Summerabbacat

I have never seen it @James Carnarvon. I shall have to watch it. For many years, including 1996, I did not own a TV. Even now, I have one but very rarely turn it on. I doubt I have turned it on this year, unless to watch the odd DVD. The last time I turned it on I had to think for a moment how to change it from TV to DVD (technology and I are not on speaking terms much of the time).

OMG the little emoji in your comment could almost be Neil wearing the helmet-like hat he wore in the video for Go West. I like both versions of the song, but have to agree PSB really honed-in on its message, or perhaps it is because they are PSB the message was expected and was therefore received loud and clear. I think you and I have made the comment before about their work, but like much of the Very album their version is almost "regal" in its splendour.

I liked them too @raven1. They were enormously popular in Australia both before and after their star waned in the USA. Can't Stop The Music was rubbished by the critics, but we did not care. The title song and the soundtrack album sold by the truck load in Australia (both went to number 1 for many weeks on the music charts) and the movie was enormously popular. I have it on DVD; it is one of my "guilty pleasures". It is a ridiculous movie, but that for me is part of its charm. I also have five of their albums on CD, including Cruisin' which I also have on vinyl. Speaking of gay people, I saw them live in the late 90's (I think) as a support act for Cher. You can only but imagine what the audience was like. They were great, even if most of them were not the original members.

I am an Aussie @raven1 and we spell as the British do. Colour, flavour, rumour and humour. We also pronounce the 'h' in herb and usually use a 's' in place of a 'z' in words such as finalised, prioritised, homogenised and revitalised. Like the British we embrace all the quirky (annoying to non-English speakers) idiosyncrasies of the English language. And, unlike the Americans, we love Kate Bush (LOL @James Carnarvon, the perfect opportunity to slip in a reference to Kate). Going west for me could just mean from the Eastern seaboard to the Western seaboard of Australia or to Madagascar which is the closest nation west.

I am sure a super-hero like Dani would catch it all and perhaps Marco too. He has been lurking in the shadows to some extent in prior books, but has really found his voice in this book. He has shown himself to be very astute in his observations, even if at times the observations have been "coloured" by his own feelings. He and Dani are putting me to shame. Clearly, if left to my own devices everything is so hard that I will resort to what have I done to deserve this, living in denial that I am not absolutely fabulous. Perhaps I need to go west @James Carnarvon to a place where the streets have no name.

It has not been a good day today and reading this chapter was one of the few highlights of the day. I completely missed the intent of Giacomo's statement @James Carnarvon in that I did not realise he was referring to the departure of her husband having destroyed Elena. I have re-read the comment and if honest I think I still would have missed it, but with your able assistance it is obvious. I have not thought of Elena as such in the past, but with your able assistance again, it is so apparent this is exactly what she is like. I am clearly not as observant as I have led myself to believe.

Yes indeed @raven1. Patrizia and Paolo are extraordinary parents, which I think Dani is well aware of.

“After you get abandoned like that, you sort of learn to present your best face to people and take what you can from them before they’re gone. Either that, or you let it destroy you.” He turned his attention back to the rug, adding in a mumble, “I guess I did what Mamma couldn’t.” This comment makes Giacomo appear a little more calculating than what even I think he is @James Carnarvon. I am not sure what he meant by the second part of this comment though? Did he mean Elena was not able to behave in a manner which would have convinced his father to stay? @drsawzall raised a good point that we readers are only acquainted with Giacomo on a superficial level. Given his comment above I speculate it is only Elena and to a lesser extent Dani, who know him a little more than at a superficial level too. This may be a mechanism for self-protection. Unlike Marco who wears his heart on his sleeve, Giacomo's inner-turmoils if they exist, are likely to be very well guarded. Your comment above @James Carnarvon that "abandonment can lead to greater self-sufficiency as a survival strategy, which doesn't necessarily beget empathy" is certainly true of Giacomo. I have always thought him to be lacking in empathy, particularly for Marco and the horrible circumstances of his life with his birth parents. He and Marco would appear to be natural allies, although Giacomo had the benefit of one loving parent at least. I am puzzled by the intensity of Dani's guilt and Giacomo's upset regarding the Dani-Marco kiss. It was only a kiss after all, or is it what the kiss may have led to which has affected them both so much? If it is what the kiss may have led to then both need to remind themselves that it led to the realisation Dani and Marco are not destined to be lovers (as much as I would like for this to have happened). Giacomo's confrontation with Cosmo was stupid to say the least. I have to wonder though if it would have happened had he not been upset with Dani. An intriguing chapter @James Carnarvon. Well written of course, with angst at an all time high. Giacomo's standing with me has improved a little, but not to the point that I fully trust him yet.

I like self-deprecating humour too @John Henry and humour at times others would deem inappropriate or in bad taste. I am an ardent cat-lover and when my first cat died I was devastated. I had a wake for him and invited friends who had known him during his life. One friend, with whom I had house-shared on a number of occasions, did not like my cat as he, my cat, was very aloof with most people other than me and a few select others. I made a little speech, during which my friend contributed with "I hated that fucking cat". I was outraged at how inappropriate the comment was at a time of mourning, but for some reason I found myself laughing to the point of crying (again).

There was plenty of humour in this chapter after a somewhat rocky start, with Bryan still upset after his intimate discussion with Kenny. The love between Bryan and Caleb is a joy to witness. It does not surprise they are so close as before being adopted by Diego they were each others only constant. Caleb is so wonderfully artless. His question regarding marriage between Diego and Steve blind-sided both, but has perhaps installed the idea front and centre in both their minds. It will not surprise me if ultimately their relationship leads to marriage. Even Bryan appears to be warming, or at least is not opposed, to the idea. The description of the motel as the setting for a Hollywood horror film or bad porn film was striking and very amusing, evoking a vivid image of its appearance. The musty smell to their rooms completed the image. A very easy-to-read chapter @John Henry. I enjoy drama in the stories I read, but particularly enjoy the leisurely pace of the odd chapter here and there to counterbalance the drama.

A little more of the onion was peeled in this chapter @John Henry, with Bryan demonstrating without reservation those attachment issues you have referenced before. His bravado is slipping, revealing a far more complex teenager than he presents to the world. Well written chapter again. I liked the fact Steve was there to offer Bryan comfort. He needs Caleb, Diego and perhaps even Steve more than ever.

I love your crafty comments James, keeping everything close to your chest and your readers guessing. Are you an adept poker player?

Not happy @James Carnarvon, but at least my "little mouse" took it well. I just hope it does not cause him to regress. If so, Angelo and Gianni will be better suited than his incubator and sperm donor to helping him overcome his broken heart. I suppose it is inevitable Dani and Giacomo will now reunite. I hope for Dani's sake Giacomo is a far better person than I give him credit.

It seems I am the odd one out again @James Carnarvon. I was feeling sympathetic towards Giacomo until he uttered “But…” , “I crossed the line for you, in front of everyone. I risked everything.” My interpretation of this comment "I did you a favour Dani, after all I am Giacomo. I became Danisexual and this is how you repay me." Oh puhlease, your ego is out of control Giacomo, the real Giacomo reappeared, the one whom Angelo described as “being a bit full of himself”. Yes he is hurt, or at least his ego is bruised, but he will get over it. As much as I am not upset Dani and Giacomo have split up, I am very concerned Marco is a rebound for Dani. I don’t agree Marco is manipulative; he is as you commented James "not terribly good at hiding how he feels and tends to operate on pure, raw emotion. At least in Dani's perception, Marco's concern for him outweighed the jealous aspects of his motivation". I commented in the previous chapter that jealousy certainly appeared to at least partially motivate his character assassination of Giacomo, but I still maintain concern for Dani was at the forefront of his outburst. I loved Angelo’s reference to Gianni as "kitten". No wonder I like Gianni so much. And Angelo, every time he makes an appearance he delights me even more. A wonderful chapter @James Carnarvon. The joy for my "little mouse" may be short-lived if Dani and Giacomo reunite as is apparently the wont of most of your faithful readers. I just hope this is not the case.

Learning a little more of the boys' incubator's and sperm donor's background reinforces my belief the only "decent" thing their sperm donor ever did for them was to abandon them into Diego's care. "Baby steps" for Steve and Bryan, but some progress was made. Resting bitch face. I thought this was something you made up @John Henry but to my dismay it is a "thing" which has been studied by psychologists.

You paint pictures so beautifully, which is why I am drawn to commenting on them so frequently. The pictures also, for me at least, allow me to supplant myself into Ravello, which on many occasions is a lovely distraction from the "real world". Your second comment is rather intriguing I must say. Certainly Dani has expressed doubts on a number of occasions, but you may have fooled some of us at least regarding Giacomo. I assumed, perhaps incorrectly, that his Danisexual feelings may be a fleeting fancy (or has that been wishful thinking on my part given my desire for Mardani as opposed to Giadani).

Architectural splendour and the promise of a "dirty weekend". You have outdone yourself @Libby Drew. Double the pleasure for Michael, courtesy of the 'sprout eating hippie'. Marvellous.

"Daniele unwrapped the gift and slid it onto his hand. It was a small, rectangular tile with an embossed border glazed with the Italian colours of green, white and red. Written in the middle of the tile in neat yellow italics was the name Dani. “Thanks, Marco,” Daniele smiled. Unexpectedly, he felt a tear spring to one eye, and he wiped it away. The gift was so simple, but so… devoted, somehow. Marco’s eyes widened in dismay. “What’s wrong?” he asked. “Was it too much? I mean, I… don’t have much practice at this.” The entire meeting between Dani and Marco was a roller-coaster of emotions, from Marco's unrestrained joy to Dani's feelings of discomfort and to some degree guilt, but nothing prepared me for this @James Carnarvon. My damn allergies returned with a vengeance. Marco's "character assassination" of Giacomo was certainly prompted by jealousy, but was not without foundation. Marco knows only too well what it is like to be "dropped" by Giacomo. The fears he expressed for Dani may have been motivated by jealousy, but I believe he is also genuinely concerned for Dani's wellbeing. I don't believe there is any malicious intent on Giacomo's part, but I am still not convinced he himself knows exactly what he wants, unlike Marco. The beauty of the terrain went almost unnoticed in this chapter due to the building tension at the prospect of Dani disclosing the hurtful news to my 'little mouse", although I almost smelt the perfume of the "sprays of vivid pink blooms" and the "shady gardens, where the summer flower borders were now in full, colourful bloom" (must have been those damn allergies still). The authenticity of this chapter was striking @James Carnarvon, the see-sawing of Dani's confidence in his new relationship with Giacomo all too real. I have found myself in similar circumstances on a number of occasions, but unlike Dani I did not have youth and inexperience to use as an excuse for my uncertainty.

I was exhausted after reading the chores Bryan completed on the first day of his suspension. Those alone would have taken me a whole week (I get bored very quickly and am easily distracted when playing domestic goddess, Nigella Lawson I am not). I hope on this occasion Diego allowed Bryan to put all the dishes through the dishwasher rather than hand washing them. Much more economical to do so. I liked the inclusion of a little more of Caleb in this chapter again. He may be more reserved than Bryan, but he is one very observant and intuitive 11 year old boy. He appears to be very tender-hearted too. Diego is a wonderful father as evidenced by his kicking Raul to the kerb for suggesting he locate Calvin and return the boys to him. I am somewhat puzzled @John Henry by Bryan's demonstrable affection for Kenny. He expressed concern in a prior chapter he was leading Kenny on and such behaviour was akin to the behaviour of his sperm donor. I wonder if this concern is masking the real reason he does not want to get close to Kenny, those attachment "issues" you referred to in comments on the prior chapter @John Henry. I had to chuckle when Bryan referred to Caleb selecting an old movie Avatar for them to watch. I had to check online to see if there was a movie of this name made before the one made in 2009, but found no record of one. A movie made 14 years ago is considered old. Wow, the current generation have a very different perspective of old to me.

May I be so presumptuous as to say @John Henry, you have not even begun to reveal Bryan's true emotional state as yet; what we have been privy to thus far is superficial. He, like an onion, has many layers, which you are beginning to peel back, one revelation at a time. Clever writing dare I say.

"When it came to his mother, he knew how he honestly felt, but he couldn't bring himself to put it into words, written or otherwise. There were years worth of hurt and pain that couldn't simply be summed up in a few paragraphs. Resentment didn't even begin to scratch the surface of his feelings for the woman who gave birth to him but chose drugs over her own kids." I am not a therapist and only have my own "issues" to draw upon to offer this opinion, but it appears to me Bryan has a fairly healthy attitude towards his incubator. He recognises her for the selfish c$#t she was and recognises he is unable, for whatever reason, to put those feelings into words. What concerns me more is that Bryan recognises the more unacceptable behaviours of his sperm donor and is now attributing at least one of those behaviours to himself, based on one isolated instance. I do think Bryan needs to talk to Diego about his apparent dislike of Steve though as this is something if let to fester could come between them. Caleb displayed a quick wit during the dinner conversation which was very pleasing to witness. Very well written chapter @John Henry. A little more of the family dynamic was revealed and it was mostly positive. I loved Diego's views on social media. I do none of them and don't feel I am missing out on anything.

I am, so it would seem, in the minority @James Carnarvon in that I don't think Dani and Giacomo are best suited as evidenced by Dani's lingering doubts “It’s like I said… we’re just, sort of… exploring.” “So…” Daniele said uncertainly, “none of this really means anything?” and "Picking at an apple Danish, Daniele glanced thoughtfully at his friend; flattery, it seemed, came naturally to the other boy, no matter who the target. Does that include me…?". However, my resolve is beginning to weaken in my "opposition" to their burgeoning relationship. "Daniele flushed. “I thought you were joking about that. Do you really mean it…?” Giacomo shrugged and looked away for a moment. “I never thought this was how I would be, but… yeah, I do.” I don't recall Giacomo ever before saying anything of this nature which I totally believed, but this was said with such honesty and conviction that I believed him immediately and it moved me tremendously. Perhaps I have been unfair to him @James Carnarvon because he currently "stands in the way" of my beloved little mouse getting what he wants. I am still hoping the "power couple" will be Mardani rather than Giadani, but if this is not to be I at least hope my beloved little mouse will also find love. Perhaps his trip to Rome will yield more "rewards" than he could have hoped for. The verdict is unanimous @James Carnarvon, this chapter, and in particular its climactic love scene, were as beautiful as the nature in Ravello which surrounded Giacomo and Dani at this special moment. And @Jim Fraser, just love the snippet of the late Olivia's Physical. I never tire of listening to the song or watching the music video; both raunchy and revolutionary for their time.

I hope you are wrong about the former @drsawzall with respect to the institutionalisation, but agree with the need for intensive therapy for Blake. Irene and her equally repugnant husband are far more concerned with their reputation than the physical and mental health of their son. Perhaps @Ronyx can arrange for them to be present at the upcoming high school dance when Carrie, the uninvited guest, does what she does best. If not Carrie, perhaps Debbie from Julie Brown's The Homecoming Queen's Got A Gun could pop in for a visit and do what she does best. Very interesting speculation about Mommie Dearest's apparent vocational devotion. You may be right, although I do recall Seth mentioning on more than one occasion, her penchant for "romance movies", which she was watching when he returned from "the game". If she is engaging in a little afternoon or weekend delight, would she still feel the need for the "romance movies"? I still speculate Seth and Stacy's father may be gay and she has banished him from their lives, and fed them lies about his "other family".

I agree with @weinerdog (yet again). I am almost certain Pete is well aware of the increasing attraction between Michael and Eric, and seemingly he is "all for it". Maybe Michael has underestimated him after all. Perhaps the destination for the mini-trip is a place renowned for its architectural splendour or even a college/university with an architecture programme. Or maybe a place renowned for having a great "dirty weekend". Whatever the destination I am sure it will please Michael no end. Although the story is "light" on characters thus far @Libby Drew, the characters who fill this landscape are interesting and quirky enough to "get under one's skin".

It was wonderful to read “our Kylie” made another appearance in this chapter @James Carnarvon, albeit very briefly, so briefly I think even you were likely unaware of it. “Like… I want you to keep going,” Giacomo replied, squirming slightly beneath his touch. He sighed, then wrapped an arm around Daniele’s back and pulled him forward until their foreheads were touching. “I know this is mad. I mean, I’ve really tried to, but… I just can’t get you out of my head.” Similarly, to a number of my fellow readers, I thought Emilia’s treatment of Luca totally unfair. Surprisingly, it was primarily Laura, who “set her straight”. Speaking of Laura, she was a combination of friendly and haughty spoilt princess in her interaction with Dani in particular. Any concerns Dani had of her and Giacomo rekindling their “summer romance” should have been quashed with Laura’s rudeness towards Giacomo and then his dismissal of her. Shade much. Wonderful. Giacomo continues to confound and confuse. His intentions appear genuine, and they likely are, however, I still think him fickle, something which I believe would be harmful to Dani, given he is so kind-hearted and sincere. I have to say for the first time I can ever recall Dani disappointed me in this chapter @James Carnarvon. “Patrizia arrived back from work a short while later with the promise of tagliatelle alla Bolognese for dinner. She retreated to the upstairs suite for a bath and a short breather, then got straight to work on the ragú which, cooked the traditional Italian way, required time and patience. Soon, the house was alive with the savoury scent of onions, carrots, celery and garlic frying in butter. When Daniele and Giacomo got tired of hanging out in his bedroom, they played cards on the sun terrace for a while, which turned out to be a reassuringly normal and comfortable activity after the strangeness of the rest of their afternoon. “ I’m sorry Dani but your mother has been out working hard all day and she returns home, and you offer her next to no help to prepare the evening meal for all, including your guest. Not good enough Dani. It is a long time since I was 14 @James Carnarvon so perhaps my opinion is not “current”, but I certainly don’t think Dani and Giacomo are “moving way too fast”. I was thinking quite the opposite. Whatever the speed, I think you are handling their “blossoming” relationship beautifully, even if I don’t want them to be together (now where is that damned little mouse).