travlbug

What Everett said. 😊 While I usually ignore spelling errors, this one was too good to resist: "For most of the afternoon he’s been sitting on the coach playing video games." Or maybe it wasn't an error and the coach has some kinks of his own! 😂

I feel both sympathy and anger towards Loz in equal measures: His home life, to be blunt, is all screwed up, and it has marked him severely; but he is ultimately responsible for his own actions. He has finally made a breakthrough with his psychologist, but it's a tiny first step on a very long road. Further, even if he heals to the point where he's no longer a threat to anyone, he's still a rapist; and if Daniel reveals his crimes, he could be locked away for a long time to come, losing any hope for the rehabilitation which may finally have started. Loz has the decency to be ashamed of his actions--to want to apologize to Daniel--and this want shows that Loz is salvageable. So, on the one hand, I want Loz to be severely punished for what he's done, but on the other, I want him to succeed in escaping his toxic family and having a second chance. (See, Thorn, I don't ask for much at all!)

The present chapter is all about the music--no talk of dating at all--and I loved it. Great job in giving the feel of a jazz band at practice.

It took Sadie all of two minutes to figure out that Artie's gay! Glad to see that her love of Artie is stronger than the hatred she was taught. So, Dizzy is the hero of the hour. I think we all know how Artie's going to thank him. 😏 Wow, Ezra's alive after all (I've been wondering if the grandpigs did him in and planted him under the petunias.) But who clued him in that Artie was in court, or was their meeting a true coincidence? While Adam may have won custody, I'll breath easier when the gang is back in California. There's still time for bad things to happen--not that I think Artie might be kidnapped or anything. Naw, could never happen....

I love the image of a cocoon, with two butterflies emerging instead of one, their lives tranformed. Now, when Milan's voice "filled Rory's head," did he actually speak, or did they communicate telepathically? (Was Rory's delight in hearing Milan call him "mate," hearing his thoughts as a werewolf, or both? 😊)

Hard lesson. Danny should have been honest; but Jason's inability/refusal to understand Danny's motivation (his reluctance to hurt Jason's feelings) and self-imposed humiliation are what actually destroy their friendship.

Aiden turns out to be a great friend: He loves Jordan for who he is and provides a bedrock of support. (He also has embarrassing Jordan stories and pix, but what are friends for? 🤗) Oooh! A bondage kit! Sorta like a magic kit but with kinkier rope tricks! But first, Jordan will make the skimpy undies disappear.... 😂

Tommy no longer seems to be in the equation, and Cheryl? Been there, done that. Now, Paul has considered a liaison with Jared (even if he was drunk when he thought it). Additionally, Mike has offered him a new career at a time when he's at loose ends, with Jared thrown into the bargain. Don't fight it, Paul. "This is your destiny...."

I love the juxtaposition between the peace/love/nostalgia of the trip home and the jarring intrusion of the now when Drew restarts his cellphone. I love the way Mam simplifies the situation to its essence: "’I'm telling you that the heart wants what the heart wants and it’s usually a good idea to listen, especially when the other hearts are calling back.” While Drew clearly loves his mother, he no longer fits in with the place of his memories, and the way forward is to follow his heart. 😊

Paul is reentering the social world: His liaison with Cheryl is actually a step in the right direction, especially as he is careful not to lead her on. He also deserves kudos for his willingness to attend a gay bar and explore the other side of his sexuality. (Can't wait to see what happens there!)

“The pack would not be kind to anyone who dared play with wolf blood. Cade Ogawa’s future was already decided.” Yet, with Nisin, his son, now the chosen mate of a pack member, isn't Cade entitled to the clan's protection? Instead of being dealt with as a human, perhaps he will be subject to pack justice, as if he were a wolf. Whatever justice is dispensed, Nisin will need to be on board with it, or his time with the pack may be marred by bitterness. (Also, Cade's “crime” is mitigated by the fact that Rick came to him, not vice versa, and that Cade acted out of love for his son.) May the Force be with you, Rory (i.e., the living essence of Sanctuary, which allows him to overpower Rick with ease. Who knew? 🤗) I love that Rory helps Milan escape from the hospital (just like an elopement), with Milan now 17 and looking forward to their “midnight adventure” and a permanent cure for his pain. That said, someone’s Italian mama is going to breathe fire that he didn't leave a note….

In Artie's case, the bio father was merely a sperm donor and has had nothing to do with Artie's upbringing. In such a clear case of abandonment, bio-dad would have a hard time claiming custody, especially against the direct wishes of the mother and child (he's a complete stranger as far as Artie is concerned). I think that the only way bio-dad would have a chance at custody is if there were no other petitioners and if his intervention would avoid foster placement. I am much more concerned that the grandpigs will attempt character assassination, and I think it a tactical error for Adam (or his lawyer) to fail in recruiting Lindsay and her family to be present at the hearing to provide character references, particularly as plenty of folk in Texas are likely chomping at the bit to testify against him. In fact, what is his lawyer doing in preparation for the hearing anyway?

Noah, Jordan, time to fess up to Aiden, and do it fast, or you're really going to be sorry! (Remember when you tried to perpetuate the lie with Jenn!!! Please show us that you've learned from your mistakes....) A shit-faced smile, followed by a quick admission of the truth and a lip-smacking kiss ought to do it. Then, Jenn can kiss Aiden, and you can all go out for dinner. (Jordan and Noah will be eating crow.) 😅

Nice to get a sense of Annie's humor (with the see-through speedo 😊). Kudos to Jared for getting Paul to live again, though he will never forget his Annie. (Paul's willingness to play piano on stage with Michael is another wonderful example of his ongoing recovery.)

Carter, you remind me of Forrest Gump, but with more sex and a better cast of characters! Simon, sorry you had to find out the truth about Alex, but life is like a box of chocolates.... Aron, Alex may break the bank, but you broke the bed! (Sex is not an Olympic sport, but you still get the gold medal!) Ah, girl with the pony tail (are you Mark in drag?), you've finally told the truth. So why did you wait so long? Of course, better ratings! (And Alex's hush money....) So, Laura, do you know what we do to authors who end stories we love? We make them write new ones. (Your fate is sealed!)

"...The Morgan is challenged...," but "Rick has lost his mind...." So, is Rick showing that he's lost his mind by challenging a Morgan, or has someone else issued the challenge? Also, which Morgan will be fighting? So many questions....

Neil himself is an interesting object lesson: He still has OCD, even after hospitalization as a child (he couldn't even function), but he's learned to live with it--even make it a virtue, as it decided him to be a psychiatric nurse. Thus, even where a disability cannot be completely cured, it doesn't need to rule, or ruin, one's life!

This chapter provides a deft exploration of Tyson's feelings/ emotions and how they affect, or relate to, his recovery. Cynthia's finally getting through to Tyson. He is beginning to internalize her assertion that his parents are ultimately to blame for his anger issues and suicidal ideation; and the realization is so cathartic that he can't help but cry, saying to himself, “It's not my fault” (the exact opposite of what his mother tells him). Not that Tyson doesn't have a long way to go, as he still responds negatively to emotions. (“Emotions were a burden, after all. That's what his parents always taught him. Cynthia didn't agree, and he had more faith in her than in Edith, but that didn't mean he could flip a switch.”) He's irritated with Neil for caring enough to bring him a sandwich. He's irritated with himself for feeling sympathetic to Neil's story: “He didn't like it [feeling sympathetic]. The feeling was foreign to him until he'd finally been admitted to the ward” (where he is finally learning that feelings aren’t necessarily bad). When he experiences anger at his own feelings of sympathy, he literally has to remind himself that he doesn't “need to feel angry.” That said, Tyson is learning. He offers Charlie his chocolate frog to feel the “relief and release” of apologizing--of showing he cares for the feelings of others--and the very act of apologizing shows how far he has come: “Tyson hated the acrid taste of humility. The Belmont-Lovett family were upper-class people. They were better than the under-achievers and the poverty-stricken. They did not apologise, and they did not lower themselves. It was weakness. Edith often reminded him of this. Being humble is something losers do to hedge their bets.” However, Tyson now humbles himself to the most humble, and he feels better for it. The fight with “trashy cow” Chantalle is interesting in several respects. First, Tyson feels the need to defend Vlady (he wouldn't have cared before his hospitalization). Second, he still has anger issues with trashy cows 😂 (and can't help himself from escalating the hostilities). Third, he's gained enough control that he can shut off the anger when restrained by Wilson, quickly earning his way out of the sensory room and regaining his crutch. The saddest moment in the chapter occurs when Masha brushes Tyson's cheek: He freezes in response, and his thoughts inform the reader that he is “unaccustomed to that kind of affection.” (His parents are truly monsters.) The happiest moment in the chapter occurs when Masha “opens up her arms to hug him, and Tyson's icy heart melted. He leaned into her embrace, and she kissed him on the forehead. ‘You're my boy as well.’" He is learning to accept affection and love, but he has earned it, too, by performing a selfless act prompted by his own caring. Tyson's growing empathy for others, his budding ability to master his anger, and his realization that his parents views on emotion are pathologic have placed him on the road to recovery. Now, with the ice, or wall, around his heart breached by the warmth of a true mother's embrace, Tyson's recovery is likely to occur even faster. ❤️

With Alex as leader of the fort, his self imposed isolation in the tower for a month seems odd, especially if it were to avoid Mac and Tobi (guilt would not seem an appropriate motivation, and I certainly hope he hasn’t shirked any of his responsibilities in trying to avoid them). Mac and Tobi clearly still feel for their friend, making his actions even more awkward and incomprehensible, and Mac has no reason for giving him an apology, spoken or otherwise, for rebuking him. Obviously, Kelly has been allowed to remain free, and while I personally consider this a big mistake, I trust that Alex has some strategy in mind. For someone with no interest in Tobi as a boyfriend, Alex pays a great deal of attention to Tobi's new haircut and how it accentuates his amber eyes. After six months of planning for when their isolation is over (showing the countdown timer is a nice touch), Alex’ unilateral decision to change their target location at the very last moment seems peculiar indeed. (His decision not to share “the reasons why” also seems peculiar, and I'm surprised that no one has called him on it.) Interesting that some of the exploration party will be armed with bows alone while others are given firearms. (Six months of training should have had everyone up to speed with the use of guns; and Alex's justification for the use of bows [“I don’t want any of those things alerted to our presence”] seems specious, as the use of bows/arrows would probably put the user within visual range of the zombies anyway and would take too long to “fire” in an emergency situation--not to mention that others in the party are given guns and that Noah uses his rifle first just to see if he can “destroy one of them.” Larry states that he would feel better with a rifle, but Alex responds, “Can you stick to the bows for this trip and then we’ll see what’s what after we get food.” Thus, Alex is purposefully denying guns to some of the party--at least at this point--and his reasoning is not obvious.) I love the exploration of the deserted village (very atmospheric), and the surprise appearance of a teen behind a “very heavy door” at the end of the chapter. Now, we'll finally get a firsthand discussion of what's been going on in the world from someone who's been living it. In the meantime, I hope that the others in the search party are safe….

Wow, a dreamscape triple feature! Paul's subconscious seems to see Cheryl, Tommy, and Jared himself as potential love interests. While Paul is in a needy state right now, I hope he realizes that there is no need to rush his social life, and a second soul mate may still be out there for him, whether one of the three mentioned above or someone he hasn't even met yet. (Que será, será….)

Danie invades Kohen's mind without permission, which is what makes his action a violation. Now, Kohen makes a unilateral action, locking in a new destination without the permission of Captain and crew and creating a violation of trust. Why is the course change so important that he cannot even discuss the issue prior to acting and, further, prevents his action from being undone? He better have a good explanation, or he may lose his credibility with the people he values the most.

"I will run away from Texas with him [Dizzy]. Adam did it and his parents didn’t care. Why would I be any different?" When Adam's parents threw him out with the garbage, they felt morally justified. If Artie escapes their clutches, they lose a monetary stipend and, worse, they lose to Adam. On that basis, Artie's situation is not the same as Adam's was: The grandmonsters will fight to keep Artie, not out of love, but out of spite. Still, Artie has a secret weapon: I agree that Artie should keep his sexuality a secret during the court proceedings; but if Adam loses custody, then Artie and Dizzy should share the wettest, sloppiest kiss ever seen by Man right in front of the grandpigs (and they should charge entertainment tax!). We'll see at that point how much the oinkers really want a homosexual bastard under their roof!

Adam's "crime" occurred more than 10 years ago, so relevance to custody is unclear; and his action did not involve child endangerment, so again, relevance to custody is unclear. Of course, there may be something else that Adam isn't telling us.... Artie wants to stay with Adam, and his mother directed that he stay with Adam. Further, Artie can provide witness that his grandparents have acted towards him in a hostile manner (calling him a bastard and his mother a whore, as well as assaulting him for defending his mother against their defamation). So Adam's ability to retain custody should be a slam dunk. Right?

Paul, with his "best smile," was totally hitting on Tommy, and Tommy's eyes twinkled "with interest" in return. Paul's subconscious knows what he needs better than than his conscious self. (Smooth move, subconscious!)

I love the dichotomy of how Drew responds separately to Mommy Dearest and Dumb-ass Dad. However, I agree that the big dividing line between his two sets of behaviors is Amara's use of the L-word. Before Amara's pronouncement, Drew is protecting the boys; but after, he may be "protecting" himself by running away. For me, the big question is whether he would have left regardless of Henley telling him to. (After all, he had already promised Jeff he'd withdraw, though this was admittedly before Amara's declaration.) Alicia and Jay want him to stay, as this would be best for the twins, but what is best for Drew? I think he's more intimidated by Amara as an attainable love interest than he is of the father, though I also acknowledge how intimidating the father can be. (He may also have intimacy issues because of the injuries to his thighs: The parts are working, but he may have a problem with his body image.) Hopefully, his mam will set him straight, and it wouldn't surprise me if Amara and Aria show up at his mother's doorstep to drag Drew home.