Oh man, so much great interaction between the guys in this chapter! :D I seriously cannot with Neal, hahaha. And yay, so glad to see Mac doing something with Eric other than being annoyed with him! Such a laid-back personality is probably good for Mac to be around just to chill him out a little bit, so I was really glad to see him stop being so snarky and treat Eric like his friend for a change! And I may or may not have snorted when OC made his presence known with "Obviously he is, dumbass." :D

I'm glad to see Mac fix things with his mom a little bit and sort of come to terms with the way things are. I'm especially glad to see the latter happen while he was dressed in drag! Hahaha. Very well done, and I was thrilled to see that he had no trace of embarrassment stepping out of his apartment and into a public space. That's our Mac, looking ridiculous and making no apologies!

So sad to see this story end. I love that it all started with a random conversation about how Mac would rock a pair of heels! I sincerely hope you start a new story ASAP, wink wink hint hint. ;D

Poor Mac! All this angst! :( I love how you got Steve in there to make him stop being so insufferable, haha. It's good that he has a roommate that knows where he's coming from and can relate but won't take any of his crap. Mac needs those kinds of people around him, because he's such a strong personality that it'd be all too easy for him to just walk all over people.

I really like how loyal Mac is to his family despite all the bad feelings that exist there. He's not blind to what his grandfather did to his dad, but he loves him anyway and will stand up for him when the rest of his family won't. Same with his dad; they may not have the warmest relationship, but he can recognize the good in what they do have.

As always, I greatly enjoyed Neal being a puppy. :) And I'm absolutely in love with Rob and Mark's little moment on the ice, and Mark's crack about how laughing and playing hockey is exactly how he'd want to die. :D It made me laugh and is simultaneously the most accurate thing ever!

A great finish to a great story!
"For all it mattered, they could greet each other and speak only of cheese-"How is your Havarti going, Robbie?"; "Salty and smooth as Provolone, thanks, Mom, and yours?"; "Very Brie, thank you for asking." genius! I absolutely loved this! And then the "cheddar coincidence!" That was great.
I also loved the dialogue for the Dynasty Line. Again, I commend you on having real-life facts and events fit into your story, and really appreciate the research you do!
The scene with Rob and his mom was sweet, but also sad that they can't just say "I love you."
And the costume scene at the end was very nice, and OC was great (shock). "... Foolish farmboy who is just figuring out how to not spear himself with his own lightsaber..." The lines you come up with are SO good! I personally would choose the sly smuggler/scoundrel I gotta say.
And then the ending quote. "That the past was frozen, the future unformed, and, for everyone, eternity was in each heartbeat." Call me crazy, but it gave me chills. Is it a quote, or a quote solely from your amazing mind? Either way, it ended the story perfectly.
Well done!

Thanks for updating with another excellent chapter. I love Rob’s reflection on his phone conversation with his parents. You do a good job showing the pain that he is experiencing, but you also inject bits of dry humor—like him thinking that asking him for advice about personal relationships would be akin to seeking advice from the Soviet government about promoting freedom—that felt consistent with his sarcastic demeanor.

You did a wonderful job with the flashback to Rob’s past. It was interesting to see him as the mouthy, stubborn teenager, and I actually am coming to like Rob’s father better as the story progresses. He is stern, but he does show affection as best he can, and you can tell that he cares about his son and would never want to hurt him or anything. He isn’t the best father in the world certainly because he still has flaws in communicating with his son, but he does try to be a good dad, and that makes him redeemable and sympathetic.

Rob’s perspective on his relationship with his mother is intriguing. Part of me feels like they are experiencing that inevitable growing apart that occurs between children and parents as a child moves out into the real world and becomes an adult. He remembers her as the person who could comfort him when he was afraid of imaginary monsters in his closet, but now he is learning the hard way that there are certain situations where a mother’s comfort won’t be enough or won’t even be offered. He recalls her as the person who took pride in all of his little childhood achievements, but now he has to face the fact that even when he is fighting for what he believes to be right, his mother may not approve of him or his actions. He thought of her as the person who would listen to whatever he had on his mind, but now he sees that there will be times when she doesn’t want to hear what he has to say. The details you choose—her cradling him as a child when he was afraid of monsters in his closet who would eat him like a Goldfish cracker (love that childhood sort of simile), her hanging his pictures that she called as good as a Monet or Da Vinci from the fridge, and her listening to him rant about the school menu schedule not being accurate—felt so real and vivid. I can imagine Rob as the type of child who would be distressed if a schedule wasn’t followed, because it would bring disorder to his world, and I think Rob would like for his life to be controlled and predictable. Even as a child, he wouldn’t like to make decisions about lunch without the proper knowledge:D

You portray Rob’s friendship with Steve perfectly. You have them banter with one another in a very funny and believable way. I love how Steve wants Rob to bow down to him as the king of Monopoly, and Rob refuses, saying he wouldn’t do such a thing even if both his kneecaps were knocked out. You also wrote about Steve’s concern for Robbie really well, and his irritation at being pushed away. You are able to develop the tension and friendly affection between them really well and at the same time, which is amazing. You are able to show Steve’s loyalty to Rob so nicely when he says that he would be the first person to punch out someone’s teeth if they bothered Rob, and Rob’s painful situation when he admits that he doesn’t even know whose teeth Steve should knock out under the circumstances. Steve’s response that he’s an expert at reducing problems to people to punch and people to punch to no longer problems was very witty and cracked me up. I love that Rob does make the decision to tell Steve about his messed up family life, and I think that Steve is able to provide some strong advice about Rob calling his grandfather to find out what his grandpa is thinking/feeling and perhaps to encourage him to try to restore the relationship between Rob’s grandpa and dad.

I felt like Rob’s annoyance with Steve’s advice about baby steps and things getting better was realistic. In a low point in your life, it can be hard to hear or believe that things will improve, and it’s tempting to think that the person talking to you has no idea what they are saying. Rob’s retorts about if normal is relative it’s the crazy uncle who speaks in the third person and only eats blue food, and about how he only wants to write about Grandpa’s Alzheimer’s in a journal if he can burn it afterward made me chuckle even though they also broke my heart at the same time. My heart broke for Steve, though, when he related his own story about his grandfather. My poor Miracle boys, but I’m glad that Steve was able to make it clear that he understood what Rob was going through, and that Rob apologized for how he treated Steve.

Rob’s interpretation of the Lady of Shalott is interesting. He makes a good point about how she should have tried to paddle, and I love how he is again able to connect classic literature to his life, saying that even if people are cursed with something like Alzheimer’s, the most important thing is how they handle that affliction. I also like his insights about nursery rhymes. Now that I think about it, it’s true that a lot of nursery rhymes have pretty depressing subjects. Maybe they aren’t so child appropriate, after all, lol.

The dream sequences were amazingly well-written. The one where Rob was seven really felt like a child’s viewpoint on everything. A seven-year-old would definitely be able to imagine that he was in a World War I trench when really he was leaning against a log in the wood based on his grandpa’s stories, and I can picture a stubborn young Robbie running away because he thought it was unfair that he was always asked to do something unpleasant (removing a smelly kitchen garbage) that, in his opinion, his brothers weren’t. Children so easily feel victimized that way. It was also really cute how he had no real idea what time it was because he had forgotten to bring his Mickey Mouse watch, how he wished he had brought food, and how, in hindsight, he would have taken more toys than just a pocketful of marbles. I could see Rob’s stubbornness getting the better of his logic sometimes when he was a kid. It’s touching how he considers going back home, but decides against it because he doesn’t want to be guilty of being a coward or of giving up too easily—a child like him would think of those as the only two sins that he never had to confess to God during mandatory bedtime prayers, hee hee.

It’s amusing how he wants to go on an adventure like Lewis and Clark (whom they were learning about in school), but that he also is too scared to leave the safety of his community. I could see a child of the ‘60s being very confused about the civil rights movement, not really understanding sit-ins or why people were being hosed in the streets, and just being very troubled by it all, and the anti-war protests with burning flags would definitely be disconcerting, too, so I think you show how a ‘60s child might perceive the outside world as dangerous and bewildering very well. His perspective on the practice air raid drills in school were very good, too. I just love how believable and historically accurate everything in your fic feels. This dream also really reflects Rob’s anxieties about his relationship with Dad, and it helps him understand, I think, why his dad bears a grudge against his grandpa.

The second dream sequence was just as strong. You showed why Rob would be afraid of losing his grandpa to a nursing home, and how he fears that the communication in his family, especially between him and his grandpa, will suffer even more as a result. It also, by taking place in a rose garden, sort of underlies his fear about his and grandpa’s wishes about the nursing home not being taken into account during the final decision.

Hockey practice, as always, was wonderfully written. The locker room culture with Neal teasing Rob by brushing against the stick Rob was taping so meticulously, and Rob getting revenge by throwing the wad of tape at Neal’s ear felt very vivid and credible. Neal is such an adorable prankster: toilet papering Coach Patrick’s car—what a riot!

Herb’s drill felt like something he would devise to encourage creativity and weaving with his players, and I could see the spontaneity of it driving Rob a bit crazy. I cracked up when he wanted Mark to knock him out with a hockey stick to avoid having to participate in the exercise, and how he tried to convince Bill and Phil that Herbies were superior to this drill. I am totally on Phil and Bill’s side here. Almost anything is better than Herbies, surely, lol, but Rob would be all determined and competitive once he started making that argument, so the scene was hilarious but still very realisitic.

Rob’s dismay at the sweaty pinny was hilarious, though I’m sure anyone who has attended gym class or played a sport can totally relate to how unpleasant it is to wear something that smells of generations of other people’s sweat and seems to have never experienced a washing machine. It was funny to see OC tease Mac and the others about all piling in the goal for the drill, and then being serious and coming up with a real strategy.

The conversation between Mark and Robbie after practice was very poignant. I like how Diane has her crafts to make her happy and that she (and Mark) take pride in how well she can do them. I think it is a good point about how Diane is so happy when she works on her crafts but there are probably some really clever people in life who aren’t as happy, so, in some ways, things sort of balance out.

I liked reading the conversation between Rob and his grandfather. You can see how close they are with the little quote competition at the beginning, and with how Rob has no trouble admitting that he will always love and respect his grandpa. However, you can also see Rob’s anguish with what his grandpa has done to his dad when he demands to know why his grandpa was so abusive to his dad. I feel like Grandpa made an important step just by admitting aloud that he was wr

This chapter, and the story in general is so amazingly well-written. Simply the vocabulary and structure you use is beautiful. Now every time I watch the movie I can't help but think of the stories you've written on Rob, or Mark for that matter, and each other players' scenes in your story as well.
The fact that you research almost every single news article regarding the team, movie rankings, etc. is extremely appreciated. Your stories are so believable and rational that I can't help but automatically think you are writing exactly what happened.
The dialogue among the boys works so well. Each of your characters are so complex, and it's so hard to find stories that have characters like yours. I realize that a lot of the things I'm saying have been said in other reviews, but bear with me please! Your scenes with Herb coaching and talking about drills are so good. It is so cool that you can write him well, and come up with plays that seem like he would actually instruct his players to do.
The conflicts in this story add so much to the plot. From the banter that Rob and Steve exchange to the family issues (to put them lightly) in the McClanahan family, each one just builds the story up to where it is now! Rob's difficult relationship with his family is so doleful in it's own way, yet I find myself looking forward to the scenes with them. As someone reviewing before me said, I hope you're not writing this based on your own personal experiences!
Also, I personally love Rob liking the situations in which he finds himself to Dante's Inferno. Plus your quotes at the beginning of each chapter, and, as simple as it is, your chapters' and other stories' names are perfect for each one.
Overall, amazing writing! I cannot express just how great your stories are, and how much I look forward to reading each chapter you write. Dont worry about the low recpetion you are receiving. Great job!

Y'know, as much as I hate when these boys are upset, I get a nice chuckle when they're annoyed! :) Haha. It's so like Rob to be griping about the dirt on the floor and the music and the other drivers, and Mark's aversion to shopping malls is adorable.

Can I just say that Mac in heels lived up to all expectations? :D lol. And I legitimately laughed out loud when his first reaction to walking in stilettos successfully was, "This must be what it feels like to be Phil Verchota." I know it was because of the height, but LOL now I'm picturing Phil rocking the stilettos. It's a very strange mental image! haha.

Mac's conversation with his parents was really well done. It was pretty painful, especially the fact that none of them could quite verbalize their feelings, but he and his dad made some good progress! I kind of want to slap some sense into his mom, though, but we can't always get what we want, can we? :P

Yet another marvelous chapter from you! Your understanding of Mac’s character continues to shine through in the details—how he worries about the clods of dirt in his car when he drives Mark to the mall to buy costumes and how he gets annoyed when the Impala tailgates him. Mark also continues to be well-written, able to banter around with Robbie, but also able to provide a calm wisdom when he suggests that Mac pull over instead of getting into a battle with the tailgater. He would be the one to resist the road rage:D

Your knowledge of the ‘70s continues to show in your pop culture references and the cars you have the characters drive and the technology in the cars (radio and cassettes). You did a great job choosing popular songs that would be on the radio to match the tone of your chapter, so props for that. I also like how you know so much about the team that you can insert true stories like Lou Vairo falling asleep at an opera into the fic in a natural way. I just admire how much thought and effort you put into this story. I can’t thank you enough for it. It’s just totally impressive especially for a fandom that gets such little love.

The details at the mall were great. I love how Mark, the introvert, doesn’t like shopping malls, and seeing Mac toss a penny into the fountain whilst wishing about his family situation tugged on the heartstrings. The pushy Macy’s saleswoman could be pulled from my life, and seeing Mac try on heels was hilarious.

The conversation between Mac and Mark at the food court felt very raw and real. I could hear Mac’s pain as he talked about his situation. It breaks my heart that he feels like he comes from a community where children are more accessories or investments than people to be loved and cherished. I believe that it happens, so it felt authentic, but it was so disturbing. I also admire you for daring to challenge the ideal of a “happy” family to see if maybe there is discord and misery being hidden under the façade. For Robbie’s family, there definitely seems to be:( It’s all so sad, and made even sadder by the sense that many families might be this dysfunctional under the guise of “happiness.” Talk about a sobering notion. At the same time, though, Mark provides a glimpse into another family life, one where members respect one another and can be honest with each other. Perhaps that is the direction that Rob’s family needs to move in to find more happiness. Maybe if there was more focus on being open than on being perfect in Mac’s family there would be more joy even with the issue of Alzheimer’s.

Mac’s phone call to his parents was really painful to read. I like the complexity that is added to the situation by the history of abuse between Rob’s grandpa and Rob’s father. I get the sense that some of awkwardness that Mac’s father experiences in relating to Mac is just because of that history of abuse. It feels tragic because I get the idea that Mac’s father wants to be a good dad and tries to be that but he doesn’t necessarily know how to be. He can provide the economic and intellectual support, but he struggles in the emotional department.

Mac’s mother is interesting because on one hand she would seem to provide the emotional nourishment that Mac can’t get from his father, but she also sort of fails at that—expressing her disapproval in a way that is distant, cold and polite, and not really saying that she loves him, even after he has tried to make his affection for her pretty clear, just telling him to get rest for the next day’s practice. She feels complex because she is so defensive of her husband but she also feels like she might be more interested in gardening and gossip than her child’s emotional state, especially because she was angry at Mac for hurting his father but wasn’t really concerned about how he was upset and she talks about how she is a Christian who values mercy but she seems pretty judgmental of everyone. I get the feeling that she might be more concerned with the socializing her church groups offer and with the appearance of being compassionate with all her charity rather than with actually showing genuine love toward family members who aren’t her husband. Obviously, she provides the cooking and cleaning associated with the nurturing mother, but her emotional support is dubious and superficial at best. Actually, I kind of feel like Rob’s relationship with her is at a worst place than the one he has with his father by the end of the chapter. Rob’s dad is willing to open up a little about his parenting decisions and he’s willing to compromise with Rob to a certain degree, while Rob’s mom doesn’t really want to listen to his points at all or comfort him even though he is obviously upset about his grandfather’s condition. I like this plot thread because everyone feels real and complex, but it does break my heart perhaps especially since it has such an aura of authenticity. Please keep writing, and again, I applaud you for not hesitating to write an unflinchingly honest account of a family in a crisis situation.

This chapter is also brilliant. You describe the effects of Robbie’s alcohol binge in a believable, sad, but also humorous way when you describe the troubles it poses for him in practice. I love the dry wit his perspective offers both via his thoughts and through the narration. I think you’ve got his character down pat and his voice makes reading this fic an absolute delight.

You definitely know your stuff when it comes to hockey. You describe what goes on in a penalty kill so well, while also not giving us an infodump. We get to learn naturally through Rob’s perspective, which is so awesome.

It broke my heart reading about Robbie, who is so conscientious and competitive, not caring in practice and just being so depressed. The way Herb ripped into him was believable, but I loved how Mark stuck up for Mac (way to have his line mate’s back) and didn’t let Herb rant too much. It felt right for Mark to stand up for a friend in a quiet, respectful but firm way.

It was funny to see Mac and Mark have to make a pumpkin pie for the party. (The other boys would swoop in on all the easy stuff on the list, ha ha.) What a love about your piece, though, is that you are able to give a trip to the grocery store to buy ingredients importance. With the clerk’s use of the word retard, you are able to open up a comparison between Mark’s and Mac’s familial situations that gives Mac the confidence to share what’s going on in his life with Mark. I think Mark provides some good advice to Mac. He seems to have a lot of wisdom from the pain he suffered when his sister was sent away, and I like how Mac accepted it but sort of fought against it at first. That just felt very in character and real.

Also, I would just like to compliment you on daring to talk about the pain that the word retard causes people who are related to someone with a mental handicap. My uncle has Down Syndrome, so people just throwing the term retard around willy-nilly hurts like a slap on the face. As such, it just meant a lot to read about a character (Mark) who felt that pain and could respond so maturely and nobly to it. I just like how you don’t flinch from the darker side of life in your fic, but you also aren’t afraid to let the sunny side shine through in your writing. It’s a great style. Please don’t give it up even if you get less reviews than you might for a romance. There are people (like me) who want to read complex stories like this.

Oh, wow, this chapter was an impressive blend of darkness and light. We have a lot of humor early on with OC tricking Mac into having to wear the Leia costume (I love how you gave significance to Mac’s fear of spiders that you introduce in the second chapter) and just in the boys’ interactions as they plot what movies they are going to do and what costumes they are going to wear. I really love how you made sure that every movie you chose was from the ‘70s (it’s so impressive that you researched what were the most popular or well received movies by critics for that decade just for this fanfic), and how you seem to know at least a little bit about every movie you chose. As a Star Wars fan, I’m proud of you for knowing so much about the plot of a New Hope and that it was the only Star Wars film released as of October of 1979. I just see how much pride you take in this fic when you make sure that your details are accurate, and I want to thank you for that effort. It makes the reading experience so much more pleasing to me:D

On a more serious note, I think that you write the awkwardness between Mac and his father really well. It made my heart break but it always felt like a natural portrayal of family tension, not like it was exaggerated or forced. It seemed like a real breakdown of communication that could happen in any family, and I applaud you for daring to examine that darker underbelly to a family that may seem happy or perfect on the surface. I’m interested to see how this plot point with Mac’s grandpa having Alzheimer’s and needing to be put in a nursing home develops. You show a lot of courage in being willing to write about such a topic, and I also wanted you to know that I like the bits of levity you tried to inject into the restaurant scene to lighten some of the bleakness. It sort of reminded me of the social commentary of a Jane Austen, to be honest. I felt like laughing and crying at the same time at certain points, so kudos for that.

I loved the idea of Steve being able to sense that something was wrong with Rob and reverting from a teasing tone to a concerned one in an instant. That felt very believable.

My heart ripped for Robbie at the end when he reaches for that liqueur. You just get the sense that he welcomes that oblivion and irresponsibility, so by the end, as he says, he doesn’t care whether or not he shows up to practice smelling like a distillery. Poor boy.

Another enjoyable read! I continue to love the glimpses into Rob’s past, since they never feel like they are forced into the narration (everything in your story flows really well) and I think they sort of explain why he is the way he is, so they are just really interesting, from my perspective, though I do feel bad about Steve eating escargot without realizing it was snails. I don’t blame him for rushing off to the bathroom to barf, lol. I continue to love the blend of affection and aggravation that all the boys sharing the apartment feel for one another. And I can’t wait to see what movies and costumes are picked for the Halloween party.

A delightful effort again:D I feel like you must be a hockey fan or just have done a lot of research on it, because you are able to include all this hockey terminology like two-on-one rushes and to have guys like Mac and Mark discuss hockey with one another without it seeming unnatural or as if you, the author, have no idea what you’re talking about. I love the fact that hockey is being written so well in a Miracle fic.

I like how you deal with Coach Patrick’s character. In the movie, it does seem like he has a bit of a special connection with Mark (patting him on the head when Herb tells him off and hugging Mark first after the Miracle on Ice), so I can believe that he would have a soft spot for quieter players since he is more mild-mannered himself. There also is a bit of tension between Mac and Coach Patrick that you seem to pick up on before the Herbies episode where Mac demands to know what is going on, basically, and Coach Patrick brushes him off with essentially a statement that they’ll find out soon enough. I could see Mac’s stubbornness grating with Coach Patrick a bit, so that felt believable. I do still like that Coach Patrick tries to be complimentary with Mac and not be insanely obvious about his favorites. He seems like the sort of coach who would try to be supportive of everyone.

The interaction between Pav and Mac was interesting. It was cool to see how differently they approached practice, and it was funny how Pav basically tried to wiggle out of giving a real response to anything Mac said. I laughed my head off, but I’m glad you gave a purpose—Mac learning to improvise a bit—to the humor. One thing I really appreciate is how natural everything feels in your story. Nothing feels like a plot contrivance. Thanks again for writing, and keep posting more chapters when you have the time and inspiration!

A wonderful encore:D Mac’s thoughts continue to be a riot, thinking about Eric playing pick-up sticks in a highway and mentally griping about the dust bunnies copulating under the furniture. In the movie, we see Mac obsessed over taping his stick, so I feel like he would be a meticulous neat freak, always worried about keeping wherever he lived clean. I also like how you make accurate references to ‘70s pop culture with the Kinks, Neal Young, and Queen, and talking about Hoovers and stuff like that. It just makes the fic feel more authentic, in my opinion. Oh, and speaking of authenticity, I really liked all the background details you throw in about Mac’s family. Even though they remain in the background, they feel like vivid, believable characters who aren’t cuardobard cutout stereotypes.

And the friendship Mac has with Janny, Steve Christoff, and Eric Strobel is magnificently written. You see their affection for one another and the fact they’ve relied on one another both on and off the ice for years as well as their impatience with one another’s shortcomings and readiness to tease one another. Silky and OC are well-portrayed, too. I could see Silky as the type who would spew resentment for Herb, and OC as the one who would blow a gasket every time a teammate was cut from the roster. He’s just such a passionate guy. Thanks for posting, and keep up the great job! This may not be a popular fandom, but I’m a new fan of your work.

What a great first chapter! I enjoyed reading every sentence of it. I feel like you’ve got Mac’s voice down perfectly. There is a good blend of wit—the imagined application letter for Herb and the hilarious comparisons—and seriousness—Robbie noting that he loves drills because he knows what is expected of him. The banter between Mark and Robbie was great. We get to see what they have in common as well as what makes them different, which is cool and sort of elaborates on their movie friendship. I also just like how you do all the bit characters like Pav, Buzz, and Verchota justice. Everyone gets to have a character even if they aren’t a major character. Keep up the awesome work, and sorry I joined the party late:D

Wonderful chapter, as always! And I'm going to be my totally detail-oriented self and tell you that my favorite parts were a couple of fairly insignificant things, lol.

First, I actually laughed out loud at how Mac was glad his screw-up hadn't led to a goal scored on Jimmy because he'd never hear the end of it. :D Love it! Jimmy was probably ridiculously annoying and it just amuses me to no end, haha.

And second, I didn't even register the clerk's use of the word "retard" until Mark mentioned it, and then it was like a punch to the gut when I made the connection. Wow. Well freaking done. Poor Mark :(. But hey, I guess it works out well for both him and Mac that they each now have someone that can relate to their problems.

Youch, rough day for Robbie. :( But omg, I'm a smidge too excited to see how these costumes turn out! Hahaha. OC is an evil genius. And excellent job researching the top movies of the '70s - as we've talked about, it's that kind of attention to detail that keeps me from wanting to punch a wall. ;)

This totally doesn't surprise me at all, but you did a really great job writing Rob and his dad. It was just the right amount of awkward in a way that felt authentic rather than forced. (I hope that doesn't come TOO directly from your life!) I also like that Rob snapped afterwards and let some of his frustrations out, and that Steve played the role of concerned friend. It's all well and good to abuse each other when things are good, but you totally know that this is a team that has each other's backs when things stop being good. I'm looking forward to reading more of this storyline!