Thirty-nine days with Clark on her Earth. Thirty-nine days as Summer ended and Fall began. Thirty-nine perfect days. Thirty-five days since he returned to his Earth. Thirty-five days, each a lifetime without Clark.

She woke up early on the  36th day, and dragged herself out of her lonely bed in her one-person studio apartment. Bootsie had an appointment with the vet. Her life had boiled down to cat butler, office clerk/drudge, and alone in a city bursting with nearly eight and a half million people. None of whom were the one she loved.

Boostie saw the cat carrier in Lexy's hand and leaped to the top of the refrigerator. He knew it usually meant a visit with the vet or some other equally heinous ordeal. Lexy took him down and put him in the carrier. She got her jacket, her purse, a book, and headed to the vet.

After dropping Bootsie off, she walked around the neighborhood, revisiting the places she'd gone with Clark. Clark farewell note told her to have a rich, full life, to be happy, for that would make him happy. I'll try, my dearest, but something of me beyond any star I can reach.

She went to a movie, then got dinner at a diner very like the one she used to visit after work with Clark and Larry. It even had the same burger specials. She stopped in a bookstore, wanting to find something to read that had nothing to do with Superman, other dimensions, or a heart shattered into stardust.

Lexy checked out self-help, mysteries, young adult, and finally selected a crime thriller that looked promising. She lost the fight to avoid comic books and superhero novels. There, on top, was a graphic novel with Lois, Lex Luthor, Lana, and Clark on the cover. Lois and Lex were were getting married by a Justice of the Peace, with Clark as witnesses. Clark and Lana were holding hands. Lois crossed her fingers behind her back. Her thought bubble read, Clark only do I love, but Lex I'll marry to expose his criminal connections. Lex's thought bubble read, Superman can't stay away from Lois. I'll use her to poison him and get rid of him and her snooping forever. Clark's read, You've broken my heart for the last time, Lois. I'll marry Lana right after they leave. Lana's read, Clark is mine at last. I'll make him happy. Lexy took a copy and walked to the register when she spotted a book on stars. She stopped dead and picked up the book. She looked up the constellation Scorpio and checked the pictures. A small checkmark constellation was not visible. She bought a star map and left the store.

By the time she got to the Empire State Building, the first stars glimmered in the night sky. She bought a ticket for the observation deck and rode up to the 86th floor. She walked on the deck. Several people milled around, pointed at various sights, and generally enjoying themselves.

Lexy walked around the deck to the south side and looked until she found red Antares, the heart of Scorpius. She followed the curve of the tail to the Stinger and searched for a long time, but could not see a bird in flight, a checkmark with a red point. She watched the empty sky where it existed in another life, remembering Clark's arms around her, his kisses, and the love that had been theirs in another dimension. I'd probably get a job here so I could look for Eldirao at night in the winter. Oh, my dearest, I hope the sun and moon and stars on your Earth give you more comfort. She shivered; the night was growing cool. With one last look at a night sky with billions of stars that did not hold the one that mattered, she went home.

*

Clark asked, "How am I doing, Barry?" as Barry checked his results on a screen.

"Good, Clark, very good." He looked at the former Kryptonian Superman, now the equal of an Earthman. "How's it going? Work? Are you still thinking of moving back to Smallville?"

Clark nodded. "At least for a year or two. Ma and Pa are getting older. They both need operations for cataracts this year. I want to finish my novel, and work on some other books. I have material I can write about Krypton and the United Planets."

"Work will help keep you fulfilled." Barry paused. "How are you doing, yourself?

Clark smiled slightly. "I go to dinner with friends and talk to blind dates they've arranged, and hear her voice. I guess it will fade with time, but right now, it's like she's just out of sight, and I keep waiting for her."

"You've done so much for us. I wish I could help you somehow. Her Earth1 is out of reach to ours, for some dimensional reason."

Clark looked directly at him. "I miss Superman, sometimes, when I see something I could do. A building on fire. A car accident. I see couples walking together, and families and happy people and know I'll never have that again. We were alive, real in some way. I'd go to her in a heartbeat if I could."

"If Iris and I can do anything for you, let us know. Let me give you the rest of your results."

They had just finished when Emil entered with an iPad.

"Clark! I'm glad you're still here. I want to check on what it was like to be transported."

"Sure," said Clark. I've got time." Nothing but time.

They talked for a few minutes, and Emil ran a few tests.

"Just as I thought. Transport doesn't alter the nature of the traveler."

"Too bad I can't go again."

Emil looked up in surprise. "Where do you want to go? Can't go back in time, say, if you wanted to go to your home world of Krypton before the explosion. Can't go to the pocket world where your parents are."

"Clark and I were talking," said Barry. "He wants to go back to Earth1 to be with Lexy."

"Oh. Oh." Emil fidgeted. "I didn't want to say anything, because I don't know yet what the situation will be, but a few small, localized Maelstroms are supposed to blow through after the weekend."

Clark straightened up. "Breaches? You mean there's a chance I can go to Earth1 and Lexy?"

Emil shook his head. He looked directly at Clark. "I don't know. These storms may open breaches to the Phantom Zone or another dimension besides hers, like the Bizarro world. We won't know until the storms come. Are you really serious about going back to Earth1?'

"Yes," said Clark, "yes, I am." His heart pounded, and he took a few deep, slow, calming breaths.

Emil looked at Barry. "Can we do it?" Barry asked.

"Maybe. A very, very, very small maybe," said Emil. He turned back at Clark. "If you want us to check for any breaches, and send you through to Earth1, if, and that's only if, a breach to Earth1 appears, be here on Monday by eight. It's the holiday, but Barry and I can come in. We'll get the transport ready and if an Earth1 breach appears, we'lltry to send you there. You'd have better odds winning the lottery. After this, we're sure there won't be any more Maelstroms for thousands of years.

"Thank you, Emil, Barry. I'll be here at eight."

*

Lexy woke up early Monday morning when thunder crashed again and again over the city. She sat up in bed, looking around. Lightning flashed, a sallow purple and yellow and Lexy froze, wondering if she were dreaming a Maelstrom. Thunder boomed immediately. Lightning flashed again and again, ugly purple and yellow of a Maelstrom. Lexy's heart beat faster and her breathing quickened.

Maelstroms. Maelstroms with their breaches between worlds. Is it possible, really possible that there is a breach between here and Clark's Earth? It would be by the pond in the park. She jumped out of bed and pulled on jeans and a tee Clark had left over her pajamas. In minutes, she filled her backpack with a few changes of clothes, her diary, the box Clark brought with him and other items she thought she'd need or want. She got her purse and rain jacket.

She locked the apartment door behind her and ran for the elevator. After an eternity the doors opened and she pushed the button for the lobby. The elevator dawdled, stopping on seven  floors. She wondered what so many people were doing up this time of night.

The doors slid open in the lobby and she ran out. Lazlo was at the concierge's desk.

"Lazlo, please keep my key." If there was no breach, she'd have to come back and accept her destiny.

"Sure, Lexy. Everything OK?"

"I don't know yet, but I've got to find out."

Lazlo put her key away and came out from the concierge's desk. "Do you need a cab?

"Yeah, I do, I really do."

He walked outside with her and waved at a cab down the street. It swerved over to stop in front of the building before them.

"Do you know when you'll be back, Lexy?"

"Never, I hope. I'm going home," she said. Lazlo opened the cab door and helped Lexy inside.

"South Carolina?"

"Metropolis."

*

Lexy hopped out of the cab in Central Park near the Plaza. Lightning, purple and yellow, reeking of ozone, flashed over Central Park, and spatters of rain fell. She paid the driver with a $50, telling the surprised man to keep the change. She hoped she wouldn't need it.

She skittered across the street against the light to stand on 59th near the pond. Storm or not, she wouldn't go into the park at two in the morning.  A police offered yelled, "Lady!" He'd caught her jaywallking.

No, no, please no. All I need is a cop arresting me for jaywalking before I find the breach. She froze, terrified, then ducked behind a bush. The cop ran down the sidewalk stopped and looked around for her, shining a powerful flashlight. The beam passed over her, and she breathed again.

The storm was beginning to break up. She'd find out soon enough if she could return to Metropolis. Now or never. The next lightning flash she stood up and jumped into the glow.

Thunder boomed. When it was over, she was still by Central Park. The cop flashlight found her, and he yelled something. She looked around. This was about the spot where she'd been when she transported to Metropolis. No way the cop was stopping her. She crouched down. Ozone filled her nostrils, another lightning bolt struck the pond, and the world darkened and moved.