mayday

Yes, he did. After being ignored and overlooked by many who might have helped, probably half of them good and upstanding Christians.

Brutal, yes. And probably only too real. The Wellingtons - how will they cope? When will Kitt's father understand what he has done, if ever? How will his wife react when she realizes that her family has been destroyed by cruelty and ambition dressed in rightfulness and beliefs that have denied reality? How will Matt cope? How is it that most of us refuse to see what is directly before us? That somebody is freezing? Needs help? A busboy, a kitchen help the only ones who do? I guess if anyone can find and help Kitt it will be Matt. Only he knows to look in Riverbend. He is the only one to see him, to know that that place may hold good memories for his friend. And Kitt's mother has no idea, because her husband has set boundaries that have strangled the life out of their only child. And he has no idea what his son is like. Kitt has never been allowed to be himself, only what his father believes what he has to be like. Will she have the courage to even approach Matt? Will she even think of going against her husband, of being herself? The kindness of strangers has given Kitt a chance. To me it looked like touch and go. If Mateo and Xavier had not been could Kitt take any more?

Great story telling. Hank's understanding of Jesse is amazing. Jesse's suffering as a child and teenager have traumatised him badly. Deeply moving. Thank you for sharing!

I have been waiting for this. And dreaded it. Matt's pleas have gone unheard, he is standing alone waiting for his best friend. How will Kitt survive in the night? In the cold. If Matt does not rescue him from his fears ... This chapter makes me fear the temptation of the lake. But Kitt has packed his backpack. So maybe not all hope is lost.

And he calles him baby in public...

Quiet before the storm. Baby. Your boy. Obviously.

I cannot remember a story which progresses in such tiny steps towards breaking point. Kitt's father seems to be afraid of life, of choices, of anything different, other. Do not acknowledge something and it won't become real. I ache for both boys. For everyone involved. Dreading the next chapters.

Sophomore year won't be easy? People will be cruel. Expectations. The norm. Ambitions.

Tyler is making progress. He seems to have gained some feeling that he is worth something.

I agree with your opinion but I am not as hopeful as you. But what Tyler's mother did - I cannot cannot comprehend...

After such a horrible revelation I do have to explain my immediate reaction. Now the cleansing can begin. Now Tyler's past can be addressed. Maybe he will recover from his experiences. Maybe now he may learn to trust.

I fear for Kitt and his parents. His father means well but he is suffocating his only child. Matt tries to communicate. Should anything happen to Kitt he would never forgive himself.

I wonder about Kitt's father. Has he any idea of his son's state of mind? I think I get him. He wants the best for his son. But has he ever thought of Kitt as a person in his own right? What he might be feeling and thinking? Wishing for?

Great story.

I love the way this is written. The style fits the slow growth of feelings between the two boys.

Kitt's father seems like a tyrant to me. Both his wife and his son are are afraid to be too much. Both are quiet. He seems to lay down the law in "his" family and tries to keep his son on the straight and narrow. This does not bode well for Kitt. We'll see what kind of church they attend. Old testament rather than new testament's message of kindness, I would guess. That's why I hope Kitt will be home by 10. Well written.

It should be cool enough in the Dolomites, I guess😁

Beautiful ending. I am left without words.

Jonas' perspective gives us some hints as to how things may develop. Jeff's lonely existence seems even bleaker from this point of view.

Well said. More than 400 years ago Shakespeare wrote a scene in Henry V, in which two characters mourn Falstaf's death, one of the most popular figures in Elisabethan theatre. Obviously, the audiences must have been keen for more and new appearances of their favourite character on stage. I wonder if the same was true of the ancient Greeks. Some things will never change. I should know. I feel the same as jwomack.

Mhm... I cannot imagine AI being able to create a complex novel like this. I guess it might be convenient for research, though, in order to make it real. I definitely would need help to know about entertainment industry, California law and legal jargon, to name only two examples. And what is the enjoyment in writing when you defer to a machine programmed by others to do itfor you? Where is the sense of achievement to come from?

What a chapter! I certainly had not expected a judge to uphold the constitutional rights of a person to liberty and the pursuit of happiness over written contracts. Not sure if that tells more about my opinions than anything else... I am touched by the closeness of the lovers and by Mateo being Liam's manager and how they care for each other. Furthermore, Hudson seems to be overcoming the trauma of his upbringing. Great writing! Thank you for sharing.

Great start! Thanks for sharing!

Beautiful! Absolutely beautiful. And I admit freely to being so relieved....