Happy birthday to your brother! Birthdays with zeroes in them are momentous and should be celebrated.
Weddings are also momentous and should also be celebrated. But this wedding is not your usual joyous occasion. This is more like dropping a hand grenade into a bucket of gasoline. Something's going to blow, and everyone around will be hurt.
Lois doesn't really want to marry Lex. She wants to be safe, and she believes intellectually that she will be safe with him, but she definitely doesn't love him. And that prospect, which conflicts with her desire for a loving relationship with her husband, is ripping her apart.
She wants to keep Clark as a close friend, but she can't because Clark wants more. I like the way you're showing Lois's conflict, and I like the way you've woven Rachel into the narrative.
I wonder what Rachel's going to tell Clark that evening? Surely she's picked up on Lois's waffling and on Clark's pain! I can't believe she doesn't know how these two knuckleheads feel about each other. Or will she take advantage of Clark's pain and make a move on him? Might she be that opportunistic? (What an ending that would be!)
I doubt it, but I'm ready for anything. This is good stuff! I wish I'd thought of it!
