PREVIOUSLY IN THE TIME TRAVELER’S WIFE...
Lois stared down in wonder at the bright eyes looking back at her and decided in that moment that only one name seemed to fit. “Charlie,” she said.
“Charlie?” Molly asked, slightly surprised as she reached out to let Charlie wrap a fist around her finger. “Where did that come from?”
Lois shrugged. She and Molly had discussed names on several occasions and she could understand Molly’s confusion. Never had the name ‘Charlie’ come up before now. “It just seems to fit,” she said.
Molly tilted her head as she studied the baby. “Yeah, I guess I can see that. Well, Charlie... how exactly do you feel about being the first male member of Alpha Nu Rho?”
Lois smiled tiredly as she looked into the face of her very confused looking son, marveling that something that had caused so much pain could be so unequivocally beautiful.AND NOW...
Lois tucked the blankets around her son and dimmed the lights. Standing beside the crib, she stared down at Charlie, wondering how she could feel so much love and so much fear at the same time. His first night in his very own crib. And Lois had to admit, she was terrified. What if he cried and she didn’t know what he wanted? What if he got sick and she didn’t realize it?
She reached over and touched his brow. Was he too hot? How was she supposed to know? Maybe her folks had been right. Maybe she wasn’t ready for this.
No. No, she’d learn. She’d mastered everything else she’d ever set her hand to. Well, except for plants. They always died on her. Oh, god! What if she forgot to feed the baby and he died just like her plants always did? She might do that, too. After all, she always had the best of intentions when she got a new plant - intending to remember to water it and then... A few days later, she’d forget. Then the next time she’d look the plant would be dead!
Maybe she wasn’t responsible enough to take care of a baby - someone who would rely on her for absolutely everything.
No. She could do this. One day at a time. And when that got to be too much, one minute at a time.
After leaning over to give Charlie one final kiss, she turned on the baby monitor and slipped out the door. Right now, what she needed was a bite to eat to settle her nerves. Then she’d come back and check on Charlie again.
She was just about to push open the door to the kitchen when she heard the sound of a man’s angry voice coming from inside.
“I can’t believe you got rid of my beer. You know that Golden Springs Beer was mine.”
“Two bottles, Rye! And you know I don’t drink. It sat in the fridge for six months. I finally decided to give it away. Can you blame me?” Molly’s angry voice responded. “We broke up.”
“Come on, Mol. I know you still have feelings for me.”
“Let go of me.”
Lois quickly pushed open the door and stepped into the kitchen. “You heard the lady,” she said, when she saw Ryan holding onto Molly’s arm. “Let her go.”
Ryan released Molly and turned towards Lois.
“This is your fault. You turned her against me. You’ll regret this.”
“Get out, Ryan,” Molly said.
A couple of other young women had joined Lois in the doorway.
“Hey, I’m gone,” Ryan said, seeming to decide retreat was his best option.
The women all congregated around Molly, who was visibly trembling, until Ryan finally left the room.
“Sorry about that,” Tracy said. “He said he’d left a couple beer in the kitchen and since he’s a Beta Beta member I told him to come in and get them”
“It’s okay,” Molly said. “I’m just...” She shook her head.
“Hey, Tracy, maybe you should tell your father about Ryan,” Sue said.
“Why?” Lois asked, confused.
“Tracy’s father knows guys who know guys,” Sue said.
Tracy rolled her eyes, and Lois and Molly laughed.
After turning on the baby monitor, Lois grabbed a tub of ice cream out of the freezer. She placed it on the table before digging in a drawer to find four spoons.
“Something tells me we could all use this after...” She gestured vaguely towards the door Ryan had left through. The women quickly agreed and, when each had grabbed a spoon, they sat down at the table for a good gossip session.
“So are any of you tennis players?” Tracy asked as they dug into the ice cream. “‘Cause I’m looking for a doubles’ partner...”
The sound of a crying baby coming over the monitor interrupted the conversation.
“I guess that’s my cue,” Lois said, rising to her feet and, after taking a deep breath and reminding herself that she really could do this, left the room.
* * * * * * * * *
May 1991
* * * * * * * * *
Lois tossed her cap in the air with the rest of the graduates. Finally. With a huge smile on her face, she looked around until she spotted Molly. Charlie was sitting in her lap and Molly seemed to be pointing Lois out to the young child. Beside Molly sat Lois’ parents. Although they had finally come to accept that Lois wasn’t going to give up her child, the rift that had started when Lois had spurned their demand for her to get an abortion had never truly healed.
Lois sighed. Well, at least they had taken the time to come to her graduation. Lois pushed her way through the crowds. As Charlie saw her approach, he squirmed out of Molly’s lap. When Molly realized his intentions, she let him go and a moment later, he was running for his mother.
“Hey, kiddo,” Lois said, bending down to scoop him up in her arms. “Whoa, you’re getting heavy. What have you been eating? Bricks.”
Charlie giggled. “No, Mommy. I not eat bicks.”
“You don’t eat bricks,” Ellen Lane corrected.
Lois rolled her eyes. “Mother, Daddy... I wasn’t sure you would make it.”
“Well, we only came for the ceremony,” Sam said. “I’m afraid we have to get back to the hospital.”
“Of course,” Lois responded.
“So what’s the plan now?” Ellen asked. “Because you know... considering everything...” Her eyes flicked to Charlie.
Lois’ chin came up. Her mother better not say anything more explicit in front of Charlie or there would be hell to pay.
“...it’s not going to be easy for you to work as a reporter. After all, it’s not exactly what you could call a nine-to-five job.”
“Actually, Mrs. Lane,” Molly said. “Lois and Charlie are going to be moving into my apartment.”
“And I have a job at the Daily Planet,” Lois added.
“That’s all well and good, but what happens to this one while you’re both off at work.”
“Actually, I’ve just left my job at Spartan,” Molly said. “So I’m going to keep an eye on Charlie when Lois is at work until he can get into the daycare program that the Daily Planet is in the process of setting up - thanks to Lois’ campaigning. After that, if she needs to be out in the evening for her job or if Charlie is sick and can’t go to daycare, he will stay with me.”
“So you quit your job to take care of Charlie?” Sam asked, giving Lois a disapproving look.
Lois didn’t need more to know what her father was telling her - that this wasn’t Molly’s problem and that Lois shouldn’t be taking advantage of Molly that way. She had just opened her mouth to respond when Molly laughed.
“Oh, don’t worry, Mr. Lane,” Molly said. “I was planning to quit anyway. The hours working there were atrocious. And I made enough in two years to keep me going until I can get my own program up and running.”
“Your own program?” Ellen asked.
“You’ve heard of the internet?” Molly asked. When they shook their heads, Molly continued. “Basically, it’s a worldwide network of computers that use TCP or IP protocols to facilitate data transmission...”
“It’s the next big thing in computers,” Lois translated for her friend.
“So this is your computer program? This internet thing?”
Molly laughed. “No. I’m actually working on a program that will allow people easier access to information on the internet. I’m thinking of calling it Gaagle. At the moment, the internet is still pretty small, but trust me when I say, it’s going to be huge. And it’s only a matter of time before people need a way to search it for information. And I plan to be the first game in town. Eventually, people will even talk about gaagling for information. I figure when people start using the name of your program as a verb, you’ve really made it.”
“Molly’s going to be filthy rich,” Lois said, grinning at her friend.
“Well, I think it sounds like a dumb idea,” Ellen said. “Leaving a good paying job to work on some crazy idea for something called the internet when no one has ever even heard of the internet. Trust me when I say that this internet of yours will probably never be anything more than a fad. And all so you can stay home and care for another girl’s child?”
Lois felt fury rise in her chest.
“Don’t worry, Mrs. Lane,” Molly said, demonstrating much more patience than Lois was inclined to at the moment. “I would have left my job even if I’d never met Lois or Charlie. It just wasn’t for me. In fact, if I didn’t have Lois and Charlie in my life, I’d probably be writing poison-pen books about how technology is killing us, living like a hippy and selling crystals to new-age wanna-bes by now. So it’s great for all of us that this worked out the way it did.”
“Well, I hope so,” Ellen said. “Because I’d hate to think of you compromising your career because of my daughter’s foolish choices.”
“Don’t you have to get back to the hospital?” Lois asked pointedly.
“Yes, actually we do,” Sam said, taking Ellen’s arm. “Good to see you again, Molly. And congratulations, Princess.”
When Sam and Ellen were far enough away, Lois turned to Molly. “Sorry about that.”
Molly laughed. “Hey, don’t worry about it. My folks are having problems grasping that I’m going to make a gazillion dollars from this, too. I guess that’s the burden we geniuses just have to bear. Now... what do you say we get out of here? I’m taking you out for lunch to celebrate your graduation. So where are we going? Your pick.”
“Chunky Cheeses!” Charlie exclaimed causing both Lois and Molly to laugh.
“Okay, Chunk E. Cheese it is,” Lois responded.
* * * * * * * * *
August 1992
* * * * * * * * *
“Hey, kiddo,” Lois said, her face lighting up in a smile when she saw Charlie squirming to get out of Molly’s arms as she carried him on her hip.
Molly stopped, quickly setting Charlie on the floor so that he could begin running across the newsroom, leaping into Lois’ arms as she squatted down to grab him.
“Mommy, Mommy, Molly and I got ice cream. I got chocolate - just like you. I shared mine with a big dog.”
“You did, did you?” Lois asked, glancing at Molly who shrugged in response.
“Can I get a dog?” he asked.
“Sorry, kiddo. No can do. We don’t have room in the apartment.”
Charlie’s bottom lip came out at her pronouncement and Lois had to smile. Her son reminded her so much of herself sometimes.
She picked up Charlie as Molly arrived at her desk.
“Thanks for picking him up, Mol.”
“Hey, no problem. Any time I get to spend with my boyfriend here is time well spent.” She reached over, mussing Charlie’s hair.
“I’m not really her boyfriend, Mommy,” Charlie said confidentially to Lois. “She just say that.”
“Oh... okay,” Lois said, amused.
“Hello, Cherie,” a man said, entering the conversation. “Well, who’s this?” he asked when he seemed to notice the boy in Lois’ arms.
“I’m me,” Charlie said.
“Hi, Claude,” Lois said, addressing the man. “This is Charlie - my son.”
“Hi, Charlie,” Claude said before looking back at Lois. “I have tickets to a play tomorrow evening. What do you say? Will you finally agree to go out with me?”
“No,” Lois said. “And I really wish you’d stop asking.”
“Not until you say yes,” Claude said, winking at her before walking away.
“Okay, so who exactly was that?” Molly asked when Claude was out of earshot.
“No one of any significance.” When Molly raised her eyebrows, Lois continued. “Okay, he’s a new guy Perry just hired. From France. Seems to think I’m his belle cherie, or something.” Lois rolled her eyes.
“Lois, you can’t keep turning these guys away. Eventually, they’re going to stop asking.”
“And the problem with that is...?”
“Come on! You can’t tell me you don’t want to find a nice guy and fall in love.”
Lois let out a breath. “Mol, I’ve told you. I’m not interested in just going out to go out.”
“No? Well, tell me this. How are you ever going to know if it could be something more if you don’t ever go out with any of them? I mean, take this Claude guy, for example. Good looking. Decent job. Accent that could un-curdle sour milk. Knows you have a son and seems to be okay with it. What’s wrong with him?”
“He’s not what I’m looking for.”
“How could you possibly know that? The purpose of dating is to get to know someone - find out if he’s right for you.”
“Molly, there’s a super guy out there, waiting for me to come along and turn his life upside down. I know there is.”
“Lois, who was the last guy you remember kissing?”
Lois noticed the way Molly had worded the question, but let it go as she thought about the question itself. “Joe - I guess.”
“High school, Lois!”
Lois set Charlie down when he began squirming in her arms. She smiled as she watched him take off, running at full speed towards his beloved godfather.
“Uncle Perry!” Charlie yelled before lunging at Perry.
“Hey, sport. Bring any good news stories for me today?” Perry said as he carried his godson towards his office.
“There was a big dog. I shared my ice cream with him.”
“That’s a forty point headline for sure,” Perry responded, disappearing into the office.
Lois turned to her friend. “Don’t worry about me, Molly. I promise, I’m fine.”
Molly sighed. “Well, I’m going to head out now. Some of us still have to date to find that perfect guy.”
“You have a date tonight?”
Molly nodded.
“So... spill. What’s this guy’s name?”
“Mitchell.”
“Mitchell? Not the same Mitchell who works for my father?” Lois asked.
“One and the same.”
“Molly, he’s a hypochondriac!”
“Lois, he’s a doctor... or well, doing his residency anyway. It’s only natural that he’s always thinking about medical stuff. Anyway, it’s just a date. If he gets the sniffles and decides to go home early, it’s not as if I have to go out with him a second time.” She winked at Lois before heading towards the elevators.
Lois shook her head as she watched her friend leave. She envied her friend her ability to treat dating so lightly. But for some reason, she just wasn’t able to make herself do the same. No. Her super guy was out there. And she would know him when she met him. She just knew it.
And anyway... at least she wouldn’t end up like Serena Judd. Although the entire newsroom had been flabbergasted, Serena really had moved to Anchorage to teach yoga to oil workers. Not that Billy Norcross had faired much better. After Serena had left him, he’d emptied every bottle in the tri-state area. Lois wasn’t entirely sure what had happened to him after that.
* * * * * * * * *
Lois was surprised when she entered the apartment later that evening to find that there was light coming from the living room. Molly, after all, was very careful to always turn off the lights when she went out. Something about saving the planet, although Lois had never quite figured out how one tiny light bulb was going to destroy the planet.
“So what are we going to make for supper?” she asked as she helped Charlie out of his jacket and shoes.
“Pizza.”
Lois laughed. “Sorry, kiddo. How about macaroni and cheese?”
“Yeah.” Charlie took off into the apartment as Lois finished taking off her things and putting them away. She marveled as she did so as to how much she’d grown up in the last four years. Before Charlie, she’d have simply tossed her coat over the nearest chair. Four years. Was it really possible? Well, next week was Charlie’s fourth birthday so it must be.
She still wasn’t sure why keeping Charlie had been so important to her - not that she could imagine life without him now. But looking back at the time he was born was still terrifying. Those first nights at the sorority house had been a nightmare. She’d been convinced that she was going to kill the little guy. That every cry was a sign that she was failing miserably as a mother. That every sneeze was a sign that he was coming down with some terrible illness. If it hadn’t been for Molly and her other sorority sisters, she’d have never made it. She could never hope to repay them for all they’d done for her.
Finishing up in the front area, she stepped into the living room, stopping suddenly in surprise.
“Molly? Weren’t you going out with Mitchell tonight?”
“I called and cancelled,” Molly said, looking up at Lois for the first time. Her eyes red from crying.
“What’s wrong?” Lois gasped.
Molly held up a letter. “Remember Ryan?”
Lois nodded. Of course she remembered that jerk. He and Molly, as far as she knew, had barely spoken since the day she’d brought Charlie home from the hospital. And then...
“Didn’t he join the military or something?”
Molly nodded. “Some big, hush, hush government project. Anyway, when I came home after dropping Charlie off with you, this was waiting for me.” She handed Lois the letter.
Lois took the letter and sank onto a chair as she began to read. It was dated three weeks ago.
‘Dear Molly,
‘Before going into combat, you’ve probably heard that soldiers write letters and ask their buddies to mail them if, for some reason, they don’t come back. Well, I’m not going into combat, exactly, but this assignment will be dangerous and before I left, I wanted to write you a letter. If you’re reading this, I guess that means I won’t be coming back.’
Lois looked up at Molly in shock. “Why you?” she asked. “You guys broke up almost five years ago now.”
Molly gestured to the letter. Lois, taking her hint, continued reading.
‘I guess I just wanted you to know that I still love you. I loved you from the moment you spilled your coffee all over my textbook the first day of basic computers and I’ll love you until the day I die. I know because of the things that happened, I lost your love. And I know that we let others come between us.’
Lois fought the urge to snort. The man was dead, after all. But even as he wrote his last letter, he refused to acknowledge that it was his words and actions that had cost him the love of the incredible woman sitting across from her. As for the comment about others coming between them... No illusions as to who he was blaming there.
‘But as I prepare for this mission, I can’t help wishing we had started our own little computer company like we talked about back in school. You know, don’t you, that I never would have joined the military if we had been together. All I ever wanted was to be with you. But I guess some thing are just not meant to be.
‘All my love always, Rye.’
“It’s my fault he’s dead, Lois,” Molly wailed. “I know he was a jerk. But maybe if I just hadn’t been so stubborn, so convinced I was right about him, we could have found a way to patch things up. He never would have joined the military and he wouldn’t be dead.”
Quickly, Lois placed the letter on the coffee table and moved over next to her friend, taking her in her arms as she let the other woman cry it out.
“It’s not your fault, Mol. He made his own choices,” Lois said, knowing she’d be saying those words over and over again during the course of the next few hours and days.
“I loved him, Lois. I know he had his faults, but I really did love him.”
“I know, sweety. I know.”
* * * * * * * * *
April 1993
* * * * * * * * *
Lois had that feeling in her gut. The feeling that told her that she was hot on the trail of a good story. That any moment, any day now, she was going to bust the whole thing wide open.
It was a good feeling.
And it would be a powerful story. International gun smuggling. Payments in blood diamonds. Civil war. The undermining of governments. Bribes to high placed officials. And someone... someone powerful making a hell of a lot of money.
Yep. This story had it all.
And she had a lead.
The Congo.
Perry had approved her trip and her bags were packed. Charlie would stay with Molly as he always did when she had to travel for work. Fortunately, it didn’t happen all that often. Still... What would she have done without Molly all these years? She didn’t even want to contemplate it.
“Don’t go, Mommy.”
Lois turned from where she was standing in the check in line at the airport to look at her son. He appeared to be honestly distressed.
“Hey, kiddo,” she said, squatting down to look fully at her four year old son - or, four and a half as he often corrected her. “I’m only going to be gone a few days. And you’ve stayed with Molly before.”
“Don’t go, Mommy,” Charlie said again, this time throwing his arms around her neck as the tears started.
Lois looked up at Molly who looked as baffled as she felt.
“Hey, hey, hey,” she said softly, wrapping her arms around her son. “I’ll be back before you know it. And I bet if you ask really nicely, Molly will take you to Chunk E. Cheese for supper.”
“Sure, Squirt,” Molly said. “We’ll have so much fun that you won’t even notice your mother is gone.”
“Don’t go, Mommy,” Charlie repeated, his tear stained face pulling at Lois’ heart.
“I’m sorry, honey. I don’t have a choice. It’s my job. But I promise. I’ll be back as soon as I possibly can.”
Charlie’s chin trembled and the tears continued, but he fell silent.
“Next,” one of the attendants behind the counter said, forcing Lois to attend to the business at hand.
* * * * * * * * *
Lois was worried. Never had she seen Charlie being so clingy. As a child who had grown up constantly surrounded by a wide variety of people, he had developed an independent attitude, easily adapting to changing environments. And this wasn’t the first time she’d had to leave him with Molly so that she could follow up on an assignment. Usually, all she’d get was a ‘bye, Mommy.’ In fact, if she hadn’t known Charlie loved her, she might have felt insecure at how easily he accepted her absences.
So to have him clinging to her as they walked through the airport worried her. By the looks she kept sharing with Molly, it seemed her friend felt the same thing.
Finally, knowing she was only making this worse by prolonging the time of her departure, she stopped, set down her carry-on bag and turned to her son.
“Well, this is it, kiddo. I’ll see you in a few days.”
Charlie was instantly in her arms, crying into her neck. She glanced at Molly over her son’s shoulder and saw the tears in Molly’s eyes that she knew were also beginning to form in her own. It was tearing both of them apart to see Charlie so upset.
Finally, tears of her own threatening, she pulled back, brushed a strand of hair from her son’s face, told him that she loved him and turned him over to Molly. When she left, she didn’t dare look back, not wanting her son to see the tears that had begun to slip down her own cheeks. She kept her steps brisk until she turned a corner where she was sure to be out of sight of Molly and Charlie and then stopped to collect herself.
“Ms. Lane?”
Lois looked around at the sound of her name being called to see a man, around her age, approaching. She quickly bushed the tears off her cheeks and then watched as he drew near. He was easily the best looking man she’d seen in a long time. Dark hair. Dark eyes. Pity about the glasses though. Without them, a woman could easily drown in those eyes.
“Yes?” she asked when he had finally closed the distance between them.
“You can’t go to the Congo,” the man said.
Lois’ eyebrows rose. “I’m pretty sure I can,” she informed this presumptive stranger. “I’ve got my ticket and everything.”
“No, I didn’t mean... Ms. Lane, you have to trust me on this. You can’t go to the Congo. If you do, you won’t be coming home.”
“And just how do you know this?”
The man suddenly looked decidedly uncomfortable. “Please, you must believe me. I just know.”
“Okay, then. Tell me why I won’t be coming back? Does someone kill me? Does the airplane crash? Do I get bit by a poisonous snake?”
“I don’t know what happens, Ms. Lane. But please... you can’t go to the Congo. They kill you or make you disappear or something. I don’t know what. I’ve never been able to find out. But please, don’t go. It’s far too important that you survive. Is getting this story about gun running worth your life? Please. Just believe me. You can not go to the Congo! You just... can’t.”
Lois rolled her eyes. “Right. Now... if you don’t mind...” She pushed her way past the handsome wacko.
“Please, Lois,” the man said, reaching out and grabbing her arm. “Please, I’m begging you. You can’t go to the Congo. Please don’t get on that plane.”
She stopped, staring her arm until he released her. “Excuse me,” she said before marching at full speed down the airport corridor. Who did that guy think he was anyway?
“GendellAir flight 5340 to Rome, Casablanca and Brazzaville is now boarding.”
The announcement came over the PA system causing Lois to rush through security, ignoring the sound of the man again calling her name, still pleading with her not to go to the Congo.
* * * * * * * * *
To say that Lois was annoyed would be damning with faint praise. She was beyond annoyed. She was even beyond angry. She was livid.
And she was very, very late.
She pushed her way through the crowds in a rush to catch her plane. That jerk had made her late. If she didn’t hurry, she would never board on time.
“Last call for GendellAir flight 5340 to Rome, Casablanca and Brazzaville. All passengers should now be on board.”
The announcement coming over the P.A. system caused Lois to increase her pace. What had possessed her to stop and even listen to what he had to say? The guy was obviously a taco short of a combo platter.
“If you go to the Congo, you won’t be coming home,” she muttered to herself even as she skirted past a couple of women who seemed to be taking time to enjoy the view. View! Please! Like there was anything to see in the halls of the airport terminal - unless someone had an addiction for overpriced novelty items or designer water.
She switched into a jog, hosting her carry-on bag further onto her shoulder.
She still couldn’t believe she’d given that wacko the time of day. Okay, so he’d looked normal enough. And he’d seemed to know her, known that she was heading to the Congo to investigate a gun running story. She could even believe that she might be in danger. After all, the people behind this were obviously not going to be pleased to learn that she was hot on their trail. But Wacko wasn’t warning her to be careful. His message was urgent, panicked, almost hysterical. He’d adamantly argued that if she made this trip, she was dead.
Not that he’d been able to give details. The who, what, when and where a complete mystery to him.
Who did he think he was, anyway? He was crazy if he thought predictions of gloom and doom were going to stop her. She hadn’t won four Kerths by being careful. Maybe she didn’t take as many risks as she might have without Charlie, but she had good sources and good contacts in the Congo. This was, in fact, one of her less risky ventures.
For all she knew, he was working for the people behind this plot, meant to keep her from completing her investigation. And she had taken the time to let him! Idiot! She was a complete and total idiot! And if he made her miss her plane, he was dead. She’d track him down and tear him, gorgeous limb from gorgeous limb.
Was that really why she’d stopped? Had she let herself respond to a pretty face?
Letting out a frustrated growl, she pushed her way past another group of slower moving passengers as she picked up her pace to a full run. She was not about to miss this flight!
Still, there had been something about his eyes...
* * * * * * * * *
June 1997
* * * * * * * * *
Clark knew the instant he walked into the Daily Planet. He wasn’t sure exactly how, but he knew. She wasn’t there. She hadn’t made it to 1997. She had disappeared during a trip to the Congo while investigating a gun running story four years ago.
“Lois, why did you go to the Congo?” he asked even as tears appeared in his eyes. She’d promised. She’d told him she wouldn’t go. So how was it possible that she had?
“Hey, Clark.... you okay?”
He turned to see James Olsen, the young owner of the Daily Planet, standing nearby, looking at him in concern.
“I’m...” Clark shook his head. He couldn’t deal with this right now. Before Olsen could say anything further, Clark walked briskly down the ramp and entered the conference room, closing the door and pulling the blinds before he made a fool of himself in front of the entire newsroom.
After all, he’d just lost his wife. And it wasn’t as if he could even tell anyone. He sank onto a chair at the conference room table and pulled out his marriage license.
“What happened, Lois? Why did you go?”
A knock at the door had him quickly stuffing his marriage license back in his inside pocket and brushing tears from his eyes.
“Can I come in, my boy?” Wells asked.
Clark leapt to his feet at Wells’ entrance. “What happened? How could she have gone to the Congo? She promised me, Herb. She promised me.”
“My boy... Well, I guess there is no easy way to say this. I...” Wells looked down at the plain white envelope in his hands. “Lois asked me to give you this.”
Clark was snatching the letter out of Wells’ hands almost immediately. Tearing it open, he began to read, sinking to his knees in the middle of the room when the words of the letter began to sink in.
The anguish was more than he could stand. He saw Wells taking a step towards him and before the man’s foot even touched the floor, Clark was gone, disappearing in a gust of wind as he sought to out-fly the agony in his heart.
Wells sighed before pulling the time travel machine out of his pocket. He stared at it for a long time, thinking hard. A moment later, Clark Kent wasn’t the only one to literally disappear from the Daily Planet conference room.
END OF PART SIX
TO BE CONTINUED IN PART SEVEN...
ML
