All Comments on 'Requital'

miss the stories of papatoad.your stories are the best.

your story was touching and realistic. I was deeply touched by the characters and their development through their difficult times. Though not to that extent, I can definitely relate to this story to some degree. All the while I am beginning to learn about myself as well through your story. Beautiful.

I never expected to read a story of this calaber on Lit. This story is definaly worth main stream publication. This is the best story here!

I was reminded about your story by a comment left today in Feedback and I had to read it once more. It is the finest example on this site of how a therapist works with patients to get them to delve into their own actions by first getting them into their thought process, what was in their mind at certain points and from their go back and pickup days and times that can lead to a start of perception. The benchmarks this stories therapist and patients had to deal with are a credit to your writing and imagination. This story fits into my understanding of people, fantasy or not. It has little to do with reconciliation versus divorce, as each person has their own emotional psyche to live with, what is acceptable to one will not work for another, and that fact is evident by comments left by people on this site and their makeup.

This is my favorite story of all listed on this site, and that’s says rather a lot as there are some truly exceptional fantasies and fictions here.

With the highest of regards

I thank you

Peggytwitty

by far the best story i have read on lit..and i have have read a good deal of them

I am married and although none of this has happened to us, it made me think more closely about not only our sex lives but how we react to things everyday. I am so glad they got back together at the end and I thought it was a wonderful story!! Keep them coming!

it was so very realistic and quite touching. i had a similar situation, though it didnt work out as merrily. i will find someone i still believe. thank you for this piece of literature of taste.

i rate this story 10/10!thank you!

WOW 108 comments! I guess that along let's you know you have written a very well received tale. Let my voice join the chrous.

I thought you handled Steve's feelings very well. It leaves food for thought as I deal with some of the petty things in my relationaships. Thanks

This is byfar the best and most realistic story I have read on this site. At first I thought I was never going to finish all 18 pages but I was glued to the screen. It was great,

This website is shit.

It does now allow me to rate 1000 on a scale of 5.

Great one!

really fantastic story.

I stopped reading when the asshole that posted this story fed the two of them to a useless piece of shit counselor. What a waste of time. This broken marriage might have survived before the dumbass shrink was injected into the mix. You don't need a quack to tell you how fucked up you are. Only the happy trails idiots believe in this crap. So, they lived happily ever after. I'm just thrilled as I can be. Bullshit.

There are good stories on this site. And there are some superb ones. There might be another one as excellent as this, but I doubt it.

This one is so good it should be used as the standard for all others to achieve.

Well done.

Outstanding story. Great character developement, very plausable plot line.

But as most stories in LW seem to deal with cheating wives with their husband's consent, I kept looking for that to happen. I think this story might have been better placed in the Novels/Novellas category. But, that's just this idiot's opinion.

Jenny

Thank you for the best story I have read on this site. I read the whole thing at one sitting, I could not stop. A truly great job!

Without a doubt this is the best story I have found on the entire site. Plausible character development, unexpected plot twists, and an author who clearly understands both the pain of betrayal and the joy of reconciliation and forgiveness. My kudos to Longhorn__07 for this excellent contribution.

but it's STILL among the best of the best,by a country mile

everything they said and more well done thanks

I thought the story was one of the best I've read thus far.

It was realistic and that it could actually happen anywhere.

I learnt a lot in terms of counselling and mediation techniques. One little critique, I guess, is the length the husband went to record his wife's misdemeanours. I thought that might have been far-fetched. Most of us would would divorce immediately, at the drop of a , er, pantie, not go to great explanations on the details of building up to the finale as it were.

I despise and hate this fucked up stoy not because he got back with the whore, but because of the old bitch and his employeer interfering; NO employer has the right to hold my job hostage to my personal life, NONE, unless it directly harms the company (drug, etc). This was pure worthless horeshit wih no redeeming qualties

Longest fucking WIMP story I've ever read. Big pussy with a big gun, and no balls. No wonder he couldn't keep his women.

Although lengthy, very well written. It is a good display of what can go on in the minds of other people. Quite plausable,even if others don't feel that they personally would reeact this was. It is good that Barb had her Grandmother as a support, as well as other very fortunate factors, or there would have been nothing to salvage.

A slut is a slut is a slut. A cheater is a cheater and it is their innate personality, they will always be a cheat. No excuses not mental transfers, they are who and what they are and will never change.

Overlong sappy soapopera that I finally skimmed thru to find he had been totally hornswoggled the whole time. What a stupid cuck!

Best story I've read here so far and I've read a shitload of them.

A piss-poor story of a dumbass wimp and worthless slut. I was smart enough not to waste my time reading each of the lousy pages.

very believable and im sure the detractors didnt read all the story or they to could see the real life emotion in this ...i truly enjoyed it .. a very long read but worth it ..maybe we could all take some lessons from it ...thank you roadbird

All believable, and a GREAT STORY!! THIS one took real talent to write. And the AUTHOR(as opposed to 'writer') is as talented as they come on this site. The only spelling inaccuracy was "Pouring over the documents". It should have been "P-O-R-I-N-G-", AND not "P-O-U-ring". But all that crap aside, this story was well thought-out, and very well-written. The characters were all well developed, and the manner in which they were all "brought along" was just superb! FIVE STARS for this one! And I'm a tough marker!

Is the author a psychiatrist or marital consultant hem/herself? The maincharacters are very well defined and their development is very believable. It's a long read, but this also creates room for a realistic description of how deep the wounds, inflicted by such an affair, can get and what it takes to heal them. The style of writing keeps you wondering what the next chapter will bring. Well done.

Longhorn_07 i loved the ending to this story they went thru hell and back and Steve and Barb shure learned there mistakes

... HDK <p>It took one day with some little breaks to read your story. I have to confess it's one of the best english stories I've ever read at Literotica</p>

<p><b>Nucleus</b></p>

another wimp(who used to be a man) selling his soul for a piece of sluts cunt.

Too long! To long to get to the point. Heart breaking! A good man is tricked and trolloped. What really happens is an intelligent man is cheated on by a self-centered, selfish woman and her grandmother decides that inspite of how loathsome the GD is, she should stay married. So she manipulates the situation with money and power and tricks them back together. She is as selfish as her grand daughter. He needs to be with someone who is not selfish and manipulative and whose family respects him enough not to try to trick or influence him into something he clearly should not. He needs a woman who will love him and care for him and not just love herself. She wanted him back because she was selfish, not because she loved him. She does not change at the end. She wants what she wants and basically has a scheming family to help her. The nature of her personality is founded on a swamp that sucks the life of all around her: she is quicksand and will do what she wants and there is no absolute evidence at the end that she won't. HE should have run as fast as he could and never looked back. No divorce! Run anyway. IN time he would have got it. Years of a personality warping as much as his wifes had, do not change over night or even over years. No therapy or counseling is that good. She is a liar. What took years to make, takes years to revert if at all. Run, fella, Run!

Good story! She fought for her love. Accepted her sins and went through regrets. Well, she wasn't perfect. But the incidents made her to go to counseling and slay her demons. It matured her. She apparently had still been thinking like a high school girl.

And, he fought too. though he was forced on. But he did fight. And, one who fights is never a wimp.

Longhorn:

I’ve read and reread this story a number of times and find that it appeals to me more than most on this site. I love the way you bring flesh to your characters and take the time to deal realistically with weighty issues. I also loved the feeling of continuity that you bring to the story. There were no tricky ‘artistic’ flashbacks, false clues, or discordant plot tricks. This was just a great story with a beginning, middle and an end. Sure there were things that I didn’t like. Lydia manipulating the husband into the prolonged counseling session: The husband’s inherent willingness to settle for forgiving past wrongs. The wife’s’ immediate acceptance of her ex-husbands’ (in his mind) infidelity with her sister. His acceptance of her continual disrespect for him during their short marriage, in my opinion there weren’t all that many happy times in the marriage. The counselors’ overlooking of the ‘suicidal tendencies’ expressed early in the sessions.

All of the listed issues are my opinions, and as the author you are totally in the right to take the story as you wish. Great job, very entertaining, thought provoking and a wonderful short read. Yes to me, this is a short read. I don’t understand all of the complaining on this site about stories longer than a page in length being too long to read. One commenter admitted to taking five days to read this story. Incredible and really sad! It probably took me less an hour to read it, online with all the delays inherent with reading over a somewhat slow interface. Others complained that it wasn’t erotic enough, with only 4 sex scenes. Give me a break; this story would have been boring with much more sex, and not believable. There was too much pain and confusion evidenced by the main protagonists to make it a suck and fuck extravaganza. Lastly the complaints dealing with contents for this site; the name is ‘LITEROTICA’ not eroticalit. Writing is by the title, implied to be more important. What is important to me, is a good story, well written that has some connection to something of an erotic nature. I applaud your efforts, it must have taken you many hours to develop and craft this story. I really look forward to reading more of your submissions. I am truly grateful to you for sharing your skill and imagination with us.

.

Having experienced being cheated on and getting revenge, I could identify very strong with this story. It's heartbreaking, disgusting, and very beautiful. Betrayal, revenge, forgiveness, hope, and love. You cut right into the very heart of it. You are a very talented writer. Thank you.

wow! It took me 9 hours to finish reading your story. It's a beautiful story, though it is long. Once I started reading it, I couldn't stop. You really took the time to take out the characters, exploring their emotions, their sexualities & their issues. I like the character of Lydia. She is the one who save their marriage. She is a wonderful grandma. The ending is beautiful done that give you a smile when finished reading it. Perfect 10 for you. --- Thor

Just read this and I think it's an absolute classic.

Extremely well done and thank you for this highly entertaining read.

One of the best stories I have ever read.

I appreciate your hard work and imagination.

Thank you,

Norman

Great story, well thought out and well constructed.

I loved the way you developed the characters in the story,

you made them so real.

I hope you continue writing, this was truly a pleasure to read.

frame it, the slut did not love nor respect her husband. To keep him married to her, to even let him get a piece of her ass, is insulting to the man she was married to. He deserved better than that slut! Divorce quick and clean was the only way. You needed a story and kept them together forcing the husband to accept disrespect, infidelity, deceit, adultry, and humiliation. You made him into a shell of a man to make a short story long. Once a liar always a liar, once a cheat always a cheat, once trash always trash. This is the kind of girl you take out dancing and fuck then go home. Others were doing that while she was married to him. Just fuck her and forget her!

great story,

Do not pay any attn to the "nay sayers" --This is a great story -long but every page just gets the reader more involved-just almost like a spellbounder Hitchcock movie.I love the way you did it --one long chapter VS dragging it out!! I do have a question --whats Not To Like?

One of the enjoyable stories on the site; well balanced, realistic and honest.

Well done, you should be proud of this story.

I couldn't stop reading. Well done!

My only question is why haven't you gone professional. Everything you write looks, reads and feels professional. I so admire your work.

I would have left my username but I have forgotten my password. If you would like to comment my mail is bkfriend at hotmail dot com

edited there is no reason or justification for her cheating on him and her disrespecr for her husband. And there is no real reason or justification for him taking her back. Fuck her all you like she is a slut, but dont move in with or marry her. It would make more sense to marry the total slut sister, and why he put his dick in her makes no sense at all since he was aware of who she was and what she does. Two sisters in the same family that are just plain sluts. Only problem was his wife is also a whore. She fucked people at work related to her job, she is a whore/prostitute! Personally I would not even talk to eather woman.

Very nice writing...keep up the great work.

Perhaps paperbacks would be better for you longer writing.

5 stars. It might sound strange, but this story was so well devised and presented that I nearly scored it a 4 stars, maybe even 3. Why? Before I was a fourth of the way through it I was seeing this story not as a ditty sitting out here on the internet, but as a serious piece of work, and I nearly graded it that way. It's a cut above. Besides that, it's nearly a parable or a testiment to what could be, if only... Sure, there was an element of luck in this story that helped save those two, in particular, Barbara's wise and perceptive grandmother, someone who could begin raising her and teaching her the things she never learned. Then, there's Kimberly. Kimberly is, by the way, the reason I thought of a pro-grade 3 instead of 5. Her introduction was a bit over the top I thought, and this persisted for about 4 pages. It seemed like the author was rushing a bit at this point. However, I realized later it gave the author the opportunity to present the sacrifice of Barbara. This story makes me feel good, and I'm glad I read it.

This is a great story and I would have rated the first half or more a full five plus, but the resolution and reconsideration are a real ugly stretch. While I could understand getting back together AFTER forcing through all the divorce hurdles her family put up and finalizing the divorce, I see no reason for the thrice cheated protagonist to let the cheating bitch WIN without paying the price of a public divorce for adultery.

However, a story as long as this needs a lot less plot holes to sound credible.

A self-absorbed person cannot change in a few months.

What was Nony doing all those years while Barbara was growing up to be the way she is?

A pretty good read anyway. Didn't expect any less from Longhorn_07

Absolutely loved it thanks a lot. Not a critic just know what I like.

you would finally end the reconciliation. I myself dont really believe people fundamentally change there mindsets and living styles. That said you realize I dont believe in reconciliations of spouses when one has cheated on the other despite any reason given. In all the rationalizations and other aspects of your psycho drrama you left out what was probably the most important. The wife never once voiced her thoughts to the one person in the world she was supposed to share everything with. In so doing she actually began the end of her marriage. The story plotline would have been radically altered had you done so, I am sorry you allowed the husband to be manipulated into going back what with is actually a serial cheater. The younger daughter as a Tsipper wound up being a frat party doll, they do give degrees for that in Longhorn U right? I am glad you brought in the STDs and HIV and that at least made it more realistic. Where was the discussion of her having possibly contracted the same from her boyfriend? I do have a problem with your three month rule on HIV testing. Most conservative Docs I have talked to dont consider clear until it test clear past the twelth month. Even then they like to say almost sure. Actually her actions when they were dating were enough for me never to have spoken to her again. Cheating isnt a mistake it is a definate action and when done by a spouse is done intentionally to harm the other spouse. So the real question never answered is why did she hate her husband so much to do what she did?

My God! All these "Hate Reconciliation" types! This was a lovely story about two lost lovers finding their way back through all the barriers of non-communication and self centeredness and etc. I have said it dozens of times when I comment. If two people love each other they can work through most anything! They do "have" to love each other enough to want to! Its pretty obvious to me that some of these "Kick the Cheatin Bitch Out" types "do not" or "have not" ever loved someone! They are an "Island Alone" in their self-righteousness... Yet they read every cheating wife story they can find looking for one that holds to their own view of never forgiving anything ever done to them! One shudders to think what they have done to others in their righteousness!

a used piece of trash? Ok, I see, they were not in their right minds, all of them were mentally ill.

You can talk your way thru anything. Yep we have guy doing that big time right now trying to explain why change isnt always the best choice. Yeah you could have a woman talk you thru why she betrayed you, disrespected you, and fucked around on you, after all it is her body, but didnt she promise something in her marriage contract, hmmm, guess she is a liberal left winger. Ron old boy, let your wife go out and fuck around and get AIDS them come home and want to make family with you, bet you would eat her right up! Roonie women that do these things arent right in their heads and no amount of talking is going to make it alright.

Every once in a while I come back to this story for the personal interactions and psychological considerations. I wish I'd had a Lydia in my life sometime since she does such a good job of putting things into words and sensible explanations. Verne was the process, but Lydia was the how and why. Forget all the BS about whether reconciliation was the "right" thing to do or not. Everyone will have their own opinions on that subject, always, and will defend their own point of view vigorously. The point is how she had to learn to see what men were doing so she could react to it instead of going along with it. I love this story. Thanks for your time and effort.

The bitch repeatedly cheated. OUT. Fuck her and her horse.

Get the degree, change jobs and tell those interfering assholes at work to fuck off.

Tell Granny to KISS his ASS. The interfering old fart needs to butt the fuck out.

A minister once told us that if he thought people can't or won't change that he'd have to quit the ministry. It's really immature to think that someone can't change their ways, especially after they understand why they acted the way they did.

The author spent a lot of time building up emotion about the cheating. He spent even more time on the self-pitying husband. I've gone through the driving anger of a divorce, but I was a grown up and both controlled by thoughts and my actions during the hard times.

In this story the family and friend interactions were handled better than any other LW story I've come across so I applaud the author's efforts.

In response to all those idiots asking what if she had caught an std, it's hard to do that when all she did was masturbate the guy through his pants. Twice. Throughout the story they laughed at the cheaters and the lack of sex they where getting. Still, she was cheating, lying, and emotionally withdrawing from her husband. If she had continued down the path she was on she would have had sex with other partners, but she hadn't yet. I think this is an important distinction to make. People who want to improve can do so through counseling and hard work. Look at AA or NA groups, an addict can go through these programs and come out with tools to recognize and change behaviour - if they want to. This woman decided she wanted to change and did so. It was hard, even hard for her to recognize the need to change, but she did so. All in all a great story that I was thrilled to read.

I got to chapter eight and had to bail. This was to damn long and boring as hell. This should have been sent to Readers Digest as a short book. If you are going to write a book find another site that is better suited for that. You are a good writer but not this story. Good Luck!!!!

Are you nuts, they both messed up, what are you on. The wife is a whore and a cheater. She fucked around at work she didnt just cheat she whored herself. You dont go back together after that, get as far away from that piece as you can. He should have ditched the bitch after the Christmas party. To do less was stupid at best and totally braindead at the worst. She was so enamored over the nephew she should have just divorced and married him instead of trying to ruin her own and her husbands lives.

But the new life doesnt have to be with a person they totally dislike, disrespect, and humiliate. And for the idiot who said she couldnt get AIDS. Clothes are no barrier to bodily fluids nor HIV. Jacking him off in his pants and getting cum on her hands are a vector than cause infection. The risk isnt as high as him fucking her in the ass but it is still there. Grow up people.

she actually needs a third eye.

love the nuances in this story, it was a great read and the stroyline was all I could of hoped for

One of the best stories I have encountered on this or any other site. I couldn't walk away from it. Thanks so much for sharing such a fine talent with us.

I hope you're still around and thinking of writing again (I notice your last submission is three years old).

Yours is one of those stories (there are too few of them) that make literotica worth going to. Thank you.

(Why do I think you are a short rotund man in shirtsleeves?)

ILienBagby,

Longhorn chose to force one anyway. Barbara as described is clearly a narcissist who loves herself more than anything. Her repeated disrespect of and for her husband is profound and continues until she is caught virtually in the act.

Then she cannot (will not) accept her actions for what they are and she remains in selfish denial. Her "baby" sister is just as fucked up as she is only in a different way.

I suspect Barbara's parents, at least her mother, is at the root of these personality disorders.

How (why) Longhorn chooses to write a reconciliation is truly a mystery. NO sane and rational man would EVER forgive her enduring behavior.

A well written story with a terrible ending.

To long didn't finish it. Can't see why a man would catch his wife cheating and go along with counseling for a job. BS

writing again? Thank you for a great read!

I couldn't stop reading this from page 1 all the way to 18! Magnificent story please write again!

Also don't listen to those dissing your story for being unrealistic, those fools need to go look up the fucking word FICTION. Realistic fictional stories are boring!

5/5 from me :)

Reconcilliation seemed impossible; the bitch wife as bad as it gets. Yet, Longhorn was able to pull it off with carefully written scenes that showed us how it was possible. Bravo!

It was not only instantly engaging, but the turn of events show how masterfully you can lead your readers to wherever you want them to go. This kind of manipulation I love! I hope to read more from you!

I always liked yr writing but this one is the worst I read by you.

Hope you will start writing again.

I liked the fact that he knowingly tried to commit suicide, and that Barbara or anyone else picked up on it, until herevealed it in the counceling session. Please keep on writing.

This was a very very good story, thank you....the husband wasn't a wimp and the wife made mistakes but wasn't a slut. It was very will written.

although lengthy, it still was worth a read... :)

A looooong story but it was needed to project the elements you had here. I only hope I never have to go through this process. If I do, though, I hope I have the support these characters had and needed...

Very well written. Please keep writing!

Man started off decent but dragged on tooooooooooo long

Well,it's 1:30 am and I need to be up at 5:00am I couldn't stop reading till the story was over. Thanks for sharing, an excellent read.

I could not keep my eyes open any longer and finished this morning -

Yes it is a long story but the pace held - for me anyway - I actually learned a couple of things and came t0o terms with some of my own issues as well.

My ex was screwing around for way too long and had decided it was what she wanted for her - let me know just after a I survived major surgery - while I was weakest - wrote her off - still pay for that and will till I retie I guess it is a privilege right rofl

Thanks for a great read

And it always brighten my day. Such a superb mastery of writing,such an understanding of human emotions and most importantly ability to convey such emotions into words and sentences.

Totally enjoyable. Thank you Longhorn.

but I really enjoyed this, the sex she did was bad enough but she wasn't a slut and she in the end grew without fucking everyone and their dad like the rest of these so called loving wives. Bravo, Bravo.....keep it coming.

That said, it was an interesting tale of redemption and pain. Lots of pain. I like how you explored how she got to be Mary Sunshine even though she was the person who wronged him.

Still, nicely done.

I've read this one a couple of times. It has a happy ending. Sometimes it is refreshing to read happy endings. Sometimes it is also refreshing to read a story where the cheating wife is portrayed as a character who the reader can gain some sympathy for. They all don't have to be evil big titted bitches out to find younger and bigger dicks. They all don't have to be whack jobs dedicated to humiliating and crushing their husbands for untold and imagined crimes.

The other thing good about this story is that it has an ending. Sometimes long stories being written these days don't ever end.

Wish we could see some new Longhorn_07 stories.

A very good story But, to DAM long

Long, but good, nice to see two people work it out together.

You came very, very highly recommended Madame, and you did not disappoint!.. At one point I even thought it was going to a standard cheat-dump-hookup with younger sibling kind of story, but wow lol. Good job n well written, all aspects flawless, all bases covered!..

Also, the somewhat winding length? No worries, it just gave me more to read and love!. <3

It was a hellacious story, I am glad it ended as it did. I prefer more sex scenes but those you had were good. I will read all your other "stuff". I don't comment after each chapter on the long ones but I do give you the five stars they deserve. If I didn't like something in a chapter I give four stars, please forgive me.

This story, apart from being amazing, is ... literally undescribable

though young my self, i feel years wiser, this touched a part of my heart i hadn't thought was there

your work of art has inspired me to comment for the first time on this site, and ive read quite a bit

and though this isnt my 'favourite', it reached me in a way i didn't think possible

And im not a girl but a guy, a romantic one, but a guy nonetheless

p.s. i too have been robbed of seven hours of sleep (4.22 am)

As a regular literotica reader, I can take pride over the fact that most of the best pieces of writing has been read by me. And based on that knowledge, I can assure u sir, this is one of the most well-written and thought-through ones I've ever come across. The character portrayal was good, descriptions of emotions and flow of incidents absolutely flawless, and I dare say, I haven't ever read a a story on this site that deals with this much detail. Hats off to u sir, this was a gem of a reading.

I spent 5 whole in front of the PC to read this, and trust me, each second of it was worth it.

Finally, for a little suggestion, why don't u try a bit of ur talent in a period piece? As a student of English Literature, I can't wish for more than that. Thank u again for the excellent work and enlightenment.

- Saimon

Just about the best story on lit

However, it would have been much better if it was not so extreme in places. His anger and attitude was extreme. Kim's actions was extreme and both were way over the top.

Don't know what you people are smoking, but it's affecting your reasoning power.

i applaud you sir, this is the first time i read a reconciliatory story that managed to not make the husband a wimp and yet still justify him getting back together with his wife. 5*****

Well written and well-paced for a reconciliation story. The characters seemed genuine and the only minuscule issue for me is Kim's HIV plot involvement.

One of the best on Lit.

If wives forgive husbands (and some of them do) I guess that it is OK for husbands to forgive wives. I love happy endings.

This author is always veering into painfully ignorent and unreal psychobable in his stories to cover up his raging cuck fetish. His fondist moments are rationalizing it when he cleans off the cocks of his wife's boyfriends.

...but I liked it. Barb's head was so far up her ass in denial, that it's hard to imagine she would become this totally other person over the course of a few months, therapy or not. I mean, she doesn't seem even close to the same person. And, Steve has everything about him that suggests a guy who would not go back on his principals, even with a threat to his job at stake-hard to believe he didn't bail on the counselling sooner, even if he did go (which seems unlikely). Further, nothing was ever really described about how Barb got involved with the asshole at work-or why. A lot of talking around issues like low self esteem and insecurity and immaturity, etc., but come on. She didn't have a wake up call after the Xmas party? At first, it seems like she did. The absence of Steve and the miscarriage maybe explains the second fall from grace with Rafe, but the whole thing seems pretty weird (2 handjobs, over the pants, while sneaking around with this guy for a couple/three months?). I could go on forever. Nevertheless, i liked the writing, and thought the actual sex scene at the end was actually pretty hot. The Grandma was great, and I liked the process Steve went through-maybe the one thing that seemed credible.

Seems like the author understands the psyche of a man who has been betrayed, but sort of interweaves charicatures and fantasies for the other characters. But, I couldn't help but read it more than once; maybe to try and wrap my head around it as much as anything else.

I'm also a sucker for reconciliation stories. People screw up (and sometimes screw around) in this world. Hate the sin, not the sinner is a wise saying imho. But then again, so is trust, but verify. I didn't like "Lyin' Eyes" nearly as much-the wife there was so much more vile, and the husband was, if not a wimp (I don't think those who take a stand, but ultimately forgive the one they love, when that one is truly repentent and take actual steps to solve the problem, are wimps-those who put up with cheating they don't want and just 'deal with it' are), then incomprehensibly and unreasonably willing to put up with what I can only describe as evil behavior. But, I'll read the other stories, cause I'm very curious about this writer's stuff.

I gave this a head-scratching 4 stars.