Jaro_423

Great beginning. Sets the tone and creates the interest, plus you write well and get the grammar and punctuation correct. That makes for easy, pleasurable reading. Thanks.

I read this because you mentioned it in your blog. I had difficulty getting into it and it took me a while to understand what was going on with Danny and his Brian. You do relationships well and it was a touching story. Hard to imagine what that must be like but completely understandable. I did not really get what all the refs to the various saints were, except they had some significance to the Advent to Christmas. I was trying to relate the saint stories to Danny's story, and if there was a connection I failed to see it. I must say I am impressed by your gentle characters. Even Cayden who seems a bit wild (at least in his younger days anyway) comes over as so sensitive and sweet in his dealings with Danny, and so patient and kind and humble and unpushy. What a treasure! Wish I could find such a treasure! Thanks for the story.

A strange story really. But i did identify with the social awkwardness and the fear and dread of party gatherings. I still feel that way myself and avoid such if possible. Love the one on one but don't put me in a situation where I have to mix. I want to run and hide. I suppose I'm not into the idea of some supernatural genie thing, no matter how much fun it might be to think of the possibilities. Spoil sport! Feel a little like Ben in bad rude mode! Haha! Ah well, can't win em all they say.

Great story with a very neat twist to it. Very satisfying ending and a really good read. Thanks.

Fantastic! Great ending to a great story, and in the ending a new beginning. You cannot be serious about Peanut though, surely?! What a great idea too re-visiting Button's own beginning and how scared Pops and Dad were. That was good. You do such a great job of bringing family together. I love it. Thank you, thank you, thank you, for the hours of pleasurable reading you gave me. I look forward to more.

Wow! Wow! Wow! First there's tears over a funeral and now it's tears over a wedding. You sure know how to pack it in. I have had a wet Sunday afternoon but it has been gloriously cleansing. Thanks for doing such a splendid job and sharing Button's story with us, well the first part of his story anyway. Can't wait to share the final of this part and look forward to the sequel too. Thanks again.

Wow! I really hadn't seen that coming. That was heart-rending and very deeply touching and the significance of the eighteen wheeler was amazing. You did such a good job again. Thanks - through my tears. Poor Brent, but he sure had some wise words for the group that woke them all up. Good on him. Your review was so touching too, Mike, and brought the tears again.

Wow! Another great chapter with its twists and turns of teenage angst. You tell it so well and with pathos and humor combined. Love it. So glad about Button and Mirabelle! That was so neat how she tackled him and opened his eyes. Haha! He sure dropped the pedestal idea quickly when she opened up to him. Thank goodness for that! Glad for Andy and Brent too. Really hope that works for them both. And Sarah, OMG! She's not slow in coming forward is she! Takes after her brother I think! Graham & Craig sure have their hands full.

Wow! You get a lot of reviews and I think that's because you very good about interacting with those who make comments. It's great! Well done! Both for the interaction and the great writing. Of course, you get lots of reviews cos you write so well too. I loved the way you showed up Carmel in Button's eyes. He just needed to see the real gem to compare and his eyes were opened. Bingo! And now he wants to put Mirabelle on a pedestal (she won't be pleased about that though if she ever comes to understand that). Hopefully he'll come down to earth on this and be able to get a balance so that he's not seeing her as untouchable and too perfect. Funny how we do that. It brings back vivid memories and painful ones! Haha! That's because you get this so well and convey it so realistically. I love it. Thanks again for the great job.

A very sad and thought provoking chapter. Teens need to push the envelope to discover who they are and what life is about, but it is such a challenging and dangerous time too. There are no simple answers but we do need to love them no matter what. I'm a great believer in love and I think Button's dads do that well. Their love is what will help him sort himself out in the end, I'm positive. I teach teens and know the struggle and heartache. Sometimes I feel like I'm myself going through that teen stage again in my later life. I think maybe I missed out on some wildness as a youngster! Haha! Love the story. Thanks for writing. You are really good at this.

I love it. I love the way you show their growth in little vignettes. It's like taking a peek into their lives here a bit there a bit and yet it paints the picture as a whole. Very clever. And you just do the whole thing so well and so very convincingly. What a joy to read. Thanks.

What a hoot! You are so creative to think up such a twist and make it quite plausible. Loved it!

I just love the way you do this. It is so life-giving and positive and affirming and beautiful. Yes, we do see the aches of growing up, but somehow, Cole, you put salve on them and make them deliciously delightful (Sorry, that was such an ugly alliteration!) and manageable and even turn them into a positive thing. I thought after Kevin accused him of kissing him to Brent there was going to be another ugly confrontation, but Button seemed to handle it so naturally and honestly that it just blew over. And the question of his sexuality is delightfully still unstated and a matter for exploration. Wish my teens had been so beautiful. I remember them with agony and pain, even these many years later. I wonder how much ones teen experiences actually shape one for adulthood. I think a lot, and Buttons are good and he is doing a great job as are all those around him.

Very touching from all sides - Graham's concerns about losing Button (very real worries and heart-rending too for him), and Button's bratty 12 year-old spat - really needed a spank! Oops, sorry, that's so not allowed, isn't it. I used to spank my kids but then i didn't live in a nanny state where they dictated what you could or couldn't do to bring up your kids. Anyway, alls well that ends well, hey. Good on Button and Sarah for coming up with Pop's Day. So sweet! He is a mixed bag and I can see he's going to become a real charmer, except to his parents! Oh, the teens, What a challenge! Loving your story and the realistic way you write it. So convincing.

So Button is sure growing up. Becoming interested in girls, getting into hockey like his dad, and being such a mature and thoughtful friend to Andy while pursuing his friendship with the team mates. A great chapter. [i've just being exploring your page and learning something about you (even had a peek at your Twitter page and found a pic of you - wow! I'm impressed! Not just with the man but with what makes him tick. It's all good! I'm even more of a fan! He not only loves kids, but loves animals and gardening and good food! What more is there to say!)]

The songs of comfort were a nice touch and so good how Button made the transition to totally being comfortable and accepting his Papa. Lovely. A nice contrast to the bullying, though so good to see Button finding a way to handle it. Well done! He's a sharp little guy! And, of course, we all fiercely rooting for him. Also loved Craigs comfort for Sarah. That was beautiful. These are two such special dads. Did you read that they did a survey and gay families came out slightly ahead on the parenting? Think it was published in The Huffington Post. Loving the story. You do such a good job.

The parents do a worse job than the boys! Haha! Graham so nearly lost it there and that would have been so bad. Glad Natalie was there to restrain him gently. And Button did such a good job remembering what Pop told him and walking away if he couldn't do anything else. Well done! His calling Kevin "son of a bitch" has a ring of truth to it! Very realistic confrontation. And the start with the fight between Button and Sarah, oh my. How very typical of siblings. It didn't take them long to get there did it! But Graham handled it well. We seem to see Graham taking the brunt of this parenting thing. Is that because he is home with the kids more? Craig did make the costume and what a job too! Full marks for that! A delightful story all round, even with the conflicts and difficulties.

I did so enjoy the little sharing between Button and Sarah and his encouragement to her. What a laugh! And the dads listening in! A beautiful touch of humor to lighten the sadness of grannie's plight. Hope she manages to deal with this and live to enjoy her grandchildren. Sarah is in a good place with Button and his dads. Thanks for a beautiful story.

Button's reaction to Graham's disappearance was heartrending. So glad they resolved this. And you did turn that Kim flirt into an incident. Damn. I thought so. Hopefully this will make Craig more careful in the future, not to upset the precious apple cart that he has. And then to end with this magnificent surprise of the diner. Wow! What a great surprise for Graham and a confirmation of Craig's love. Great chapter. Thanks.

Wow! This was certainly a surprise which you dumped, having misled us into thinking something might have happened with Andy. So glad it wasn't him. Sad about Aimee's story and her rather sad mother. Do we ever find out what the deal was with Craig and Aimee? Somewhat of a mystery that which continues to nag. Graham is such a sweet guy and so very sensitive. Such a treasure. Glad that Craig is not turned by his secretary. Was that just a teaser you put there to give us all a heart lurch? Loving the story and the way you are telling it. Thank you for writing.

A realistic if somewhat devastating look at what some have to go through. Very touching and very heart-warming. I love the way Craig and Graham work together to help their little guy. They are the best! Not sure about Andy's death and its effect on his mom. That's devastating but will be interesting to see what support system you have kicked in for all of them.

You dropping lots of hints about your own life, Cole. Very interesting. The interaction of family is so excellent and its lovely the way you are building such positive vibes around young Button as everybody comes on board to accept his dads and their little one. So beautiful. Love it.

Thanks for your quick response to reviews too! Wow! Hardly sent and you are replying. I like that! And so enjoying this story. I am apt to neglect things while I have a good story going and this is getting me into that mode. Just as well I have some time off at the moment! Yes, the social services can be a nightmare of interference and so often don't seem to consider the child's best interests, but what is the "right" thing to do by the book. Also a tragedy in many ways that a birth parent who is totally irresponsible and a disaster for the child is still given all the rights. Surely the law is not so stupid! You would think, wouldn't you!? Graham is absolutely besotted with little Button and what heartache is this going to bring to him and his relationship with this child with whom the law recognizes nothing at all. I so fear for him and for Button.

I'm loving this. The family interactions are just so real and so well conveyed. You do a great job. I love Curtie. He's great! Christmas holiday was a blast and turned out so well, plus ending with this rehearsal of a proposal. Delightful!

Good to see the subject of gay families being aired here and this looks set to be a delightful tale of just such. Sorry about my cultural ignorance, coming from another part of the world, but what is an "onesie"? And how is it pronounced? Looks a bit like that impossible Bible name of Onesimus that has so many different pronunciations. It appears to be some sort of garment. And have something to do with hockey maybe, though I think that was just the label. You have introduced us to the spread of family with very intriguing conflicts and histories and the big question of how on earth Craig has ended up with a son and no mother for him and he's gay! Is that crazy mixed up or what?