I never wrote up a post for last week. Sorry about that for anyone who was watching for it. The week kind of got away from me. I was writing. I’m still writing. Even if I do keep changing up how I’m going about that. I was trying to focus in on just a few projects, but we should all know by now that just doesn’t work. Because if I only work on these few projects, when will I ever get to all the others.
And it’s summer vacation now. So the kids are home. All day. Every day. I think I’ve figured out a routine that should work for me, but we’ll see how it goes.
Writing
With the way I’m doing things now, I’ll have 15 different projects I’m working on, 3 for each day. So, I’m not going to list individual progress on them. Probably just when I hit major milestones for them. I will say that I’m about 2/3 finished listening through Fixing the Books. I should be able to finish that, and hopefully a round of edits this month. I’m making progress on the other projects, though nothing is finished yet.
I may start posting some of my progress to Notes. I already have one post up, you can check it out on the Notes tab on the top of my page.
Reading
It’s June, and Pride month, so this is when I focus exclusively on reading queer books. Yes, I read them the rest of the year as well, but in June, it is all I read. I’ve already read a few good ones this month.
Imogen, Obviously
This was really good. The only thing I didn’t like was Imogen’s friend. She reminded me of a “friend” I had in school who always made things into my fault. And I don’t think you were supposed to 100% like her, so woohoo, job done. 😄
The Fae Keeper
This was the sequel to H.E. Edgmon’s The Witch King, which I loved. I’d actually started this once before, but for some reason, just couldn’t get into it. I must have just not been in the right headspace for it, because this time I almost couldn’t stop listening. So glad I gave it a second chance.
The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen
I haven’t technically finished this, but it’s K.J. Charles, so of course I’m going to love it. I might have even more thoughts when I finish it.
Crafting
I finished the pod of pride whales. Although I’ve since started another to join it. I don’t have that one finished yet, though.
Story
I have another story from the Castlemore Residences series today. Alan is genderfluid and does use the honorific Mx(instead of Mr) as well as he/him pronouns.
"Mama, mama."
Lien looked up from her notepad as Helena careened right toward her. "Be careful," she reminded the young girl. Maybe a little sharper than she'd meant to. But, it was not Helena she usually had to worry about. And Divya and Edna were still in the middle of reorganizing the gardens, so there were still tools and containers and other obstacles around. Not to mention the flowers themselves, which Lien knew her wife, not to mention Edna, would be greatly upset if they were trampled over.
Of course, even at top-speed, Helena kept to the paths, which were kept free of debris and dangerous implements. Lien caught her daughter in her arms and held her still. "What is the matter? I thought you were playing with Colum."
The two had quickly become friends when Alan had moved in here with his son. They lived on the third floor, the same as Lien and her family, and one child was often in the other's apartment. She hoped they had not had an argument that would cause too much tension between them. They were only four and five years old, so even if that was the case, it would hopefully blow over quickly. And Colum was a very friendly child, Helena, however, could have a temper.
"I was," she said crossly. "Except he doesn't want to play. We were supposed to be playing monkeys, he even said he wanted to, but he's only sitting up in the tree."
"How exactly do you play monkey? No, wait, never mind. That's not important. How high up in the tree, is he? Can he not get down?"
"He can get down. That's not the problem, Mama."
Being called that never failed to thrill Lien, even though neither of her children had ever known her as anything but a woman. Still, she knew that was not what she should focus on now. "What is the problem, then, Helena? We've discussed that your friends don't always have to play the games you want to, haven't we?"
Helena let out a little growl, and Lien had to fight hard not to laugh. It was cute, but she knew that reaction would only make her daughter angry. And she was already upset. Maybe it was more than a little tiff between friends. "That's not the problem, either, Mama," Helena said with a stomp of one foot. "He doesn't want to play at all. He just wants to plan how to run away. I don't want him to go away, Mama. You have to tell him not to. He won't listen to me."
That had Lien setting the notepad aside and getting to her feet. "Where were you two playing?"
Helena grabbed her hand and dragged her away from the bench. She didn't say anything, just stomped determinedly to the edge of the yard where several trees stood. The boy wasn't exactly hiding, though it did almost seem as if he was trying to melt into the tree. "I'm not going," he yelled down.
"Going where, Colum?" Lien called up to him. "Would you at least come down here to the ground so we can talk?"
He wrapped his arms around himself, though, and stayed right where he was. "Daddy said it was my choice, my grandpa said if he doesn't let me go, they'll take him to court. Again. If I'm not here, it won't matter. They can't be mad at him."
Lien closed her eyes for a moment. She could tell Colum that family was very capable of being angry with you for very little reason, and she knew the situation was more complicated than that. She looked down at Helena, who looked more worried than angry now. "Go get Mx. Wright," she told her daughter. "I'll stay here with Colum."
And hopefully be able to talk him down by the time Alan got here.
***
Colum sat on the tree branch, trembling. He should have taken off when Helena got down. He knew she was going to go tell. Why hadn't he just left right then? Now, they were going to take him away from his daddy, just like they kept saying they would.
"Where do your grandparents want to take you, Colum?" Mrs. Schilder asked him.
"I don't know. They said it was a vacation. Hours away. The whole family will be there. That's what they said, but they won't let Daddy come with me. And my mama won't be there." He barely even remembered her, but Daddy said she'd been a nice person. Her parents weren't, though. Not to him. They hated him. So, why were they always trying to take him?
"Do you want to go on this vacation?"
"No!" He tried to bite back a sob. Grandpa told him he was a big boy now and big boys didn't cry. But, his daddy said there was nothing wrong with a few tears when you really felt something. It broke through anyway. "I want to stay with my daddy. But, they said..."
"What did they tell you, Colum?"
Colum looked down at his daddy, his lip trembling. "They said you put under influence on me, and that you were going to make me be like you. And I said I wanted to be like you, because you're the best daddy. And grandma said they needed to get me help, so they're going to take me away from you."
His daddy's face looked mad. Like when Colum had been bouncing a ball in the old house, after Daddy had told him to stop, and he'd broken one of Mama's favorite vases. And Daddy had had to take a lot of breaths before he'd even spoken to Colum. And Colum couldn't stop crying because Mama was gone and now Daddy was going to be sad about this, too.
He didn't think Daddy was going to wrap Grandpa and Grandma into a hug after telling them they should have listened to him the first time, though.
"Please come down here, Colum."
"Am I in trouble?" he asked. He didn't want daddy to be mad at him. Or sad. And he didn't want to run away, but what else was he supposed to do?
"No, Colum, please just come down here."
Colum scrambled down the tree and straight into his father's arms. "I'm sorry, Daddy."
"Don't be. And I won't force you to go anywhere with them. You never have to worry about that."
"But, they'll take you to court. And you're so tired of going to court with them."
His daddy sighed and pressed his lips to the top of Colum's head. "I am, but I'm pretty sure this will be the last time. Go play with Helena," he said, setting Colum back on the ground. "I just have to make a phone call."
"Who are you calling?" Colum heard Mrs. Schilder ask his daddy.
"My lawyer. He knows I'm at the end of my rope with them, and this is too far over the line. I know he's all they have left of her, but he's still my son. And I will protect him from what they see as help. They can whine about grandparent rights all they want, but his needs come first. And I will see to them."
"You're a good parent, Alan. Don't let them make you doubt that."
Colum could have told her that. He was the best daddy.