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Friday bonus!

Happy Friday, all!

Thanks, Doc. Not a lot of time in a short story so the writing has to be economical. Still it is important not to shortchange the reader. We have to be able to place ourselves in that town, and in that saloon. Matador Hill is full of tension... exactly as you describe it. The rot is setting in. Virgil and Wyatt's connection happened instantly, once their eyes met in that smoke-dirty mirror. I've experienced that... that one glance that intrigues and captures my attention. And then when they meet in person, the conversation worked despite them being strangers. Virgil opened up rather quickly, and that tells me he needs a friend. Thanks again, bud. I appreciate you reading, and always look forward to hearing your thoughts. Cheers! Gary....

I've said all along that Christine's death must have affected Hank deeply, and here is where we see it. We see how close they are. I'm glad you found this comforting, Terry. I sobbed while rereading it, but there were good tears. I don't understand your feelings on Dawson in this chapter, I must admit, but that is the beauty of such a story. It invokes different things in different readers. As I see it, he was being honest about how he saw things, and really wanted happiness for his friend. He was trying to light a fire under Chase, but he is a man dealing with regret, and that definitely seeped into the conversation. I adore the closeness of these two... they can be blunt with one another, but the respect is always there. I agree Chase was not on his best behavior with Hank, but there is so much feeling between them still, and things escalated. However, I don't see Kevin and Hank as victims. Hank verified he slept with Kevin, and while that is his business, it was a final nail in their coffin, As far as Kevin, it sounds like he really wants a relationship with Hank, and I have to wonder why he doesn't see what we see... Hank's unresolved feelings for another man. Personally, I would never go there. He was supposed to be Chase's friend too. You're right... it would be good for hank to reach out to his mother, but it would appear chances of that are really slim. Hank needs help, though. That is obvious. Thanks for hanging in and getting to this point... and for being so engaged. I love that because it makes me feel like I did a good job of showing the ups and downs people go through. Cheers, Buddy.

I think you stopped reading, buddy. I remember this story was getting to you so you backed away. Charles's return really changes things, I think. He should be a steadying influence for the family, and yeah, possibly Hank. I love how mature Chase is being over Dawson finding someone he's interested in. He's not acting selfish, and that is something I find depression can do. We hold tight to that one we confide in most. So glad you are sticking with this. To be truthful, I remember thinking when I started posting that a lot of readers would back away... that it was not a pleasant situation to read about. I wrote something real, but that doesn't mean readers would have an appetite for it. Cheers, my dear friend.

Dad is back, and that is a wonderful thing! His timing was perfect. Chase needs him, and so does Cindy. I'm glad you mentioned the pity party. That's shows us that his depression lurks near, but he has the tools and strength to ward it off. Dawson is just the best. I love the reminiscing at the old house. This was about them reconnecting, and remembering the good things, and including Christine in them. Thanks for this... I feel good after the reread. Cheers!

Yeah, I loved Chase's attempt at conversation with Hank. It turned into a confrontation, but its time had come and he got out what he really wanted to say. I agree with how you see Chase in this chapter. I was in awe of him too. That said, his emotions were the driving force behind his words. By childish, I assume you mean what he said about Kevin and that they were going to 'fuck'. It what was in his heart, and it was killing him, so I don't blame him for going as far as he did. He is seeing this as the absolute end, and Hank's reception was too cold to think anything else. It was terribly sad, but also satisfying to see Chase soo strong. I feel the same as Marty did too, and my response verified it. This story invoked so many different reactions form readers, it was a writer's dream. Readers really cared, and that was wonderful. We don't get Hank's POV, so we aren't sure what he's doing or how he truly feels, but how he reacts to Chase tells us a lot. He is a ball of hurt who can't get past what happened. There appears to be a wall up that he can't even see the top of. meanwhile, we know and see how hard Chase is trying. Happy to hear this is one of your favorite chapters so far. Cheers!

I believe in love at first sight too, Dan, so yeah, that's what you just saw. It was the whole premise for this story, which by the way, was my first attempt at writing something besides "Cards on the Table". It's far from perfect, but it gave me a lot of confidence that I wasn't just a one hit wonder. There was a high demand for a story about Chet, so I ran with it. So happy to hear you like it so far. Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts with me. Cheers!

Absolutely, Hank does not appear to have the support system Chase has, but, and I say this with understanding, Hank has pulled away from his friends according to Stacey. He doesn't want to talk about what happened, and he doesn't want to change his mind. I totally get that, and I do see a commonality (in his eyes) between him and Kevin. It's a mess though, with each man being reactionary. I can't help feeling sorry for Chase in this chapter, but I don't fault either of them. I think we might be seeing Hank's desperation and his depression more clearly, but it's hard when we only have Chase's POV. That was a choice I made early on, to tell the entire story from Chase's POV. LOL. The need Kelly to lock them in a room together, but alas, I don't think these men would be ready for that. Some time has indeed passed, but not enough to even carry on a conversation. You are right that there is an onus on Chase to regain trust if they are to have any friendship at all, but it does take two. Thanks for the kind words, buddy. This was a difficult subject to tackle, but I am very proud of the job I did in painting a realistic look at the damage grief and depression can cause. Cheers and thanks.

Lol. No promises. My plan has been to pick up right where I left off.

Just got back from my walk. What a beautiful day! 🌞

I think you will be changing your views of the situations and the characters often as the story progresses, buddy. One week readers would be on Hank's side, and the next it would switch to Chase. I'm pleased you see they didn't have a codependent relationship, despite Hank taking all the pressure of Chase he could as Christine was dying. Your take on Rex being in the apartment is interesting. We all tend to do things subconsciously, and I believe you could be right that Hank was wanting contact with Chase, even if he was warring internally about it. Is Dawson a blip? That remains to be seen, but Chase is not looking to move on. The fact is, he's trying, but he's stuck. That doesn't mean he can't keep improving, but love has a way of keeping parts of you in place. I truly hope you are enjoying this, Terry. Cheers and thanks. G.

Jeez. I can't tell you what your words mean to me, Dan. I've truly enjoyed taking the journey along with you. The fact I didn't tie this story up in a neat bow has stung like an inch-long splinter under my fingernail. It is never far from my thoughts, but to hear you say it is enough eases that sting quite a bit. I'm not throwing in the towel, but maybe I won't drive myself as crazy over this thing that has snowballed in my mind. Thank you! It tells a something too, that you went back and read the first chapter again. And that you feel joy instead of frustration is another balm for me. I am feeling content right now. Yes, this was a tremendous undertaking, and the pressure I put myself under did wear at times, but I will always think of this first writing journey fondly. The support was astounding, something that continually surprised me. When I started, I would have been happy if a tenth of the people read it. Hell, a twentieth. I just wanted to get a story out of my head and learn something in the process, and I did that and so much more. It was never my intent to write an epic, but it appears I did just that, all while I strove to improve my skills. Thank you times ten, my friend. I will come back to this comment many times. Cheers!

You're doing good, buddy. I promise you the journey is worth taking in the end.

Happy Thursday, all!

Too bad your mom isn't in it.

This was my favorite chapter so far. I loved the interaction between Cindy and Chase. The conversation with Stacey was revealing as well. Yea, Hank does love Chase still. You can't turn that off right away, no matter how hurt you've been. You make a great point about Chase not realizing his actions were another rejection to someone who is hurt. But again, that is the depression, clouding the picture. This chapter shows some promise for Chase, but he still has a long way to go. I understand you wanting hope... every reader does... but I am telling a difficult story here, a real one, and it is uncomfortable at times, but I promise you the journey will be satisfying, even if it doesn't proceed in the way everyone might want. Hang in there, my friend. Cheers!

All Dr. Chorney was saying was give Hank time to work through his feelings... and the horrendous shock of seeing Chase in the bathroom stall with another man. I don't see that as game playing. You know, Terry, in my experience, depression is all about failure. Out tools are taken away from us by this illness, and coping becomes a minefield. So, we will drop the ball again and again until we find what we need to get control back. I think you have a good read on the situation as it stands now--Hank is definitely trying to protect himself--but I warn you. There will be more stuff that doesn't make sense. Depression isn't rational, and as you well know, it has a habit of overwhelming us. I hope you are enjoying this. Cheers and much thanks... G.

Wow! You're really getting into this. That's great, but don't forget to just lose yourself in the reading. I think the best point I can make is that we must remember, depression plays with us and manipulates us. We have been watching depression in action, and that is what I wanted to show. The whole point is we are not always rational when we suffer from it or its partner grief. You're right that these men still love each other, and both are hurting. Neither man came out unscathed by Christine's ordeal. I am so glad you brought up the conversation with Cindy. That was an important one, and gives balance to Chase's character. In this we can still see the depression, but we can also see past it to an extent. I do not believe Chase used his depression to manipulate anyone. I feel strongly he was at the mercy of it and his inconsolable grief. As the story unfolds, I hope you will see that, but for now, you really shouldn't. You shouldn't even really like these people... or maybe that is wrong to say. Maybe it is better to say you should have trouble understanding them, because neither man is in a strong place, because they suffer. Anyway, I appreciate how engaged you are, and I won't apologize for this rollercoaster. Thanks so much, buddy.

Thanks, Terry. I appreciate you returning to this despite earlier trepidation. You story(both aspects) is not so different from mine. As a child I took on most of the responsibilities of my family, because my mother wasn't capable at the time. She suffered from sever depression, and the 'cures' only seemed to make it worse. It wasn't till she got pregnant with my sister that things turned around, but for those years prior, I was in hell. I was also abused by an ex. I don't want to get into here, but I do understand where you are coming from. People plays games, and that's a fact. It is particularly hard for the good ones to handle loving one who can be cruel or detached. This story stirs emotions, and I think that is because most of us can relate to grief, depression, infidelity, and closing ourselves off... humans often cut off their noses to spite their face, as the saying goes. Past experiences can make us not trust, or even jump the gun as an avoidance to getting hurt. We let things pile up, and we stop communicating. All of this you will find in this story, but you will find more too. There is bravery and strength and self reflection and... a lot. Thanks for the truly kind praise for my character development. I am humbled. Cheers!

Hi, Terry. Busy day for me. Stripped wallpaper today, and then again this evening. It's all done now. Good night... thanks for the great review of "Dirty Pool"

Good night, pissant. Mike calls Nate that.

Night, Albert. Sweet dreams, buddy.