Well done. I have a feeling that even if Clark hadn't given the "I can't" hint, he had slipped so often during their discussion that Lois would have pieced things together even without that final hint; it just would have taken her a little longer.
There is an English folk song called, "Sorry the Day I was Married." How about modifying it to make a story title of: "Sorry the Day I was (Almost) Married"?
Joy,
Lynn
