Jjeffalch

"Shurleen/Marcus was a wonderful, entirely unanticipated twist, and I really enjoyed his you described Gerald/Bumper reaction. The whole dynamic of the story just shifted gear.. can't wait for the next chapter!

Matt's parents seem to be always asking themselves if they missed something and it almost sounds as if they say to themselves, "oh yeah, we did miss something and now we see that's why all this bad stuff happened and we didn't do anything to prevent any of it or to deal properly with the aftermath, our bad, it's because we missed it "! They 'thought' something was off when they saw Jonah coming out of Nathan's room but didn't follow up, and look at how horribly if affected Nathan and all his relationships!!!! It's actually outrageous that they have been so continuously oblivious and the consequences f that oblivion are so MASSIVE!!!! Matt and Nathan will do much better out from under them and being with someone who actually has the time and inclination to pay attention to what is going on with them.

Can't fight the impression that Terik engineered this entire thing so she could get into a human body...she surely wasn't looking out for Vinnie and it seems he was set to lose the match-up against Stefano from the start. Well, I suppose this is an effective way to end the series. That burning interest in the next installment of Vinnie's life is seeping away. But it was a great ride while it lasted!!! Thanks for all the hours of chills and thrills and great entertainment!

I really hope that Will and Travis get together and leave Zach to sort out his stuff all on his own. His self-absorption is well-established, but his ting to Will about why he is blowing off their telephone date—well, it was entirely unnecessary and very revealing of his character. He can’t be trusted, and that leads me to question Will’s judgment (“ I trust both of you”). Who knows whom else Zach has been cavorting with! Why should he be trusted if he lies to Will for no apparent reason, even as Will is being upfront with him. Will should ask himself though, why he is so attracted to Travis even with Zach RIGHT THERE! For me that is indicative, and he should just open his eyes and just finally end it with Zach.

I ask myself thr same question about why Will puts up with all of Zach's shit. Yes, of course, he loves him, but still... well, maybe it's just that he wants to have his fun while still young and unattached, and it would be hypocritical in the extreme to want to deny Zach the same privilege. More bluntly, zi doubt Will is capable of a committed relationship, at least now,and Zach is perfect for that. His being so deeply in the loset means Will has an iron-clad hall pass to be as sluggish as he wants. Whatever, I see little point in trying to invest myself in Will-he is what he is.

I agree!!!!! I am hoping there is to be more of Shay's story, but somewhere inside, I'm warning myself to be careful what I wish for...you've come pretty darn close to perfection with this story. How much more perfection would I be able to absorb? But seriously, PLEASE keep it up!!! You have given me, all of your readers, so much enjoyment through your stories. My heartfelt thanks to you!

This chapter made glaringly clear the nastiness of Zach's self absorption, but also shows his relationship to Taylor in a different light. I just wish Will hadn't been so shitfaced during the party and could have recognized what Zach's jealousy really means. There is no future with that asshole and I really hope Will wakes up soon and just moves on already!! I often ask myself if Will's continuing sluttiness is not in part his way of unconsciously numbing himself to Zach's bullshit.

I can't wait either. Rusty's probably won over Mr. Hamilton with a pithy remark or two about how much of cool dude who can really cook Jonathan is, and Mrs. Hamilton by singing a short sweet ballad!😇

I entirely agree with you about Zach. For a while, sometime back, I sort of hoped that Will was starting to realize that his relationship with Zach was an inevitable dead-end and was starting to move on. But it seems he can't. Zach has his hidden fuck-buddy at college, and that's exactly how he wants it. I just wish Will would wake up and realize that, in the end, that is the role he, Will Schluter, will have in Zach's life, whatever protestations of love Zach may give off.

I agree entirely with your sentiment about Zach. He will not make Will his priority, ever, and as pai ful as it is, Will needs to cut those strings and move on. He's floating from one empty hookup to the next, and denying himself the chance to get into a relationship of any conditions structure kind, not because he doesn't want a relationship but because he is still hoping Zach will come round. At times I almost feel sorry for Will, but mostly I don't. He's as blind in matters of Zach and as set in his unconstructive ways as his father is in his own relationships, jncluding this latest one with Jake.

A VERY elegant solution to the Colt problem at the hands of Shivay’s mother, and to the problem of Shivay’s mother, at her own hand. That made it possible for all, except “Mommy Dearest” to extricate themselves with honor from a nasty situation. This has really been more than worth the long and uncertain wait of a few months ago . Well done! Of course, now we are waiting with bated breath to see what the Gods have in store for Sikh and Charlie!

Me too, Grumpy Bear. I was so afraid that something really serious had happened to you. I’m pleased to hear that things have been going okay for you. I’m thrilled to have this story start up again—it’s been fascinating, and this chapter only has me anxious for more!!! Welcome Back!!!

I have real sympathy for what you're saying here. I get it. I also think Jay had always gots it. He always understood how heavy a lift this would be for Loren, and he also says that's why he is not pushing the " marriage and kids" thing. He might even have been willing to have a discussion about the "moving in together" thing, except Loren got all nasty on him, shut him down, and effectively made clear to Jay that Loren is not even thi king about compromise on any of the things that are really important to Jay. Loren is not thinking about Jay at all. I really think it is Loren's self-absorption that's at fault here. Did he really think one can be with another and not take that other into account? Sounds strange, but obviously he did. Not once, not one single time, in this whole painful chapter did Loren try to understand how Jay might be feeling, and WHY he is that upset. That's probably why he comes up with all these grand gestures that don't respond at all to what is plaguing Jay, and thus he keeps getting sent home. That epiphany is going to have to come from outside of himself. I'm curious to see in the next chapter where exactly it comes from. His friends have hinted and pointed, but maybe he still hasn't really understood what the issue is. Let's hope I'm wrong. We'll see on Monday. Mrsgnomie, there is no better testimony to your skill and mastery than to see how you've got us all so wrapped up in these personalities and their foibles. And so I will take this opportunity to suggest, most humbly, of course, that poor Loren can't possibly come to the place he needs to be to save his relationship with Jay in just one or two more chapters. He'll need at least ten more. 😉

All along, Loren hasn't really been willing to consider changing anything about the structure of his life. We all noticed how Jay brought Loren into his professional life and made him a central factor in his decisionmaking leading up to his retirement. Loren, by contrast, repurposes his "link" to Jay to fit into his career, broadly unchanged (i have to call it a "link" because based on what we just read, Loren doesn't seem willing to consider it explicitly as a "relationship" because that would open the door to all kinds of other unpleasant implications). I hope Loren does not wait too long to fix things. This is the kind of realization that could drive Jay away, where all of Loren's other idiosyncrasies didn't, because it has demonstrated that Loren is in very different than Jay on some REALLY important issues. And those issues are about the outward sign of commitment to THEM that Jay needs, but Loren seems still to be afraid of.

I agree. The whole problem seems to be that everyone expect Alec to come back to the place that almost destroyed him for good. But what really would prevent Fi n from following Alec--Finn can always come 'home' on regular visits, can't he?

My sentiments exactly! I really hope you do continue this charming story. I loved both characters!

Cipriani or no Ciprian--I would definitely not want to see Vincent on the throne. As Dani recognized, he is driven by revenge. And when he will have exacted his revenge on those he has targeted, what will then be the basis of his rule? The next stage will be to root out and exact revenge on those who supported his "enemies"; then anyone who questions his actions. He himself says it, they are not aiming to build a democracy, but an absolute monarchy. Vincent doesn't seem to understand that his all-exclusive focus on revenge would leave no basis for any kind of positive rule. Dani's choice is far more difficult than he may realize...

Agree...does anyone think that Loren's intense reaction to Jay's faux pas might have something to do the stress of hearing that Larsmisxapptrnytly lurking around?

One emerging theme seems to be corporal punishment...a "fetish" for Robby perhaps, but rooted somewhere in his adolescent past. Poor Dylan Keys beaten by his self-rihhteous father at very little provocation. Then, there is Trevor, punished by his father the cop who should know better, and who seems to use a physical bearing to compensate for his own inability to enforce a simple "grounding" (the "Attitude Adjuster" is a whole lot easier to wield than spending the time to show his son that grounding IS in fact supposed to be a "big deal"). It obviously happens regularly, given Trevor calm calculation of the pros and cons of the Attitude Adjuster. And now with the entry onto the scene of the unknown Mark_Cain, who might just turn out to be that slimy Pierson's son, it wouldn't surprise me at all to find out that he too is being physically abused. Three adolescents, possibly four (counting the younger Robbie and his procession of stepfathers) regularly subject to abuse by their fathers...if this does develop as a subconscious theme, I hope the story's resolution addresses this issue, alongside the radical so-called 'Christian' homophobia exemplified by Pierson.

Topnotch is absolutely right!! And you deserve these compliments, and more. Of course, such compliments come with OBLIGATIONS—the sequel (s) to Jay’s Loelife (their life together with the four kids, you remember, don’t you?); Parts 2-5 of Boss Nanny; and of course, “The Chronicles of Aidan, the pint-sized therapist” . I mean, just so we all clear….😉 again, another wonderful chapter.

I hope that isn’t what our deeply admired author really has in mind. Actually l, my comment was intended to inspire her to continue without rest until we have the full saga of Aidan as he grows, Loren and Jay as they build a family with four little ones, AND Seamus and Matt, of whom we have heard entirely too little!😉😁

Oh no, even when I’m disturbed and worried, it’s because I’m so invested in your, nah, in our characters. And I have to say, the “cracking” was so SMOOTH!!!!😉😊 you really are a magnificent storyteller!!!

I agree that it wasn’t very nice of Jay to spring the Aidan surprise on Loren, but I liked that little exchange you quoted as they lay in bed—it gave Loren something to think about, another aspect of the changes he would to make if the relationship is to succeed. I guess he took the point too, as there didn’t see to be a follow-up argument the next day. Of course, Jay just might have realized that Aido Potato could have a therapeutic effect on Loren, and really help him in his struggle to overcome the traumas of his own childhood. The more I see of Jay, the more I can convince myself that he may have something like this in mind from the start of Aidan’s stay. Not that he expected Aidan to claim Loren as his own, but rather to just get Loren used to being around a little one and helping to break down some of the walls in Loren’s psyche that way. And THANK you that exchange between Jay and Seamus at the start, where Seamus asked Jay if he was okay with Loren’s “life online”. I confess I was worried that it might become too much for Jay and weigh down in their relationship, but now I’m pretty sure he has no problem with it. Jay is way more than Loren deserves and yet exactly what he needs! Mrsgnomie, he’s by far the best of your many great characters, and I desperately hope there’s more of Jay in our future!! thanks for a really wonderful chapter!!!!

"Of course, Jay fixes that right away". I guess that is the obligation that someone in Loren's profession undertakes--to be constantly online, in the public eye. To surrender any modicum of privacy. It is astonishing, though, that both he AND Jay seem to feel that obligation, even while Loren is at the very beginning of his recovery. In any other profession, including Jay's, people understand that if you're sick, you can't work until you are better. But both Jay and Loren voluntarily surrender that accommodation and put his recovery out there. Will there ever be any privacy for the two of them, in any aspect of their lives? They took the whole world with them on their 'getaway' vacation; the recovery and convalescence gets repurposed as 'content'--will they film and post their inevitable disagreements and fights? Stands to reason--just imagine what the online 'making up' would do to Loe's ratings! Jay is in the public eye too, but he doesn't (or at least didn't) LIVE there--he goes to spend time with his family, especially during the holiday season; he goes on the annual two-week offline vacation with his buddies (this year to Mexico). I just hope that this compulsion that ALL of Loren's life has to be lived online in real time does turn into a source of conflict between the two of them. Please excuse the rant--in my defense, I disclose that I've never even been on Facebook, so.....

I agree--if ten years of leading his own life plus intensive therapy have left Alex in this sorry a state, arguably even MORE vulnerable then before he left Finn and his parents, well I don't know how well he us going to manage actually dealing with the closure he thinks he is seeking. River is some kind of saint for having stuck with Alex through an whole decade of self-indulgent wallowing in his own misery.