Anton_Cloche

Surely @Connectwriter has enough material (perhaps edited out of this story 😳 ?) to create a continuation in the form of Book II - Peter and Marty Married Life with Children? A companion story about Jeremy? Or (heavens forbid) the "one more / last chapter" contains a brief Epilogue set in a near future, say 10 years later, tying up all the loose ends. 🤞 let's 🙏 @Connectwriter has a grand, long term plan for more (but no pressure. Okay, some pressure 🤞🤞🤞)

A wonderful chapter @Connectwriter, that leaps forward to Peter's trip to Milan and his first "big" fashion event. But it is also more than a little bit of "out of the frying pan and into the fire" (or "Vom Regen in die Traufe" as Max might say in German.) Luck plays a part in Peter helping translate a little from English to German for the model standing beside him, Max Schroeder. We soon learn that Max, who is straight and married, has a young daughter, Sabine, who is partially deaf with health issues similar to Peter. We learn that Max's primary reason to model is to afford medical help for Sabine's partial deafness. Peter and Max seem to be developing a friendship based on their shared issues: modelling of course as well as Peter and Sabine's hearing circumstances. Hopefully Max will look out for, and protect Peter if necessary. 🤞

Peter's conversation with his Pop seemed to be Peter looking for answers about whether his and Marty's relationship and upcoming marriage (in MA) will result in them being equals or not. He knows Pops is the "heart of the home" but with issues (health and other) that make him dependant on Dad. (Yeah it's a little confusing, and no clear GPS ot road map).

Coop (and Drew) find themselves adding another property to the ever-expanding portfolio. Not saying Cooper is a "Real Estate Tycoon", but he's more than well on his way, and all of it stemming from a seemingly never ending quest for privacy. A "bolthole" to hide away from the intrusions of life. Intrusions that seem to follow him everywhere, and largely from whenever he helps those in need. Perhaps he should have been a writer 🙄, (or even worse an editor 😳)? For now, Coop and Drew seem to have found a new life on Norfolk Island. Hopefully a bit of calm in a sea that's constantly churning. Family had booked a holiday let to come and visit our boys. What could possibly go wrong or get complicated? Hmm. Thanks for this chapter Preston / Q @quokka

Learning more about Jeremy in these last two chapters, and seeing how deep his connection is to Pete and Marty (and vice versa), will I'm sure become more important as this story continues. Indeed, Marty (and Pete) gathering friends to spend time with Jer during the initial days following Jer's girlfriend dumping him, to bolster his spirits and help keep him from being depressed, is in fact an integral part of 'Peer Counseling'. It's wei more important than people realize. (ooh the pun 😳 was there, just waiting to be used 😀.) Thank you for this wonderful @Connectwriter.

310 Carter chapters and counting since 2010. 😳. Talk about longevity. Not quite up to the top 3 published: The Bible; Shakespeare and Agatha Christie, so your still have some 🎯 @Topher Lydon.

Liam should have told Aiden and Mark (his Solucitor) how Donna was acting from the start. She as Bullying Liam, and Bullying is exactly how this story started when Liam tried (wrongly) to stop his first bully / tormentor. Also Donna needs reporting and being dismissed and possibly brought up on charges of bullying and be incarcerated; for not doing her job properly as required to complete the good work Aiden and Nurton Cross did to ease Liam back in society. For Liam to further his education and go to university. Perhaps even become a social worker. Instead she could 'accidentally' fall in front of a 'tube' (subway) train. As for Ed, Liam needs to get Aiden's address to forward letters to Ed. Perhaps once Liam lets Aiden and Mark know about Donna setting him up to fail, Liam will get both a proper 2 bedroom flat he can share with Rd while attending university. One hopeless incident should not ruin Liam's life at barely 19. This is fixable @Drew Payne. You just need to redirect. This story is well written but a little tweaking is needed. 🤞

Yep, just look at 2025 MLB World Series to see players who face off against former teammates. Especially going into Game 6 tonight (Friday Oct. 31st, Halloween 🎃 in Toronto ). 7th Inning Screech ?

Another really good chapter @Krista, but it's like a road trip not knowing what the destination is and kids in the backseat saying "are we here yet"? I'm probably safe in saying you've got us all on tenterhooks; (okay, everyone stop reaching for Google 🙄. It means to be in nervous anticipation or suspense, waiting anxiously for something to happen). Anyway, back to @weinerdog comment. It's one thing when an author uses the occasional double entendre, (unless you were writing for 'The Muppet Show' 😄), but when readers comments are frequently (sometimes slyly) inserting them? 😲 🙄. Friday Funnies?

"The truth" doesn't always "set you free." Fear of the truth took Joel and his grandfather's pistol to the bridge less than a month ago (in the story timeline). As a former 'peer counselor' and 'advocate', (along with many in medical, physchiatric and psychological fields) have addressed and attested that young people struggling with their sexual identity, let alone 'coming out', have a higher rate of suicide, attempting suicide or considering suicide than any other single group. Between 39 and 56% of those aged 10 to 24 years of age struggle with this daily. According to The Trevor Project" ( https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/article/facts-about-lgbtq-youth-suicide/ ), and the U.S. CDC (Centers for Disease Control), "Suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people aged 10 to 14, and the third leading cause of death among 15-24 year olds". "Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ+) young people are at more than four times as likely to attempt suicide than their peers. The Trevor Project estimates that more than 1.8 million LGBTQ+ young people (ages 13-24) seriously consider suicide each year in the U.S. When you include children 10 - 13 years, that number jumps to over 2.6 million children and young adults each year — at least one attempts suicide every 45 seconds". Joel needs counseling more than anyone knows or suspects (at this point). Trace and Celia are doing what they think and hope is best by giving Joel room to figure things out himself, but they are way out of their depth.

Hopefully, in the 'other' reality (real Pinemoor woods), young W-uber (wolf + uber) Meryl is okay, although looking confusedly around for his missing 'rider' Jack. I suspect Theo, Vince and Jack's plans may be 'runed' if they can't get back to where they had limbs that worked and eyes to read the symbols carved in the rock and figure out what comes next. Although, 'speaking' (telepathically?) maybe Vince sounds out the symbols he remembers and magically those words transport them back? Back to what? Cassandra with a massive headache from being crystal balled, (leaving a dull impression on her mind), or a not quite dead Cassandra with silver nail extensions looking to scratch Theo, Vince and Jack out? Finally (thought I'd never end?), Theo (the Big Bad Wolf) 'mating' with Jack (and maybe Vince), better involve some major body morphing, otherwise ... ?

A wonderful chapter @Connectwriter, that lets us know that Pete and Marty are back at school in New Jersey, but leading off with their friend Jeremy and his problems after his girlfriend effectively dumped him, shows yet again what a great empathetic couple they are. They essentially became, to use a nautical term, "A safe port in a storm". Jeremy was truly adrift, lost in a sea of emotions after the breakup, and perhaps close to having something terrible happen on a freezing cold January night. A fall on a dark street could result in losing consciousness, and exposure to freezing temperatures can lead to hypothermia - a potential medical emergency. Jeremy wandering miles from campus and being found by Pete, was more of a miracle than 'Jer' realizes in the moment. Over the coming days, as Pete has organized joint college friends to bring Jeremy meals and spend time with him, Jeremy will realise how lucky he is to have Pete and Marty (and friends) to help him through this rough patch. Thank you for this .

Had a friend in very similar circumstances to Joel, including special connection to a team and player number. When faced with not getting it, he talked it over and flipped the numbers. So the number was still there, sort of. Unfortunately like most sports superstitions, his new year under 'reversed' numbers, saw a reversal of fortune ☹️. Joel needs to talk with his last coach at Tempton High to see if the 'full ride' scholorship can be put off for 1 year and still apply, based on his 4-season undisturbed records of Varsity through 11t h grade, (as has happened at some NCAA colleges and universities in the last decade, including precedents because of Covid). 🤞

@Connectwriter, finally I get to let out the breathe I've been holding. The love and care for each other that not just Marty and Pete have, but that everyone in Mike and Brad's extended "multi-generational family" shares, is amazing. And greatly comforting to everyone. Especially for anyone who has a family member with epilepsy (or any special needs). Thank you for this chapter, and this wonderful heartfelt story. 💓

Great second chapter Preston, leading off with a mid-air medical crisis well attended to by Cooper and Andrew with a (fingers crossed) satisfactory outcome. From there, our duo start to settle in at their first vacation stay, only to be rudely interrupted when Andrew's supervisor calls his mobile to give Banjo a hard time for going out of WA for a long overdue PTO with this "thorny" rebuke from a prickly 'bird': “I see, well, usually we are to be informed if you are travelling to another state. When is your return date?” Really? Seems that Superintendent Jefferson needs to be read the HR regulations by 'his' superior. Looking forward to reading what's next. Ship ahoy?