I agree with you, Ann, that the story of Jacob and his wives is tragic. I'm not as worried for Za, though. There are some key differences between Za's story and Leah's.
For one thing, Jacob was tricked into marrying Leah, and Leah knew it. So Leah knew that Jacob only married her because he thought she was Rachel. She knew from the beginning that Jacob loved Rachel and not her.
Another difference is that Kal and Za don't know each other. We have no idea whether Za wishes that Kal loved her the way Leah wished that Jacob lover her. For all we know, Za has reliable contraception and is having a secret affair with Ching. After all, if it's the norm for Kryptonian noble women not to live with their husbands we can only assume that they have developed a culture of discretely taking a lover on the side. Leah, on the other hand, had grown up with her handsome, charming, scheming older cousin in the same household. Then he went and fell for her younger sister. How humiliating!
I also think that Kal realizes that Za was the problem, especially after hearing Lois's letter. I'm pretty sure he's determined to find a way around it.
Beautiful part, Corrina! I loved all of it. I remember thinking "Well, he's definitely awake now!"
A nice detail was Kal's thought about the intimacy of Lois's touch on his chest. There are so many little touches like that that are not really sexual but are nonetheless intimate. They happen between spouses, but also in other close relationships like a parent and child. And, yes, they are a huge part of the bonding process. Wise foster parents know how to use those kinds of touches to help a child bond with them--holding hands, brushing hair, rubbing or patting a back, besides the more obvious hugs and kisses, all contribute to the feeling that 'I belong with this person and I'm safe with them.'
Nice work. Looking forward to seeing Kal and Lois take on the world.
