CincyKris

Unfortunately @centexhairysub is correct, there seem to be right-wing nut jobs everywhere. Hopefully Arvid is made of strong stuff and he can weather this temporary blip in his life. His parents will find that their son may not need them in his life in a couple years. Party time! With piano accompaniment.

As much as I kind of want to be mad at Nan and Papa at throwing away their son 30 years ago, I am more sympathetic than mad. They made uninformed, probably knee-jerk reaction and have been living with regret and guilt for a long time. I hope Patrick is doing well and the family can reconcile. We now have much easier ways to find people in a big city than we used to.

Jamie is carrying an unsustainable weight. His father is the kind of narcissistic bully that will never accept that he is wrong. Even if Jamie stood up to him, it is very doubtful that he would ever be supportive. Until Jamie is ready to leave his prison, he will have to endure or implode.

This was so intense! I can't wait for this thriller to unfold.

I loved this first chapter. You introduced us to a couple of balls of compressed insecurities, held together by a thick shell. Both men have allowed their shells to crack just a little. But those cracks are huge to the guys. I'll finish with my favorite lines. It made me wonder what it would be like to come back to a place that didn’t have echoes in the walls. To drop your keys on a table that didn’t come with baggage. To sit on a bed that only belonged to you, not the version of you that never got to leave.

I liked this peek into our guys as a young couple. We get to see their insecurities, but we know they overcome them to become strong together.

I found this to be an empowering chapter. Bryce stood up to his sperm donor in a way he has never done before. And he got to see karma at work, on steroids. The soon to be former senator will not only be publicly disgraced, he will enjoy captivity at the government's expense. The guys handled their support role exactly as they should've. Because they actually love their son.

I'm so happy the guys are moving forward together. Although, I don't know if putting a blowjob before their picnic is taking it slow.

I can't tell you how many times I've managed to avoid an anxiety inducing task by doing anything And everything else. Which, of course, causes more anxiety and adds guilt. You did an amazing job putting those feelings into words. I suspect you know where of you write.

I have been having quite a bit of pain in my hands lately with my rheumatoid arthritis, and as I visited the doctor today, I thought of Eric. I am rather stubbornly independent myself, and my hands have really caused me problems at work. I've had to ask for more help, and struggled slowly when help was not available. Getting old sucks, but I've hopes that my new meds will help, and I'm only in my mid fifties. I can't imagine how difficult the day-to-day lives of people like Eric are. I find I am more patient with my elderly customers than I used to be.

The wedding and reception were so appropriate for this laid back couple. They were well represented. I dearly wish more weddings were like this! Could Val and Marina be thawing? Or were they just on their best behavior? I still think that their sons will cause their latent puritan views to ease, or they will lose their relationship's with them. Drew and Evie especially seemed to shine in this chapter! They are in such stark contrast to Ralph's stuffy parents, I can only imagine their reaction to the nudes!

Eric's reaction to being a part of pride was so touching. His eagerness to see Rob was very telling. He can't turn back time, but he is desperate to grab on to a piece of his past and connect it to his present.

Eric is feeling self conscious about his appearance and social skills. He can go shopping (I love thrift stores) and he has made great strides socially. I think it's starting to sink in how important he is to the boys.

I think we all can breathe a sigh of relief. The guys have shifted from "apart" to "working on it." Are we allowed to jump to "will Tony buy the house"?

I don't recall anyone commenting on Eric's recollection of "Roy", which I found to be the most remarkable aspect of this chapter. Eric showed the first evidence of interest in an actual person, perhaps a bit younger but not a generation or more younger than himself.

I was thinking along these line, as well. People that only get together for Christmas probably won't miss each other too much.

So far, humans don't have a good track record. Either in this wonderful story, or in real life. But, in another parallel, there is always a percentage of the population willing to make "good trouble".

In the long run, it's probably better to get everything out in the open early. The extended family is either going to be accepting or not. It won't change how the boys feel about each other or their relationship. But now I'm still on pins and needles waiting for their response.

I'm going to jump on the Bayview bandwagon. Tony now has the means to buy it, but it's surprising the gang doesn't have more info on it's current state. Usually gossip abounds in small towns, someone perhaps from outside owns it? I loved the promising ending.

Through professional experience, I know that leaving an abusive long-term partner is debilitatingly hard. Abuse is almost never an isolated physical punch. There is an emotional component that precedes and accompanies the physical abuse. There is embarrassment, anxiety, fear, regret, and a hundred other emotions that make leaving difficult. At least Felicity doesn't suffer from a lack of resources or family, as many do. It is easy for someone unaffected by abuse, or strong willed, to make a logical decision. On a much more positive note, Eric just got home and he's already making plans to go out and about on his own. Progress!

I was deeply touched by Eric's heartfelt response to Claire's question. Putting all those words together and showing such vulnerability was something he probably never did before, ever.

Gray is playing matchmaker, hopefully he will be more successful than Venetia! He was certainly more direct and tactful. It would be a shame if Peter gives up all he's worked for because being around Vince is too painful. I think that could send Vince into an isolated, depressed mess.

Eric experienced many new things most of us take for granted. I don't think he is unique in his food and experience isolation, maybe at the fringe, though. In my job, we hire short-term seasonal workers every spring, mostly the very young (16 to 20) or retired people. I have been shocked by the lack of knowledge and experience some of the young folks have with food. A lot of poor people have been raised by parents and grandparents who only feed their families junk food and fast food, because it's easy and cheap. No one is born knowing that cooking real food is healthier and can be cheaper than junk. Even today, with high inflation, you can buys potatoes, onions, grains, and frozen veg very inexpensively. New experiences and information are the antidote to this problem.

If Jasper is not officially gone, I can't imagine that he is happy about yoga/IT guy helping Deirdre. Hopefully he will be more worried about his relationship with Deirdre than catching out Toby.

I make my living selling plants, and am happy to see authentic information regarding gardening. The story is so good I wouldn't stop reading even if the gardening info was crap, but I'm thrilled it's been good. In an earlier career I worked with abuse victims. For a lot of people, leaving an abusive partner is every bit as hard as coming out to homophobic parents. Unless they are ready to leave, they almost always go back.