Dodger

Abortion is available free on public health care in Canada, but she will need to move quickly. Jo has her eyes set on Don. She sees him as a serious and likely threat to Robbie's safety. Don will want to see the back of her, but I doubt if she's going anywhere while he's still a threat.

You make some very good points. This may not prove to be the disaster everyone is predicting. As for Don, they say that only the good die young. I'm betting he could walk through the worst neighborhood in Sao Paulo, in the middle of the night with a gold watch on his wrist and a wallet full of cash, and still nothing would happen to him.

If this is the case then they will have to act quickly. Twelve weeks is usually the cut-off point in Canada, although this can be extended in some cases. Stephanie is eleven weeks and it doesn't look like Nicola even knows about it. There does seem to be a lack of urgency with Stephanie's handling of this problem, which doesn't look good for Robbie. If he is the father then I suspect he will take a bit of convincing.

If it is true and people find out. It'll be a kick in the teeth for a lot of straight boys in the school who may have fancied their chances with Stephanie. At this rate Robbie will soon be knocking Nathan off the top of the gossip charts.

The nurse thing is a big one for Robbie. I think he knows what he wants to do with his life and he believes he can be good at it. He's been in and around hospitals for most of his teenage years and has developed a lot of respect for this profession. The nurses have been his heroes, so I guess it's no surprise that he should want to emulate them. Robbie is slowly dropping his guard and allowing Sue into his life in a way he swore he never would. It takes time but she will eventually replace his mom and that's how it should be. She will make it easier for him to get into nursing but she wasn't the reason for his decision. I've always said that Jo is a useful person to have on your side. She's good at her job with a high rate of success in a field that terrifies health officials and politicians. Teenage suicide is a hot potato and anyone who can keep those numbers down is priceless. It allows her a lot of freedom and I think it's safe to say she's better connected than Don.

There's already a lot of mess and Don falling from 30,000 feet will only make it worse. I wouldn't fancy cleaning that up. There was a certain inevitability about Sue's statement at the end. I think everyone saw it happening while hoping it wouldn't.

I don't think any of the readers will be surprised, but I doubt if any of the characters would have put their money on Robbie fathering a child, if, of course, it's true.

Well, Robbie certainly didn't see it coming. We're only going by Sue's educated guess, of course, and she could be wrong. AS for Don, I don't think it's horrible to wish bad luck on him, but I think it's safe to say he will return.

I had never given much thought to what I wanted to do with my life after leaving school. I just assumed it would become obvious as I got older. The only serious hobby I ever had as a boy was swimming, but I lacked the determination and ability to succeed. I was never going to follow in my mom’s footsteps and match her achievements in the pool. So, I shunned her efforts to get me involved in competition and concentrated instead on passing my lifesaver exams. It meant a lot to me back then, but no

Thanks, @Jon Jon That's a neat compliment and I understand your frustration, because I get frustrated too. It's not my intention to keep people waiting, and there's always a reason. Unfortunately, work slows things down quite a lot. I sometimes have to work long hours on consecutive days, which doesn't leave me a lot of time to do anything else and I can't do any writing if I'm tired. If I do delay posting a chapter, it's because I'm not happy with it, but that is the only reason. I'm definitely fussier than I was a few years ago, and at this stage in the story it's important that I get everything right so it all makes sense in the end. This has been the most difficult part for me, and a steep learning curve. I am grateful to everyone who reads the story and other than the occasional cliffhanger, I would never deliberately tease them. I am a reader too, so I know how frustrating it can be when you're following a story, but I have to make sure it's right before posting. I'm glad you brought this up, so I can explain my position to anyone reading the comments.

Watch out Calgarians, Don's in Cowtown!

Sue noticed Robbie wasn't too happy with the way Conner was following him around when he visited the house. She got it right, but she's a little behind the play.

It's not surprising that Sue's marriage is on the rocks. Don is gradually returning to his old ways and Sue has responded by trying to protect Robbie. Maybe it's time for Robbie to tell Sue about Nathan before she finds out from another source.

I always say I reply to every comment, but a few have escaped my attention this time, so I apologize for the delay. Robbie is definitely happier now and more confident thanks to Jo, Nathan, and Sue, but Don is most dangerous when he has his back to the wall.

“Just tell me what you want,” is a great line from Jackson as Luke's frantically undressing him. Actions speak louder than words but I wasn't expecting Luke to be so forward. Good for him. Now they've moved to another level, they may find it difficult to keep their hands off each other. Cool chapter.

And even if it was possible, it still wouldn't be possible.

Drew's doing exactly what the bullies want him to do and it won't help either of them. They'll be easy targets on their own and this will only encourage the haters to step up their attacks. I'm not sure if it was a good idea for Ethan to remove the graffiti, although I get why he did it and I probably would have done the same. Whoever did it though has now got away with it and the fact he hasn't reported it almost guarantees more attacks. They will know he's trying to keep it quiet and will try to out him. He can make it easier by beating them to it and coming out on his own terms. He needs to tell his family and close friends before they find out from other sources. He needs Drew's support and I'm sure he will get it. They'll be a lot stronger together. I feel for Ethan. It's going to take a lot of courage to get to the other side.

If the pipes aren't buried deep enough in the ground they will freeze. Best to leave the taps on just a fraction. You're experiencing a Canadian type winter, but Texas isn't equipped for those conditions. The temperature up here can dip as low as -30c during the winter months, but it happens every year so the houses are well-insulated with double and sometimes triple glazing. A mobile home would offer little protection from the extreme cold, but there are steps you can take to help you stay warm. Stay in one room. If there's a window then cover it with spare blankets, sheets, or whatever you have available. Move your bed away from any exterior walls or windows. Wear as many layers as you can, loose-fitting to allow air to circulate between the layers, and wear a hat (most important). You need to stay hydrated, so drink plenty of water and eat as many calories as possible. You may think this is all pretty obvious, but it works and people often forget to do the simple things. Good luck, I wish you well and hope you manage to get some sleep.

"You look a little stressed???" Ya think? Did she not hear the way her husband was talking to her son? Does she automatically zone out whenever the old man speaks to Zack? Maybe she thinks it perfectly normal for a boy to be so submissive to his father to the point where the kid's trembling with fear. Has she never witnessed a normal interaction between a loving father and son, or seen anything at all in the outside world that may have given her a reason to question if it was right for a child to be so petrified of his dad? Nothing at all? She's never noticed anything unusual about her son's behavior which may be attributed to abuse, but she makes a wicked breakfast. I get it. It isn't easy for her to stand up to her husband. He probably abuses her too, in which case she will know for certain what poor Zack's been going through. Most people know somebody they can turn to in an emergency. A parent, brother, sister, neighbor, or close friend. Someone they could stay with until the old man's locked up. If the monster ever has to face justice it will because of Zack's bravery, and not because of anything his mom has done. She has pretty much abdicated responsibility as far as offering any kind of protection for her child, and no amount of home-cooked breakfasts can rectify that. She's concerned about him looking wrinkled; she should be grateful he's still alive. What a powerful chapter in a very moving, if disturbing story. Compulsive reading. Hats off to you as always @Comicality

We don't know that for certain. This is Robbie's opinion based on his frustrations at their apparent lack of progress.

Robbie's still not sure if he can trust Sue not to take Don's side despite plenty of evidence to suggest otherwise.

Poor Sue means well, but she's still a little clueless when it comes to Robbie's fast-moving relationships.

I know that song well, thanks mainly to my sister. She always used to look at me when she sang the chorus. You'll know what I mean. 40 below is near artic temperature and not nice at all. The worst I've experienced is -30 c which was vicious. You can throw boiling water into the air and it freezes instantly, but it's better to stay indoors and listen to the Rodeo song!

Monday was Family Day; a provincial holiday in Ontario, which I had planned to spend looking after my former ex-boyfriend. That was before the Cobourg Taxi Service, and a creepy man in a car forced me into an unscheduled sleepover that subsequently revealed my location to Sue. Now I had to assume that Don also knew where I was, and he would almost certainly jump to all the right conclusions. Yet I was strangely unperturbed about the probability of a looming confrontation with my adopted fat

Great start. Well done, @astone2292I like the new format.