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aaawww!! I loved all the WAFF in this part. I *almost* forgot I was mad at Clark for giving up Superman!! It was just so cute that he felt tongue-tied at the beginning, but of course their little date was perfect! I especially loved this part: Ah, now I get it. You’re just going out with me because you’re tired of microwave dinners.”
“Maybe.” She smiled and took a sip of her wine.
“You weren’t supposed to agree with me,” he scolded her.
Her eyes twinkled at him. “Sorry. Someone forgot to send me the script.”
“Darn! I knew I forgot something!” Oh I really thought he wasn't going to be able to ignore the sirens during their dinner!! the sirens were still piercing in his head, and he felt as though his nerves were being plucked like harp strings. And *that* Clark is going to be your new life, although at the end he didn't really seem to care he didn't help. Jip I'm definitely back to being mad at him again!! Great part Caroline!!
"I have no regrets. If you regret things, then you're sort of stepping backwards. I'm a believer in going forwards." ~Kate Winslet
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Merriwether
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Merriwether
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An early morning offering from Caroline! A nice way to begin the day. He remembered once, when he was a child, holding a baby bird for the first time; it had been so new and beautiful, so impossibly delicate, and he’d felt almost breathless with the responsibility of it – that small life resting in his clumsy, childish hands. lovely suddenly the joy bubbled up and wouldn’t be contained I love these moments. And the word "bubbled" fits them perfectly. her hands lighting as quickly and gracefully as butterflies
and
admiring her natural, unstudied elegance I like how you portray that everything about Lois awes him. “You weren’t supposed to agree with me,” he scolded her.
Her eyes twinkled at him. “Sorry. Someone forgot to send me the script.” “Am I going to have to worship the seeds or the dirt or dance around your father’s John Deere tractor?” Great portrayal of Clark's distress at the sirens. But I wonder how long it's going to take him to realize that he won't be able to grab Lois and kiss her senseless every time an emergency arises. And the guilt later on if someone dies - that is going to be awesome to behold. Great part, C. - lovely and warm and funny. And a little sad at the end, too.
lisa in the sky with diamonds
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Top Banana
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Top Banana
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He was about to tease her about it when he heard the sound of sirens – lots of them - screaming toward the South side of town. He tensed, his hands tightening on the edge of the table, instinctively pushing him away from her and toward the sound of the sirens.
She didn’t miss it, and he saw the bright smile fade from her face as she braced herself for another hasty departure, another stupid excuse. He was already extending his hearing, automatically searching for a nearby radio or television that would tell him what kind of crisis he’d be dealing with, when he saw her face and remembered his promise.
“I’m going to get another brownie,” he said, taking care to speak softly, even though his ears were ringing with the sound of the sirens. “Want one?”
She relaxed, then, but gave him a slightly quizzical look. ... Either she knows or suspects something - either way, she's gonna want a 2x4studded with kyptonite when she figures out what just happened.
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Top Banana
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Top Banana
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Ahhh!! Caroline you have outdone yourself again on the WAFF! But there was also so much angst in this chapter. Poor Clark is tearing himself apart for Lois and she would never want that.
I hope he tells her soon. Poor Clark.
Angry Clark: CLARK SMASH! Lois: Ork!
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Top Banana
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Top Banana
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You know what... I think I skipped part 3! Oh my goodness! I don't know how this happened. Wait... I MISSED PART 2, ALSO?! I am so sorry! Jeez! I completely keep missing it when it was posted. Okay. I have a lot of reading to do. Aww! Part 2! I loved the conversation with Constance and Superman. The foundation is a pretty good idea... Part 3-- As he drifted over the shining city, buffeted a little by the soft spring wind, he wondered for the first time if Metropolis would forgive him for what he was about to do. I wonder what Lois' reaction will be! Oh man. Those parts were wonderful. I can't believe I missed them. Now on to part 4 (and it makes a little more sense this time!) Was she imagining a life there with him? Or was it just Lois being Lois – too full of energy and curiosity to be still? I love his internal musings. Really, what IS Lois thinking about? He waggled his eyebrows at her. “All part of my master plan,” he told her, relieved at the sound of her giggle. “Now let’s go eat.” I don't know why I thought that was so funny. I guess it was a relief from the tension! This chapter is so good! Wow! That last bit! Steamy. What a fantastic chapter. I really am sorry I've missed reviewing on the last two. You wrote this chapter so well... I was feeling their emotions right there with them. Be assured I will definitely not miss part 5! --Laura
Thanks to CapeFetish for the awesome icon.
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Features Writer
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Features Writer
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I feel so bad for Clark even while I know he's a bit misguided. I'm still hoping Lois will be somewhat merciful when she finds out and realize that he meant well. I'm caught up in his logic too of wanting to know what it would be like not to have to deal with all that responsibility along with the new relationship. Either way, I'm looking forward to more.
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Beat Reporter
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Beat Reporter
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Oooh, this part was wonderful! But of course the part I'm REALLY anticipating is Lois's response to Superman's press conference. I can't wait until Clark realizes what kind of mistake he's making!
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Later. When things between them were more certain. When the roots went deeper, were stronger, then he could tell her. When they’d become so secure in their love for one another that living without it was unthinkable. That was when he would tell her. And it would be awful – he didn’t deceive himself about that – but they would get through it, and then there would be no more lies, no more secrets. Clark, you're being a coward--and totally unfair to Lois. He forced a smile. “What you see is what you get, Lois,” Can I smack him now? “Is there a festival?” she asked suspiciously. “Am I going to have to worship the seeds or the dirt or dance around your father’s John Deere tractor?” That line was just too funny! “Crazy enough to leave without saying goodbye?” She looked at him, and for a moment, she let him see her vulnerability. It was as if he could see her entire history behind her beautiful, wounded eyes: A little girl, too young to understand, left by her father to be raised by an alcoholic mother. A college student left for her roommate by her boyfriend. A young reporter left by her lover, and all so he could steal her story. No wonder Clark's disappearances had made her doubt him. No wonder the sight of those boxes had terrified her. This whole paragraph is just so heart wrenching. I know exactly how Lois feels. It's not easy getting over someone leaving. This made me feel bad for her. This part was just so wonderful, both equally waffy and angsty. I'm looking forward to the next part.
Silence is golden. Duct tape is silver.
~Saw it on a T-Shirt.
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Top Banana
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Top Banana
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Caroline that was awesome! But, I'm afraid of the storm that will come when Lois finds out about Superman.
Hurry back!
~Sheila
I'm a firm believer in the fact that God doesn't put any more on us than we can bear. He does however make us come to Jesus every so often.
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Pulitzer
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Pulitzer
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“Oh my gosh,” she said, her mouth full of chocolate and her eyes closed with utter delight. “I adore your mother. I want you to tell her that, too. Don’t just say, ‘Lois liked the brownies,’ ‘cause that’s not even close to what I’m saying here. Tell her I adore her. Tell her I think they ought to make a statue of her holding a pan of brownies and put it right in the middle of Centennial Park.” Hands down, some of my favorite lines so far! Just caught up on the entire fic. Hmmm, some how the currents secrets of Superman retiring, and soon enough, I used to be Superman but am not telling anyone, sound way bigger than just being Superman. Sooner or later his secrets quota is going to fill up. And the dam's going to break...Anyway, an excellent 4 parts! JD
"Meg...who let you back in the house?" -Family Guy
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Nobel Peace Prize Winner
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Nobel Peace Prize Winner
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“Hi,” he said, feeling suddenly tongue-tied. He'd spent the day building so many fantasies around this evening, but in his fantasies he'd always been suave and self-assured, words of flirtation and seduction flowing between them like warm honey. Now he was stuck with the reality of Clark Kent, and all those imagined words felt false on his tongue. I love your imagery. Her tiny frame felt so fragile against his strength. He remembered once, when he was a child, holding a baby bird for the first time; it had been so new and beautiful, so impossibly delicate, and he'd felt almost breathless with the responsibility of it – that small life resting in his clumsy, childish hands. This is exquisitely beautiful. And I love it even more because I think it highlights something that isn't often touched upon - that Clark's love for Lois, at least during this initial stage, was far more selfish than we tend to acknowledge. It is so easy to think that Clark is a wonderful guy (and he is, of course), and Lois is a much-less-than-perfect woman (and she is, of course), and Clark loves Lois more than she deserves (this is where you'll hear me start grumbling) and it's infuriating that she does not reciprocate his love! Who does she think she is anyway? But there is something about this line of reasoning that ultimately sees Lois as a means and a tool for Clark's happiness. She is seen as an imperfect embodiment of Clark's own wishes, who can only be happy herself if she turns herself into a fulfiller of Clark's expectations. She herself becomes unimportant except in her role as a pleaser of Clark, a "liver-up-to" Clark's expectations. That's why I love your bird imagery. When my brother was about ten years old, he found an injured sparrow in our garden. The little bird had hurt its wing and couldn't fly. There is a picture of my brother, his eyes full of wonder, gently holding the little bird in his hands. He was going to save this little animal. He would shower his love on it. He made a soft bed for it and brought it breadcrumbs to eat, but the little bird wouldn't cooperate. It refused to eat. It didn't understand that my brother only wanted what was best for it, and so it died. To me, this was a sad, sobering but on some level also beautiful lesson on the futility on forcing your love on others and only wanting what was best for them. Because you don't know what is best for them. There was something about the dignity of that little wild thing, when it looked at the world through its little sparrow eyes, and saw things that we in the Sidbrant family couldn't imagine. And partly because we couldn't see what the bird saw it died, and my brother buried it in our garden. And on some level Lois is to Clark what that little sparrow was to my brother. He only wanted what was best for it. He loved it and he wanted it to love him back, but he couldn't understand it. I don't think my brother killed that bird. I think it would have died anyway. The lesson here is that the bird wasn't created to live for my brother's sake, for his happiness. And Clark needs to learn a similar lesson here. Lois wasn't created for his happiness - oh well, actually I think that in a way she was, since I love to believe that these two are soulmates - but it isn't up to Clark to decide all on his own what Lois needs from him in order to be happy. Just like that little bird in my brother's hand whose inner life my brother wasn't privy to, Lois is looking at the world in a way that Clark, at least so far, doesn't understand. But here, he is beginning to understand that Lois has an inner life all of her own, and that his too-eager attempts to love her could shatter her world, and herself with it. She stepped into him trustingly, her arms sliding up his chest and around his neck as she smiled up at him – a bewitching smile that was innocent and inviting all at once. The awkwardness of their greeting fell away, and he felt like the man in his daydreams as he lowered his mouth to hers for a sweet, lingering kiss. When they finally drew apart, Lois sighed contentedly. “You sure know how to make a girl feel welcome, Kent.” But here, when she steps into his embrace, she is a little bit like a small bird which just trustingly, and for no specific reason, comes flying to you and lands in your hand. And it is like a blessing you received from beings small and fragile and free and untamed and innocent, and the trust they give you is too wonderful for words. “You've gone crazy,” she said, through her laughter. “Why is it that after two dates with me, men just go completely crazy?”
He stopped then – he was laughing too hard to dance gracefully – and let her slide back to the ground, still keeping her in the circle of his arms. “I guess you just have that effect on us,” he told her. “They'll be adding it to the psychology books any day now. Acute Lois-Lane-itis. Very serious. No cure.” I completely love that diagnosis... He kissed her again, kissed her while the laughter still spilled from her lips, and he realized in that moment that he had never been happier. There in his apartment, surrounded by love and laughter and Lois, he was having the single happiest moment of his life – a moment against which all future moments would be measured. ...and this is still more beautiful, because you just described a perfect moment, a moment of perfect happiness. Right here, right now, nothing could have been better than it is. How often do we feel like that? It's like you said, Caroline, this was a moment against which all future moments would be measured. He rummaged in a drawer for a corkscrew, but it took longer to find it than it should have, mostly because his eyes were on Lois, watching her as she moved restlessly around his small kitchen as if she'd never been there before. She flitted from one thing to another, her hands lighting as quickly and gracefully as butterflies on the things she saw, the bits and pieces of his everyday life. What was she thinking, he wondered, as her fingers ghosted over the smooth enamel of the kettle on his stove or trailed through the fringe of the towel hanging from a drawer? Was she imagining a life there with him? Or was it just Lois being Lois – too full of energy and curiosity to be still? First, you compared Lois with a bird. Here, she is like a butterfly. In either case, she is a small, delicate, beautiful being, whose soul needs to be uncaptured and free, and whose inner world is always going to remain at least partly a mystery to Clark. He poured two glasses and then offered her one of them, admiring her natural, unstudied elegance as she lifted the glass and breathed in the bouquet of the wine. There is something about Lois's "unstudied elegance" here that reminds me of a young doe. It was a simple thing, the two of them standing there in the middle of his kitchen exchanging a toast, yet to Clark, it felt like a sacrament. I love how you show us Clark's commitment, and I like the comparison to a sacrament. But again, he and Lois are looking at the world differently. (It is interesting, by the way, that you never tell us exactly what Lois is thinking. We just see Clark observing her and drawing his conclusions from that.) Their understanding was too new, he thought desperately – too tender and fragile to withstand that kind of storm. Later. When things between them were more certain. When the roots went deeper, were stronger, then he could tell her. When they'd become so secure in their love for one another that living without it was unthinkable. That was when he would tell her. And it would be awful – he didn't deceive himself about that – but they would get through it, and then there would be no more lies, no more secrets. Oh, Clark. You are such a coward. But you are also confused, so that you really can't tell her who you really are. You are not too sure yourself. For now, you are giddy with your new identity as ordinary guy Clark Kent, boyfriend of Lois Lane. And you are good at rationalizing things, so you keep telling yourself that there will be a Right Moment, when things can be told and you can stop lying. “It scared me, seeing all those boxes,” she admitted, gesturing toward the inside of his apartment. “Realizing that you could just pick up and leave like that. What if we have a fight? Are you just going to disappear in the middle of the night?” Lois realizes that she has been charged with the momentous task of grounding Clark Kent, of keeping him happy, of making sure he doesn't give up, of making him stay in Metropolis and hang on to himself and his life... and can you really, truly be fully responsible for any other adult person than yourself? Can Lois take it upon herself to save Clark Kent every day for the rest of his and her lives? You told me you were in love with someone else!
He nearly said the words, nearly made that potentially fatal mistake, and then he caught them just in time. Because she hadn't told him she was in love with someone else; she'd told Superman, and he'd been so crazy with jealousy that he'd forgotten that, to her, Superman and Clark Kent weren't one and the same. Oh, groan, Clark. If you take such pains to make sure that Lois thinks of you as two different persons, how can you let yourself be fooled when she does think of you as two different persons? “Crazy enough to leave without saying goodbye?” She looked at him, and for a moment, she let him see her vulnerability. It was as if he could see her entire history behind her beautiful, wounded eyes: A little girl, too young to understand, left by her father to be raised by an alcoholic mother. A college student left for her roommate by her boyfriend. A young reporter left by her lover, and all so he could steal her story. No wonder Clark's disappearances had made her doubt him. No wonder the sight of those boxes had terrified her. How beautiful. Suddenly Clark sees a bit of Lois's needs, doubts and fears. Lois isn't just some mysterious feminine force which needs to be won and wooed for Clark to be happy. She is a person all her own, and she is fragile and vulnerable like a small animal. Like a child. Or like him. “Lois...” He folded her into his arms, felt her shudder a little against his shirtfront. “I promised you yesterday that I would never run away from you again. I swear to you, I will keep that promise. I'm here. I'm yours. I'm not going anywhere. And I'm going to prove that to you every day for as long as you let me.”
“You'd better.” She tried to sound threatening, but he heard the plea through her attempt at bravado.
“I will.” He hugged her close. I love it. He so wants to protect her, to make her happy. But he needs to respect her too, and try to understand her, and to imagine himself walking in her shoes. “Oh my gosh,” she said, her mouth full of chocolate and her eyes closed with utter delight. “I adore your mother. I want you to tell her that, too. Don't just say, "Lois liked the brownies,' "cause that's not even close to what I'm saying here. Tell her I adore her. Tell her I think they ought to make a statue of her holding a pan of brownies and put it right in the middle of Centennial Park.” She grinned at him, and two of her teeth were black with chocolate. I love it. This is Lois at her most trusting, happy and innocently hedonistic. He was about to tease her about it when he heard the sound of sirens – lots of them - screaming toward the South side of town. He tensed, his hands tightening on the edge of the table, instinctively pushing him away from her and toward the sound of the sirens. I love how you describe the sound of the sirens: they make his hands instinctively push him away from Lois and toward the site of the disaster, trying to lure him there as (sic) siren songs. “Clark?” Lois said, and he could hear the concern in her voice. He reminded himself that she was the reason he was doing this, that she deserved to eat her dessert without being abandoned by her date. He reminded himself of the way her eyes had looked on his balcony, of all the men who had run away from her. He decides that she deserves not to be abandoned... but he hasn't even asked her! “Lois...” he whispered. Desire shot through him, and at that moment she was all he knew, all that existed. And then she was kissing him, her mouth hungry for his, and he let himself get lost in the taste and feel of her, soft and warm and willing in his arms.
Somewhere across town, the sirens still screamed, but Clark Kent no longer heard them. How beautiful! Somehow this reminds me of a number of Biblical stories where men make bad choices because of women. It reminds me of Adam who ate the fruit of wisdom because Eve gave it to him, or Samson who revealed the source of his strength to Delilah because she nagged him until he told her, or King Ahab who allowed his wife Isebel to build heathen temples all over Israel because she wanted to worship her gods, or King Herod who had John the Baptist beheaded because he had promised Salome everything. This story about Clark and Lois is, on the surface of it, another story about a man who unwisely chooses to do the wrong thing because he desires a woman too much. Ah, but Clark hasn't even explained to Lois what he is giving up because of her. And when people die beacuse Clark and Lois are making out, it is not because Lois asked Clark to abandon them. This is such a beautiful story, Caroline. Ann
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Pulitzer
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Loved it! But poor Clark will always feel torn and Lois is going to kill him when she finally finds out that he is giving up the hero for her. Laura
Clark: “If we can be born in an instant, and die in an instant, why can’t we fall in love in an instant?”
Caroline's "Stardust"
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Beat Reporter
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Caroline, I just caught up with this story and I absolutely adore the premise. Seems as though a few of the gentle readers are mad at Clark for giving up Superman. But as for me, I can totally sympathize with him for wanting to have a normal life. I think he's entitled to live his life the way he sees fit. That's his choice. Now he might be shooting himself in the foot by not telling Lois that he's Superman. If and when he does tell her, after the eruption of Mt. St. Lois, she'd insist that he didn't give up being Superman. What a tangled web he's weaving!!!! I hope there's no K when the stuff hits it! I just adore all the waff!!! Clark's happiness is shining through and I love the way he's romancing Lois!! The girl is toast!! No one in their right mind can resist a dancing, wining and dining, happy in love Clark!!! Great story!!!! Waiting for more!!!!! Soon, I hope!! Missy
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Thanks so much to everyone who commented! I'm so glad you liked the date - it was fun to write a little bright spot of WAFF in an otherwise kind of angsty story Jen & Ann, thanks for commenting on the brownie bit. I've actually had that part written for about a year, waiting for this story to come together in my head. A lot of that prewriting got ditched, but I thought those lines of Lois's were fun and wanted to keep them. Alcyone said: I'm caught up in his logic too of wanting to know what it would be like not to have to deal with all that responsibility along with the new relationship. And Missy said: But as for me, I can totally sympathize with him for wanting to have a normal life. I think he's entitled to live his life the way he sees fit. That's his choice. These are exactly the kinds of things I wanted to explore in this story. I think that as much trouble as Clark goes to to be Superman, there would have to be times when he'd stop and wonder if it's all worth it. And WWW seemed like one of those logical points to me, when he'd stop and question what his responsibility is to the world versus what he owes himself and the woman he loves. And I might not be expressing that well - hopefully I'll do a better job in the story . But I do feel sympathy for this Clark. I sure wouldn't want to add Superman's responsibilities to MY normal life. But Ann said: it isn't up to Clark to decide all on his own what Lois needs from him in order to be happy. And even though I sympathize with this Clark, I do think this is an excellent point. Oh, Clark. You are such a coward. But you are also confused, so that you really can't tell her who you really are. You are not too sure yourself. For now, you are giddy with your new identity as ordinary guy Clark Kent, boyfriend of Lois Lane. And you are good at rationalizing things, so you keep telling yourself that there will be a Right Moment, when things can be told and you can stop lying. Yes, I think this is it. He's just not at all good at this relationship stuff yet, and after two years of lying, it's hard to see a way to the truth. Thanks again to everyone who took the time to offer feedback! I hope you continue to enjoy the story Best, Caroline
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Pulitzer
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“Hi,” he said, feeling suddenly tongue-tied. He’d spent the day building so many fantasies around this evening, but in his fantasies he’d always been suave and self-assured, words of flirtation and seduction flowing between them like warm honey. Now he was stuck with the reality of Clark Kent, and all those imagined words felt false on his tongue. Ah, yes, romance in 'real-life' <snort> Yes, poor Clark. He has that ailment often. <g> He wanted to hear those words from her – of course he did – but he had a feeling she wasn’t really ready to say them. And he wanted his own love to be a gift freely given, not one that came with expectations. Awww... <sniffle> I loved the teasing on the balcony about the cooking. <g> Later. When things between them were more certain. When the roots went deeper, were stronger, then he could tell her. When they’d become so secure in their love for one another that living without it was unthinkable. That was when he would tell her. <sigh> Later... when it would hurt so much more. <lunkhead> “Is there a festival?” she asked suspiciously. “Am I going to have to worship the seeds or the dirt or dance around your father’s John Deere tractor?”
He laughed. “Well, I wouldn’t mind seeing that last, Sorry to be quoting so much but I just love this. Hee hee - too cute - yes, I'm sure he'd enjoy that. <g> “Crazy enough to leave without saying goodbye?” She looked at him, and for a moment, she let him see her vulnerability. It was as if he could see her entire history behind her beautiful, wounded eyes: A little girl, too young to understand, left by her father to be raised by an alcoholic mother. A college student left for her roommate by her boyfriend. A young reporter left by her lover, and all so he could steal her story. No wonder Clark's disappearances had made her doubt him. No wonder the sight of those boxes had terrified her. WOW! What a powerful little paragraph. It packed a lot of oompf! into it. Somewhere across town, the sirens still screamed, but Clark Kent no longer heard them. Ooooh, hoo hoo. Nice place to end it. And thankfully I don't have to wait to read part 5... <sigh> Well, actually I do, because I have to go grocery shopping and run some errands. But, oooooh, Caroline! This part was awesome! -- DJ
Smile and the world smiles with you ... frown and you're just giving yourself wrinkles.
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