Michael - While I didn't intentionally set out to depress, if a story involves death, it's inevitable, I guess.
Thanks for reading and leaving FDK.
Kathryn - Thanks for your FDK. Lois has a few relationships which are going to get shaken by this tragedy.
Sarah - whoops! Sorry. I hope your day got better.
Bob I was struck by your portrayal of the loss/despair/confusion that Lois is experiencing. I will say that I found it echoing some real-life experiences with loss in my own past. I found it all very moving.
Thank you! Obviously we all experience intensely emotional events differently, but I'm so pleased it rang true for you.
Artemis - Thanks for you lengthy FDK.
You make a good point about the will. It is a large part of the aftermath of a death.
However, I'm not going into any detail in this fic, mostly because I don't think my experiences are relevant enough to write it with confidence.
The two times I have dealt with wills were in Australia and, as you point out, the laws could be very different. Also both times were unusual - Dad left two wills, both handwritten, the later one signed, but not witnessed, which meant everything got terribly complex. Mum's will was incredibly simple and, as I had been dealing with her finances for three years while she had been sick, it was easy (in the practical sense) to wind it all up.
Neither of these situations could apply to Lois ... so I just brush over this aspect.
Tank - Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Regarding the heaviness - you're right. I've tried to keep an 'emotional thermometer' on this fic. It can't all be depressing.
Amber - Thanks for the compliment. It's an intense subject and if you'd felt nothing at all, I would have failed in what I'm trying to get across.
I'm glad you like Sarah. I do, too.
Next part - tonight (Monday)