Thanks, Annie! This chapter was hard to write, and after reading it back through, I kind of played around with a few other ways of showing his heartbreak, but this was the only way that felt right. As you pointed out, he's had a lot of his plate besides the relationship, and the stress of it all was enough to bring him, temporarily, to his knees. But one of my very favorite things about Clark -- and one of the reasons I think he's proved to be such an enduring character -- is how he never gives up. He always comes back fighting, and I wanted to emphasize that in some way. And Martha and Jonathan are always a favorite of mine to write for!
