Graeme

Zac has never let go of his compassion for Kenny, and I think Kenny has finally realised this. Their relationship will never be the same again, but there's hope that it could end up being even stronger now that Kenny has faced up to what happened. I'm keeping my fingers crossed, not only because I'm a romantic and like happy endings, but also because anything else would hurt Zac -- he still cares for Kenny. I'm glad Jimmy helped Zac work out who he really wanted. Sometimes we can't see the forest for the trees, and that was Zac's problem. He had been fixated on Adrian for so long, despite the frustrations, and couldn't see Austin properly as a consequence. An outside eye is sometimes needed to gain clarity. Finally, I really like the contrast with how things happened with Kenny and Adrian. With one, a broken relationship is being reforged, while with the other the broken relationship is being let go. The difference between the two is based on how the relationships came about. Zac and Kenny have a long-standing relationship that broke when Zac came out, but the underpinnings of why they had a relationship were still there and that allowed the break to start to heal. Zac and Adrian, on the other hand, didn't have that underpinnings. All they had to keep the relationship together was sex. With everyting else in relationship gone, Adrian tried to hold the relationship together with sex...and Zac finally realised that wasn't enough. With no hope of anything more, he's stepped away. He wasn't happy, but he knew that unless Adrian changed, there was no future there. Adrian showed no sign of changing (and for good reason -- I don't blame Adrian for the decisions he's made; he didn't have any good options), so Zac has walked away. Two broken relationships. One healing and one being left behind...

There are a number of times in this story that bring a tear to my eyes as I re-read them, so you're not alone

Thank you! Alan is not only feeling the pressure, but he's starting to crack under that pressure. It was good that Peter was there to intervene and take over. Peter's heart is in the right place, even if he's not keen to be a responsible parent.

LOL. Thank you!

Who, me? I only write what the characters want me to write. I don't tell them what to do.

Thank you! Alan's job in telling his mum must be one of the worst jobs in the world. I can't think of much that would be harder

There are times when a person needs to get off their independent high-horse and realise that they need to accept help. Alan and Peter are experiencing one of those times, but I'm not sure they recognise that yet. Alan is trying to do everything himself, and, as you've pointed out, Peter isn't getting behind Alan 100%

Peter rolled his shoulders after he clambered out of his car in a vain attempt to release some of the stress. It had been a rough day at work, and he was looking forward to having a couple of beers to help him relax. He was even looking forward to spending some time with the two boys. Even though they were a major disruption to the life he and Alan previously had, they were also the complete opposite of anything related to his job. He opened the boot of the car and pulled out the groceries. The

LOL. I tried to write the story so it can be read without the links. They hopefully add to the story, but they aren't an integral part of the story

Beautiful...there's nothing else to say

Thank you! I had a lot of fun writing this story

Check CRVBoy. Robb (from CRVBoy) has been maintaining the site for awhile now. I recently received an email from Robb saying Dewey was closing the site and he was contacting all the authors at the site to offer to host them at CRVBoy.

Ryder's scared of what's going to happen the next day and it's affecting him. His dad told him it'll be okay. Shawn's told him it'll be okay. But that doesn't stop it from being scary, especially at the age of 15 when you've never had any real experience with changing schools and being the new kid. I understand how stressed he's feeling, exactly as he told his dad (who annoyed me no end by telling Ryder he was grounded for that outburst -- happily he reversed himself later on by handing Ryder's phone back, though he never explicitly said the grounding was lifted).

Thanks, Gary! Is there anything more scary than realising you understand how a four-year-old thinks?

Thank you! It might be nicer, but unfortunately life doesn't always play fair....

As mentioned earlier in the story, Alan's and Lisa's parents are on an around Australia road trip and generally not contactable. They don't have a mobile phone with them, but are using public telephones to ring home from time-to-time. This is the first time they've rung since the accident. As for Peter, parenting is stressful and involves change. Some people don't handle change well. What Peter is experiencing is, unfortunately, not uncommon. When two people have a balanced and happy relationship, throwing in a third (or in this case a third and fourth) person throws off the balance. It takes time for a new balance to form.

Yes, it's a small mercy that Alan doesn't have to tell his mum that she lost a daughter, only a son-in-law. It's the other way around for the Lyntons -- which is more painful? I think we can all agree that neither case is good. Since Alan is out to his parents and has been for some time, I think it's likely his parents will be supportive. They'll only think Alan and Peter are inadequate if they really are inadequate. Personally, I think they've been doing an okay job so far

It was Peter's mother that they didn't want there on a long-term basis. She's a bit of a control freak, though in a loving way... And I 100% agree that Lisa could benefit from some motherly caring

Alan looked up from his breakfast as Peter staggered into the room. “You could’ve stayed in bed. The boys don’t need to be up for almost two hours.” Peter shook his head. “It’s okay. I need to get something for my hangover.” Alan jumped up. “Sit! I’ll get it for you.” Peter smiled gratefully as he settled into the nearest chair. As Alan rummaged through the pantry looking for the medicine box he had seen there earlier, he called back over his shoulder. “What time did you come to bed?” Peter

:D Happy Birthday! :D

Zac is much more relaxed now. His teasing of Austin shows how comfortable he has become being gay while still remaining 'Zac'. He hasn't changed in any essential way -- he's just more open now. That concluding scene with Rachel shows the same thing. Things are, at long last, looking up for Zac

Happy Birthday, Mikie!

Ouch. Jason is losing his armour at a furious rate. Matt's his weakness, and as long as Matt is rejecting him, Jason is vulnerable.

Finally, Jason is acting more like a teenager. It will be interesting to see if that crack in his armour stays open. I think it will

Jason's armour isn't as strong as he would like. There's a Matt-shaped hole in it, and I wonder how long it will be before the Benets work that out...