John Henry

The situation with Kenny's mom's medication is very apt for the US. Conservatives in power don't want universal health care, except for themselves. Individual insurance providers can approve, deny and charge whatever they want without any real oversight or recourse. In this case, however...is more complicated than will be touched on in this story at this time, I think. I liked writing this chapter despite not really having anything fleshed out ahead of time. I felt the dynamics between Diego and Kenny needed to have been explored better, and this felt like the right time to do it. Kenny has always been insecure, so being faced with this situation, Diego needed to make sure Kenny knew he was still loved and cared for. I'm glad you were able to connect with it. You also forgot to mention "Judge Crusty Pants" in your list o' villains. Lol

Not to be a problem, but it was Kenny who's living with Billy and Trevor not Caleb; however, I think you make some valid points, especially with Steve needing to learn Spanish.

Aside from the editing catches, your comment went very dark. Lol I think it's pretty obvious that Calvin's motive is....

Thanks for the catch and it was fixed. We'll see how Caleb reacts to the living situation, I'm sure.

As much as I would love to write that in (and see it happen to the real Calvin), I'm trying to be as realistic as possible...but I like your thinking. 😂

US law and all kinda prevents that in this case...just sayin'. 🤣

Good catch. There's a detail that I intentionally left out that may come into play later...Diego has his doubts but doesn't really have any power to change how this scene played out, other than to assure Kenny that it was the right move.

I'm sure that will happen, but must slower than Kenny, since the older you get the harder it is to learn a new language.

That's a good idea, but assumes that Billy hasn't already done that....

That's a very interesting theory.... 🤔

Lol. I don't think the judge will volunteer as a supervisor, and I'm not sure that would go any better. As far as Calvin's motives....

I had been hinting from the beginning that Kenny's mother wasn't going to be around much longer. I definitely agree with your assessment on the Bryan and Kenny situation. Everyone needs their own space, especially as teenagers.

Thank you @JohnnyC for comment. I felt a call back to Steve's joke was necessary and something Diego would have fun with, given the joking dynamics set in the first several chapters of the story. I was hoping people were laughing as hard as I was when I wrote them. I don't know if you read Spanish or translated it, but at the end of this chapter, Diego asked Kenny if he was secretly learning Spanish, and Kenny replied, "Yes Father." I like the little emotional rollercoaster of this the previous chapter, and I'm glad you liked it.

Needless to say, Diego was less than thrilled with Bryan; however, he felt it was largely his fault for not being clear with the boys what their behavior could mean. He was proud of Bryan for at least coming forward and admitting what he did and was willing to accept full responsibility for his actions. In the end, Diego decided that Steve was right, and Bryan would not be grounded. For the rest of the afternoon, Steve handled damage control, while Diego worked. First, he called Billy, who

Money is often a motive for most people, but not necessarily in this case...maybe.... As far as the gay card goes, I guess we'll have to wait and see. The US Justice System is corrupt and flawed, RBG was not saint herself, either. As far as the court in this story, I'm trying to be semi-accurate. Yes, Judge "Crustypants" is loosely based on a real US Federal Judge who was a total piece of shit and a racist, but the likeness isn't so strong that predictions of his actions can be based on anything from his cases. As hard ass as the judge could be, we won't be seeing the judge in my story order someone to be bound and gagged in court.

Thank you for the complement. 🥰 I have standards that I don't often meet for myself, and don't really care for filler chapters, even if they're needed, so it makes it difficult to judge myself fairly. And, yes, there are many more chapters yet to come. Two are in the publishing queue as we speak. I'm in the midst of writing several stories all at once, so I inspiration comes in spirts or floods, with the latter being for this particular story.

🤷‍♂️

You're very welcome. 🙃

I agree that Bryan didn't overplay his feelings, either. There was genuine contempt and anger there, as much as he claims it was an act. Everyone seems to think Calvin's motives are money driven.... 🤔 Will the gay card be played, though...? 🤔 Will I release more than one chapter a week...? 🤔

Well played, Sir. Well played.

You make valid points, and I will say that the next two chapters are not courtroom scenes.

I'm sure Billy will bring all that up, but there's also what the opposition has to say, as well. And "Judge Crustypants" is pretty funny. 😄

Thanks. 😁 I think any kid would've reacted the same as either Bryan or Caleb in this situation. It's already been established that Bryan suffers from a lack of fear when it comes to bullies, especially those who bully those he loves. As for the ending lines, I felt an ice breaker was needed and to show why Steve fits in with the rest of the family, snarky humor and all. 😜

I'm usually pretty hard on myself when it comes to writing, but this was one of my better chapters, I think, and you won't have to worry about the next two chapters at least, since they're ready for publishing over the next two Saturdays.

Bryan sat on the couch, nervously shaking his leg. He hadn't slept well and was loaded with anxiety. Everyone gave him space, fearful that the wrong word would set him off. Diego and Steve considered pissing the judge off and canceling but knew that wasn't an option. “If Bryan goes off, what should I do?” Steve asked; his discomfort was very plain. “Let him,” Diego replied, nonplused. “He's been holding on to that anger for nine years and deserves his chance to blow off some steam. If