Mattyboy

Weird. Interesting. Following.

Woo more growth! I feel that this might be a really central chapter to the theme of the whole story - examining what happens when Brian is put outside in England and starts receiving adequate doses of natural air and light. This church sounds kind of familiar . . . are your stories going to crossover at all? (I'm aware there might be more than one church like that in England)

This might be the happiest ghost story I've ever read! 👻 🏠👻 Thank you for the fun ride, Geron. 👏👏👏

"The chaos never leaves" This is what I'm here for! The delicious cloud of chaos is back! Yes, it feels like there's a lot more to be said about Jimmy and Julie's breakup. I'm reading Jimmy as just not trying to put too much pressure on the situation. But as @weinerdog says, that "any friend" line really backfired on ol' Dad. I'm feeling there might be some old Julie-caused trauma throwing shadows here. Not entirely sure about that, but it's clear there's a bit of history we don't know. Julie continues to be awful. Carol Reinhart sure has some work cut out for her there.

I'm on separate but related. Also on that business of the Nyah-Gwaheh having to retreat if it's trail was found but the house is on it's track. The "farmer" was on the road too, if the Dandriches went through it on their car. Will Mildred's house fit on the old foundation?

Yes, that cloud of chaos wafting away seems like maybe we're coming to the end of this fun ride. But that's the thing with chaos, you never really know! Maybe Ronyx will take us for another lap!

But building back up! I'd noticed that theme too, @Summerabbacat, but you identified it nicely, and I'm enjoying these hopeful and growth-ful stories. Re: the will: some real estate in Britain gets tied up in very long term leases with nominal rents. I'm wondering a bit if Grandma knew she held residual rights to one of those that she knew would flip in her grandchildren's lifetime, and named them as the heirs for it. That'd explain the generational cut-out. (or also possible she knew her son was a bully and wanted to protect her grandkids).

Beautiful and evocative description one of the many rusted-out-then-recovered communities in Britain.

I'm kinda guessing (on not much evidence) it's something even worse- on the lines of "he was home, locked in the basement, and was able to escape when the burned-through locked door blew out." On no actual evidence, of course, but following Laura's pattern that every time we learn something about Otis' childhood, it's something awful, and it's usually awful in a way no one really saw coming.

Yay for Dad! Yay for Blake being mostly fine after getting what sounds like a largish blood transfusion ! The boys pairing off feels less chaos-producing that trying to manage poly-angular relations (what's one more than a throuple? a quauple?) I imagine Jim has a story to tell.

Wow. Starts with a hint of candied nostalgia, but then turns hard to bitter and ash. Ouch, but powerful words.

Maybe a really teasy one? I feel Joie would like that? We can see what Jamie says

Spinoff? After you've got the Seattle gang sorted?

What a positive chapter! Toby just seems to seed growth everywhere he goes. And interesting dynamic between David and Brian, who seem to be able to get along just fine. There's that weirdness that goes along with being an ex-in-law, but Brian's still David's nephew's father.

Ugh, I missed the entire category of jokes about Rusty touching Matty's ring.

Oh, there will be plenty of both, just not on Matty's fingers. Um, finger at the engagement party something Rusty can show Francine?

no

ooh this is exciting!

Yellow stone? Cat's eye?

Yes, Julie is neglectful in an awful way, but she isn't actively trying to murder Seth or perform exorcisms. So not-worst, in that ugly group. And Craig's Mom is even more not-worse! Moving up right into okay! Marie continues to pile up points in the "best supporting aunt" category.

hehe, I wonder if Deirdre expected Brian to fight. She might not have done that if it occurred to her it was what he'd like. It's a win-win-win day! Brian gets out of support payments! Brian gets Toby! Toby gets Dads! Toby gets a garden! Gordon gets a garden ! Toby gets an orchard (to visit) !

Yeah, I was being harsh because I hate that kind of behaviour. I kind of packed it together with Evie's line that a 15 year old will be comfortable with around naked adults, and/or comfortable speaking up about it. Maybe, but big assumption for a kid you met an hour ago. And, yes, Toby started it, and Evie deserves a bit of credit for taking a step back from the skinny-dipping planning after her first comments.

Fun developments! Looks like Toby has found allies in gardening! Ugh, Gordon's parents immediately putting pressure on Brian and Gordon's relationship. Very realistic, I absolutely know people who behave like that, vandalizing potential and torturing everyone around them. That dumb stereotype about British "reserve" was the old defense against that, and I guess what Drew and Evie have spent their lives rebelling against. It'll be better for Brian if he learns to say no to them, early and often. At least Gordon was clear about what to expect.

I hadn't thought this through, but agree completely. Julie put a lot of emphasis on the parts of the story that "no one else knows," and it's all flavored with narcissism. "Stacy doesn't see things in black-and-white" was a weird line, too. What we've seen of Stacy, she divides the world into enemies-to-attack and pawns-to-manipulate. Some of the history is likely true, but Julie's story has a lot of top-spin. At the end, Julie couldn't offer to do anything for Seth; there wasn't the slightest offer of change or amends, just the tearful recognition that what she's done is in fact pretty hateful. And Blake's been found and is in an ambulance and the cops know, so fingers-crossed his life will take a turn for the better.

Yeah, that's pretty unambiguous, alright. Fair 'nuff. Marie may well have known her niece was going to a "special" school, though, and had opinions about how and why her brother-in-law disappeared (we don't know a name, right?). I feel Marie's very formidable willingness to swing into action kinda suggested that she'd thought-over intervening before and decided it was go-time now.