovey-dovey, but how long will that last?”
“Honey, no,” Lois said. “That’s not true. That’s not what’s going on. This is forever.”
“You didn’t want to get married the first time Daddy asked you. And now you don’t want to get married again,” Mattie accused, venom in her voice.
“Mattie, that’s enough!” Clark roared. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Lois held out a hand to stop Clark from saying anymore. Mattie was clearly losing control, and Lois was getting closer to understanding the root of the issue.
Mattie turned her back on them, shaking with anger. “Last night… And this morning…” She was incoherent, too upset to make complete sentences.
Lois looked at Clark, pleading with him silently to give Mattie space. To let her handle their daughter’s outburst her way. She took a few steps, crossing the room and reaching for her daughter. “Mattie, sweet girl,” she said. “What are you talking about? Why are you so upset?”
She stepped close to her and put a hand on Mattie’s shoulder. Suddenly everything was in slow motion. Mattie jerked, shrugging off her hand, and Lois felt the wind knocked out of her. From a distance, she heard Clark scream, “Mattie, NO!”
And then she was flying.
