Date: Oct 10, 2018 2:35 pm Title: Chapter 24
I'm surprised by two things: first, Brian being so delighted by Luke's progresses and not once feeling guilty regarding Justin missing said progresses, especially when Brian remembers how he missed Gus' firsts. Secondly, I don't know how Melanie could start this battle, knowing she wouldn't have the financials to support her new life and her kids'. I often hate Melanie, but she is all but stupid; I don't see her doing this, even if her goal was to hurt Brian. As a lawyer, she knows that finances are a great part of the family life; she would also know that Brian would fight her and she would lose the money he sends her every month, therefore she wouldn't have enough money to live with two kids.
Other than that, it's great for Gus and Luke that Brian gets the custody.
Author's Response:
As for your two comments:
1) Brian has made his peace with his decision regarding Justin a long time ago. He isn't constantly beating himself up about Justin not being there and won't do that until Justin becomes a part of his life again and he sees firsthand how much damage his decision has caused to both Justin and Luke. We are not to forget that at this point in his life Brian is a 100% sure that he has made the right decision for Justin and that Justin wanted his career. Why would he feel guilty if he is absolutely sure that he's done the right thing for Justin? That guilt will only come into play once he sees Justin's pain with his own eyes and realises that he was damn wrong :(
2) Melanie is not thinking clearly at the moment. She is guided by pain and anger and those are never great motivators :( Her pain over her family falling apart (for which she blames Brian) and her anger at Brian for causing that pain makes her want to lash out at him in the only way possible: Hurting him by dangling the "you have no rights to Gus"-card over him :(
Thanks for your comment - more will be up soon :)
Date: Oct 05, 2018 7:35 pm Title: Chapter 24
Hi again! Great chapter! And again, my goodness, also Mel had built her entire arguments on Brian's past. Didn't she realize that this argument hasn't helped Lindsay and Michael? What I find really sad and pitiful about this is that all three of them don't know Brian at all. They've built a picture of him and aren't interested in seeing the real him, his mistakes, his fears, his dreams, his changes, all of that. They're all so pathetic. What I also don't understand is that Mel herself doesn't seem to find it necessary or important enough to be present. Was she really so sure of winning... I didn't expect that it would more by chance happen that Brian gets the sole custody. But that makes sense to me. Brian would have been satisfied with a continuous visitation. He would never have harmed Gus through trying or intending to separate him from Mel. I feel terribly sad for Gus. Actually, he's the loser here. Had Mel been given sole custody, she would have denied him contact with Brian. And now that Brian has been given sole custody, she decides not to see him anymore, although Brian intends to grant her a visitation right. And this after he just lost his mother. The poor guy. Mel behaves really terrible, inhumane, pathetic.
As for Jennifer ... I understood how you meant it. But I think I'm just too biased towards Jennifer. Somehow I just can't forgive her for what she did to Justin, her own son. And so for me that "this time it has to be different" sounded in this moment simply not right. I mean, I can really imagine that they all would behave in this situation the way they did. Except Jennifer - no matter if she now thinks that she married too young or maybe even for the sake of her children has renounced a career of her own... But I will try to be more forgiving with her... :-) Warmest regards!
Author's Response:
I think all of them (meaning Melanie, Lindsay and Michael) have problems accepting that Brian has really changed and grown up. Which might also have to do with them not having spent any time with him and just going by what they thought he used to be. But as you say, it only shows that they didn't know Brian at all. Even after five years apart and through all his pain Justin still knew Brian better than those three ever did :(
I think Melanie thought that a judge would always side with the mother and that she had the cat in the bag so to speak. As we know now, she was wrong...
Yes, Brian would have been satisfied with continued visitation. It was never his intention to take his son away from his mother. Especially after Lindsay disappeared on Gus by being in prison, Brian would have tried what he could to keep his son as happy as he could be and if that meant letting things go on as before, Brian would have done so gladly to avoid any harm from coming to Gus :( It only shows how much he loves his son and definitely more than Melanie could ever claim to love him. If she had really loved Gus, she would have known and accepted how important Brian and Luke are to Gus and would have tried everything she could to keep them in Gus' life instead of blocking his access to them...
A true cold-hearted bitch through and through :/
Haha, I do understand about your feelings for Jennifer and if you don't want to, you don't have to try to be more forgiving with her. Feel free to hate away all you want ;)
More will be up tomorrow :)
[Report This]Date: Oct 05, 2018 1:38 pm Title: Chapter 24
Melanie should have known better. I do wonder about what will happen with JR.
Author's Response:
Well, we already found out in Back for Good that Melanie took JR and moved away from Toronto, breaking off all contact with Debbie and Brian and Gus and in Back for Good Brian voiced his assumption that he thinks she might have never told JR about having a brother and family in Pittsburgh. JR was still a toddler so probably wouldn't remember much about them :(
We'll meet Melanie in the next chapter and will hear more from her directly :)
Date: Oct 04, 2018 3:57 am Title: Chapter 24
I question why I'm still reading this story, because it pisses me off so much, must be the fine writing and wanting and hoping that Justin takes his pound of flesh off of Brian in the 2nd part.
Reading how Brian loves watching Luke grow up, learning each new step in his life just makes me angry, because he never gave that choice to Justin.
And he actually wishes he could make up with Deb, not give Justin the same joy he finds with Luke, but Deb, wtf.
And then watching him go through a custody because he doesn't want to lose his relationship with his son tears my heart apart, not because he hurts so much, but because HE NEVER GAVE JUSTIN EVEN A CHANCE TO FIGHT FOR HIS CHILD.
If you weren't a good writer I'd be long gone.
Just two small things, it's not alimony, that's what a partner gets after a divorce, what you are looking for is "child support", not alimony, that kept throwing me out of the story. 2nd thing is no lawyer can change going from visitation to full support WITHOUT talking with the client first, that is totally illegal
Author's Response:
Haha, I do feel your pain ;) I was asking myself the question of why I am even writing this story a lot when I wrote it *lol* But in the end the result made me happy, so I guess it was worth it after all ;)
Where I am from alimony gets used for both - in German the direct translation for alimony (a word we call Alimente) even refers to children specifically in its first meaning and to adults (as spousal support) in its second meaning. I guess it must be an English-German language thing to make the distinction. Sorry that it threw you out of the story, but I guess that's what happens when the author is not native ;) Good thing the word was only used five times, so it hopefully didn't throw you too much :* I do apologise for that!
As for your second comment: We're talking a story where a man gave birth to a child. This is all fiction, so shouldn't be taken too seriously. I do get your point and am actually aware of what you're saying, but this is a fun little story that shouldn't be taken too seriously ;)
Hope it doesn't take away from you further enjoying this journey we're on :)
More will be up tomorrow!
Date: Oct 04, 2018 1:28 am Title: Chapter 24
First... Thank you for this very long chapter. I could never picture Brian giving up his role of Father to allow a stranger to raise his son. With the house and parents he grew up in, I can't see him relinguish control of his son, not knowing how he might be treated in his absence. It was different with Gus, as he knew Mel and Lindz, but even that scenario didn't turn out well.
You wrote what started out as a visitation hearing, that changed mid-course to a full custody battle, beautifully. I don't know what Melanie was thinking by denying Brian his visitation that first weekend, as it was court ordered. Her, as a lawyer, should have realized what a stupid move that was. A person can't just go against a judge's ruling without filing for that change first. And her reasoning was so lame. Lindsay has been in jail for how long now? So the fact that she was now in prison, doesn't make much sense, since Lindsay wasn't around when Brian started having his visitation. So IMO, she really deserved to lose full custody. And that is where I was mentioning to you that I thought Brian's lawyer should have brought up Mel's posing nude in a men's magazine as I knew she would play dirty. That really would have thrown Mel's lawyer for a loop. But at least Brian's lawyer was smart enough to bring up finances. One thing the lawyer should have stressed was Medical for Gus. How in the world would she have paid for a medical expense for either child if something came up? Just an overnight stay in the hospital could easily run up to a $1000. What did Melanie expect? That Brian would continue to send her $5,000 a month? Stupid woman. She let her jealousy, pigheadedness and hatred get the best of her, without even thinking of Gus in this situation.
Will we get to see Mel when she learns the outcome of the hearing? Or when she has to hand Gus over to Brian? I'd love to see her put in her place the same as Lindsay and Michael. (kind of like gloating! :) Since the day Gus was born, Brian always put Gus' needs first, or at least what he felt was best for Gus. So I feel Brian and Gus finally both got what was best for them. So thank you on a winning court battle. It was the only outcome that really mattered.
I wasn't aware that you that you don't live in the U.S. So, I have to commend you on your writing ability that much more. Looking forward to Sunday.
XOXO ~ Cathy
Author's Response:
You're very welcome for the long chapter :) And I agree, knowing that Gus was being raised by Melanie and Lindsay was one thing, but Brian would have always needed to know that his son was happy and well taken care of.
I think at the moment Melanie is blinded by her hurt and anger and is letting all of it out on Gus and Brian :/ There might also be some frustration about how her life in Canada is going. Who knows?
I like that even though people tend to play dirty and bring up Brian's past, he tries to keep the fights clean and above the belt. He has always kept in mind that Melanie is for all intents and purposes Gus' mother and that his son loves her. Brian wouldn't have destroyed that for anything because it would have impacted his son's happiness.
Concerning the medical expenses, I think we're forgetting one thing: They are living in Toronto, Canada, not in the United States. Canada, unlike the United States, but like most Western countries has a publically funded health care system where your insurance covers all/most costs and Melanie has a job, so she would be covered. I have never in my life paid for any visit to a doctor or hospital until I moved to the United States, to be honest. Luckily I have always lived in countries with publically funded health care systems and have enjoyed free/very cheap health care (covered by my insurance). Even now living in Ireland where there is no public health care available and you have to get private insurance, I am covered by my insurance which doesn't cost me an arm or a leg - thank God ;)
We will hear from Melanie in the next chapter and will meet her in person then :)
I wasn't aware that you that you don't live in the U.S. So, I have to commend you on your writing ability that much more.
Why? Does not living in the US mean people write worse? :P Just kidding, I know what you meant. I have only ever lived in the US for 6 months in 2005 when I went to university there as part of an exchange programme from my German university. Other than that I have only been over for vacations ;) I am German, but happily living in beautiful Ireland <3
Date: Oct 03, 2018 11:45 pm Title: Chapter 24
Fantastic chapter. Gus will finally be where he belongs.
Author's Response:
Gus will finally be with his Daddy and his baby brother :)