Parker Owens

I read this chapter twice, drinking in everything Tait told us. Sean reeled Tait in, made him feel happy and desired and perhaps something more. He discovered how to play Tait like an instrument. And poor Tait has to live with the memory of what happened and with the destruction Sean's control left behind. The melancholy knowledge of the oncoming train wreck comes through so achingly well in this chapter. Your writing is at a whole new level here, and it leaves me wanting more. This so well done. Thank you!

David2 is slowly drifting into the deep end. Gary may try to hold David2 accountable, if his statement is to be believed. I feel worst for the people David befriended - Chuck, Biggie, and especially Twoey. Beginning to wonder if David2 will destroy David entirely, and turn this into a tragic story. Seems possible, anyhow. Thanks for this chapter, well written and suspenseful!

I am so very sorry you think it horrid. Andy has had an incredibly bad piece of luck, but he at least came out of it largely unscarred. But he is still anxious and scared, and who can blame him? Far too many kids experience something like this, and worse. Thank you for wading this far,

I am so glad you persevered through the dreadfully hard parts of Andy's life. They make this moment so incredibly sweet, special and satisfying. Thank you for sticking with the journal...

Bubby - I am sorry the story upset you at this point. Give it some time, and some thought. In any case, Eric is better off than he was with his father. That he chose to go back to the farm, and not run away directly is actually an important part of Eric's growth. There are bright spots, but you are right in saying that they glow dimly just now.

Stefan/Eric got a good break running into Eustace Whitley. For the moment, he appears to be safe and dry and warm. This is a huge improvement. Thanks for hanging tough with Eric. I really appreciate your comments.

No, I don't hate Eric/Stefan. But I know the reality of kids who have to live as he has. He got away, and with some hope of safety. He got a meal. He will live to wander another day. Thank you for hanging in there as Eric/Stefan has done. I really appreciate your doing so.

When you wander the roads and live on the margins, it's hard to meet good people. For Stefan - now Eric - he has learned that being quick to trust is to risk being a victim. What a pity, because he really seemed to enjoy the reading. Thanks a lot for staying with the story, and for your reviews. Hope you like what follows of Eric's journey.

You were good to keep going. Stefan is limping away from a horror nobody should have to endure. Life will still be hard, but nothing could compare to what happened already. He is a survivor. Thanks for staying with the story, and I hope you enjoy what follows.

This poem made me sad. I know how this poem feels - all too frequently. I stare at a page and want to write, but nothing comes to mind - no poetry, no prose, no music. You have captured that moment, that hour so well. I cannot help but feel the frustration and unhappiness it radiates.

Loved this chapter, SD. Here is a blockbuster surprise. All kinds of bets just got wiped off the table. This is the kind of thing that can fracture not just individual lives, but whole communities - and Davids1&2 live in just such a small town. Of course, I'm anxious to see what David2 will do to adjust his war plan. A swift surgical strike? I nasty, splashy bit of public humiliation? My fear is that if David2 tries to be too subtle and takes too long to develop his countermeasures, he will become absorbed into this rather unpleasant persona. He will lose his friends and his brother, too. In effect, the Pastor and his mom will have won by remaking his very soul. So: need to see a new chapter very, very soon, please. Like now. (insert impatient toe tapping here)...

I composed a reply - twice - and my computer ate it - twice. Ugh. Here it is, finally: 4000 words means that Andy has so much more to talk about than in the summer when he was running. We do indeed feel much closer to the way Andy is feeling – anxious, worried, beset by unfamiliar demands few (or none) go through at his age. Mrs. K surely had to think this one through over and over; as a parent, how do you decide if it's right to let your child take part in a very public ceremony you aren't sure about? Andy surely handled many situations gracefully, from Frank's challenge to Maria's initial faux pas to gently turning Lena away. But his stomach was churning the whole time. His worry about his genetic links continue to haunt him. Thank you so much for your fantastic commentary, and I hope you enjoy Andy's upcoming entry.

Well, Andy got to meet the siblings, and Nonna Costanza. There are plenty more relatives where those came from, but that's a big enough group to overwhelm Andy anyhow. The rest of the family will be taking stock of Andy, too. Everything is happening so fast! Not sure if Andy really knew what he was doing, but it's happening now. Thanks for your reflections, and I hope you like Andy's next installment!

No, they aren't perfect; nobody's perfect, not even Andy Andy's quick thinking about Jeff probably got him out of an unpleasant situation - and in addition, might indeed start a beautiful friendship... Thanks for your thoughts. Hope you like Andy's next entry...

Andy to meet everyone, but didn't get to know anyone - that will come later, I expect. That is certainly the experience of many people, I think. But at least Andy got a whole week with Nonna Costanza, who surely has taken a shine to him. Doubt he'll be calm for the wedding, but most people are anxious to some degree. Thanks for your comments, and hope you like the next entry on Friday.

Thanks so much for reading this entry in Andy's journal. Hope you enjoy the chapters that remain.

We all get caught with the 'what ifs' from time to time. Of course, they are about as useful as a cold virus, but they happen all the same. I am glad you liked this chapter, and hope you like Andy's next installment on Friday (sorry for the delay!)

Undoubtedly, Andy will be revisited by his past over and over again. It is to be hoped that he will have learned ways to cope with those visits as he matures, and that his past will hurt him less and less frequently. Garrett surely continued his habit of saying good words at the right time. I am glad you enjoyed this chapter, and hope you like Andy's next entry.

You make some excellent points here, and I really thank you for your honest and forthright commentary. There is plenty here for me to chew over and reflect on. I think there deeper stories for both Frank and Maria that were too long to be told here. I appreciate your remarks about Mrs. K. Thanks for taking the time to read this chapter in Andy's journal and for your thoughts.

Andy probably thought of that as a defense with Lena present...or maybe he's just a really sweet guy...or both. We only get a very brief introduction to Zander's family before the tide of the wedding sweeps him away. For the K family, they have had to wrestle with the teachings of their church and with their experience of Zander. By extension, they must have discerned a path different to what the church teaches, something you point out so well. Thanks for your comments, and for reading this chapter in Andy's journal. Hope you like the next entry.

Andy is unlikely to get anything but fitful rest. He'll probably sleep in math class, but be wide awake for the wedding. Maybe he'll doze during the sermon Andy's fears are justified, I suppose. I am grateful for your encouragement and comments. Thanks for reading, and hope you like Andy's next entry.

I would ask you to hang in there. I understand your reluctance. Stefan's story is tough at first. Don't blame you for not liking what happened to Stefan, though; but unfortunately, so many kids actually have to live through horrible abuse. It's up to us to recognize them and help. Sorry - I'll stop grinding my axe now. Thanks for reading so far into the story, and I hope you will continue to do so.

That's the hope, surely. Not everyone goes through the gather-the-family ordeal, but that may be part of Monica and Garrett's way of trying to make sure the boys have a wide, broad net of support under them. And you use an excellent metaphor - a wedding can sure be a tidal wave. Andy's next entry posts Friday, and I hope you like it, too. Many thanks!

Andy got to meet the family, and he must have felt some relief - at least until Lena showed up. Poor Andy ought to have packed a bottle of antacids or something; he's an anxious wreck. Frank was a fun character to conceive; as was the whole family as an organic whole. No doubt it was overwhelming, but wonderful at the same time, once Andy got used to it. The Kasimierski family seems to have wrestled itself into the 21st century, which must have been challenging. Get ready for what happens next on Friday...thanks so much for reading, and for your quick review!

Entry for March 30, Thursday night, continued… I entered the house last, holding onto Zander's hand. In seconds, Nonna Costanza had bustled over to us, all hugs and two-cheeked kisses. "Sandro, Andrea, you are here, finalmente!" Her iron grey hair came just about to my chin. She looked even tinier when she tried to do the same for Kaz, who had to bend almost double to get his greeting. She was practically level with Terry, by comparison, and I couldn't help chuckling a little. In the wake of N