Danners

Only if you leave no wiggle room. 😉

Wes may be mushy inside but gushy is all Cave-In. How else did you think he got that nickname? (There ain’t no cling to his wrap.)

When it’s so obviously dangling in front of your nose, you kinda have to reach out and grab it.

Wow. Just wow. Every time he turns around, another facet of Grant’s big heart is revealed. His kindness and his caring continue to shock me in the best way. He’s a great man and an even better friend. A caregiver through and through. The way he rolled with Rhett’s social anxiety was perfect. He put control of the situation back in his friend’s hand, which is just about the best thing he could’ve done. Control is so important to those of us suffering through severe anxiety. By giving Rhett his blessing to leave at any time, lower his guard enough to relax a bit. He became more receptive to the group and less focused on that little voice whispering self-doubt in his ear. I’m agoraphobic — terribly so — and I completely understood what was going on inside Rhett’s head. I too have to medicate — in my case, just to go to the store — and the thought of sitting in a crowded lecture hall is terrifying. That Rhett does so regularly, with or without medication, is admirable. Making it to game day, somewhere new and with new people, must have felt liberating — scary but liberating — and oh so rewarding once he started enjoying himself. I bet Rhett made a killing at Cards Against Humanity. If there’s a silver lining to anxiety, it’s being hyper-aware of other people. Not only must it help him care for patients, but it’ll give him insight into, say, Georgette’s twisted sense of humor. Speaking of the pregnant lady, I take back all the negative comments I made about her. If she’s as horrible a person in that game as Aaron implied, she’s good people in my book. Anyone who excels at Cards Against Humanity is among the best of us. (The all-time winner for “selfish” in our games is always Helen Keller.) You better be careful there, Wayne. Now we’re hoping for Rhett’s happy ending too. (And, I mean, if it comes after a four hand massage from Aaron and Brian, who am I to complain? Hehe.) A beautiful chapter as always.

No fair hitting below the belt.

Bonus points for Laura and Officer Winslow?

“I never gave up on us, Hank, but you… you did. You’ve treated me the same way you do your mother, but—” Chase said that earlier in the conversation — argument, really— with him after Hank confirmed he’d fallen into a certain Krevasse. A lot was said in the heat of the moment, but they ended up apologizing to each other a moment later. The tone changed after that and left Hank with a lot to think about, maybe even talk about with Charles. Chase almost told Hank that Dawson was pushing him to keep trying and to not give up hope, and from the way Hank looked up in that moment, I don’t have to imagine what he thought. Hank wanted him to finish that sentence but at that point Chase already felt defeated. For Hank that open ending left only a handful of possibilities: Dawson was pushing Chase to either take their friendship to the next level, to move on, or to keep trying with Hank. The man’s tenderness after that, especially in comforting Chase during Charles’s big reveals, and wanting to walk him out, demonstrates he’d already begun processing everything. In a way that let him shed some of his anger and indignation, too. The tables have turned, I’m pretty sure. It’s Hank’s turn to hope and if you talk about bursting my bubble again, Gary, so help me . . .

It’d take a lot more’n Gary to fill that Grand Canyon.

You can make it up to me by posting earlier or with a double sized chapter. Or a dream of Chase’s involving a locked room and some Hanky panky.

Cocky too. 😉

Here’s the only time I cried . . . with laughter.

Duh, you’re a big meanie poo poo head.

It’s catching, though not nearly as infectious as Cave-In’s knobby stalagmite.

I was going to counter with owning a bullwhip and knowing how to crack it, but then Gary had to go and trample all over my dreams. Hmph.

Rude! I take back my gif, Wes. He’s all yours.

I see your Annie and raise you Alex Forrest.

Fortunately for me, and unfortunately for you, Chase doesn’t want Calvin, he wants Hank. Hank has him convinced it isn’t in the cards and that’s on Hank. His mom had him so incredibly screwed up that he couldn’t recognize Chase’s mistake for what it was. That caused him to react in the worst possible way, lashing out at who he believed betrayed him, and led him right into Cave-In’s gaping maw — er, waiting arms. As I said before, he was drunk on anger and hurt. By the time he sobered up — with Chase’s help — he’d already done too much damage, and he wasn’t prepared for that. For once Hank doesn’t know what to do or which way to turn. He’s trying though. You are right about Chase deserving better than Hank — the wounded, nearly feral Hank, that is, who didn’t consider Chase’s feelings and didn’t believe his side of the story. No one deserves that Hank. This new Hank, though, he could be okay. Once he gets his shit together, he could be great. Chase deserves someone who’s also let go of the baggage, who is trying to better himself. He deserves someone who will trust him and who will listen to his side of the story when he screws up. He deserves someone who will work with him, learn with him, and make him better than he was. Chase deserves someone who loves him every bit as much as he loves them, and that’s Hank. The new Chase, that is, because he isn’t the same guy who turned down Hank’s marriage proposal, who got drunk after, and ended up in a bathroom stall kissing another man. He isn’t the man who fell apart when his mom died. He isn’t the half-dead man Hank cared for a few days after their blow out. He isn’t ruled by depression or survivor’s guilt. He no longer needs to be propped up, requiring constant reassurance. No one deserves that Chase. Chase had a head start is all. Hank just needed a push and now he just needs some time to catch up, so can prove he deserves Chase too. Aaaaand I did it again. I’m the goddamn Julia Sugarbaker of the comments section!

You know, I think Hank is becoming the man he needs to be — for himself and for Chase. The admission of letting his mom’s affair skew his feelings about the much smaller mistake Chase made tells us he’s done some thinking. That was the most glaring issue to be sure, and accepting it was a catalyst for sending Hank down a road of self reflection and discovery. What I mean is, you can’t only deal with one issue, especially when it’s the core issue — the deeper you dig, the more and more you learn about yourself. Him going on bike rides is another good sign of growth. He favored running in the past but, in order to create a passive connection with Chase, he’s started biking. He adapted. He’s no longer the inflexible, rigidly controlled Hank. He’s also no longer relying on someone else to get him out of the house; he’s biking by himself and likely using the exercise to help clear his mind. Another positive. That loose connection with Chase that biking provides also allows him to lean on Chase for support. In this little way, he’s given up control and he’s stopped being the strong one. Where Hank is concerned, I’d say that’s a pretty damn important step and the fact that Chase makes it possible — and he acknowledges that — elates me even more. These are only a few of the little differences I’m noticing, indications all that Hank is moving in the right direction. He’s struggling — no doubt about it — but he’s taking baby steps. He’s trying and that bodes well. If he continues, he’ll become a more grounded, well-rounded individual and someone worthy of a second chance.

Hard headed and thick skulled . . ?

Defeated twice in one day. You’re getting soft, Gary. What will the neighbors say?

His call to Ray speaks to his motives being less than innocent, as does starting a relationship with someone in Hank’s position. He played the victim to gain sympathy, which is also what he got from Hank after John cheated. That’s a pattern, and not a nice one. Rather than sink his claws into him, he should’ve been trying to helping Hank get to the core of his issues with what happened. Clearly, when you go off the deep end over a kiss, there’s something rotten in the state of Denmark — and it ain’t the cheese. A friend would’ve seen that. Instead, Cave-In took advantage of that, thus proving he was not, nor had he ever been, looking out for Hank’s best interests. He is self-serving and manipulative, and that isn’t behavior you learn overnight. Maybe John’s affair brought that to the surface or there’s trauma in his past. That I can excuse. Not what he did to Hank and to Chase through him. Okay, too deep. He’s a big meanie poo-poo head.

Just finished reading Dirty Pool and it’d make a great companion piece to Endings, demonstrating the differences in the main characters’ points of view and the juxtaposition of their and their exes’ positions. If only it could work in Hank and Chase’s case. Without spoiling the other story, Chase has no way of disproving Hank’s theory of that night’s events, only the sincerity of his words. Plus, what Chase did in the best of the moment (or, actually, what Chase had done to him) was more damning in Hank’s eyes than what Leon did over time, though Hank’s hurt and anger, like Duncan’s, had months to grow worse. Maybe if Cindy has locked them up when Hank came to nurse Chase, it could’ve softened the blow. But Chase needed the time alone to grow. Hank didn’t need Cave-In but him making a mistake like that, in my opinion, was a necessary experience for him. In order to realize what he gave up, or that he gave it up, he needed that. Maybe down the road a bit, after Hank has done some soul searching and learned how to overcome the aftermath of his mother’s affair, it’ll be good for he and Chase to talk. Being chained up or locked in a room is optional, of course, but I wouldn’t blame you for a little emotional bondage. Or a kiss. Or a tickle.