Oh wow. Different, definitely different and the writing was so beautiful too. This was my favorite part.
Her fingers suddenly went numb as her breath hitched tightly in her constricted throat. The frame slipped from her grasp and she could only watch as it fell to the ground, knowing that the glass would shatter.
The shatter never came, nor did the dull thud of the frame against the floor. Lois turned to her picture’s savior. “I didn’t hear you come in.” Her tone was almost accusatory as she wondered what gave him the right to be there anymore.
It's really telling on so many levels for me--the fact that he grabs the picture and it really doesn't matter that it never broke. There is no gratitude from Lois for "saving" the picture. In fact, the "picture's savior" at least to me feels a bit disparaging (because at the bottom it's the fact that he didn't "save" Clark that causes all this). It also makes me think that the fact that nothing *seems* to be broken superficially doesn't mean that it isn't. In some ways that can makes things that much harder to fix.
Really lovely *contented sigh*. I enjoyed this thoroughly. Thanks for posting it.
alcyone
