Charles26

They do say that the answer to a good question raises more good questions. There is an element of that here. Certainly Pop's reaction to Julie's pregnancy must have been pretty hostile. If I read it aright, he basically threw her out of the house and she fled to the big city for some years. Those were years in which she had a number of boyfriends and may well have been living a lifestyle of which her father would very much not have approved (though at least she avoided a second child!). And then it all became unmanageable and for want of any other option she went home and accepted her father's rules and requirements. I have the impression that this did not come easily to her. I wonder to what extent her failure to tell Matt was her own choice, and how much her father's. I think it is good that Matt should be able to tell Levi how much he (Levi) matters to him as well as to Luke and to his parents. Levi certainly needed to hear that. And I also think it is excellent that Levi should want, and feel able to ask for, a special place - or places - where he and Matt can talk openly on any concern's Levi may have. I guess that may have to go both ways in time. A very good chapter, so thanks.

Of course Levi hasn't met everyone yet, or been told everything. We haven't heard anything about Zack or about Tony's project for a shelter for homeless LGBT youngsters but in both cases there are background histories which, if presented the right way, could provide Levi with a lot to think about. Quite apart from which, Levi needs to find friends of about his own age if he is going to settle happily in T'ville. Come to that, did he have any friends "back home"? None has been mentioned (unless I've missed something!).

All things considered, Levi is managing amazingly well. "Chapeau" as they say here in France. He clearly still has major reservations about homosexuality and I don't suppose that will change soon or easily but he seems willing to listen, watch and (most of all) think. He also has the sense to keep his doubts to himself while he is working things out. A very mature approach for a boy his age. It's interesting that when awake he leans most on Luke, if anyone, but that in his dream it's Matt that he should trust and follow. But clearly both guys want the best for him. In fact Luke is standing up very impressively as a stepfather to Matt's son; so "hats off" to him, too.

One other unusual thing for Levi to handle: he is not only being required to deal with homosexuality, or sexuality in general, in the abstract. It is hugely personal and in his face. Most teenagers probably don't - don't want to - think of their parents or their parents' generation as sexual beings. Not a comfortable thought! But now Levi is introduced to the man who got his mother pregnant when she was barely out of school and then (all unknowing) left her as an unmarried teenage mother in a social and religious environment that disapproved hugely of such things. Not surprising if she became "more Catholic than the Pope" in her struggle to recover any respect at all in the community. His only real link with his father until now was that sexual encounter with his mother. That same man has had another man as his life partner since that time and they clearly have a sexual relationship. (Also loving, but that's another matter.) The other half-dressed men in Avalon are equally obviously sexual in their relationships with each other. Not that they are doing anything remotely inappropriate with Levi, but it is still quite evident. So Levi is not really in a position to pretend to himself that they are "past it" and that nothing of that sort is happening. It quite obviously is!

Levi's journey so far: he has met Matt and Luke and has broadly accepted their relationship (with some reservations), aided by the fact that they are family. He has also met Tim and Guy but they are not (yet) family and he finds their relationship much more difficult. He still has to meet Tony and Aaron, Scott and Justin, Zack and his partner (if he has one), Jess and Kellie... The whole works, in fact. So if he is going to stay with Matt and Luke he will have to make his peace with same-sex love. Of course, that leaves a range of options and it will be interesting to see where he ends up. We don't know anything about his own preferences yet, so we can't rule out his finding himself a boyfriend and living the life. Maybe. Otherwise he can wholeheartedly accept it and be supportive, accommodate it and just feel nothing much about it or (at worst) tolerate it. Toleration, of course, is not indifference; it's opposing some aspect of another person's behaviour or beliefs but accepting it because you respect the person. It's hard going so I hope he doesn't end up there. (Don't get me wrong - better toleration than hostility or hate. It's just not a very positive state of mind.) Meanwhile, Tim and Guy aren't engaging in PDAs as I understand the term. They are not "in public", they are in their own home. The four guys are two couples, not a group marriage, so by their own rules some things are kept behind the closed bedroom door, but that's their joint decision. The four of them may choose to modify their rules slightly if/when Levi becomes a member of the household rather than a guest but it's four to one (and the four are the owners of the house) so I'd expect 80% of the movement (at least) from Levi, not the others! I look forward to future developments.

Try again! Well. Yes. Fifteen is not the easiest of ages for anyone. The death of the person you love most in the world and upon whom you have depended all your life is almost unbearable. Moving home, leaving everything you really remember, is recognised as being one of the greater stress inducing events in our lives. And having to reconsider beliefs you have held to be absolute truths for as long as you have held conscious beliefs is no easy thing. To cope with all of these things at once? Levi is coping amazingly well. Of course, as well as the story of Levi and his father and his paternal family and his father's friends, we have a recurrent theme which is always fresh because it is never resolved. How can a religion that defines itself in terms of love and forgiveness and compassion so frequently show none of these things to those of us who differ from the mainstream? Well written and genuinely compassionate, so good job and thank you.

Well. Yes. Fifteen is not the easiest of ages for anyone. The death of the person you love most in the world and upon whom you have depended all your life is almost unbearable. Moving home, leaving everything you really remember if recognised

Happily Levi clearly has a strong enough personality to be able to think for himself. Julie seems to have been doctrinaire and controlling, for whatever reason, but she seems also to have loved her son and she has left him able to deal constructively with new ideas and challenges to old ones. He is willing to accept that his new - newly discovered, in truth - family love him (as clearly they do) and to respond to that love. He use of the mealtime grace to let them know how he feels is delightful and feels right, given his beliefs. And of course Thompsonville is working its magic on him. I wish we could all visit😄 All in all a lovely chapter. Thank you!

This is gearing up to be a great story. I hope all goes well - and, yes, it will be good when the people responsible are brought to justice😁

Nice one. Julie undoubtedly loved her son but she certainly didn't shy away from indoctrinating him. Was it really her own faith, or was it bitterness over Matt's choices? Truly changing Levi's mind will be very, very hard. As the Jesuits put it "Give me the child for the first seven years and I will give you the man."

Grief and joy... Perhaps it's a statement of the obvious, but two big things are happening in this excellent story. Julie dies and her death is a tragedy which brings with it so much grief for everyone who knew and loved her; and no-one more than Levi, who is bearing up astonishingly well given his traumatic loss and the bewildering changes he is having to cope with. But at the same time, something good has happened. Something which should have happened long before if Julie had felt up to it: Levi and his father and paternal family have met and are getting to know each other. And this, I think, is going to give great joy to Matt (and Luke?) - and to his parents, who suddenly have a grandchild that they presumably had long since given up any expectation of ever having. I hope it is also ultimately a joy to Levi and something positive to offset against his loss. Of course, they have to get through the pain and shock first. (I am also old-fashioned enough to have a land-line and though I do have a mobile phone I only use it for unavoidable security confirmations. I detest it!)

This is impressive - and very unusual. There are so many themes in gay stories, often mixed together. Some barely involve sex at all; some (often less successful) are about little else. Some deal with gay love. But here we have a description of gay desire, which is different. The hand job as the culminating sexual act is as basic as it is possible get but the eroticism of what leads up to it is intense and brilliantly expressed. A great piece of writing.