Dodger

Don is an expert at burning bridges but he still seems to find other ways of getting across.

Well, you certainly managed to work out Don's twisted mind. I have to say your summary is pretty much spot on. Robbie is the only one in the family who doesn't depend on Don's money and therefore doesn't need to please him. Don is a control freak and he uses money to exercise that control over his family. The fact that Robbie is not only able to support himself but could potentially be better off than Don without working for it eats away at his adopted father. It's the reason why Don won't talk to Robbie about his trust fund. He can't take the money but he probably doesn't want Robbie to know what it's worth.

Don is quite easy to read. I think we've all had dealings with his type before and we can almost guess what he's going to say next. Conner would have confused him because, unlike Nathan, he doesn't fit his preconceived idea of a gay boy.

Sue seems to have something up her sleeve and she is offering the most sensible solution for this mess.

Thanks, Will, for your kind words and for taking on the challenge of reading this monster of a story. I have been trying to finish it for some time and I've only recently managed to work everything out. There are about three chapters left to post now, but looking back on the story, it didn't need to be so long. I would like to re-write it one day leaving out a lot of the unnecessary stuff. This chapter was very close to my heart and quite emotional for me to write. It's more of an autobiography than any of the other chapters and quite close to the truth. The Tom in real life, however, was very straight and is now married with a family in England. We're still good friends but I haven't seen him in a few years.

Nicola definitely has a problem with Robbie and Stephanie, which has led to some pretty wild speculation, hurtful comments, and general bitchiness. We know she's capable of this kind of behaviour when she's not in control. It's not a nice trait but something she has inherited from Don. She probably feels betrayed by her friend and her brother, but she should be more focused on her boyfriend's antics. Sue seems to be offering the best way out of this tricky situation.

You're right. Robbie needs to think about his future and tell Sue about his conversation with Don.

Don is either being very naive or very smart. Robbie should be wary.

And this was his good side.

Oh, have a heart. Pigs aren't that bad.

I wasn’t sure how my boyfriend would react to me fathering an illegitimate child with my sister’s best friend, but he seemed to take it quite well. The fainting episode ensured he remained the centre of attention, which was always of paramount importance to him, and he milked it for all it was worth. “He’s totally faking it,” said Daniel, an accusation that was met with disdain by the girls fussing over Nathan like a wounded soldier. Nicola was fanning him with a magazine while Stephanie—th

Don't read it again, Zack. Just hand it in to Mr. Raffe and then tell Brody. Whatever you do, don't go home with it still in your bag!

I assume you're referring to the apparent unwillingness to terminate the pregnancy. Canada may be one of the most liberal countries on earth when it comes to gay rights, equal rights for women, and legalizing drugs. In those areas it's probably more progressive than most European countries, but not when it comes to abortion. It's easy to judge people based on your own culture, but there are distinct differences between Canada and Europe particularly when it comes to terminating a pregnancy. Abortion is available, free in Ontario to Canadian residents, but there are a lot of people who are strongly opposed to it and not just for religious reasons. This is especially true in small, middle class, conservative towns like Cobourg, where abortion would not be considered the go to solution for an unwanted pregnancy in quite the same way as it is in parts of Europe. Stephanie's decision is therefore not untypical of a Canadian teenager in a place like Cobourg. Adoption would be a more acceptable way forward and I expect her family to lean in that direction. As for Nathan, I expect he will have plenty more opportunities for fun bath times.

Thanks, Steve for another in-depth comment. You make some good points as usual, but this time, I'm mostly interested in what you left out. No mention of Don! Either you've taken care of him in Calgary, or you no longer see him as a serious threat or influence. Maybe that's the case, but you know that old saying about a bad penny.

I wonder how drunk Stephanie would have to be to allow Don anywhere near her. Nothing short of unconscious I should imagine, or rape in other words. If Don was into young girls - and there's been no evidence of that so far - then I'm sure there are plenty of teenage hookers in Toronto who would gladly take his money. Don is not a nice man. He's an abusive bully, a cheat and a bigot, but he's probably not the type of person who would want to rape his daughter's best friend, even if he thought he could get away with it. The emotional damage this would cause to his family, not to mention Stephanie would be a high price to pay to see him humbled. If Don's empire is to crumble it would be better and far more satisfying if he didn't take everyone down with him.

Haha, I like the last line. It would have been perfect. I think it's more a case of Stephanie and her parents not liking the idea of abortion, than wanting to have a baby. This could be due to religious beliefs, but there are plenty of people who are opposed to abortion. It sounds like she is being influenced by her parents, so maybe they're the ones who are opposed. There are other options, of course, like adoption, that she may want to consider. If she decides to keep the baby, it will be difficult for Robbie to avoid having any contact considering it is his sister's friend, and such a small town. He can't really move away.

Unsurprisingly, Nicola hasn't won too many friends in this chapter, Mr Lube probably even less. Maybe they're made for each other.

I can't see Robbie being coerced into marrying Stephanie or vice versa, but Robbie could turn out to be an okay dad.

Thank you, @Scary That has to be the biggest compliment I've ever had. Most of the chapter was written a few years back and was part of the original story, but it was always my intention to include it in the longer version when the time was right. I'm glad you enjoyed it. I often worry about adding a bit of humour, because it can easily fail, and I know I haven't always got it right. Sometimes real-life can throw up some funny moments, even in difficult circumstances and that's what I've tried to show through Robbie's eyes.

This may be his biggest challenge to date, because it will affect the rest of his life. He has the opportunity to walk away like his dad, or play some kind of role, however limited. I think we all know what decision he's going to make.

It's difficult to predict Don's reaction to this news. He probably won't be happy even if it does seem to backup his claim that Robbie isn't gay. He may try to get Robbie to marry Stephanie, but there's no guarantee she's going to agree. Maybe years ago this would have been the case, but not nowadays. She would be completely mad to marry Robbie, even if she liked him in that way, which isn't certain. There will be other, more suitable guys out there, and not all of them will be dissuaded by a child. I think Nicola was starting to feel betrayed by her friend and brother. She was jumping to conclusions and now she knows the truth she may calm down a bit, but we know she can be a bitch!

Well, at least Robbie knows for certain now and if Stephanie is true to her word and she doesn't want anything from him, then it must be good news. It could have been much worse. He will be more concerned about Don's reaction to Nathan.

Don's only been gone for a couple of days and he may wish hadn't gone at all. If he finds out Nathan has been invited back into the family, he might not be concerned about Stephanie.

It seemed like Amy was right after all. I did get married to Nathan, and it was a grandiose affair held on a hot summer’s day in the middle of Cobourg beach. Mr Andrews performed the ceremony in front of a crowd of family, friends, and well-wishers, including a contingent from the UK. People who I hadn’t seen since I was a young boy. Tom and Daniel were the best men, and everyone was kitted out in their finest beachwear. Shorts, t-shirts, and swimsuits were the order of the day, with shoes and s

I thought you might have something to say about the Maple Leaf comment. It pained me a little to write it, but the story is set a few years ago when they really were shit and had definitely seen better days. Mitch first appears in chapter 91 'Feeling the Heat' when he picks a fight with Robbie and Nathan at the beach.