Mark Arbour

Thanks for the review! I really don't know how Will and Zach will end up. For me, I create the characters, set them in motion, and then they tend to tell me what they'll do. But I agree that they are a cute couple. At this point in history, Zach's ability to play football in a top college program and be "out" is really not possible, and it is even more impossible for him to be "out" in the NFL. It simply didn't, and can't happen. Even now, we're just seeing the beginning of acceptance of LBGT athletes in the NFL.

Everyone at Escorial knows. Wally And Clara don't. Gathan obviously knows, and Brent suspects. The other brothers are clueless at this point.

August 30, 1799 Portland Place Granger sat in his bath, marveling again at how wonderful it was, and how restorative after even a short voyage. Only that marveling lasted for but a brief period, after which he began to ruminate yet again on how strangely he’d been treated since he returned to London. His orders had made it sound like he was urgently needed, yet he had arrived five days ago and been virtually ignored. Granger had sent a report detailing his voyage, more to l

Thanks for the review! Sorry it took me a bit to respond. Busy times! One of George's best traits is his ability to use humor in the right doses at the right times (something I personally lack). I think that has served him well with St. Vincent, but I think his treatment of St. Vincent owes much to the training Granger got with Hood.

Parenthood was very different back then. I would expect that William and his siblings will hold George in awe, much as George did with his own father (re-read the intro to The Gunroom).

Most definitely a mini-cliffhanger, with no respite in sight for this week!

As usual, there is much to like in your review. To avoid repeating myself, I'll focus on one thing you mentioned that resonated with me even more than the others: how Will really understood Brad and Robbie. I think that parents sometimes don't realize what their children can take away from watching their relationship(s). Kids with their curious eyes can take in a lot of things. It's interesting to see how others in the family are worried about making similar mistakes. Both Wade and Will, having watched the Brad and Robbie rollercoaster, are uneasy with the possibility of doing the same thing. It may make them more cautious in jumping into something good for them, or it may give them a nice defense mechanism against getting hurt too badly.

That's a really good point about Frank and Isidore not being at the meeting. I suspect that the reason for that is one of three things:1. The author forgot to include them. 2. Frank and Isidore were busy closing up their house in Lafayette for the summer. 3. The author didn't include them to avoid muddying the water with too many characters. I'll let you decide which one you want to buy into. :-) As for the declarations of love...they're young. Young guys say shit like that early.

Thanks! You know, the entire sexual relationship with Wade was built on a really flimsy foundation. It seems really strong to Brad right now, but I wonder if, when he's not so fucked up, things won't be a little clearer for him.

LOL. Well, I try to cover a broad spectrum of sexual activities. This one seemed like it would work. And I loved Will's line: "You mean because cum is your favorite food?" We haven't had a character like that...until now.

Maarten, you make me laugh. You know, as Will gets older, he's likely to get more mature. I see a lot of anguish in your future. ;-)

You are so right on the risks of young love. These guys seem to really click, and if you think about it, their personalities really do mesh nicely. But they are 15/17 years old, and even though both of them are a bit more mature than those biological ages, they're not even close to the 'settle down and get married' stage. And the sad thing is that with Zach's career choice, they may never be. :-(

Thanks Kitt! So you're suggesting that if someone is untrustworthy in the beginning of relationship, it is unwise to trust them going forward? Interesting hypothesis. ;-)

Thanks for the review. I think that Will is going to ultimately discover what you've pointed out: that keeping that wound with Tony open only makes it harder to deal with. Especially for Will, given where he is emotionally after 9-11, having that kind of anger and carrying that kind of grudge is really damaging. Matt probably did him a huge favor, even though he thought he was really helping Tony out.

I can't relate to your problem at all. Only you have issue like this.

I'm glad you liked the chapter, and the happy sentiments behind it. On the other hand, wanting to make it work and making it work are two different matters entirely.

June 22, 2002 Malibu, CA Will From: Willsurfer@yahoo.com Sent: Friday, June 21, 2002 10:28 PM To: Tonymo@aol.com Subject: I’m Listening Tony, I shut you down before when you tried to talk to me. You got something to say, I’ll hear you out. Will From: Tonymo@aol.com Sent: Saturday, June 22, 2002 12:28 AM To: Willsurfer@yahoo.com Subject: Re: I’m Listening Will, It’s really good to hear from you. I went out with some friends tonight (no, Rick wasn’t there), and I’m a little

Thanks Kody! I think that you nailed Matt's issue: he needs some time to grow up. I also think you're right about Will prepping Matt. I think that without that, it would be tough for Matt to deal with all that's being thrown at him.

That's a good point: I don't think Robbie was ever comfortable with himself either. Like you said, I think Matt has that potential

What we've seen of Zach so far is that he's a very closed person, but once he lets you in, he's pretty devoted. So I think it's reasonable for him to be that worried about Will, worried enough to think about his psyche.

Very sad news.

Some good summations, Kitt! Thanks! I think that the whole 9-11 nightmare totally changed Will's attitude toward Brad. He went from seeing Brad as an adversary to someone he has to prop up and support. In a bit of irony, Will is actually adopting a much more parental role toward his own father.

I'm glad you like Will's character, but I'd like to think the story is more multifaceted than that. We've had to look into his issues here, since they impact the two main narrators of this story. I think that will fade a bit more as we move on in CAP time.

I'm glad you liked this chapter, Maarten. I agree that the good intentions seem to be setting things up nicely. We'll see how that works out. ;-) I think it's quite understandable why Zach would expect to go to Barry, as opposed to the other way around. As an athlete, he's used to listening to his coach, and not questioning that authority unless it is important. I think his attitude toward Barry would be the same.

I think that Matt and Will are starting to realize that they have the same playful sense of humor, and they really can have a lot of fun together.