Hi,
Great part.
“Fine,” she said. “So don’t talk. But I still have some things to say, and you’re going to sit down and hear them.”
His jaw clenched, but out of long habit of obedience, he dropped back into his chair and gave his mother an expectant, if truculent, look.
“Good enough.” Martha rolled her eyes. “Now, here are the facts as I see them: Clark Kent went to Metropolis, met Lois Lane, and decided he was through wandering the world. Only you know how related those last two things might be, but your father and I have always thought they were pretty much cause and effect.” She paused for a response from her son, but he was sitting stony-faced, refusing to give anything away. She sighed, clearly exasperated, and went on. “Then Clark Kent had his mother sew him an outlandish costume and began moonlighting as a superhero, going to a great deal of trouble to make sure that no one would suspect he and Superman are one and the same. The first thing he did as Superman was to save the Messenger shuttle, appearing in glorious red and blue to swallow a bomb and then single-handedly lift the shuttle into space. The second thing he did was to choose one reporter out of all the ones covering the launch and sweep her up into his arms and fly her back to The Daily Planet. Remind me, honey – which reporter was that again?”
Clark gave her a baleful look, to which she responded with a gentle smile.
“Don’t you see, sweetie?” she said, covering his hands with her own. “You singled Lois out – as Superman – from practically the very first minute. You brought this crush of hers on yourself. You’ve never for one second treated her like the other reporters. And I know why, and you know why, but how on earth was Lois supposed to know it?”
Bingo!
Clark sighed. “I appreciate that, Mom. You know I do. But I’d never forgive myself if something happened to you and Dad because of my carelessness. And right now Lois is a loose cannon. I don’t know what to expect, but I think you and Dad should be prepared for the worst. Lois wouldn’t want to do anything to hurt you, but she doesn’t always think things through all that well, and she refuses to believe that Luthor is dangerous. If she trusts him with this...with my secret...then you really might have to go into hiding. I’m not sure there’d be any other way to keep you safe from him.”
Well, no more. He was wise to her now, and he flatly refused to be held in her thrall any longer. He was the strongest man in the world, and he was certainly capable of conquering his own heart. As he caught sight of his father, a rotund figure atop a tractor, obscured by a cloud of dust, he renewed his vow to keep his distance from Lois Lane.
