Wayne Gray

Heh. Yeah, that ? turns the word on its head. That moment ... when Greg realized Lee would run if allowed to do so ... Greg decided in that split second not to give him a choice. To take it from him, just a little bit longer - until Lee could do the right thing for himself instead of fall into his old patterns. That scene with Joseph was so fun. hahaha. I'm glad it appealed! And there's a lot of food here in this one. There's a reason for that. Greg has noticed that Lee is adept at cooking. He has a natural talent with it, and Greg is encouraging him to explore that. But ... yes, I probably was hungry! 😛 Thanks for reading and for the comments!

Thanks for the comment, Chris. Lee is working on himself, which is a huge luxury in his world. He's finally on track. And that's thanks to a leap of faith by Greg. He's beginning to trust that Lee can be saved, that he wants to be. That's a big thing too.

23 October (Friday, Late Night) "What is wrong with you?" Anderson smacked Joseph's knee. Joseph had been vibrating the whole vehicle with his restless, bouncing leg. "Sorry." He forced himself to be still. The patrol car lay hidden in the deep shadow of an alley between an apartment complex and a chain-link fence. "Just a lot on my mind." "I can tell." Anderson's eyes narrowed as a pair of men appeared in the alley mouth. Assigned to patrol some of the rougher sides of town, this

I'm glad there's a plan, Chris. Best of luck, and I hope they get to your operation sooner rather than later!

Meeee toooooo .... But I'm also a guy who likes to write prompts and just leave them to be all that ever is of that little universe. 😛 Do as I say, not as I do! hehehehe

Oh, I like the punctuation scheme! Nice job. Avery is a wounded soul. Losing his home the way he did, and then getting shuffled around to various other houses before finally settling with the Mercers has done a number on him. It wasn't his fault, but he certainly suffered. So you're right. He allows closeness on his terms. And ... frankly, he frustrates his foster parents with his standoffish nature. They can sense he needs them, but he's just not able to allow himself to. Thanks for the comments. There have been some great ones for this chapter. 😄

Thanks for the comment! I like that you included Jeremy in your list. He keeps waiting for someone to tell him he's unworthy of Mason (really, unworthy of love). Yet, he keeps finding the opposite. Then there's Lee. Ah, Lee. He absolutely has the furthest to go. Avery breaks my heart a bit. He's a sweet kid, but he has his challenges. And he's terrified that those challenges will destroy the one home that he has had for the last three years. There's a lot going on for our campers.

Oh, you’ve really understood the situation with Avery as he relates to his foster parents. That’s good. Avery’s not a bad kid, he has simply been burned. And it’s hard for him to trust Bill and Anna. You also nailed the fact that there’s only so much to be done when it comes to keeping Avery safe. At some point, it will be what it will be. Lee’s having a slow-motion wake-up call. There’s no ... “ah hah” moment. Instead, there are these tiny steps and little realizations. But add them up, and Lee is getting there. Thanks for commenting and reading, Dave!

Thanks. 🙂

Thank you for reading and for the comments, Parker. Lots of keepers! 😀 I really think the title fits. And Lee is beginning to allow hope again. That had been a luxury he could never afford until now. Though it is still a tenuous thing, the emergence is something quite new.

Yes, indeed. What IS in that coffee? And I'm terribly sorry my timing didn't work for you. 🙂 Thank you for the great comments, kbois. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Thanks for the comment! I'm glad you're enjoying the ride. It's not exactly a smooth one, but I do think it's worth the journey. See you next week!

Thanks for the comments. There are many ways the title works within the context of the chapter. You've hit upon quite a few, and yes, it's definitely a double-edged sword. That moment where Lee asks that question concerning his old life was one I rather liked. He's a man who is on a path completely different from the one he has walked. Distance from where he was lets him see more of the picture, and it's turning out to be something terrifying and awful. He just never knew it while trapped within, living a moment to moment struggle for survival. I can't comment too much more without giving things away, so I'll have to end here. 🙂

Thanks for this post, Mike. I can't really contribute beyond what has already been said.

Thanks for the comment! Avery is defensive when it comes to caretakers. He feels like an unwanted football, passed from house to house. He is determined not to screw things up with Bill and Anna, but to him that includes avoiding them. He feels if they get to know him, they will reject him - just as the others did. He may seem to be just a goofy kid, but there's more going on in that head of his than that.

Thanks, tim. Again, I appreciate your help with reading, and with getting things as right as I could get them.

Thanks for the great comment! 🙂 You know, I got a lot of emails concerning the "tone" of the initial scenes in this chapter. Many of my readers have come to expect a certain, light atmosphere when it comes to Camp Refuge, but not everything is. I'm glad you could see the need for the darker tone, and that it mirrors Lee. Lee has so much turmoil. He is wracked with it. The campground has never dealt with anyone quite like him, and that is likely to test everyone involved. It sounds like you enjoy my style, and I'm glad for that. That's one thing which is difficult for a writer to change. It can be done, but it's a continual effort. The balance of description, dialogue, subtle showing, overt telling ... that is what creates a style. And I'm gratified to know when others enjoy it. So, thank you again. I hope you enjoy the rest of the story.

Thanks for reading and for the comment, Chris. Ah, there are definitely some of the elements of the title in what you wrote. Thank you for taking a stab at it. Again, I'm going to refrain from what I was thinking when I titled it - for now. 🙂 Lee is changing. And there's a reason why. What happens to a person when they're under the kind of stress Lee had experienced with Eddie? The self gets covered by survival mechanisms and falseness. Anyone in his situation would become someone totally different, just to survive. But now? Now at the campground, Lee's old methods don't feel as necessary. He's beginning to let them go, piece by piece. And as you mentioned, Avery has had a lot to do with that. Lee's dream ... yeah. He didn't realize he'd been living a nightmare until he didn't have to be there anymore. Now, his subconscious knows. It may take a little longer for Lee himself to figure it out. We'll see.

Thanks for reading and for the comment, Tony. Lee genuinely doesn't see how something he'd depended on for so long (Eddie) could be the source of a nightmare. You're right, of course. That life - that's exactly what it was; it was a bad dream of constant fear, uncertainty, and worthlessness. Greg is watching Lee carefully, and he's seeing little changes in him. There's quite a difference in how Lee behaves now. When they'd first met, Lee had been a petulant man-child, rebelling against even being there. Now ... he's neither mister confident, nor will he win any nice-guy contests, but he's slowly growing more comfortable. We'll see how far he can go there. And that's a good way to think about the title. I'm going to wait on my own thoughts associated with it, because I want to see what others think too. 🙂

17 October (Saturday morning) Wringing his hands, Jeremy grimaced at how clammy they felt. He shook them in the coolness of the early Fall morning, then gathered his resolve. He knocked. Moments later, Clay opened the door. "Hey, Red." He slipped an arm around Jeremy's shoulders. "Come on in." "Thanks." He let Clay lead them into the living room. "Coffee? It's still early enough." The men sat on the sofa in the newly painted room. The tan walls with dark blue trim-work suited

This one plays often in my workout mix. And I always end up thrashing myself when it does. hahaha. 😄

It's okay. It's catching us all, at some point. 🙂

Hi, James. That's Elias. Orson has custody of Elias, the potter. Avery has been in foster care for five years. Three of those in the home he's currently in. He's also seventeen, so he's nearly an "adult". Though, that's in quotes for a reason. He's pretty immature. Thanks for reading, and for the comment. 🙂

Thanks for the update, Chris. Feel better. We're here when you want and are able to chat.

Let us know how you're doing when you're able, Chris. I hope you get the care you need, and they fix you up.