I see this situation in some of my contemporaries (and unfortunately, my kids). He wants her back. She'd rather go back. Neither of them cheated on the other, not even after the divorce (when, technically, it wouldn't have been "cheating"). The issues that drove them apart don't seem to be issues now.
So what's the problem?
My knee-jerk reaction is that Lois is hitting the brakes on a reconciliation because of pride and inertia because she's comfortable with the current situation. But it can't be that simple. It has to include a lot of deep-seated emotional and spiritual wounds that haven't healed. This quote:
“I’ll walk you.”
She smiled and rolled her eyes good naturedly. “Don’t be ridiculous, Clark. I’ll be fine. There are a million people here. Nothing is going to happen to me between the field and the parking lot.”
tells me that there are also trust issues involved. Not that Lois doesn't trust Clark to be honest and faithful - she doesn't trust herself to depend on him emotionally. And that's what he was asking. He didn't think she needed protection, he wanted to be near her. And maybe that's one of the sources of her still-open wounds.
She didn't want him near her. And there are still issues to resolve that she hasn't discussed with Clark.
This is both compelling and painful, Annie. Please help them work through this whole "separate parents" thing. If not for their sake, for the children's sake, because telling yourself "The kids will be fine no matter what!" is simply not true. What happens to the parents happens to the kids. It's to their credit that they have the peaceful coexistence thing going on and that Lois still covers for Clark when he has to be Superman. But the kids know things aren't right at home. They know that Mom and Dad have problems, and the kids also know they can't do anything about them. Lois doesn't want her family to become like her parents' family, and that's good, but she doesn't see that they already are like her parents, just without the vitriol. It's good that Clark and Lois support each other, but if they're not living together it still grates on the kids. Maggie's snark won't go away by itself, and this isn't the last time the girl will ask angry questions.
It appears that you've chosen to show this part of their lives from Lois' point of view only. That's not wrong - that's entirely your choice - but I hope our favorite couple have a heart-to-heart talk where Clark opens up and allows Lois - and us - to see and hear his wounds.
Wow. I guess I'm invested in this one. I suppose my personal history is part of that (my wife and I just celebrated our 45th anniversary but none of our children appear to be on that road) and it's hitting close to home. But keep it coming! If Lois and Clark and work through this horrible time in their lives, then others can too. I want to see what comes next!
Even if it makes me sad.
