FanLit

WHEW!! Leave my Desmond alone!! What an unholy alliance between these four (plus Nex, for the moment), lol. There are few things that can stop their combined forces in this world, let’s see if Doriel is one of them. At least we know Vivienne is truly dead.

Without proof or confession, a previous chapter points to the new school baseball coach via some of the more homophobic teammates who didn’t want Levi and Brody on the team. From “Outted!!!” (Chapter 3) ”Coach Broman located Jasper who played catcher for the team, who also happened to be the player he overheard ranting about the pair. “Jasper,” he called out, “a word with you!” “Yes, Coach?” Jasper answered as he ran to the man’s side. Broman’s face contained a snarl, “those two… you know light in the loafers kids…” he made a limp-wristed hand motion, “if you want team captain take care of them. I want them off the team as much as you do.” Jasper nodded his head, “’N I get no repercussions from the team?” “Zilch,” the Coach said, “I don’t care how you do it. Just get it done quickly.”

Thank you. 😘 Guess I’m a mirror image of you, then. 😉

I like to think he recognized that his hero was his mother, instead of his father. His life blew up at fourteen because of what he thought his mother did-but it was his father’s actions that destroyed his family. His mother gave him fourteen years of a solid foundation in the guise of a happy childhood (at great cost) and never gave up on the hope of reconciling with her only child. To me, that actually goes beyond heroic.

That would be WONDERFUL!! There is a heartfelt sympathy in my soul for marginalized populations and the struggle endured to just be. I’ve always felt like a rounded square trying to fit into a perfectly round hole....not the least of which is because I’m a black woman who doesn’t really conform to the perceptions or expectations general society has of a black woman. (sometimes even among my “own”) At times, I wrap my differentness around me like a favorite blanket; Other times, my unique mantle feels like wet wool upon my shoulders; Depends on the day, depends on my mood.

Nuh uh. Faith=Power. Every time.

I agree....with both your concerns. ❤️ 😘

May the escape this story provided you be a turn in your gloom and concern. Be safe.

A-MEN.

Congratulations on your turn to healthy self preservation and sobriety.

The situation of Hank’s family begets no winners. It is a parent’s responsibility to protect their children, from danger as well as things they may be too young to understand. Lilah (beautiful name and lovely spelling) was doing her job as a wife and mother....initially thinking she was helping her whole family, coming to the realization that there was a bigger problem than she was aware of. The one thing she could control was the safety of her son’s world, which is what she was trying to do, even as her marriage fell apart. Hank’s father had his reasons for dating Lilah, the most obvious appears to be some type of emotional (unsuccessful) conflict resolution; No matter how much he loved Will, it appears he made the choice to be without him romantically; This could have been Will’s decision or conflict but it appears to be more Hank’s dad’s, given how Will treated Lilah. This wound up involving him in a romance he never really stood a chance of being fully committed to; Pregnacy exacerbated the situation, no matter how much he loved his son, as he felt compelled to “do the right thing” and marry the mother of his child. Maybe at the time of Lilah’s pregnancy he realized he couldn’t be in a heterosexual relationship and then was trapped by the pregnancy; Maybe he was thrilled to be a father but didn’t want to be a husband; There are so many different scenarios that could have been playing in Hank’s dad’s head (did I miss his name?) but none of them would have made him happy....even being true to himself. This conflict, coupled with his predisposition to anesthetize his problems with alcohol guaranteed his alcoholic future. He wasn’t fair to Lilah or Hank but his pain was such that he was only focused on himself, even though he created this problem. (to me his functionality referred to his employment status, not his stature as a spouse or parent). Lilah had no choice in the actions she took but so successful was her enabling that any break in his parent’s relationship would have been a shock to Hank. ”Sorrows....” was a kind introduction to this chapter- I haven’t even touched on the interaction between Hank and Chase throughout this because the details of Hank’s family life was so much to digest. I do wonder if the situation were reversed and his father was the cheater, would he have been as protective of his Mom? This was a good chapter Gary, even though it was deeply sad.

Nan passed, but her spirit coming to avenge her babies would be so her, lol.

I was thinking at the beginning of this chapter how I missed Nan; Funny she was brought up. *Sigh* I truly wish this didn’t happen to Levi but this is an unfortunate reality for people who experience head injuries. It’s going to be a roller coaster of a ride for the Waters family, with deeper loops and turns than usual; Seems just the right time for some “Sage” advice. I’m also wondering if there will be any clarity on how Jonathan is Blu’s son if he was never intimate with his mother? There was some speculation about Blu’s dad but it was never confirmed. Thanks for the update, stay safe.

I like how you portrayed Chase’s physical progress through this. He didn’t emotionally eat and gain a ton of weight; He didn’t pine away to depressed emaciation; Instead, the chrysalis of his emotional maturity shone through in his literal being: “You look good, Chase.” The man darted a glance his way while they waited for the traffic light to change....” ....“You look heavier, though. In a good way,” he added with a tilted grin. “You look older… I noticed that the last couple of times I saw you. “Older, huh?” Chase returned the grin. “Well, you’ve filled out, and I guess that’s made you look more… mature.” “Thanks, I think.” “It’s a compliment.” From “Girls’ Night”: “....I heard what Stacy said when you arrived, and she’s right. You have gotten hotter.” Chase laughed. “Okay, guys, enough with trying to make me feel good, but Hank and I are finished, and we both know it.” Trey shook his head emphatically. “No, no. I’m serious. You carry yourself different. It’s the first thing I noticed when you walked out here.” “My boyfriend’s right, Chase. You always seemed, like, younger than the rest of us, but, baby, I see all man now.” One could say he was at caterpillar level maturity before....now, he’s a butterfly. 🦋

MmmHmm. 😉 I know a Headstall story usually has a happy ending and the great love these two shared (share?) has been well established. You’ve done a good job of showing this can go either way but again, this is a Headstall story so....

We aren’t islands and while I’m not always about tit for tat, Chase had to put on his big boy underwear without Hank, it just seems unfair to me that he should expect Chase to be there for him now (even though Chase will be if he asks). Why not Stacy or members of the chew crew? They are “friends” too, no?

I think Julio is the only reason Hank believed nothing happened that night between Chase and kissy face. He lost faith in Chase and was working on getting it back but irrefutable proof is the only thing he’ll trust right now.

MmmHmm. All of that, ⬆️

“Whatever. And wear something nice—a button down shirt, maybe a white one with rolled up cuffs—it’ll look good with your tan… and your dark jeans, and don’t forget a belt.” Chase turned and stared at the black jeans, black belt, and white shirt he had laid out on the bed.“ This exchange tickled me. 😊 That wasn’t just a coincidence of good taste, speaks to the bond Dawson and Chase still share. 👏 The openness of their friendship is so refreshing and I like how it’s incorporated in a way that Brent harbors no jealousy about Chase....I mean, they named their dog after him!! (I’m not sure how I’d feel about an animal being named after me, maybe it’s because I’m not a huge animal person, even though I’m way more receptive to them than I was as a child) I definitely understand and am touched by the bond that can exist between people and animals. The surviving Leeman’s have individually emerged from their grief process to reunite as a family. ❤️ It was nice to see that Charles and Cindy have also made progress in their respective grief, as evidenced by their collective socializing with each other and the change in Cindy and Marshall’s relationship. Life is moving on. Hank. Hank....Hank....Hank. *SIGH* Hank is learning his own new normal and there will be bumps along that new path. I disagreed with Hank asking Chase to support him in the meeting with his mother because they weren’t friendly enough to be at that place. I grew more suspicious when Hank invited Chase up to his place aaaannnddd showed the design he made for his share of Christine’s stones....there were a lot of presumptions Hank made based on Chase’s agreeing to help him; He got bitten in the butt with Julio’s reveal-I saw it as the universe telling him to slow his roll. It is a very good thing that Hank is in therapy and it is good he made progress with his mother, I just wonder about his motives for both moves-is it for genuine healing or a way to have Chase back in his life right now? He doesn’t yet realize that if he does this for the right reasons Chase will be back in his life, even if it’s just as a friend; These moves of Hank’s tells me he definitely wants more than that with Chase. Chase can’t be a part of this process, Hank has to do it on his own. This chapter leaves me totally ambivalent about the romantic reunion between Chase and Hank; Because it happened to Dawson and Brent doesn’t mean it’ll happen with C & H. They don’t have to be the pot of gold at the end of their respective rainbows. The ultimate goal is for each to be happiest they can be, that doesn’t mean it’ll be together.

Katrena and her crew are my second favorite of Katya’s creations after Desmond and Gabriel. Blessed safety to you and everyone associated with G.A.

Uh oh. ”Vivienne” is really Doriel? If so why didn’t it kill Julian as soon as it came to his house? Very interesting....

I learned a long time ago that there really is a thin line between love and hate, that hate still indicates some level of emotional involvement. The opposite of love isn’t hate, it’s indifference.

Brava!! 👏 😊