Parker Owens

Monica and Garrett and Nonna Costanza were able to keep things simple. Your observation that a small wedding can still be lovely and supremely happy rings very true here. I am very happy you enjoyed this chapter; it was a great moment to capture. There were so many things to celebrate here, but perhaps SD said it best - they're married. Hope you stayed at the wedding long enough for a slice of cake

It's good to be right about Delia Walker. Her revelation snapped the last tangible link Andy had to Carlsberg. You are also correct in that he will spend a lifetime erasing the emotional scars left from that chain. You're also right about Andy underestimating the effect he has on other people. The crowd at the church was full of people who love him and Zander, which blew him away. It's that support and love from Zander and everyone else that will help him ultimately heal. I am so very glad you came to the wedding!

So glad you had something good waiting for you at the end of your run this morning. I wonder if Kaz would come to wake you early if you asked... You're right about the most important thing: more than all the revelations and hugs and toasts and dances is that Zander and Andy are married. They've taken a most unusual step so early in their lives, but there clearly many friends who love and support them. Glad you could come to the wedding! Hope you got some cake

I am so glad you liked this chapter. So much happened that there is no doubt Andy had trouble remembering every conversation. Maybe the one with his grandmother Walker was most important, because she could explain why love and not hurt was Andy's real heritage. The protest crowd certainly didn't storm the church, the way Andy feared they would. For once, Andy's joy was pretty complete, and unmixed with anything but love and goodwill. Thanks for coming to the wedding!

Happy Birthday, fair Clochette! Hope this year's the best one yet. For the fairy we adore, let's all wish her many more! Happy Birthday! Joyeux Anniversaire!

Thanks for your generous words. Weddings can be so exciting that one's experience gets kind of fragmented. And what a relief to know Gunnar Ericsson was no relation to Andy. I hope you enjoyed your back-pew invite to the wedding!

No abduction. I couldn't have handled that, either. Hope you enjoyed your invitation to the wedding!

No. No cliffs. Not even a steep incline. Just some unalloyed joy. Andy was a little abstracted, certainly - a very eventful day, and then to be married! Zander's verses really spoke to a wild, almost untamed Andy, appearing from the hills. And it was indeed a huge relief that Gunnar wasn't Andy's sperm donor at all. Thanks for taking a rear pew at the wedding!

Entry for Saturday, April 1, continued… Who was this woman? Who did she say she was? My face must have matched how confused I felt. She spoke again, explaining: "Your mother was my daughter." Then what she was saying hit me. My eyes suddenly turned blurry, and my throat tightened. There was another hug, but I don't know who started it. Something deep inside felt good and achy at the same time. "I'm sorry," I said as I held my grandmother – my own 'nonna,' – "I'm sorry I was so rude when I c

Can I congratulate you for absolutely nailing my life experience with this? Thank you for articulating my own perception.

Oh, I really liked this. Thanks for writing a great 'next day' chapter. Now they can be happy, maybe. Deleriously happy.

Very bad vibes coming off of this chapter. Too many things to go wrong. Mike in Syracuse must be going berserk right about now. I suspect he's going to drive down to Twoey's house so he can find David and smack him upside the head. And what is Twoey going to do? He doesn't need any danger, not now. Look Out.

Yes it's was absolutely Delicious. What a wonderful chapter in their lives. Thanks so much for telling it. And I have wrestled with rain suits and foul weather gear for years!

Still a sucker for SMBC.

So do I! Glad you are here!

You have written a sweet and lovely chapter in a wonderful story. The planets are aligning perfectly for Peter and Patrick, and it is wonderful to see happiness blossoming where there was so little before...pay out have portrayed that expertly.

I am glad you liked Andy's description of what must have been a crazy day. Everyone surely needs a Kaz in their lives. He's been a true friend to both Zander and Andy. I could not agree with you more. Delia Walker was an unexpected bonus. Not sure what 'slow clap' means in this context, so I will hope it will not involve me being run out of GA on a rail. Thanks for your commentary, but most importantly, thank you for reading Andy's journal.

As Jacob's mother says, things are changing quickly around us. People are looking at the Bible differently, and some Christians are taking the Bible back from fundamentalism. None too soon, either. Jacob's father is an archetype of a terrible, hurtful and ultimately non-Christlike faith. You have certainly shown us this in the father's refusal to really discuss his son's concerns (not browbeat him) and in the scars Jacob mentions. This is a good and affecting chapter. Looking for another, please!

What a devastating onslaught on David's part. Plainly, Pastor PF Johnson needs to go back to seminary. Maybe this go round he could wrap his mind around concepts like poetry and metaphor, which are key to understanding the Old Testament, along with careful study of archaeology and history. Of course, this so-called pastor's mind is far too warped to do any such thing. David would have gotten anyone's attention in this chapter (he got mine ), but I wonder how the Randy-Alex fight will play out, especially with Deena-the-Intimidator in the wings. What makes me very uneasy is how he has broken Twoey's heart; how he is using Chuck (however gently); and how absolutely clueless his father appears to be. I thoroughly enjoyed this chapter, loved how you developed the ongoing guerilla war between David2 and his antagonists, and I hope for more sometime in the next millisecond.

I am sorry you are dangling, but at least you aren't a participle...I am so glad you liked the interplay with Andy and Kaz. He has emerged as a real champion not only for his best friend Zander, but for Andy, especially. And while Kaz is probably too gentle to kill anyone, his reaction to Andy's hurt is genuine and heartfelt. For Andy, Kaz is speaking affirmation and love, not the humiliation and rejection he might have expected even six months earlier. Certainly Andy knew Kaz would be in his corner when he had to confront the unknown woman down the hall. Now as to the voodoo dolls, I think I hid them sufficiently well...at least until Tuesday...

So much going on! It's...just like a wedding, isn't it? This day, of all the days in Andy's journal is just packed...so much for Andy to recall and write down. I am sorry for having to stop where I did. You may consider my hide well and properly durned. Many thanks for commenting and especially for reading the story!

It isn't just Kaz who is supporting Andy so well these days; you are quite right in that so many people have banded together to love and support both Zander and Andy. But everyone should have a Kaz in their lives. I am glad you liked this chapter. I thank you for your patience, for your thoughtful comments, and especially for reading Andy's journal.

I do apologize for the suspense. There is important action here, though it may not seem so. More than anything, Kaz comes through as a real champion for Andy - he is his cheerleader, friend, and defender throughout this entry. When Andy strides down the corridor to meet this unknown woman, he has the confidence to confront her, regardless of who she is. Of course, no confrontation was necessary. Thanks so much for reading Andy's journal, and for your wonderful reviews.

I apologize for the suspense again...if I ever write another story, I'll have to do better. Everyone should have a Kaz in their lives. He trusts the big guy as Zander does, and he didn't flinch (much) when he was exposed inadvertently. The more confident Andy who strode down the hallway wasn't the same kid who showed up in Blackburn six months earlier. Thank you for your really thoughtful commentary, and thanks a million for reading Andy's journal.

You are so right - everyone needs a Kaz in their lives. His anger and solidarity at seeing what happened to Andy are completely sincere. Kaz has come to love his new friend. Delia Walker's appearance was certainly unexpected. No track meet this weekend (they do happen on weekends sometimes...). Thanks for your thoughtful comments and ideas. And more importantly, thank you for reading Andy's journal.