frosenblum

I loved this chapter, not so much the final blowup and cliffie. Unlike most of the comments so far, I think Jay and Loren are equally responsible for the blowup. Jay really needs to realize he lives in a fantasy world. Come on, he decided, way before he met Loren, that Loren was going to marry him. That's not sweet, that's stalking. It's more of Jay's golden child blindness, and it's as dysfunctional a way of coping as is Loren's way. Jay doesn't give up in a football game; he never stops is to pressuring the other team. And he does that in his relationship with Loren, because it's part of his personality. Jay may say it's okay if he and Loren don't get married and don't have kids. But he silently exudes that intention from every pore and Loren is constantly under that pressure. Example: Jay doesn't pick up Carson, but he makes the sacrifice so obvious that Loren can't help but feel it as pressure. BTW, it seem to me that, every step of the way, it's been both Loren and Jay who have made compromises, not only Jay. Since I'm in a up-on-the-soap-box mood.... The pressure Loren feels is not just from Jay. Like all of us, Loren is constantly bombarded by societal pressure -- from popular songs, fiction, social medias, movies, even most of the comments from readers of this story (🙃) -- that marriage inevitably follows love, or the very least moving in together. (Cue Frank Sinatra singing "Love and marriage, love and marriage, go together like a horse and carriage.") To me, that's just part of the hetero-normative bull shit that mcuh of the GLBT+ community has bought into. There are happy, successful relationships that have lasted for decades without marriage. There are happy, successful long-term relationships that haven't included moving in together. There are happy, successful long-term relationships that are polyamorous. I say this from experience, knowing people in all of the above types of relationships. End of my soap-box rant. I love both Jay and Loren. I'm happy that they keep getting closer emotionally. I'm glad they are riding all the bumps to ultimately create there own form of relationship (as we've seen in the BN epilog, it'll be one based on joint uncle-ship).

"As we plate the food, the guys lumber into the kitchen, taking purchase around the table." @Mrsgnomie, I've never heard or read "take purchase" before. Google and the Idioms tab of the Free Dictionary don't seem to have either. Is this a regional idiom or unique to your family? P.S. Part of the fun of reading Gay Authors is, because writers are from all over the English-speaking world, I get to have fun learning new words and colloquialisms.

And? How was it?

Ask CJ to send Linc to pick up the pot from you and you can check him out then.

A very pleasant journey with only minor turbulence bumps. I also learned that there are several meanings of the word "homely" radically differrent from the only one I knew here in the US, namely, "lacking in beauty or elegance, plain in appearance, physically unattractive." Thank you for broadening my understanding.

Good point, it was Malibu. Will also destroyed a bunch of expensive suits and shoes, and Brad doesn't keep those in Santa Cruz.

Include one on the itinerary of your next trip west of the Mississippi.

Boy, that Harley is multi-talented.

Will Ozzie accept being called a gentleman? Will his rugby team still accept him? More importantly, will the Scandals (that is the gay rugby team's name, I think) begin practicing on the White House lawn? Will the US Congress try to pass a bill outlawing it? I think the holiday weekend has gone to my head.

Also, Anne's first Pern novel took place with Lessa being searched, which was near the end of the 400 years without threadfall -- not many years before "To the Weyr." So whatever had happened in the past needed to end up with this level of technology. (The curse of your first story being popular beyond any expectations, then filling in the back story.)

It's better than when he took a sledge hammer to a car in that same driveway.

I loved your different take on the prompt, keeping it light, then having it turn into an easy decision, rather than agonizing about it for six chapters. 😁

Biker, that's Harley's story, right? Move it to the front of the line. Harley, Harley, Harley!

@drpaladin, could you expand on how you envision this? In our world, what you're suggesting comes about only when there's a source of capital (like micro-loans or a charity), or an organizationprovides materials or equipment or builds wells, etc. I'm very curious do see that happening on Pern? Perhaps you could write a short story.

I would love to see that reunion, please, please, @Mrsgnomie

Could it be that their "parents" weren't actually their birth parents?

Unfortunately, there are parents who do do that to their children, and much worse. 💩

What a journey this has been! Shedding a lifetime worth of habits, worldviews, beliefs, misinformation, self-loathing is not easy to do. After only one year, Eric is a different person, and not done changing and growth. Thank you for the series, shining a light where few other authors do.

Hooray! Only two more days till he presses the button. Happy Memorial Day everyone.

'I won't go that far again.' Hmm. Actually, I hope you do because you dropped a few intriguing jewels in HTTC that live like cliffies for me, and it might be a few years yet before you get to expand on them. First in line for me is the story behind Brad catching Liebe on her knees in front of her boyfriend. Another is CJ's and Owen's adoption of Davey as a newborn -- who were his parents? 😁

And a free side of pancakes on National Pancake Day.

Or Russians doing the drug testing.

The Denny's near me has a large black clientele and staff, as does the IHOP near me (the other direction). If Black Bear Diner ever spreads out your way (it's made it from California as far east as Little Rock AK and St. Charles MO), check them out!

Great chapter. (Except for the poor timing of real life horror in the US.) I was totally engrossed, kept reaching for tissues. Other than the arrgh cliffie ending, my only cavil is CJ and Linc are waiting in the park and you threw in a paragraph full of b,s, about lampposts, insects, everyone's at home yadda, yadda. You are mean sometimes.

Na na na na. My boys won. Go, Warriors.