Summerabbacat

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).

I agree wholeheartedly with the excellent précis from @weinerdog. Mommie Dearest seems to have forgotten, conveniently I would say, she is the parent and Stacy is her child and therefore her responsibility, not Seth’s. It is bad enough Seth has to drive her wherever she wishes to go whilst enduring her abuse, he should not have to act as her “chaperone” and “protector” too. I seem to recall they are twins, which usually indicates they are the same age. Mommie Dearest needs to stop indulging Stacy’s bad behaviour and that of her fellow bitch, Maggie. Craig’s sense of entitlement seems to have grown concomitantly with his ego, arrogance and apparently his cock. He is going to make trouble for Seth and probably for Blake. Speaking of Blake, the poor boy appears to have as many psychological problems as he has had physical problems. His sperm donor and incubator have really done a number on him. Seth’s concern for him appears genuine, exceeded only by the concern expressed by Amber. She struck me as a little flippant in the prior chapter, but in this chapter with her revelation of the full extent of Blake’s problems, her care for him shone through. A well written and thought-provoking chapter @Ronyx Until this chapter I had not thought Craig capable of any real violence. It seems I was wrong; his threats towards Seth chilling to say the least.

Very astute comments @chris191070. Bryan may well have abandonment issues and perhaps be a little more cynical than one would expect from someone so young, but is it really surprising. He has seen amongst the very worse humanity is capable of, with the pathetic excuses he and Caleb had for parents. I suspect he has always looked out for and protected Caleb from the excesses of their incubator and sperm donor. Frankly, I think his attitude is far healthier than that of Caleb who apparently began to fall victim to what little charm their incubator possessed before she died. If as I suspect Calvin will make a reappearance in their life, Bryan will not fall for any attempt for reconciliation or any overture of friendship, whereas I can imagine Caleb being fooled by him just like he was by their incubator. We have already seen what effect stress has on Caleb; imagine the stress he will suffer if their sperm donor does return with dishonourable intentions. Speaking of Caleb, I hope he begins to receive a little more of your attention @John Henry.

These were my exact thoughts @drpaladin. I recall, hopefully correctly, Luca speaking very highly of his adoptive parents, therefore I think your speculation is well founded. He also appears to be a chivalrous teenager in the manner in which he treats Emilia. It certainly felt that way to me @James Carnarvon. Dani's reminiscences of Giacomo kissing Laura and Giacomo's almost cavalier attitude towards Dani's crush on him on the past, are reason enough for Dani to be very guarded. I think Dani takes life a little more seriously than Giacomo too who I sense to some degree is playing with Dani's feelings. I don't think there is any malicious intent, but I somehow doubt he fully realises for Dani the attraction is not a game. Weapon smuggling is something far more serious than what Dani previously encountered. Emilia has the right idea, report it to the Carabinieri. I missed my "little mouse" in this chapter @James Carnarvon. And to think at first I did not like him at all. I also thought of a more flattering and inclusive name for the throuple, Giamardani.

I have to agree wholeheartedly with the comments made by @Clancy59. I doubt he meant it to be so, but I found Eric's comments a little insensitive and patronising., but then again I can be a snarky bitch at times, especially if someone tells me something I already am aware of but am trying to avoid. Another great piece of writing @Libby Drew.

Another chapter filled with Libbyesque or is it Drewesque humour @Libby Drew, but for me the highlight of the chapter was "For a moment, the memory of a very different man filled his thoughts. One who had held a weeping Michael over the grave of his parents, and who had taken him in and shaped him into the sort of man his father would have been proud of." Now it all makes sense. Michael's sense of loyalty to his grandfather is understandable.

You certainly know how to "turn up the heat" for those sex scenes @Libby Drew. Although the sexual act depicted was quite tame, the steam was rising off the laptop as I read your descriptive narrative. I like the fact the two protagonists are from very different worlds. Eric the worldly well-travelled student, Michael the somewhat downtrodden, stuck-in-a-rut factory worker, although their intellectual capacities seem well matched thus far. It struck me as odd though that Eric, the more worldly of the two, is the more relationship-oriented of the two. After all wouldn't one expect a "sprout eating hippie" student to be all about random sexual encounters and bacchanalian orgies. A paradox perhaps, but one which greatly appeals to me. It will be interesting to see if a relationship develops between the tow and if so how much their life experiences impact upon their expectations from such a relationship. As for Michael's non-promotion, @weinerdog and @drsawzall said it best, complete bullshit. Asswipe aka Ed the boss, clearly knows Michael is not likely to complain and has taken advantage of this to ensure his own agenda is met.

An interesting observation @drsawzall. Is there a gene for bigotry or a predisposition to bigotry or is it something which is entirely acquired due to exposure to it, the old nature vs nurture riddle? Whatever the reason, you are quite correct in that the apple did not fall far from the tree. It would seem that neither Dan nor his mother are particularly bright either. Mr Deacon was certainly a breath of fresh air, just the sort of principal needed to wade through the bullshit flowing from the mouths of the parents of babes. I can understand Bryan not being upset by the death of his incubator. It seems she made no effort to improve her own life or her relationship with her children. I know it is judgmental and certainly not "fashionable" to have these beliefs, but I am tired of junkie's using their "addiction" as an excuse to fuck up the lives of their children. I don't care if they fuck up their own lives, but do not fuck up the life of a child you have birthed or sired and think you still deserve sympathy for your addiction. No no no. It is concerning though Bryan has had issues with his emotions and has made no progression in resolving these issues. Well written and enjoyable chapter @John Henry. The characters you have created thus far are believable and a mix of likeable and not so likeable, much like life itself. I was glad to read Diego detested Donna but refrained from bad-mouthing her to her children. He is a far better man than I.

I too remember playing the licence plate game @Libby Drew in addition to I-spy and what type of car will be the next one going in the opposite direction (I don't recall it having a specific briefer name) in my youth. One chapter in and you have already established interesting, believable and engaging characters with sufficient differences to provide fertile ground for future clashes of opinion and drama. Once again your whimsical sense of humour shone through @Libby Drew. Rob's description of Eric as "he dresses in hippie clothes, like those sprout-eating wackjobs out west. You know, in Oregon." had me chuckling loudly and wondering if he, Eric, smells like patchouli or sandalwood.

Given the synopsis of the story @John Henry I assume Calvin does not return from Pennsylvania. As much as he is despicable for abandoning his children, Calvin appears to have cared for them to some degree by leaving them with someone he believes will care for them. Additionally, he took the time to see a lawyer to arrange for temporary custody of his children with Diego and left him with their birth certificates and other important paperwork needed for medical care etc. Ultimately, Calvin’s disappearance from the lives of his children, although motivated by his selfishness, may be the best thing which could happen to them, ensuring they will have a life of stability, with food, shelter and care, all things necessary to give them a start in life. I also assume, hopefully incorrectly, Calvin may be the person from the childrens' past, who resurfaces upon the death of their mother. If this proves to be so and he has not changed for the better and/or tries to disrupts the childrens' lives, that is when I shall truly hate him @John Henry.

On face value Calvin is a selfish prick who does not deserve to have the children he has and the children he has do not deserve to have him as a parent. I have to wonder if he was a junkie too or only his ex-wife. Either way, he at least got the children away from her and a life of hell, albeit to a life which appears to have only been marginally better. Calvin meets a woman online and takes off to Pennsylvania where he thinks he will be able to convince her within three months to return with him. Not buying this bullshit at all. Although it may be inconvenient for Diego to be saddled with the two young children I cannot see him shirking the task. He provided a home to Calvin yet again for the sake of the children, therefore if nothing else Diego has a conscience and a strong sense of justice. Although it will be difficult for the children to adjust to life without their sperm donor, they will at least have shelter, food, clothing and will be cared for. A great start to a story which I envisage will not always be an easy read @John Henry, but if the quality of your narrative remains equal to that of this first chapter, will be well worth the read. I am also a sucker for the underdog, and stories with an "adoption plot line" invariably appeal to me, even though I am not fond of children at all. I detest adults like Calvin and Donna, both should be permanently neutered so they can NEVER reproduce again.

I think it is a little more than her two X chromosomes @James Carnarvon. Emilia is somewhat like the pre-teen Claudia in that she is reserved and although a little more forthright than the pre-teen Claudia she had three and now has four boys her age to compete with for "air time". Claudia of course changed as she matured and perhaps Emilia will too, particularly when she goes to her new school. It appears Emilia's parents have a much "tighter hold" on her too than did Claudia's and have much higher expectations for her future. If she does not live up to those expectations I can see trouble ahead for her, whereas Mamma Rossi is far more realistic and has allowed Claudia to become the person she wanted to be.

I was well into reading this chapter @James Carnarvon with no tears shed and then WHAM! SLAM! KAPOW! you walloped your readers with"Emilia nodded. “I guess so. Although, what do you give to the boy who’s spent his life with nothing?” “Love, I guess,” Daniele murmured." followed shortly thereafter by"What made you go for the photo album?” Emilia shrugged. “I thought he’d like to start building some good memories, now, you know?” I have not paid much attention to Emilia before, but the kindness and empathy she displayed with these few brief comments made me realise why she was previously attracted to Dani. They are seemingly much alike. Further tears, but this time tears of joy with "Marco laughed slightly, his cool grey eyes flicking from one foster father to the other. Daniele looked on, heartened to see the ease between the three of them. He wondered if the other boy had ever felt so safe with his birth parents." and "Marco backed shakily away from the table and hurried round to the other side, where he pulled his two foster fathers into a hug, mumbling something indistinct into Gianni’s chest" and "Marco nodded. “There’s more, though. Gianni and Angelo are taking me away for a few days. We’re going to Rome!” The smaller boy’s grey eyes shone with excitement as he said this, and it occurred to Daniele that it might be the first chance he had ever had to leave the coast. “You’ve never…?” Daniele asked. Marco shook his head. “We’re going to ride the Metro and see the Colosseum, the Forum, the Vatican City… it’s going to be epic.” I challenge anyone to dare making disparaging comments about Gianni's parenting skills in relation to Marco. He and Angelo are doing a wonderful job, bringing joy into the little mouse's life which his birth parents never brought. And it is not just the gifts, it is the sense of safety and self-worth and the joy for life and in living, these are the greatest gifts Gianni and Angelo are giving Marco. The good doctor, @drsawzall, has expressed beautifully what is perhaps the most striking development to emerge in this story to date @James Carnarvon The differences between he and Marco could not be more striking, as Marco discovers more about the good inside him, we see Giaco a bit more clearly as the curtains are peeled back. He's becoming a bit more unsure of himself, finding growing up isn't easy or easy to cover the feelings radiating out of him. He's a bit less confident as Marco becomes so. Another wonderfully entertaining, well written and thought provoking chapter @James Carnarvon. No thoughts of Kate Bush in this chapter, although your favourites, the Pet Shop Boys, with a guest appearance by that most wonderful of Springfield's, Dusty, did make an appearance when Emilia commented “Wow, you must really… although I’m not sure what he’s done to deserve it.” Not the exact title, but very close to one of their most enduring, and in my humble opinion, one of their very best songs.

I'm getting the sense that it doesn't take much to make you think of Kate Bush. 😉 You are partially correct @James Carnarvon. I cannot pinpoint any particular evidence, but just like Kate I find your writing very British, something which appeals to me greatly. Kate has also often been inspired by literature and film when writing her songs. Oddly enough she had not read Emily Bronte's masterpiece before she wrote her masterpiece, she had seen a 1970 British film based on the book. I have not seen it myself, although I have seen a little of the 1939 film with Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon. What I saw I did not like at all. He was all wrong for Heathcliff; he was far more suited to play Edgar Linton. Many of Kate's songs are visual too, much like your work. I hesitate to sound like some kind of pretentious film critic, but I cannot think of a better way to describe much of your work and her's as "cinematic". I have read other works where occasionally one of her songs might "pop" into my head, but not with the same regularity as yours. Perhaps it is knowing you are both British which subconsciously influences this, but whatever the reason it is a happy combination for me. For obvious reasons I have had the occasional Dean Martin track "pop" into my head too when reading your work. You may not be familiar with him given your age, but he was multi-talented and always seemed very likeable.

That would explain why I in Australia "got in early" for once with my comments.

The aftermath of the disco and the rejected invitation to dance "The sunlight was streaming through the cracks in his shutters; normally, he would have rushed to throw them open, welcoming the summer into his room, but today it felt like too much effort." It must be a legacy from the musicality of the previous chapter @James Carnarvon because the listless Dani cooped up in his bedroom pining for Giacomo found the haunting beauty of Kate Bush's voice on 'Wuthering Heights' meandering in my mid-morning mind. Although they believe, or have convinced themselves to believe, they have restored their friendship to its former glory, there is a sense of malaise in the friendship between Dani and Giacomo, a malaise which the other three friends picked up on, especially the little mouse. "Marco, alone, looked unconvinced. He was wearing the faintest of troubled frowns, taking in the way they were standing together, the way they were dressed. Daniele supposed he was remembering the state he had been in on the night of the disco and was wondering how they had managed to sort everything out so quickly." As much as the "deep" Giacomo is surprising me @James Carnarvon, the empathic and very perceptive Marco is an even greater surprise. I suspect it has always been there though, but it is only now when he is beginning to enjoy life more and have a little more confidence that he is willing to speak up. Speaking of Marco's transition to happiness, Gianni and Angelo should be knighted (or its Italian equivalent). The pleasure they are bringing to Marco's life with simple yet much treasured day trips and other everyday things which others take for granted is a joy to witness. “I don’t understand what happened,” Giacomo said, “but I know one thing.” He looked back towards Daniele, a faintly pleading look in his dark eyes. “I really don’t want to lose my best friend over this. Do you?” And if "deep" Giacomo isn't enough of a surprise @James Carnarvon, we now have vulnerable Giacomo too. I suppose he previously displayed some degree of vulnerability when he was "dating" Laura, but not to the extent he is now. And in honour of the much featured Ravello hemiptera, I propose a little bit of frivolity @James Carnarvon. Absolutely Fabulous (The Scraping Cicada Remix) by the Pet Shop Boys featuring DJ Carnarvon and the Ravello Rapture.