Thanks for the review Kevin, but sorry about the tears. I can just visualize Wade and Matt's initial frustration that Will managed to bring some drama to this event too. :-)
September 20, 2001
I don’t think my father knew what me backing off meant, since I’d taken my pledge to my mother to watch out for Maddy very seriously. “You’re her father?” my grandmother asked Cody, in disbelief.
“That’s why she’s so beautiful,” Cody said, and winked at her. I couldn’t help it, I had to chuckle at that. He was so charming, but it was so wasted on her.
“So you’ll keep her away from me, just like they’ve kept these boys away from me?” Grandmother
I think that JJ keeps a lot of himself hidden, primarily because he just doesn't want to deal with people commenting on what he's doing or thinking. You're right about Brad's musings. He has a long way to go, but that's understandable.
I think that Will's acquiescence to Brad's request was less about a peaceful resolution to Maddy's status (not to indicate there will be a huge problem with it) but more about how much Will was willing to trust Brad.
I think you're right about JJ...he's not quite ready for prime time, but he is ready for cameos and guest appearances.
I think that Brad's thoughts show just how totally fucked up he is. You've recently re-read Be Rad, Man in Motion, and Millennium, so you'll know how tumultuous their relationship has been, and how Brad fought so hard to stay with Robbie and to make their relationship work. I think it's reasonable that at this point, where he feels abandoned, that he'd resent that. All that work for nothing. But then, as he noted to Will, five minutes after he thinks about that he realizes that he lost his man that he loved, and he's a mess again. His fluctuations have to be ripping him up inside.
LMAO! Yeah, Cody would definitely be the main attraction at Maddy's play group.
Unlike Will and Darius, who both try to live relatively normal lives despite their wealth, JJ isn't doing that at all. He's a bit of an elitist, and a bit of a snob. I think that makes him fun. JJ and John...interesting.
JJ's been a bitchy little thing for quite a while, so it's reasonable that you wouldn't have a great impression of him. Then again, Johnny Weir's not much better.
Thanks Kitt. I'm not sure how much Cody will step up, but I think he'll be more involved in Maddy's life. He probably saw Jeanine setting up house with Hank, and figured that he'd leave Maddy alone, especially since he's not all that into babies. But that doesn't mean he won't be into her now.
We'll find out next chapter how clairvoyant you are. ;-)
Rachel,
I think you nailed perfectly what Brad is going through. He's really devastated at losing Robbie, so he tries to grapple with it through denial or rationalization. Neither one will work in the long run, but for now, it probably gives Brad the mental space to work through things.
I figure that if I can throw some market education in from time to time, it's a good thing. At least I didn't go off on a tangent about what an incredibly unreliable measure beta is. :-)
I'm glad you liked the multiple perspectives; thanks for saying so. It doesn't always work, but it seems to in this story. I really hate, and try to avoid, stories with multi-perspectives that touch on the same episode (he said/thought: he said/thought).
Your observations on Will are spot on. He talked about the numbness he felt, and in a lot of ways, I think that numbness has mellowed him. It's sad that it's done it in a melancholy way.
If I could stop the voices in your head, I'd be a psychologist pulling in the big bucks. :-)
JJ brings an interesting perspective, as you said. I can imagine that the skating world views JJ's family with some consternation, where they're impressed by the family's wealth but disturbed by the people themselves.
Thanks for the review! I agree with you about the grieving process, and these people are all going through these stages differently, and as you noted, in no particular order. I think 9-11 will change their relationships forever...probably for better and worse.
I have yet to start one of my sabbaticals with a cliffie, so you can rest easy about that.
Thanks. I'm the literary version of heroin. :-)
9-11 united the US (temporarily) and we're seeing that effect on a microcosm with this family. It is tough to write (and read) about these funerals, but they are integral to the story. Sigh.
September 25, 1798
Aboard Dove
The Dove was moving gently in response to the light seas that pelted her, while the brisk late September winds reminded Winkler that fall was here, and that winter would soon be upon them. After the miserable heat of the Egyptian Wadi, he welcomed the cooler temperatures.
“We will reach Spithead tomorrow,” Commander Clement said to him affably as he joined him by the rail. “I have to deliver my dispatches, so I will take you alo
Just to clarify, I'm not against fighting because it's violent. I live in a very violent society (the US) and I periodically yearn to inflict violence on others. Sometimes even people at GA.
If fighting were a genuine, emotion-based response to action on the ice, I'd be fine with it. I don't think that's the case. I think it's stage/crowd-managed showmanship, so I find it relatively annoying.
September 17, 2001
“Dude, I heard what happened in Colston’s class,” John said as I walked over to the table. I sat across from him, put down my food, and nodded.
“I just don’t want to talk about it, or think about it,” I said, referring to the 9-11 attacks. “All my other teachers have been cool about it, and people are pretty much leaving me alone.”
“Especially now,” he said, smiling. “It’s all over the school.”
“I just get really pissed off sometimes