The Matchmaker Files - An Unusual Proposal
Rated PG-13
G -
Story - TOC* emphasis*
<thoughts>
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * time passed – scene change
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Previously
Clark reached into his sling and pulled out some papers. He said, "I have something here." As he unfolded the papers, he turned to Lois and said, "Lois, I need you to sign," he pointed to the lines and said, "here and here." Being helpful, Mr. Ramsbottom handed her a pen.
She thanked him for the pen and used it to sign the papers.
Clark then signed the same papers and then turning them to Mr. Ramsbottom and pointing to a line on one of the documents and said, "Mr. Ramsbottom, if you could sign right … there."
Mr. Ramsbottom signed and as Clark gathered up the papers, he said, "Thank you," as he returned the pen.
As Clark was returning the papers to the sling where he had carried them, Mr. Ramsbottom asked, "You're welcome. What were those papers?"
Tapping his sling where the papers now resided, he said, "Those papers? Oh, those papers were our marriage license application and certificate of marriage. You just sighed as witness."
Mr. Ramsbottom and Lois blurted out in unison, "What?"
As Clark was reaching into his pocket, he stated, "Lois and I are now married."
Lois asked, "How?"
Lois was staring at him in incredulity as Clark pulled his hand from his pocket holding a small packet. After he pulled the small packet from his pocket he unfolded the tissue paper and then taking her left hand, Clark slipped his grandmother's ring on her finger as he explained, "There's an old law still on the books in Kansas. It dates back to the settlement of Kansas as a territory. You see, there were so few ministers and JPs that a law was written that says if a couple spends a night together, they are married. Well, you see, while we were in Smallville, we were in the same room, together, for several nights, so there's no question. Under the laws of Kansas we are … married."
Mr. Ramsbottom had started to become angry as Clark had made his explanation. He started to reach for his phone as he said, "Okay, then I guess you leave me no choice. Shall I call the police or do you want to try and convince me that you are serious."
Clark spoke up, "Mr. Ramsbottom, we are serious about this marriage. I … we want to make it work. Now, here's something for you to consider, you just signed the document which confirmed our marriage. If you chose to prosecute us then you will also be prosecuted because you are now an … accessory."
The phone fell from his fingers to clatter to his desk as Mr. Ramsbottom blanched at his statement. "What did you say?"
"I said that by signing that document you became an accessory and if you chose to prosecute us, you will also be charged."
Mr. Ramsbottom was stunned by this outcome. Now he dropped into his chair, his legs too weak to sustain him and muttered, "Charged ... accessory. How did this happen to me?"
Clark said, "You know, you really should read something, before you sign it. Thank you, Mr. Ramsbottom; it's been a pleasure dealing with you."
In his stunned state he waved a hand and said, absently, "All right. Okay. You win. I'll file the necessary paperwork."
Lois said, "Thank you," as they exited.
Once outside the building and on the sidewalk just about the exact spot where Lois had knelt and made her unusual proposal, she started to giggle. "I can't believe that you did that. Are we really married?"
"Yes, we are. All legal and binding under the laws of Kansas."
"How did it happen?"
"After you left, my parents and I had a talk. They knew that I loved you and really wanted to marry you and that you really loved me too."
"How did they know?"
"The only reason you would have done what you did, was if you actually loved me. You didn't want to put me in the position of breaking the law, because you cared that much."
"That was why it took me a couple of days to get back. My parents and I had to go to the courthouse. They had to testify that we had spent the nights together, in the same room, in their house. The judge tried to give us a hard time. I almost had to call in the group that did the Chivaree to testify. He finally agreed and provided the proper paperwork. All I needed to do was have it signed. It wasn't until a short while ago that I thought to have Mr. Ramsbottom sign as witness, originally, I was going to ask Perry."
Lois looked at the ring on her hand and asked, "Where did this come from?"
Clark looked her in the eyes and said, "My mom gave it to me for you. She's been saving it for me. It was my Grandma Clark's wedding ring. It's been in the family … a long time. You were going to be wearing it on Sunday."
"I love it."
"It's yours now."
"You know, we never discussed where we'd live, I mean seriously. I mean, I have two bedrooms, but we only need one and you were right, your place is more homey than my place."
"Okay, we can move your stuff in immediately."
"But what about that other thing?"
Mystified, he asked, "What other thing?"
Looking around to make sure they wouldn't be overheard, she said, "Your part-time job?"
"Oh, that. We'll adjust. First, we need to get back to the Planet and get this story typed up. That'll make Perry happy. We also need to rescue your boxes before Jimmy packs them up and ships them."
"Were you serious?"
"I'm always serious. About what?"
"About wanting to date me."
He pulled her in with his good arm and said, "I've never been more serious about anything in my life. Lois … I was telling the truth to Mr. Ramsbottom when I said that I've been in love with you from the first moment. You have to give me a chance to make you love me. I know you do, sort of … not as much as I love you yet, anyhow. I do want to date you. How about we start with dinner … tonight?"
Coyly, Lois replied, "I think I'd like that."
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Lois asked, "Well, was that it? And they lived happily ever after?"
Herb shook his head and said, "Not exactly."
Clark asked, "What happened with Luthor?"
"Once they were back at the Planet they wrote up the story about Smallville. They avoided any reference to the rock."
"You mean the Kryptonite."
"Right, we know it as Kryptonite, but they had not named it at that time. Once that story was filed they started looking into Luthor. Lois remembered the illegal arms and they started to dig into it. They found Miranda when she used her pheromone spray on them. She was arrested for that and then Lois connected her to the arms deal. They made her a deal and she testified against Luthor. Luthor went to jail, but he didn't stay there long. There were some criminals in prison with him that he had used as fall guys. He had promised them a big payoff when their time was up. Seeing him in there with them they realized that their promised payday was not going to happen and they took it out on Luthor. He was dead within three months of being convicted."
I guess the next major incident occurred some time later. There was a call about a baby in a well … but that's a story for another time."
"Oh, Herb!"
"Tut, tut. I have delayed your departure on your vacation too long as it is."
"What happened to them?"
"They had a number of adventures, many of them similar to those which you have been through. Suffice it to say that after a rocky start, things worked out." Standing, Herb pulled a small device from his pocket and started pressing buttons. After a few seconds, he retrieved his hat and after placing it on his head, hit the final button. A portal opened in front of him and as he stepped through, said, "Caio."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Stepping down off the pad in the transfer room of TTEMPO, Herb looked around at the bustle of activity as agents came and went. As he started to move to his office, he mused to himself, "That was a rather abrupt departure, but it couldn't be helped. If I had delayed their vacation any longer there is no telling how badly I could have altered the timeline. They needed to get to Smallville so that they could prevent that terrorist group from carrying out their plan and then it was during that vacation that Jon was conceived. Who knows what problems delaying that could have caused? I must needs be more careful in the future." (See Borrowed Time - Matchmaker Chronicles Volume 2)
And now
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Chapter 20
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After leaving the INS office, Lois and Clark went back to the Daily Planet. Since Clark's arm was still in the sling, Lois did the majority of the typing as they worked on the story. In a return to the way things had been before the promotion to the editor’s office, Clark's chair was at her right elbow the entire time, editing her copy and for once she didn't object. There was some controversy about some of the points of the story, but they ironed them out and after a couple of hours, Lois sent the story to Perry. As soon as she sent it they went to his office.
As they entered, Perry was in the process of pulling the copy from the printer attached to his computer. He said, "Have a seat while I look this over."
They sat on the sofa, side-by-side with Clark's right hand in Lois's left.
When Perry finished reading he sat back in his chair and said, "Wow, that's some yarn. So, Trask won't be bothering us anymore?"
"No, Sheriff Harris took care of that little problem for us."
"What was he actually doing there? You left out that little detail."
Lois looked at Clark and they exchanged a silent communication, before Lois replied, "We need to leave that out of the story. Look, off the record, it was this way; he was looking for a meteorite from Superman's home world. Before Clark left Smallville, Rachel Harris gave him the report she found when she was going through Trask's paperwork. She asked Clark to give it to Superman after he convinced her that if it became general knowledge it could be dangerous to him. This rock emits a high band radiation that Trask thought would be harmful to Superman, maybe even kill him. We don't want to take a chance that that could happen, so we want to withhold that part of the story. You never can tell what some people would do with that kind of information." Lois thought for a second before she continued, "You know, we'll have to go back to Smallville, I still have to testify on Sherman's behalf. She helped me escape so that I could go to Clark. I'm sure that she knows what Trask was after, but I think that once I impress on her how important it is to keep that rock a secret, she won't say anything. She is a good person that got caught up in this accidentally."
"Okay, but without that piece it lacks the punch it could have."
"That's okay. It’s better this way. It needs to be kept a secret."
"Okay, it's your story. Clark, how is your shoulder?"
"It's getting better, Perry. It may take some time to completely heal. I was shot on Saturday and this is only Tuesday."
"Okay, why don't you take some sick time and rest up. Didn't you say that you two are …"
"Married. Yes, we are." As Lois smiled, Clark held up her left hand to display her rings. "If you don't mind, we're going to take off. We need to move Lois's clothes. We're going to live in my old apartment, at least temporarily. If you need us, call us there, but don't call tonight." He looked at Lois and as he did he said, "We've got a date scheduled."
"Whoa. Don't most couples date … before they get married?"
Clark snickered and asked, "Since when has Lois Lane done anything the normal way?"
"Yeah, I see what you mean. How long do you think you'll be wearing the sling?"
"I don't know, Perry. A week or two. Shouldn't be too long."
"Okay, take the rest of this week as sick leave then come back half time until you are completely healed. Lois, I think you need some R&R after your ordeal as well besides, you need to take care of your husband. We’ll call it sick time as well. And don't think of this as your honeymoon. You can take that later, this is medical leave." He winked.
"Thanks, Perry."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Lois and Clark spent a couple of hours moving her clothing from her apartment to his. He made room in the closets and chests for her things. By the time they were finished, they were both weary. Clark's powers had not returned as yet so they decided to order in. After calling for pizza they settled on the sofa. Lois sat at a distance, unsure about the situation. She was a little scared, as she had said earlier in the day. In a way, she also felt relieved. Even though she had enjoyed being editor and the prestige derived from the position it was a relief to be back together with Clark as partners. It had been her fear of committing to a relationship with him that had driven her to relegate him to a subservient position in the office. By doing that she could keep him at arm's length.
Now, however, she was confronted with the fact that, here they were, together and
married. On Sunday, she had realized how wrong what she had been doing was and had decided to do the right thing. That was the reason for her confession. That was the reason that she had left, resigning herself to losing Clark. It had been one of the hardest decisions she had ever had to make in her life. She had been attracted to Clark that first day, in Perry's office. When she had realized that he was Coquinos and knew how the twins felt about him and realized that he was having the same effect on her, it had scared her then and there. Then Perry had teamed them up which had led to late nights together, shared meals of take-out, working closely and the more they had worked together the more her attraction had dominated her thoughts and the more scared she had become.
There had been many nights when they had been going over story notes that she had felt the urge to throw caution to the winds and herself into his arms. The fear of any relationship ending the way her parent's had always kept her from doing it.
Now, the way she felt, if this marriage went the way of her parent's she knew that she would be devastated. She dearly wanted this marriage to work and she resolved to do everything she could to make that happen.
Coming to a decision, she cautiously shifted her position so that she was closer to him.
Clark asked, "Would you like to watch a movie? I think I have ‘Lethal Weapon’."
Timidly, Lois asked, "You'd do that for me?"
Smiling, he replied, "If my wife likes a particular actor, why can't I show her a movie with him in it?"
"You wouldn't be jealous?"
"Why should I be jealous? You're my wife now, not his."
Lois looked down at her left hand as if to reassure herself and seeing the ring, smiled and said, "Yeah, your wife. I'd like to watch it … with you."
"Okay then. One movie, coming up."
He stood and moved to the movie rack, selected the cassette and inserted it into the player. Using the remote he turned on the TV and settled back on the sofa as the opening credits rolled.
The pizza arrived, Clark retrieved a cream soda from the fridge for Lois and a Coke for himself and they ate while they watched the movie and when they were finished, Lois moved closer, actually leaning against Clark's right side. He put his right arm across her shoulders and while the movie played Lois reached up with her right hand and twined her fingers with his..
When the movie finished, impulsively, Lois turned around and kissed Clark. She said, "Thank you. That's one of my favorite movies."
"I'll keep that in mind for the future."
Starting to feel more comfortable with Clark, Lois shifted position, lying down on the sofa with her head in Clark's lap. "I was wondering, how much longer until you have your powers back?"
Thoughtfully, he said, "It shouldn't be much longer. The wounds in my shoulder and arm are almost closed and I think I can just about hear your heartbeat. That's one of the earliest signs."
"Hearing my heartbeat is one of the early signs? Why is that?"
"My hearing was one of my first powers to manifest so it comes on the earliest. Why your heartbeat, there's just something about your heartbeat. It is special to me. That first day, in Perry's office was the first time I ever heard it and for some reason, my hearing locked on it. From then on whenever you are in range, I can hear your heartbeat. I can tell your mood from the way it is beating."
"What's my mood now?"
He listened for a few seconds and said, "You seem to be relaxed."
"Yeah, I am. I can't believe it, but I am. I thought I'd be nervous, my wedding night and all."
"Lois, you know, I won't force you to do anything. I'll wait as long as you want to. I'm a v – a very patient person and I'll wait until you are ready."
Lois yawned and said, "I think it's time to get ready for bed. Do you need any help, you know, with your shoulder?"
"No, I think I can manage.” Unsure how far she would be willing to go, he timidly asked, “Do you want me to sleep on the sofa?"
As she was sitting up, she looked at him and said, "I don't think so. I think we may as well start getting used to sleeping together. I can't promise anything will happen …"
He was happy that she was willing to take even that small step and felt it best to reinforce his statement, "Like I said, I'm very patient."
There was relief in her voice as she said, "Good. Let's get ready for bed," and taking the hand he offered stood and hand-in-hand they headed for the bedroom.
Clark let her use the bathroom to change first and when she came out she was in a shortie nightie, similar to what she had worn in Smallville which caused his blood pressure to rise.
Thinking that she needed to see him the way he usually dressed for bed he put on a pair of silk sleep shorts.
He didn’t need his super-hearing to hear her gasp when he stepped out of the bathroom and crossed the floor to what would now be his side of the bed. In the dim light he could see that her eyes were locked on him and he could hear her quickening breath as he slid under the covers next to her.
Reflecting back on their nights in Smallville, Lois asked, in a low voice, “What was it like, growing up in Smallville and developing powers?”
He thought for a second and then said, “It was great, but I guess most of that can be attributed to my folks. When my powers started to develop, the helped me cope with them.” He talked for another five minutes, until he heard Lois yawn, then he said, “I think that’s enough for tonight. Good night, Lois.”
In a sleepy tone, Lois replied, “I guess you’re right. G’night, Clark.”
There was only silence until they both fell asleep.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Sometime around two in the morning, Lois woke up because suddenly, she was cold and Clark was not spooned against her back. She reached behind herself and the bed was empty and the covers were gone. Glancing around she saw the blanket hanging in the air above her. She gasped out, "Clark?"
Hearing his name and her voice awakened him and he plummeted back to the bed.
She screeched when he fell, almost on top of her, but quickly collected herself. "What was that all about," she challenged.
He was contrite as he answered, "I guess my powers have returned. I was floating in my sleep."
"Is that going to be a regular thing?"
"It usually only happens when I've been stressed or if I'm very happy."
"Which is it this time then?"
Smiling he replied, "Oh, I'm happy. Very happy."
"What are you happy about?"
Staring into her eyes he said, "You, here, in bed, with me, as my wife."
"So, I guess I'm going to have to put up with that, what, every night?"
"Maybe, there may be times that you'll float along with me."
With a wicked grin, she replied, "Something for me to look forward to. How can we keep you from falling on top of me?"
Smiling he said, "We will need to fall asleep in each other's arms. That way, if I float, you float too. Marital togetherness."
She mulled this over for a minute and then lying back down said, "Let's give it a try, I need some more sleep."
Snuggling together, Clark wrapped her up in his arms and they fell asleep again.
The next time she awoke she felt like she was sleeping on air. Looking around she realized that that was exactly what was happening. She still had Clark's arms around her, her right leg was looped over his and they were floating four feet above the bed. She thought to herself, <A girl could get used to this,> and smiling she fell back to sleep.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The next couple of days were spent moving Lois's things from her apartment. She had called and cancelled the move to Canada so they were using her Jeep. Some items were put into storage, some were moved to Clark's, now their apartment, and the rest was donated. Moving the fish tank was an elaborate production. The fish were captured and segregated into individual containers for the trip. Superman picked up the tank and flew it to Clark's apartment. He returned to Lois's apartment and Clark and Lois moved the remainder of her things.
Another chore was changing her driver's license. They made a stop at the INS office and gave Mr. Ramsbottom her new address. While there they applied for her green card. Lois expressed her intent to apply for citizenship at her earliest opportunity.
Seeing them together, Mr. Ramsbottom was reassured that this was no longer a fraudulent marriage. They did look happy together. He was still disappointed that they had pulled a fast one on him, but as they were leaving he wished them well.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
A few days later, Clark mentioned, "You seem to be settling into married life. You look comfortable. I just want you to know that, whenever you are ready, just say the word and we'll go on a honeymoon. Anywhere in the world you want to go."
She squeaked out, "Really? Anywhere?"
Nodding he said, "Anywhere. We'll go by Superman express."
Smiling she said, "That can be a real money-saver."
"And always first-class. Sorry, there won't be any in-flight meals, but then the flights will always be short."
In a small voice, Lois asked, "Could we …"
"Could we, what?"
"Could we … go for a flight? Now?"
Smiling he replied, "I've just been waiting for you to ask. Where do you want to go?"
Like a kid with a new toy, she was beside herself with glee and said, "Oh, I don't know. Anywhere." She thought for a second and then said, "How about Smallville. I want to apologize to your parents. It has been a few days and I really owe it to them."
"Lois, you don't have anything to apologize for. They helped me arrange for the marriage documents. They knew how we felt about each other even before we did."
"Then I want to thank them for their understanding. I want to tell them how happy I am … married to their son, having them as my in-laws, being part of your family.
"They are happy to have you as a part of this family. Yes, we got off to a rocky start, but that is all behind us now.' He stepped away from her and said, "Stand right there."
She looked at him quizzically.
Suddenly he started to spin turning into a blur changing from denim blue and black to bright primary colors. When he stopped spinning, Superman stood there in place of Clark Kent.
She breathed out an exclamation, "Oh, wow! That's how you do it?"
Like a kid showing off for his girlfriend he smiled and said, "Yeah, neat, isn't it?"
"I'll say."
Taking her hand he led her to the balcony then picking her up they took to the sky. This was the first time that she would be flying with him when he wasn’t rescuing her from death and she couldn’t control herself. Passers-by could hear a faint, "Wheeeeee," which diminished with distance as they climbed into the sky.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
When they landed at the Kent farm they were greeted at the door by Martha. As soon as she saw Lois she opened her arms in invitation and Lois moved into the offered hug. When she did, she started to cry. Martha said, "I hope that those are tears of joy and not sadness because I am happy to welcome my daughter-n-law into our home." Behind Lois's back, Martha twirled her finger.
Seeing this cue, Clark spun back out of the uniform.
Lois nodded her head and said, "I'm happy. I'm so happy. Thank you. Thank you, so much."
"Is he treating you okay?"
Nodding, Lois said, "Better than I deserve after what I did to him."
"Oh, Honey, if he had objected he wouldn't have gone along with it. Come on in, let's get comfortable."
They moved inside and sat on the sofa. Once they were all settled, Martha asked, "Well, how did it go with Mr. Ramsbottom?"
"Clark fixed that."
"Oh, how?"
Clark explained, "I had been planning to have Perry act as our witness, but at the last second, I changed my mind."
Martha was confused. Lois had said that it was taken care of and now Clark was saying that the documents were not witnessed. "Okay, how did you work it out?"
With a sly smile, he said, "I decided that there was someone else that could be our witness."
Lois started to laugh as she said, "He had Mr. Ramsbottom act as witness!"
Martha started to laugh. She asked, "How did you get him to do that?"
"Human nature. Most people, if you hand them something and ask them to sign it, especially if they have seen you sign the same thing will not bother to read it. I had Lois sign then I signed and asked him to sign. As I had hoped, he didn't read it first, he just signed."
"When Clark told him that since he was the witness he would be tried as an accessory if they prosecuted us, Mr. Ramsbottom was speechless."
Martha looked Lois in the eyes and asked, "Are you okay with this? Being married to Clark, that is?"
Lois looked at Clark, smiled and said, "Yeah, I'm okay with it. It is going to take some getting used to, but yeah. He has promised me a honeymoon, anywhere in the world."
Martha looked at Clark and said, "That's a promise only someone like him could make."
"I know, and I'm going to take him up on it.
Clark added, "We're going to date for a while, first."
"That sounds like a good idea. You don't want to just jump in. You need to check the water level first. Are you kids staying for dinner?"
Lois replied, "I'd love to and I'm sure Clark wouldn't object." Lois looked back at Clark and said, "Why don't you go see what your father is doing?"
Taking the hint, Clark said, "Why don't I go check on Dad?" He stood up and left the room.
Once he was out, Lois asked, "My mother was an alcoholic and was never very good around the house. Martha, I've always lived alone. I have always been busy and relied on take-out. My mother never taught me how to cook." She looked around to make sure Clark had really left before she continued, "The other day, when you brought in those cinnamon rolls, I don't know why, but it hit me, I don't want him to leave me for a woman that can cook. Could you teach me?"
"Lois, if he leaves you for someone else it will not be because you cannot cook. Frankly, knowing my son, he'll never leave you, no matter what, but if you're serious about learning to cook, I can give you the basics, but I'd suggest that you talk to Clark. He is an excellent cook. It can be a lot of fun cooking together. It can strengthen a relationship." She smiled and ended with, "Trust me, it can be fun." This time it was Martha's turn to look around before she finished, "You'd be surprised how many times sex starts in the kitchen." Martha thought for a second and then patted Lois's hand and said, "Wait right here."
Martha bounced up and went upstairs. When she came back downstairs, she returned to her place on the sofa. She looked around again and then reached into her apron pocket. When she pulled her hand out she reached over and placed an object in Lois's open palm. As she did, she said, "Here, we're getting kind of old to be doing things like this. I think it's your turn."
Looking down, Lois saw that the object was the garter that Martha had given her to wear on her wedding day. Martha folded Lois's hands over it and said, "Have some fun."
Lois blushed and said, "Martha, I can't take this."
"It would please me if you would. It's like a relay race. I'm passing the baton."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
It had been over a month since they had been married and in that time Lois and Clark had taken every opportunity they had to date like any other normal couple. They were settled back into their roles as investigative journalists and were enjoying that time working together They had successfully participated in the capture of a hit man that Lois had witnessed killing one of his targets and prevented an ecological tragedy. In that incident, Superman had needed to save her when the gunman tried to shoot her. Lois and Clark had also defeated a woman that thought of herself as the greatest magician in the world who was intent on enslaving the world's people via subliminal messaging. In that incident, Superman had rescued Lois from a sealed chamber as it was being flooded with water.
The fact that it was her husband saving her life in these circumstances was not lost on Lois. Through this time they were living together and sleeping in the same bed and doing all of the ‘normal' things a married couple did, with one exception. Finally, one evening as they were cuddling on the couch, Lois came to the realization that she desired more, a deeper, more complete relationship with Clark, a true marriage with everything that went along with that. As they were watching a movie she was thinking about it rather than the movie. Finally, during a commercial break, Lois said, "Clark, did you really mean it?"
Taken by surprise by this question which obviously had nothing in the world to do with the movie that they were watching, he asked, "Did I really mean what?"
"Did you mean it when you said that we could go anywhere for a honeymoon?"
The fact that she was asking about this was getting his hopes up, he said, "Yeah, I was serious."
"Okay … look, here's the thing … I think I'm ready, but … after all the trouble my trip to the Congo caused, I don't want to go far. Let's just book a weekend in the honeymoon suite of the Lexor."
Smiling he asked, "Are you sure, because I don't want to push you into anything you are not ready for."
"Yeah, I'm sure. I'm ready to take that next step, with you. You've convinced me that you aren't like other guys, well, you aren't like any other guys, but I mean, I believe you … that you want this relationship."
In a sober tone, he replied, "Lois, a long time ago, I decided that once I found the right woman, first, I would tell her about myself." He gave a little chuckle before he continued, "We saw how that worked out. It wasn't exactly the way I wanted to do it, but it worked out. Second, once I found her and we were married it would be forever. There is no divorce, no do over. I wanted permanence."
Looking into his face, Lois said, "That has always been my greatest fear. My parents divorced, I've seen so many couples separate that I was always afraid it would happen to me and I didn't want that. I have always wanted permanence, but was afraid it would never happen, that something would always go wrong and the marriage would end. You've convinced me that you want the same thing and now it's time to start … forever."
Smiling, Clark replied, "Your wish is my command."
The next day, Clark made the reservation.
comments go here TBC
