Al Norris

Hmm, I had to look that up! To tell you the truth, Until my beta reader told me the same thing, I had never considered that angle. So thank you!

Hmm, that really gives me an idea. Likely I'm wrong but... Could there actually be a trust set up for the boys by Grandma? Billy knows about it and will use that in court, should it become necessary. Diego doesn't know about it because Mommy Dearest couldn't remember in her drug-fogged brain.

I was going to mention that. In more than a few cases, the child gets nothing to a small pittance. Mom and/or Dad call it training for the family business. That scene now makes total sense. I never could stand the blowhard... So it was beyond cruel. It was pure torture!

More like a wild assed guess!

If I remember correctly, Thomas Walker Esq. was an associate with a well-to-do law firm. I'm wondering if to get back at Billy, for unmasking their associate, they have the clout to get a 'friendly' judge appointed to the Family Court. If that is the case, then all is lost.

In most states, in the US, CPS is mandated to keep the family together. That's how a lot of kids are injured or die. The parents or Guardians do enough to remedy the situations by which the CPS has taken the children, who then are returned to the abusing family. In other cases, nothing is done... Workload, you understand, and the reported child dies. In most cases, the CPS worker (or department) is never held accountable. There are also cases where a child is taken to justify their budget. Unless you come up with an attorney, you may never see your child again.

Opposite sides of the aisle... But there are quite a few of Ginsburgs written opinions I enjoyed reading, even if I disagreed with her.

That could be a reason for Mitch's absence... Of course, there are many reasons Mitch might be unavailable. The next chapter is scheduled for Tuesday at noon (Mountain time).

Gorgonzola Linguine with Braised Chicken Ingredients: Four medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts. 4 shallots sliced 2 Tbsp of olive oil. 2 Tbsp of balsamic vinegar. 1 pkg (9 oz) linguine 2 cups white wine (Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc) 1/2 cup of butter 2 cups of heavy cream 1 clove garlic smashed into a paste 1 tsp sea salt 1/2 tsp ground black pepper 1/2 tsp of ground nutmeg 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 8 oz Gorgonzola cheese Sauce: Slowly bring 1 cup of wine to a boil and reduce to about half. Add the butter, heating until clarified. Slowly add the heavy cream, bringing it to a slow boil. Again reducing to about half. During this reduction, add the garlic, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp nutmeg. When reduced, add the Parmesan, then add the Gorgonzola, crumbling it as you add. Whisk this mixture constantly until the cheeses are melted and combined. Keep sauce in a warmer (140 F). Makes about 2 1/2 cups of sauce. Chicken: Rub the chicken breasts with a mixture of sea salt, nutmeg, and black pepper. Let sit for a half hour to combine flavors. Brown all sides of your chicken breasts in the olive oil, using a cast iron skillet. Remove chicken temporarily. Add 1 cup wine and balsamic vinegar to deglaze the pan. Add the breasts back into the pan along with the shallots and place in oven at 325 F for about an hour, turning every 15 minutes. Check temperature. Should read as close to 190 F without going over. Remember, oven temps vary. Therefore time will vary. Pasta: Most Gorgonzola recipes will call for penne as the pasta. My recipe uses linguine for a different approach. The secret to this is to take the linguine and snap it into thirds, when you add it to the boiling water. This keeps the pasta short, as penne is, but adds a subtle difference. Cook the linguine until al dente. Drain in a colander and cool pasta with cold water to cease the cooking. Drain well and sprinkle a small amount of extra virgin olive oil on the pasta and toss (adds a bit of flavor and keeps pasta from sticking). Serve: Place a portion of the pasta on a plate, ladle some of the sauce over the pasta and top it all with the braised chicken and shallots. Serves 4. Note: Steamed asparagus spears go well as a side. Drizzle a small amount of the sauce onto the spears.

You're welcome, Geron.

Let's cut to the chase, here. They are both talking past each other. Neither of them is listening to the other... Oh, wait! That's SOP for 14-year-olds!

Nothing has changed my mind. My comment in the last chapter stands.

Oh, nothing good is going to come with this. Of that, I'm sure.

I was smaller than most of the kids my age. So I learned at a very early age to confront the bullies off campus. Challenge them to their face and strike first. Didn't matter if I won or lost. It was standing up to them that almost always seemed to work.

I'm right there with you @Gary L. Every time I see RBF written, I can't stop but think about U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg.

Mature enough to see things kids his age (or even older) miss.

With no cheese or mayo!

I'm among those who see Bryan needs to learn to control his emotional outbursts... At least while in school. 😉

Having known a few "Calvins" in my life, I can only speculate what happens from here on out. You have another reader.

Only Peter doesn't look at it that way.

According to my uncle, this happened to my Dad. He was called "Big Dick" all through high school. It was accurate in only one aspect... 🤔

At the time I was born, Dad and Mom owned and operated a neighborhood grocery store. Mom wanted to name me after my dad: Richard Allen. Dad would have none of that. It was told to me that he said to my mom that he would not have people referring to us as "Big Dick and Little Dick." Hence my name: Allen Richard. <- Mom always hated that. While it may be hard to believe, much of this prologue is autobiographical in nature. My Mother was only slightly less than the mother I describe here. One of the differences is that Mother was always searching for another "Richard." By the time I joined the Marine Corps, She had gone through 4 other husbands. When my tour of duty was done, there were two more that I never knew. Make of that whatever you will. Living in or near large cities, most people simply don't intrude upon other family matters unless the abuse is visible, such as constant visible bruising. As you read more, I hope you like the rest of the story!

That actually happened. The difference is that she didn't toss my sibling's presents.

The most I can say is that the clues were already given. 🤔🤣

I really don't plan on showing any sexual talents that Peter may or may not have. That one scene back in Chapter 4 was just to dispel the common written thought that young horny guys would satiate themselves when having sex for the first time. The proverbial "once and done" thought... That is certainly not how I remembered it! Peter had to learn to cook at a very early age. He intentionally tried to make Sunday meals special for his mother, in the hopes that she would recognize something he could do well. It never happened, but it didn't stop Peter from trying.