mayday

A fascinating beginning. I wonder what kind of storytelling Tony will experience there. He is open enough to accept the unconventional and 'different'. Otherwise Jack would not have fetched him.

That is what I fear for them, to be weaponised by their mother...

Natasha is just starting her vendetta. I guess we can expect anything and everything. Good that Martin has enough financial clout, family and friends to fight her harrassment. His security measures at home might be good but probably need to be perfected, especially as the guys will continue in their private backyards as they wish. Obviously, Natascha and truthfulness are two opposites. Still, as the saying here goes: Just sling enough mud and some of it will stick... Let us not forget that her children will suffer from her pretense and her actions.

Thank you and kudos, I will...

I never know when the itch to write will strike next. Sometimes that moment is lost, sometimes I open my book, only to be confronted with the empty page like a wall against which my thoughts turn to dust. Again you have captured moments so poignantly. Thank you! And Micheal's suggestion sounds like a good idea for me, too. Gardening is definitely a great way for me to ground myself...

The cruelty in those three is hard to stand even from the outside. James says it, he has never learned to stand up for himself at home. Dysfunctional family. Thank god he has Evan and he recognises what it means at last. Tough to stomach, but thank you for sharing.

In a way James' mother is much worse than I thought. Prejudice and narrow-mindedness I had expected, but not in such a self-righteous way. The matter-of-fact treatment of her own son as a convenience, a person only when he is useful it is glaring in my face! How can James stand it? Still excuse it? Especially when contrasted with her attitude towards her other son. Evan is right. James should not accept being treated like that. He should stand up for himself. But the time to do so has long passed and though she deserves to be left in the mess she created herself it would be cruel. And we have seen how much James craves to be loved and seen as the man he is. Does she realise that she has never seen what her son has accomplished and how hard he has worked for it? I guess she cannot, otherwise her eyes would see Sam as he is.

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I love tha way they open up to each other in that conversation. Both have come so far. Evan admitting how hard it is for him to manage his life makes his change easier to understand. What a contrast between the two sets of parents! And James' brother, such a person will cause trouble. He has driven James out of the family and he will do anything to keep his inheritance from him. Then Evan will shine. Makes it just harder to wait for the next chapter. Thank you for sharing!

Beautiful descriptions of the landscape and the hidden well. Magic at its best: healing. Beautiful. I am not looking forward to Cianán's farewell.

Without a doubt, somebody loves the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy...😄

Which I take to mean that we can look forward to many more chapters... 😊

Great story! Can't wait for your next chapter. Thank you for sharing.

Of course, she can still stir up trouble, especially as she is prone to playing foul, lying and very good at ignoring inconvenient facts. I guess we all see that happening on every level every day. 'Turmoil' suggests more than just getting used to feeling love towards another man. Should Natascha ever find out about Martin's new position and his wealth, she is guaranteed to resort to any means in order to get her hands on as much of it as possible.

Benjamin's mother is the consummate hypocrite. Obviously, she is only interested in receiving the money the father sends regurlarly. Martin acts perfectly relaxed and very circumspectly in her house, managing her with his eyes on his goal: getting Ben's belonging into the car. She does not appear to be really very intelligent or she wouldn't have given her former husband so much ammunition.