Clancy59

Great chapter with a lot of interesting information, but what an ending! And we only have one more chapter to go! Who is this Justice and how will his shooting affect things? I’ve heard the word ‘casualty’ used in terms of any injuries, so were the Justice and his wife killed? Did they get the assassin(s)? Doesn’t seem like it from the response with the Obamas. There are an awful lot of questions to be answered, Carlos! Also, in an aside (kinda), how much longer for the boys’ arrival? The guys don’t seem to be in any rush getting the nursery ready. How’s the surrogate doing? Come on. This is important, too!

You can add my vote to this as a wonderful story and the hope that you will continue with either more stories about Marc and Sawyer or storylines about their various friends. There are so many roads to explore with them! Finn and Sawyer’s past, Finn’s future, Bruce’s choice to relocate and maybe find his one-and-only (there are a couple of candidates), Reba and her family, Tim, Rick, and so on. Marc’s restoration company can easily be the central contact point with this new revitalization project in the works. Maybe we can still see Maggie come to her senses! Hope does spring eternal, after all! Keep up the good work! While I do not have the creativity in the form of fictional writing to do any myself, I am able to identify talented writers from hacks (I am a retired, professional Librarian and critiquing books was part of my job), and you, Miss @Libby Drew, are an extremely talented writer. I do intend to check out more of your stories. Thank you for a very enjoyable time the past couple of weeks. I think I am going to miss my daily visits with the guys!

Yeah. I have a couple of nieces like that. You should have read one’s diatribe against Adam Kinsinger (?) when he voted against T**** (because, of course, he is the great saver of America!). You would have thought he had committed the first, original sin and should be condemned to hell for all eternity. (Did I mention they live in Illinois?). She has developed such a hatred for me and my positions that she actually unfriended me. But she’ll take material items from me! Unfortunately, there’s such animosity from that direction from the nieces (stemming from snide comments from their mother, my SIL), that hubby and I have actually agreed to leave something for the grandnieces (they’re babies right now), but nothing for the older girls. Petty? Maybe. But we’re tired of being looked at as future fortunes, but not worthy of attention now. We have other family who are much more deserving.

Pam gets much more leeway because she’s family. She also has a lot of emotional issues that CJ is trying to, not forgive or ignore, but give her more space as a result. However, she is quickly running out of room. As stated by several people, she needs to accept that Owen and CJ are adults and parents themselves. Their ways and methods may not be the same as hers, but hers were not the same as her or Geoff’s parents’. Opening her eyes will not be an easy or pretty activity. If Rubio does set his people to searching the focus groups to try to figure things out, he’ll be in for a bit of a surprise. He never really did believe that CJ came from family with Republican connections, yet wouldn’t subscribe to them himself. He can’t understand someone who isn’t a lemming.

NO! I wanted to get to the courtroom! I can’t wait to find out how Jonathan reacts when he finds out the updated Will has been found and the witness verifies it in court! And I agree that Simone may need some protection until this is all settled. Maybe she could pay Sawyer a visit? Did we all do this?! I got to 525. My parents thought I was nuts for trying to do it. I, on the other hand, was quite pleased with myself for a long time!

Poor Pam just really can’t seem to get it into her head how powerful her son and especially his husband truly are. She still thinks of them as kids and needing guidance. I am so looking forward to, while also dreading, CJ’s rebuking of her. She’s going to turn to Owen and Geoff for help and support, and they’re going to tell her that they had warned her multiple times to back off, but she just wouldn’t listen. Yikes! CJ is so good at putting people in their places without seeming to. Rubio knew how CJ felt about him, but thought he would never dis him in front of guests, especially family, as I am sure he overheard. Rubio definitely don’t know CJ, do he?! I wonder if he’ll figure anything out about the campaign ads. How could CJ know about them when they haven’t been released yet and have only been shown to the focus groups? Does CJ have spies? Rubio is going to start rethinking how he deals with this young upstart from now on. I knew this was only going to be a short story, but I’m still sorry to see it ending in just a couple of weeks, while still enjoying every word.

Maybe this comes from being the daughter of a legal secretary who actually worked as an untitled paralegal. Oh, the stories I heard and the legal advice/warnings I received!

Finn looked horrified, because all this time he thought of his grandfather as this horrible person, only now to find out that he had risked his own life to save his grandson’s without a second thought. And it looks as if Sawyer is at least somewhat willing to try to give Finn a chance simply because Marc trusts him, even with years of history between them. It looks like the Calhoun boys are finally growing up! Now if only Marc’s parents, especially his father, would do the same thing! Come on, Finn! Think! The guys told you Simone was aware of the subsequent, updated will. You need to get her in front of the judge to attest to that. It won’t give Marc his inheritance, but it will be enough, hopefully, to give them the time to really search for the will and force Marc’s father to allow them access to May’s house so that they can search her personal papers under threat of prosecution himself if he tries to prevent it in any way. Could there be anyone else who may be aware of the updated will? Is the proposed parkland the property Jonathan is trying to claim? If the city is planning to build a couple of parks there, it would be poetic justice for them to take the property from Jonathan by eminent domain. He wouldn’t get near what he wants for it.

That’s true. He could have been safely at home this entire time. I guess I was focused on the running away. That really would explain why he hadn’t been reported missing—because he wasn’t! And if the family didn’t have a history with the police, no, they wouldn’t know them. Yes, Cassidy has her own apartment, but every child I know has free rein to come and go in the family home. She could easily come in when her parents were not home. She would know the family schedules and it isn’t much effort to simply lay in wait and watch for an opportunity. She may not have even been an active instigator. Some of her ‘friends’ could have decided on their own to get some vengeance for perceived offenses by Seth. And I’m sure she wouldn’t have exactly discouraged it if she had known ahead of time. As far as Seth coming back bigger and better than ever…PLEASE! Yes! But not necessarily obviously. The best revenge is the one that comes unexpectedly. Seth could go away with Trevor for awhile and get stronger, both physically and emotionally, without it being too obvious. Then when he returns to his parents, he can stand up for his rights and put his sister and her minions in their proper places. But that’s just the kind of thing I would like to see. Thank you for pointing out all of this to me.

Wow. Starting with a wonderful day and ending with a despicable act by a jealous, hateful sister against her innocent, younger brother. Thankfully, his parents seem to be fully aware of Seth’s situation and want to be supportive of him, although, I have to wonder why they didn’t go to the police themselves when he disappeared after Cassidy’s diatribe. Good for Trevor for letting her have it with both barrels while still maintaining control over his wolf. Overhearing the comment from Wade and Thad helped with that. Yes, if anyone has had positive role models, it’s Trevor. It looks like he may need to take Seth under his wing in order to build up his self-esteem while protecting him from these vipers who attacked him. I agree with @James B. that Cassidy, maybe with Hannah’s help, may be the one behind this. Seth may be safer staying with Trevor right now. I highly doubt he would be safe in his own home with Cassidy around. I can even foresee Seth moving to PA when Trevor returns. Bitten by the attacking lycan? That’s an interesting idea, especially with the strictures against biting and turning unwilling/unknowing humans. Someone could be in a whole lot of trouble with pack leadership, and I don’t just mean Wade and Thad. Seth is understandably nervous around unknown people. Randy did just the right thing to show him he was in safe company. Randy is also able to get the police in touch with Seth’s parents (again , why don’t the police know who the parents are? Why haven’t they reported Seth as missing?). I really want to know what they are going to say. I’m very glad these chapters come out as fast as they do. Less time to wait! Less angst!

May and Sawyer’s Granda? Never saw that one coming! Although she did seem to know an awful lot about the antiques in that house! Well, now they can get back to the house and pull everyone off of the phone calls and get them searching Paul’s archives. Hopefully they didn’t get tossed with the mass clearing of all the hoarded stuff Sawyer found! I am sure Attorney Paul was much more careful with his legal papers. Sawyer was surely cognizant enough to recognize legal documents and put them to the side to protect them. Maybe they could also get Simone to attest that there was another, later will leaving everything to Marc. The judge may not take it as the final word until they have an actual document, but her testimony might buy them more time to search for it. Who was the second witness? Was that required? Not all states require that. Good luck, guys!

OK. I remember now. For some reason I thought he was going to buy May’s house. I misunderstood. Thanks for clarifying that.

Jonathan seems to be in an awful hurry to get rid of these properties, including Marc’s, which I still don’t understand why he would have the rights to. Didn’t Marc buy it himself? It doesn’t matter where he obtained the loan, I thought. He could get another loan from another institution at this point with the equity he has built up in that house and his business. That way he wouldn’t owe the estate anything. Maybe Bruce could front him for a couple of weeks to protect him. I don’t care that Jonathan is putting on a facade of altruism, this whole thing rings false. Probate has not been settled. He has no right to block Marc from May’s house or from the items inside. Marc should be able to search for the will there. Marc said that May’s old friends have moved away. OK. But they may remember something about the updated will. They could let them know where May stashed it, even. They should still be contacted. Marc seems to have a better handle on Finn than Sawyer does. That’s not too surprising since Sawyer is coming with years’ worth of baggage that he can’t seem to let go. Marc is looking at Finn with fresh eyes. Maybe he’ll be able to get Sawyer to calm down and really think about his brother. The process seems to have already started with the way Finn has jumped in to help Marc (and pro bono, too). Word is slowly getting around about their relationship. Heidi noted Marc’s description of their relationship, and while it gave her a momentary pause of surprise, she simply carried on. Jonathan seems to be the only one bothered by the whole thing. Could that be why the rush now?

As stated by others, Pam is still deeply grieving the loss of her daughter to a devastating illness that they thought they had conquered once already, only to have it return stronger than ever. It didn’t help Pam’s frame of mind that it was Liz’s decision to not fight. Pam is probably feeling, not only the angst of the loss, but also the guilt that she was unable to protect and save her daughter, no matter how ill-conceived the idea is. There was absolutely nothing she could have done, but she feels guilty, nonetheless, that she couldn’t. She was the mother. Mothers protect their children and she failed in that. Now, there is Liebe. Liebe is Liz’s daughter, having been conceived by using the eggs Liz harvested and saved prior to her first battle with cancer. Pam has transferred all those emotions to Liebe, even if they are subconscious, and she is determined that she will be protected, wrapping her in blankets and bubble wrap so that nothing harmful can ever get to her. The Mexican Incident probably shook her to her core, as a result, even knowing that everyone was safe. Now she is overcompensating by becoming a helicopter grandparent, to the guys dismay, and Liebe’s frustration. She is going to have to accept that the guys DO know what they are doing (The example of the firecrackers comes to mind. That was dealt with quite well by showing her the firecrackers going off so she can lose her fear of them in the future.) Geoff has told them that Pam is afraid of CJ. Understandable, since CJ is not exactly known for holding back. But he does care for Pam as Owen’s mother and does understand why she is doing what she is doing. However, that doesn’t mean he won’t lose his patience with her! He wisely defers to Owen when dealing with her. The interview was interesting as it brought out a few details and thoughts as perceived by the guys, not necessarily by the readers looking in from above. It would be fun to read the actual article when it gets published! Thanks, Carlos, for another fun chapter. I always look forward to Friday mornings, knowing another chapter will be waiting to be enjoyed!

I very seldom have fries anymore. I find them too greasy. But the Royal Burger fries sound like they might hit the spot!

Pam was in the depths of depression when she tried that sneaky stunt with the baptism. People knew she was still mourning her daughter, but they hadn’t realized how much at that point. CJ had to lay out the rules and the acceptable lines of behavior to her. None of the rest of the family had tried to interfere with the guys’ parenting the way she had. She wouldn’t have taken the reprimand from her husband or Owen. They were too close. It had to be CJ. When she finally realized that he wouldn’t back down, it rocked her to her core. She was terrified that they truly would prevent her from ever seeing Liebe again, and she simply couldn’t handle that. She had to change. Hopefully, she will be able to demonstrate that on this trip. No, she may never finish mourning Elizabeth. But, hopefully, she’ll realize that Liebe is a different person. She is not there as her biomother’s replacement. She’ll eventually be able to live beyond Elizabeth’s unfortunate death, instead of dwelling on it as she has for the past several years. Maybe, as Geoff said, the additional coming grand babies will help with this. Also, personally, I think the guys do a great job reprimanding Liebe. They always get her attention. They never raise their voices. They always explain what/why she was wrong and how to correct her actions. She may think one or both of them is mean, but she’s a kid! She’s having a normal reaction! I only wish we were all as calm as the guys with our own kids! And, yes, I figured they got the lighthouse in the RI gift shop at the airport!

Yay! We didn’t even have to wait for the new story! Thank you Carlos! This will be an interesting visit with Grandma and Grandpa Liston from Oztralia. (I love how toddlers come out with words.). Pam is a typical Grandma wanting to spoil her granddaughter, especially considering the distances involved and that they don’t get to see each other often. And she is still suffering the after-effects of the depression of losing her own Elizabeth, Liebe’s egg donor. Pam has difficulty separating the two, although she seems to be working on it. The Mexican Incident certainly did not help with this! Geoff is doing a good job keeping her level. CJ and Owen are going to have to have a lot of patience during this visit. Pam is afraid of CJ? Well, I guess I can understand, after he laid down the law after the tricks she tried to pull when they were in Australia when Liebe was a baby. She’s going to have to learn that Liebe is not her baby and the guys have final say over anything dealing with Liebe. I’m looking forward to this newest chapter in the Abelló/Liston Saga. Glad to see them all back!

Sounds like every Irish wake I’ve been to since I married into a very large, Irish Catholic family. Everyone gets together after the services to share a meal somewhere and talk about everything under the sun for several hours. Not only do we talk about the lost beloved one, we also discuss our jobs and recent trips, how the kids are doing in school and the prospects for the various sports teams, including high school, college and professional. Not very much is off the table. It may sound somewhat disrespectful to the deceased and the family, but the support is quietly given when needed, through hugs, holding hands or simply sitting close. Everyone shares in the life of the person, and that’s the important pint. Historically, for those who are unaware, the ‘wake’ was held immediately after the death of the person and prior to the funeral and burial. The reason was that, occasionally, there were instances of someone being mistakenly identified as dead. (Hey, it happened recently here in the US! The woman had actually been delivered to the mortuary from the hospital when the mortician realized she was still breathing at a very shallow rate and called the EMTs!). They wanted to make sure the person wouldn’t wake up. This way, they made sure they wouldn’t accidentally bury someone who was still alive. Some cultures also set a small bell over a grave with a chain into the coffin in the ground. Someone was assigned to wait here for however long, to make sure the buried person didn’t ring the bell for help and they would disinter the actually living person. This is where the phrase ‘saved by the bell’ came from. There are a lot of funerary traditions from all over the world. Thank goodness Karen had the intuitiveness to call Bruce when they couldn’t get ahold of Sawyer. It’s understandable why Sawyer didn’t respond to Marc’s calls. He thought he needed to make a clean break between them. There was no way he could tell Marc was trying to get ahold of him for an emergency, especially since he wouldn’t leave a message, if Sawyer would have listened to a message in the first place. I don’t know that Sawyer should feel any guilt here. Yes, he missed the emergency, but he’s here now. He can support and protect Marc from now on. The past week apart, and the way Sawyer flew to Marc’s side without even stopping to change clothes, should tell them both exactly where their feelings truly lie. There’s no hiding from them anymore. Sawyer has a great supporter in Reba. For one thing, I’m sure she’ll help clear the house out, especially of those old lady raptors who are already looking at what they want to snap up in the estate sale! No wonder Marc hid out in the pantry! Reba came upon them in the pantry and was not surprised to find Marc in Sawyer’s arms, finally receiving and accepting the comfort he so desperately needed. I said before, she knew. Rachel found them and was shocked (I guess she didn’t know, after all), but evidently all the clues finally fell in place for her. Their platonic relationship now makes sense to her. She may be sad that it will never go further, but at least now she knows. Now she can move on and, hopefully, find her own, true soul mate. Reba will be able to smooth the path with Karen and the guys and anyone else who could have an issue with Marc. I am looking forward to seeing the reunion and how they resolve their issues. I wonder if Aunt May left Marc any kind of letter, especially after hearing about her own missed opportunity with her long lost love.

HEA! 👨‍❤️‍👨 👨‍👨‍👧 👨‍👩‍👦 ❤️

The only reason Finn showed up is because a check he thinks he was owed hadn’t shown up in his bank account. He wants that money, and he is planning on coercing Sawyer into giving it to him. He walked in on a romantic encounter between his brother and someone else. Sawyer immediately became protective of Marc, telling Finn, who is accustomed to reading between the lines as an attorney, there is something here. Something Sawyer wants to keep away from Finn. Finn is not stupid. He couldn’t be a successful attorney without having a knowledge of human psychology. He could, quite possibly, have overheard Sawyer’s phone call with Marc and put 2 and 2 together. Since Sawyer made it a point of not introducing them when Finn arrived and blocking Marc as much as possible from his view, Finn knows there is probably something here he could exploit. Just simply by greeting him in the morning, Finn has opened a whole can of worms for Marc. He may not know how, but he knew that something major would happen. Talk about sibling rivalry! Some other commentators have indicated a disappointment with Bruce. I don’t think I am so much disappointed with him as frustrated that he isn’t listening to Sawyer. He loves Sawyer as a brother (better than Finn!). He wants what is best for him. He has always known Sawyer as something of a player, out for a good time and not settling down with a single person. He is very likely the same way. He, himself, has not found that one, special person for whom he is willing to change his life for. Sawyer has. Bruce can’t quite get his mind around that. He gets that Marc is in the closet in this small, gossipy town and fearful of the consequences of revealing his ‘secret.’ He also knows that Sawyer is ‘Out and Proud’ and doesn’t understand why he would be willing to deal with Marc and his insecurities. To him, it isn’t worth the hassle. Just move on! He doesn’t understand that it isn’t that easy! I have no patience for that Kurt. He is only looking for a good time. When Sawyer politely turns down a weekend with him, I thought Kurt became rather nasty about it. Very shallow. If that’s the kind of person Sawyer has been involved with in the past, it’s no wonder Bruce is having difficulty getting his mind wrapped around Sawyer’s feelings for Marc.

With Leslie as a mother, Mini-Me had no choice but to develop an ‘Old Soul!’

Some people should simply never be involved in any way with the lives of children. Leslie is a prime example of Exhibit A. Interestingly enough, Mini-Me knew exactly where to turn for the comfort she needed.

I’m sure I will after that rather cryptic comment!

Poor Marc. He’s worried about Aunt May, and with good reason, too. He’s absolutely right that she needs to get to a doctor to check this out. It could be something simple like blood pressure or not having eaten properly that morning. But passing out could mean something much more serious. He’s worried and scared. She’s his entire family. It’s horrible realizing that someone you have always thought of as invulnerable could be susceptible to some kind of health issue and will not always be there for you. Sawyer is just what Marc needed in this instance. Not only did he receive the emotional help before, during and after the ‘confrontation’ with May, he also had Sawyer backing him up telling her to go to the doctor. Sawyer also helped calm Marc down when he could have lost his self-control because of his concerns and fears. This is what a good partner does. Supports and helps the other one. The hidden staircase was very interesting. I have to wonder about its original purpose. It’s too rickety to have been meant as a shortcut between levels. It was hidden for a reason. That staircase without a banister is a hazard! (Of course, I am speaking from the perspective of someone who has a fear of stairs from a childhood fall and needs to hold on to railings every time!). However, it was interesting being able to hear the discussion between Reba and Rick. Hmmm—could it have been meant as a kind of ‘priest’s hole’ where a person could hide and listen in on other people? Rick is oblivious about Marc, but I think Reba is completely aware of his feelings for Sawyer. The same could be said for Tim, especially after he was smirking at them as they spilled out of the hidden staircase. He may not have been aware before, and he may have stumbled upon the secret hidey-hole when he went looking for Marc, but he is certain he knows now! Hopefully he is not one who will cause problems for them. (Hmmm. Just a thought with the reno. Some people want to put in extra conveniences when they renovate, even in historic buildings. Not that they would, but that hidden staircase seems like the perfect place to install a small elevator. I know it sounds extravagant, but some people with multiple levels have done this.)

Bruce Banner?! Very cute. I have to tell you that, like Bruce, I am infatuated with historic structures. I don’t really have the ability or the wherewithal to rehab them like the guys do, however. (Bruce, I love tin ceilings, also! I saw a lot of them in Ireland.) I am so jealous (in a nice way) of those who do. The mill is beautiful! I also get a big kick out of the name Great Restorations. I assume you are a Dickens fan. Really, Bruce seems like a great friend to Sawyer, acting as the perfect sounding board keeping him sane and calm. He will be a great support for Marc, helping him when the truth comes out. If Bruce is back in the city, he, luckily, has the kind of job that, I think, he’ll be able to drop everything and run to their assistance. If he is that much in demand, I am sure he has plenty of staff to pick up the slack when he’s not there. I guess Rachel doesn’t really know about Marc, huh. I thought she did. Or maybe she is still trying to cover for him. Whatever, both guys are letting their feelings of jealousy show. If Marc doesn’t want people to know, he has to be a bit more circumspect. Things are getting interesting!