Bill W

You're welcome, Johnny, and I'm glad you liked it.

You're welcome and I'm glad you liked it.

I'm glad you enjoyed it.

“I can’t believe its 2053 already,” my husband said after we were seated at the restaurant. “Happy Anniversary, Sweetheart.” “Yes, the years have flown by, but what I can’t believe is that we’ve been together for fifty years. It’s funny, because I don’t feel old enough to have been with you for that long.” “But this is only our 36th anniversary.” “You forget that we were together for twelve years before gay marriage was legal, and then we waited another two years before we

It's 2053 and a gay couple is celebrating their anniversary and looking back at the 50 years they'd been together.

Some great stories in this group, so if you haven't read them yet, get started. You won't regret it.

It seemed like I had one of those days more often as I got older, but like you stated, there comes a point when you just don't give a shit any more. Thanks for that little trip down memory lane for me.

Gary, a tremendous story. I loved how you made Wyatt sweet, naive, and a tad distrustful after what Lucas did to him and his family. I also liked the way you worked it out so Wyatt would have enough money to pay for his horse, a saddle, and a bridle and not feel beholdin' to Virgil. I hadn't read a western in years, but I might have to do it more often now. Thanks for that, you dang blasted varmint.

@Mancunian, not only hadn't heard the expression about the pot calling the kettle black, but he also didn't hear Wyatt saying, "I'm rubber, you're glue. Everything you say bounces off me and sticks to you." Gary, I'm glad Virgil was able to figure all of this out and protect Wyatt, at least temporarily. I'm afraid it won't last forever, though, so I hope he can talk Wyatt into going with him, at least to leave the town behind. Great chapter.

I'm liking where the story is going, but I see a bump in the road coming up. Was what Virgil saw as he was leaving his room what the mob was doing to Wyatt, or was it something else? I guess I'll soon see. I'm definitely hooked and now all you have to do is reel me in. lol

Gary, you've got the dialect down and an interesting story premise, so I can't wait to see what's coming next. You're bringing the kid out in me, which isn't always easy to do, and since westerns were a big part of my early childhood, I'm eager to see where you're going with this. Great start, partner!

A strange take on the anthology theme, and it sent me back to the 1950s and 60s when westerns ruled both the large and small screens. It had been a while since I'd heard anyone mention the jackalope, and that was an interesting take on the dust bunnies as well. And you also seemed to mash together pieces of Gaelic, Viking, and Greek mythology, with a few zombies added for good measure, so it was an interesting ride.

Having lived in the US all my life, it was nice to cross the pond and realize that we all have similar concerns about our future. This seemed like a futuristic James Bond thriller about rescuing 'outcasts' from a society that's willing to marginalize and control them, but at least that's better than merely killing them. Europe and the UK don't have the proliferation of guns that we have in the US, so this story might have taken an even darker turn if it had been set over here. I found this story riveting and exciting and you kept my heart beating faster than normal while I was reading it. Great job!

A nice recounting of very special and precious moments with friends, and a tribute to a wonderful friend who has passed to the great beyond, but still remains with you in spirit.

What a f**king roller coaster ride of emotions this was. I was intrigued from the start, but the more I read the more involved I became with the story and couldn't stop reading. What I thought was going to be a story about school bullying and two close friends who served as buffers, it soon emerged into an area I was unfamiliar with, being non-binary. Then, you tossed in their mother's mental illness and the ups and downs that it threw into the family's relationship, and then you took an unexpected turn by having Shay fall in love with a former nemesis. I'll admit that I had to take my glasses off a few times so I could dry my eyes, and at other times my mouth would involuntarily break into a smile. I'll admit that I had very little previous understanding of what it meant to be non-binary, so this was a learning experience for me as well, and although I've dealt with others suffering from mental illness, including family members, this pointed out some new aspects of mental illness that I hadn't previously considered. I found this to be a well-written story packed with emotions, both positive and negative, and I'm glad it ended on an upbeat note and you allow it to have a potentially happy ending. Well done!

A lovely interview and an intriguing concept, although I'm not sure my waistline would be able to handle the cake. It's a good thing I'm not much of a baker. Good job, adi.

Dan, those are very powerful four letter words and I hope the readers will grasp their meaning. Thank you for your response and I hope it carries the weight it deserves.

You're so right, and it seems to be getting worse, rather than better. A senator is now proposing to ban all abortions after 15 weeks in the US, no longer willing to leave it up to the states now the Roe v. Wade has been overturned, and there is also increased rhetoric against gay rights. In the UK, you may have your own problems after the death of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. I am hearing rumblings about doing away with the monarchy now that His Majesty King Charles III has taken over from his mother, especially from some of the commonwealth nations. Possibly those wishing to do away with the monarchy believe it will be one way of eliminating objections or an obstacle when they attempt to make similar fascist moves in the UK. The world is topsy-turvy with some of the far right groups even using Nazi symbols, salutes, and even venerating Hitler, not only in the US but in other countries as well, so I can't predict how far this will go. I only hope that those with more sense will be able to stop it. I thank you for your feedback on my story.

Happy Birthday, GA, and here's to the next 20 years. Cheers.

Just in time for this Thursdays selections to come out.

Gary, thank you for this kind feedback to my story. It is true that as every year passes those who still remember what it was like fifty years ago are growing fewer and fewer. Even if they don't remember what it was like fifty years ago, I would hope they'd remember what it was like even twenty-five or even twenty years ago, because things were still far from being good. From Stonewall, through the AIDS epidemic, to the fight for equality and same-sex marriage, it's been a long and painful journey and we can't let anyone steal those rights from us again. Thank you, kind sir, for both your feedback and the review.

And all this time I thought bevy only referred to a group of girls, like those in high school or college.

Ah, thank you for clearing this up for me. It looks as if my Thursdays and Fridays will be tied up for the rest of the month.

Valkyrie, any idea when the next set of anthology stories are going to be posted. I'm stomping my hoof in my stall in anticipation.

Thank you, Valkyrie. I hope this story inspires some of the readers to get out to vote if they live in the US, otherwise we'll be in for some very dark times for the LGBTQ community.