Yes, I'm posting earlier than anticipated
. I have realized just how crazy the rest of my day might be. I thought I was going to have some time later this afternoon, but I'm not sure I'm going to. My oldest turned 7 on Wednesday and my second turns 5 on Tuesday so tomorrow is the birthday party and MIL is taking almost 5yo out for her bday today and will be here for a while this afternoon so... Cleaning here I come.
It has nothing to do with the writer's block. Nope. Not at all.
Thanks - as always - to the wonderful betas: Alisha, Beth, Nancy, CarolynK.
Last time:
Clark
I glanced around a bit more – my eyes resting on the heart-shaped tub. I'd hoped I'd be able to take Lana someplace like this for at least one night on our honeymoon. Not our wedding night because we'd probably stay in Smallville for that – unless I flew us somewhere – because I knew neither one of us would want to wait long enough to drive to Kansas City or Topeka or Wichita or Branson or something. We'd want to get somewhere alone, preferably with a bed, as quickly as possible.
I closed my eyes.
I was married to Lois.
I was going to stay married to Lois.
I probably shouldn't be thinking about Lana like that anymore.
No.
I knew I shouldn't be thinking like that about Lana anymore.
I'd vowed before God to be faithful to Lois for as long as we both lived. I'd mentally added something along the lines of 'or until we get home and get this annulled' but that wasn't the point.
And I was sure that being faithful meant I didn't think about my girlfr... my *ex*girlfriend like that anymore.
Ex-girlfriend.
I was going to have officially break up with her. I was going to break her heart. It was breaking my heart.
I was going to have to tell Lois – my wife – that I was going to have to see the woman I loved – who I had loved since I was six – when she got back from Europe and tell her that it was over.
For the first time in a very, very long time, I actually cried.
*~*28*~*
~~~~~
Lois
~~~~~
I sighed and looked around the dorm room. I'd liked it here, for the most part, but I was really glad that we were moving out before Cruella got back from Europe and Madame Medusa got back from Winter Break. I was also glad I hadn't brought a whole lot with me when I moved in. Packing wasn't going to be all that difficult.
The apartment was furnished, which was nice. I hadn't heard anything about that particular building, but Daddy thought it was pretty nice so it couldn't be all bad.
I put my clothes in boxes, not caring if I did so neatly or not. They were only going to be packed for a couple hours until we got to the new apartment. I stripped the bedding off my bunk and folded it more neatly into the plastic bag it had come in. I loved it, but it would be a while before I used it again – if ever. Maybe my son or daughter someday...
I wondered if the apartment came with bedding and I suddenly hoped not. The idea of sleeping on sheets someone else had... A hotel was one thing, this was another.
Clark came in just then.
"Got it all taken care of?" I asked, shoving the pillowcase into the bag.
"Yeah. I pulled my truck up downstairs. I figured we could load everything in the back of it and be done in a couple hours.
I nodded. "I'm almost done. I guess we've got a fridge there?"
He shrugged. "I'd guess so but I didn't go over there yet."
"Well, I guess this can go in the truck and I'll take it home later." I pulled a water bottle out of the fridge and took a long swig.
He nodded. "I've got a cooler that we can put anything you want to keep in."
I looked around. "I think I'm done."
"That was fast," he said, impressed.
"There wasn't much. Not like we're moving a whole house or anything." I picked up a box and headed towards the cart I saw waiting outside the door Clark had left propped open.
"Are you sure you should be moving that stuff?" he asked me.
I rolled my eyes. "I'm pregnant, not an invalid. And I'll let you move the heavy stuff."
He grabbed a box and started packing his clothes. I moved the rest of my boxes out to the cart. It was kind of pitiful, actually, how little there was. I knew Clark would have more, but that was, in large part, because he didn't live close enough to bring only one season of clothes, for instance.
"Why two carts?" I asked.
He glanced up. "Well, no one else is moving so it's not like anyone else will need them and I didn't think one would be enough."
I moved the rest of my boxes onto the cart and then took another box over to my desk and started filling it. It didn't take long and I folded the flaps over before taking it out to the cart. "That's all of my stuff, except my hang up clothes."
He put his hands on his hips and looked around. "I'm almost done. Why don't you sit down and rest for a few minutes?"
I looked around for a place to do so, but the only real spot was Clark's bunk. Well, I'd slept there before and he wasn't my husband at the time so I figured it was probably the least of our worries. I lied down and closed my eyes. I could see the picture of me and Joe that I'd taken off the desk. It had been taken at the party after graduation – when we'd been on again. We'd looked good together.
I struggled to keep stay awake, but it was a losing battle and before I knew it, I was asleep.
~~~~~
Clark
~~~~~
I was glad when Lois fell asleep. Packing wasn't hard, but trying to keep my mind off of what it represented...
I could practically smell Lana's favorite perfume and if I went through the door into the common area, I probably would be able to, but fortunately, I'd cleaned all my things out of there when we left for Break. I had avoided my desk, but now that Lois was asleep, I moved to sit in the chair.
I picked up the picture of me and Lana. It had been taken at the fair the summer before and was one of my favorites. I was standing behind her, my arms wrapped around her and we were smiling. The wind was blowing her hair and I remembered how we'd kissed at the top of the Ferris Wheel. I blushed at the memory. Both because of the memory and because I shouldn't be thinking about it with... my wife lying a few feet away.
I sighed and tucked the picture in a box of summer clothes where I wouldn't have any reason to find it for a while. I pulled my wallet out of my pocket and took the picture sleeves out. My eyes filled with tears again as I looked at the picture of me and Lana when we were six. Our first day of kindergarten. She'd looked so cute with her blond pigtails. Swiftly, I removed the pictures that had her in them, leaving only one of my parents, me and my mom, me and my Grandma Davis, and Pete and his girlfriend. The rest went in the box.
There wasn't much left to do and I moved the refrigerator onto the cart before moving the rest of the boxes. I took the carts down the elevator and loaded it all into the truck, before returning the carts and heading back up to the room. The truck was a bit overloaded but we weren't driving far, just a couple blocks away.
I didn't really want to wake her, but we did need to try to get all this done before it got too dark or cold. I shook her gently and once she woke up, we worked together to fold up my bedding.
I glanced around as she left in front of me. I wanted to look through the wall into Lana's room, but I didn't let myself.
I couldn’t let myself.
Ten minutes later, we pulled up in front of Abby Apartments.
I was glad to see they had a cart we could use to help move everything and soon it was loaded.
"Okay," I said with a sigh. "Let's go see this place." I handed her the key and the paperwork folder.
The lobby and elevator looked like they'd seen better days. I only hoped the apartments looked better.
I'd noted there were no balconies like some of the other married housing buildings – and even some of the regular dorms – had. I maneuvered the cart into the elevator and Lois pushed the fifth floor button.
"Which one?" she asked as we got off.
"5A," I told her. I pointed to a door near the elevator. "There's a laundry room on this floor." We walked past apartments K through C. B was on the end on the left. A was on the right.
"Here we go. Home sweet home." She sounded like she was holding out about as much hope as I was for this place. She stuck her key in the lock. She had to jiggle it a bit before it finally opened. The hinges creaked as the door swung open.
This didn't look good.
She walked in ahead of me, past the – very small – bathroom on the right. I left the cart in the hall as we explored our new home.
On the wall against the bathroom was a small loveseat and about two feet past it, on my right, was a bed.
A small bed.
Not much bigger than the twin bed I'd had growing up.
Across from the foot of the bed was a chest of drawers that had two more drawers than the ones we'd had two of in the dorm room, but we were going to have to share this one it looked like.
On the other side of the dresser was a desk that butted up to the closet that jutted out into the room. The closet extended past its door and against the closet wall was the refrigerator. There were beads hanging over the opening to the closet; I was sure someone had removed the door because it interfered with the refrigerator. The refrigerator itself looked to be older than I was. Past the fridge was a two burner stove, a foot of counter, a sink and two more feet of counter with a microwave sitting on it. In the corner, between the counter and the wall, was a small table with two chairs. There was barely enough room to pull either chair out – one would hit the edge of the counter and the other would hit the sole nightstand. Above the sink was a small window and on either side of it was a few more cabinets that all looked like they'd seen better days.
The kitchen at home was at least three times the size of this thing.
Heck, Lois' bathroom at the cabin was the size of the whole 'apartment'.
I glanced at the floor. It was industrial carpet – no surprise there, but it was ripped in spots and there was duct tape over more than one spot and a stain or two that I didn't want to speculate on.
Lois sighed and tossed her purse and the folder onto the bed. "Well, I guess we better get unpacked so you don't get a ticket."
I could hear the trembling in her voice, but also the determination underneath it. I didn't say anything but started moving the boxes in.
"I don't suppose you have any sheets that'll fit this," she asked without looking at me.
"No. I guess that means that you don't either."
She shook her head. "Maybe at home, but I have a queen size bed there and I think most of the other beds are bigger than that, too. I guess a visit to CostMart is in order."
"We'll need to get some food that you can have, too."
"Our meal plans are still intact," she reminded me.
I raised an eyebrow at her. "Your stomach has been acting up a lot lately and you think cafeteria food is going to help?"
"Good point."
I set her boxes next to the dresser as she opened the fridge.
"I'm not sure this thing works very well," she called. "It's on, but it's not very cold."
"Is there somewhere we could put your mini-fridge?"
She looked around. "The closet? As a nightstand on that side of the bed?" She pointed to the side by the loveseat.
"That might work. There's an outlet over there." I took the last of the boxes off of the cart. "I'll go get the rest."
She nodded. "I guess I'll get started on this." She picked up a few hangers and headed towards the closet as I left.
~~~~~
Lois
~~~~~
This place was a sty.
I quickly hung up the clothes Clark had left on the bed.
The mattress looked clean enough. That was good.
It was small. Which was not.
I was sure that my dad hadn't been in the building in ages or there was no way he'd have recommended we'd live here. I thought about unpacking my clothes from the boxes Clark had left, but I figured I'd at least ask him which drawers he preferred this time around. Same with the desk stuff.
I sat on the bed and opened the folder of information Clark had given me. Rental agreement he'd signed. Information on parking and the campus shuttle that stopped across the street. List of rules and regulations. I scanned through that to make sure the mini-fridge wasn't going to violate it or anything.
Something else caught my eye.
No children.
We were going to have to move this summer.
I sighed and stuck it in the pile next to me.
The next sheet was a notice. It looked like we'd have to move before summer. There was a reason why there was no one on the waiting list for this apartment building and it wasn't just that it was a hole. It was being closed the week after finals for renovations that were expected to take most of the next year.
Clark chose that moment to walk back in, TV in his arms.
"Where do you want this?" he asked. "On top of the dresser."
I nodded. "Seems like the most logical place for it."
He set it up there. "We could rearrange if we wanted to, I guess, but I don't know how."
I looked around the small room. "Me either." I held out the piece of paper. "This is why there was no waiting list."
He took it from me and sighed. "Well, at least no one else will have to live here."
"We'll have to figure something else out by then, I guess. See if we can get into one of the other buildings that allows kids or something. This one doesn't anyway."
He nodded and headed back into the hall, bringing the rest of the boxes and the mini-fridge in. "I'm going to take this back downstairs and move the truck."
"I'll start unpacking clothes, I guess. Which drawers do you want?"
"Doesn't matter. Whichever ones you don't is fine. Just leave me some space." He tried to smile as he said it.
"Don't worry, Kent. You've got more stuff than I do," I called as the door shut behind him.
I thought about taking the bottom drawers since he was taller, but I figured I wasn't going to be able to bend over easily to get to them before long. I took one of the half drawers on top and quickly unpacked my... unmentionables before he got back. I'd just finished filling two of the drawers when he returned. I explained why I'd taken the drawers I did and he said that was fine with him.
I moved to unload the cooler into the mini-fridge. "How do you want to organize the desk?" I asked him.
He looked up from where he was moving boxes to the closet. "However you want. We've both got laptops so that's not an issue. I can work pretty much wherever."
I unpacked my desk stuff into one of the drawers, sticking the CD player on top with the TIVO and DVD player on the dresser. My Friends, Dawson's Creek, 90210 and NCIS DVDs were stacked on top of it as were the other favorite movie DVDs I'd brought with me. The CDs were stacked in the corner against the closet.
Clark broke down another box. "That's all of my stuff except for one box for the desk. Do you want to go get something to eat?"
I pondered that for a minute. "Yeah. My stomach feels okay right now." I avoided looking at the bed. "Let's hit CostMart and pick up some stuff there. We can eat at their café."
He raised his eyebrow at me. "The CostMart café? Seriously?"
I nodded. "They have the best pizza."
"Really?"
"Don't knock till you've tried it. We used to eat there every Sunday."
He shook his head. "If you say so."
I grabbed my jacket and purse. "Let's go."
I headed out the door and heard it creak as Clark shut and locked it behind us.
*****
TBC
