"What is going on with the universe?"(/Phoebe) I got yet another in my yearly cavalcade of rejection this morning(Though trying to combine procedural and flash fiction might be a failed experiment) But then, David Simon liked what I wrote about Norman Lear...so, like, am I good at this or not? And I'm totally surfing the crimson wave, and can't decide which of my million heartstrings is being pulled right now. It's crazy, so I thought I should share. The more doors that shut in my face(at least for the moment) The more love my fanfiction gets, too. How weird is that? I am probably going to cry today, but good luck to anyone who tries to ask why!

I haven't checked the board in weeks but I wanted you to know I see ya, erikaj.

Thanks. Sometimes, strangely, the more convinced I am that I could get worked up about something, the less I do it, though.

I can't let it out anywhere else, so this must be the place. Yesterday was my grandson's 3rd birthday. I haven't seen him since he was 4 months old. My younger grandson will be 1 sometime next month, and I don't even know the exact date. I saw their pictures on a friend's FB page at the birthday party. The punches just keep coming.

One of Brendon's close friends died recently and he had to find and notify his family because he had been estranged for decades. He is now haunted by the thought that our son won't return before we leave this mortal coil.

It's so awful, Laura. It already is wound enough, but with the reason never being explained, it must be the saddest most heart-wrenching thing to go through. I'm so sorry.

All the hugs and love to you and Brendon, Laura. That's a truly awful situation to be in. And yes, please, bring it here when you can't bring it anywhere else. Your Bitches have your back.

Thank you. I carry the pain every day, but I also carry the belief that he will wake up one day and come back into the fold. It is very hard on my MIL who has never seen her great-grandchildren. This too shall pass. This too shall pass.

it happens, not every time, but maybe.

Oh, Laura. I'm so sorry.

I know this stuff happens a lot. my own family has lots of estrangement in it. still, hard to think that somebody wants to be estranged from *Laura and Brendan* though. They're so chill! I mean, even my having fights with my dad and stepmonster have some logic, but in my version, we would have worked it through or something by now. Like a Norman Lear joint....I wouldn't have to wonder if I'm being ghosted because of their lack of capacity, or some part of ancient history where I was, maybe, TA.(After a while, you do stop caring a little, I'm sorry to say. But I hope your problems don't go on that long!)