Modified Cub

Your writing is superb @Boy Mercury X - Matt is a horny dad who definitely draws attention! Can't wait for next weekend!

So glad Mark finally came out to his family and got that off his chest! Sometimes, even if you have no reason to suspect your parents won't accept you, you still struggle with admitting it. It's the way society has conditioned us to feel. Internalized homophobia can be paralyzing. Mark needs to have a conversation with Sandro before the party, but you know, being a teenager, he probably wont.

Good for Julian in stating the obvious to a family full of takers. And I'm proud of Ben for responding to his mother's nonsense the way he did. Ben will, in some ways, always be there for his family because that's who he is and how he's been conditioned, but that doesn't mean he has to roll over every time either. @drpaladin is absolutely correct about Mason and the military. Diane will likely reach out to Tessa regardless of Ben's pleading, but she will have likely dealt with a similar family issue before and disregard the complaint. The girls and Vera were the only ones concerned about Ben besides Julian after the table conversation. Julian loves those girls as much as Uncle Ben does.

Good check-in but as we suspected (and Ben & Julian expected) Tessa could see an underlying attachment forming between them but at least is on their side and foresees Ben needing to reach out to her directly. The dinner will be festive!

Andy's a great kid and Joey & Roger are so fiercely loyal & protective of him. I'm glad Judge Collins agreed to let the boys come along - he'll make an excellent governor of our commonwealth!

Another suspenseful chapter with the twists and turns we've grown to crave! Sofia is definitely in deep trouble and Sebastian may have little time left. Aiden turning to Julian for help was definitely a shocker. Good for Nathan! Fantastic as always @vanalas

A successful dinner in many ways. I love Vera more and more. Orion gave his Halcyon brother some sage advice. I hope Julian can manage to withhold how he's falling for Ben from the company, although that in itself could be detrimental. The Tessa visit likely will result in a warning for Ben & especially Julian, and then there's the family dinner which is sure to be entertaining to say the least.

I'm surprised but not really that Morgan opened up to Troy about his own troubles. The boys definitely are in to each other. Seems like Troy has passions outside of taking over the ranch yet feels obligated especially since Eric has Parkinson's. Mrs. P sounds like an amazing cook, although the lancing of the boil was gross to read lol. With so many chapters to go, there's no telling what may happen!

That was great! I've quickly become a big fan of your stories!

It appears the scrum on the soccer field finally got Mark to realize, at least internally, that he loves Sandro. The situation won't improve until he gets Sandro to a quiet place and apologizes, but since he's a teenager, probably won't happen for a while. The upcoming weekend party will be interesting.

I LOVE Vera! Despite the cast-iron faux pas, Ben & Julian moving together rhythmically in the kitchen was nice to see, along with Ben not apologizing for every accidental brush with Julian. Dinner at Diane's will be interesting for sure. Julian's definitely got a crush on Ben and the feeling it seems is mutual.

Nice short story! I enjoyed reading it!

If nothing else, Ben is eating better. The routine in the kitchen at the end of the chapter was my favorite part. Grace seems completely sold on Julian as does Sophie. Rachel was her usual charming, demanding, take-no-for-an-answer selfish self. I have a feeling she and Julian will have many similar battles ahead. Cal acted similarly to Ben's family in inviting himself and Orion over for dinner which bothered me. Sure, it would be nice to spend that time comparing experiences and all, but really? How about asking Ben when he's free or available!? And I too expected a call from Mom to Ben regarding Julian's discussion with Rachel.

Julian impressed not only Ben, but Sophie and Grace with his spur-of-the-moment quesadillas, and then there was the short-lived feeling of contentment and domestic bliss, only to be ruined once again by a family member. Of course, Mason needs money, again, just like Rachel needed a free babysitter again, and Mom has to always play the dead dad card. Oddly enough, robotic Julian is the one who brought up the possibility that there's more to his & Ben's relationship than household management. I can still see Julian having a tremendous impact on Ben's life whether or not their romantic relationship happens.

Wow, didn't expect a sociopathic twin who almost sexually assaulted his sister, killed his grandmother, tortured and killed animals, and tried to murder his twin!!! The subtle leg touches tell me they're definitely interested in each other, which we knew from each of their POVs. It will be interesting to see if Morgan tells Troy his whole story or parts of it or is cautious and saves it for later. There's obviously traumatic experiences for them both to bond over. Great chapter!