I gave the chapter a ❤️ for Joel’s growth, love, and winning his relationship with Cody and their dad. I so wanted to gift it the anger 😡 face for Westley and mom’s destruction of their family; Westley’s selfish exposure of Joel’s private affairs to begin with, then mom’s anger and actions since that time, as pointed out, taking it out on anyone and everyone that opposed her.
It almost felt as if Joel could have semi-shouted just once from the porch that “I’ve been thrown out of my own house for being gay” and mom would have lost all her bravado in this discussion… but that risks all kinds of consequences if mom went ballistic. Then again, if she and Weasel had left, that could have improved things for all of Tempton; but also changed the whole story dynamic. 😆
Of course, cooler heads prevailed and dad had to sympathetically apologize for his wife and mother of his children tearing the family apart, inviting the children to hate them as parents; probably losing Cody and Joel forever when Cody turned 18. What a disgraceful thing for mom to continue to do while acting as Joel is the bad influence on the family.
Another wonderful chapter and a great interlude for possibly revisiting this tale @Krista.Thank you again for sharing your efforts, your story, your comments, and your heart, with us all.