"Don't you just wish that you could just be a child again sometimes?"

"No," Clark said firmly.

"Not even just a little bit?" Lois asked.

"I've grown and went through a lot to get to where I am now with a lot of mistakes and I wouldn't want to go back through that journey again for all the gold in the world."

"But do you ever see a new toy and say, gosh, I wish they had that when I was little?"

"What toy do you want and I'll get it for you," Clark told her teasingly.

"You know what I mean. It wouldn't be the same if you played with it now. I mean a video game is one thing, but you can't recapture the magic of bringing an action figure or stuffed animal to life, can you?"

"I suppose you can't."

"I mean it's not that being an adult doesn't have its good points, but I didn't get much of a chance to be a kid in a lot of ways. I goofed around in school, instead of applying myself and I don't know, I made a lot of mistakes too; sometimes I just wish I could go back and know now what I didn't know then, you know? Maybe get a chance to do some things right."

"Well, I understand, but I can't say I agree. We all wish we didn't make some of the mistakes we did, but at least it's over. I'm happy where I am now, aren't you?" he asked, slipping his hand over hers. "I have a great job, a great wife."

She smiled and kissed him. "So do I. Except for the wife part. It's not about being happy now. It's wishing I was happy then. Oh, well. Maybe it's old age setting in."

"You're 28," he said with a grin. "That's not old age."

They had reached their apartment. "I heard that once you hit 20, your body begins to decay back into dust."

"Now there's a cheerful thought. If you want to get technical, we're dying from the moment we're born."

"I know but you grow up and then you grow down."

"What brought this morbid thinking on?" he asked as he pushed the elevator button.

"I don't know. It's not really morbid. I was just explaining why I wish that I was a child again sometimes. Just a conversation piece. You don't want us to become one of those couples who have nothing to say to each other anymore, do you?"

"Somehow I don't think we're at risk for becoming one of those couples," he said, taking out the keys.

"It really is a nice apartment, isn't it?" he continued, as they went inside their apartment.

"It's nice, but I liked our old one too."

"This is only our second night. You'll like it a lot better when you get used to it."

"It's so big," she said, as she started to undress.

"If we're going to start a family, we need a bigger apartment," he said, hanging his clothes up neatly in the closet, while Lois threw hers onto the floor by her side of the bed.

"I suppose that's one way to recapture childhood, right? Having children?"

"Now you're talking," he said, kissing her good night. "We can work on recapturing it tomorrow, since we have the day off."

"Well, that's a charming way of putting it," she said, giving him another kiss. She turned over on her side. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," he said, flipping off the light.

---

Clark stretched the next morning. With his eyes still closed, he felt for Lois. He puzzled over her form. It felt smaller than usual, much smaller. He reasoned that he must not be fully awake yet, but his eyes snapped wide open to check.

Lois was the size of a 5 year old. In fact, she was a 5 year old.

"Lois!" he called, shaking her as hard as he dared. "Lois!"

She pulled the blanket over her head. "Leave me alone, Clark. It's our day off," she said in a grouchy, but young-sounding voice.

"Lois, you better take a look at yourself in the mirror."

She sighed to show her annoyance, but she complied. She got out of bed seemingly unaware of her smaller stature or that her pajama bottoms were gone and her pajama top had become more of a nightgown. She got to the dresser with the mirror.

"What the—"

Clark came over and lifted her so she could see her reflection.

"Please, tell me I'm still dreaming," she said pleadingly.

"I'm afraid not, honey. I think you got your wish."

TBC