I love how long that chapter was! And I didn't feel like it was rushed at all. Some of it had me cringing with how awkward it was though. Poor Kevin.

And can I just say thank you for not making Ash an annoying obnoxious kid who speaks in baby talk. The fact that you're not trying too hard to make him cute actually does make him really adorable.

Also I love gin and juice. It completely masks the flavor of the gin!

Oh my god just OH MY GOD such a good chapter. I was rushing through reading it because I'm supposed to board a plane in ten but I didn't think the chapter itself was rushed. The length was good, I think.

Man! I was just waiting for something like this to happen. Kinda questioning Trey's logic on giving alcohol to a minor, but hey whatever man. And Kevin, oh, you sweet baby...what were you thinking.

I can't think of much to say though actually, but I mean great chapter and all!

Hearts,
Maggie

Haha I love the title of this XD and I love your long chapters.
Seeing Trey beginning to break away from Julie is very satifying. And with just one line I've really warmed to Kevin's character ('He didn't finish the sentence, just sucked the side of his lower lip into his mouth and looked at the ground.') and I'm enjoying finding out about his family problems.
Great stuff. Looking forward to more.

Sukix

LOOK AT ME, FINALLY GETTING AROUND TO REVIEWING THIS, WOW. How long has it been since I said I'd do that? ...let's not even think about that.

But, um. I really like this? I think I was more, like...hooked at the very beginning with your other stories, but as this has progressed, I just, like. I dunno. I JUST WANT MORE, RIGHT NOW. I just really like this! It's first of all different from anything I've read on FP/online stuff, so that's a nice refreshing change. And your characterization is great, I think; you manage to convey little details about your characters so well and you flesh them out and it's great.

and the story itself is great! I can't wait to see how Trey and Kevin's relationship plays out and if Trey will do anything about Julie and...etc. Everything just seems so real here, like a natural progression of things and it's super enjoyable to read :)

(p.s. I just got my first speeding ticket the other day and a few weeks ago my brakes failed on me WHILE I WAS DRIVING THE CAR so I am totally feeling the car problems right now) (yeah that's it. mostly I can't wait for more!)

You're doing awesome with the WTF chapter titles, lol. I'm glad Trey and Kevin are progressing! I suck at video games too, lol. I liked that Trey ignored Julie's call. It seems like she's not all that interested in being a parent, so I liked that Trey sort of manned up, even if it was a little.

More fun chapters, having fun. Frolicking chapters. Dancing chapters. Loving adoring chapters.

This story is just so much more tightly wrapped than your last one. I mean, the brevity is more evocative - or maybe the writing is just more evocative period - but what I'm saying is, I can visualize this side-of-the-road so easily, even though you barely said a thing about it. Same about the pediatrician's. They come to life for the brief while that the character is there, then disappear. I guess what I'm saying is, though you gave us more details about places in "More Out of Life", you didn't convey the sense of place as well as you do here.

I want to congratulate you on working that back-story in so effortlessly, the part about Kyle's dad. It's important for our understanding of Trey, and interesting on its own. And you worked it in so well! Yes! Go you!

Yes, a good story... I always look forward to these updates. Now for anecdote time:

I was just talking to my Texan roommate today about cars. Because we were buying groceries, and while taking them back home on the bus, he was like "It's times like these that I wish I had my car." So we had this conversation about what it's like to be on transit, compared to in a car. Um... I guess that's the whole anecdote. We didn't come to any conclusion, really. But for me it's like, man, your car really could get something like that, and then you'd have to pay that money. That must be so stressful. And in most places, it's not like you could just say "oh well, taking the bus today", because there's so many places in the US without transit.

I omit healthcare discussion, but while reading the part where the lady asks for his insurance card, I had this egotistical fantasy where I walked into a place, real slow-like, with some funky background music, and when they asked for my insurance card, I put down my care card and was like "Single-payer healthcare, fools." Cut to their astonished faces, fade to credits.

I'm impressed with this story... Your characters are really well fleshed out - more so than other stories that I read on here I think. The details make it an even more engrossing story. I can totally relate to Trey (not that I've ever been in his situation thankfully, but, for example, being non-confrontational, and having dealt with someone like Julie), it's just so easy to empathize with and understand him. I'm so glad that Kevin showed up to offer him some help and company! It was really interesting to see their relationship (acquaintanceship) develop in this chapter too. Anyway, I'm looking forward to reading more!
Also, I just wanted to mention that it's great to (belatedly) see you back here. I was following your first story way back when, and I thought you had probably gone the way of so many other authors here who go on a hiatus and often don't return, so it was uplifting to see that you're back again and it's exciting to have new good stories to read too! Thanks for sharing them : ).

Hey thanks for posting a chapter while I'm at a boring family thanksgiving thing! Your timing is impeccable.

Oh my gosh, I am the most thankful (no pun intended) for the fact that I've never blown a tire. I don't even know how to properly put air in my tires. I'm so terrified of fucking my car up that I don't wanna do anything to it myself. And I feel for Kevin and his old car woes...I drive an Oldesmobile Intrigue 1998, aka Oldesmobile doesn't even EXIST anymore.

I hate my dentist as much as Trey hates the pediatrician. Incompetence galore.

Speaking of Trey, I'm proud of him for ignoring Julie's call, but at the same time I'm like...aw man, you don't have to stoop to her level. She's just gonna bitch about it later. Oh well, oh well.

Oh my god I laughed so hard at Christian Mission Trip Adventure 3, that is the BEST. That has the possibility for being an awesome game, as well. My friend went to Nicaragua for a mission trip when he was 16...shenanigans were definitely had. I'm seeing a game set in some third world country and Kill Bill-esque slaughter.

Anyway, I'm just being silly.

Hearts,
Maggie

Oh, I really like where this story is going. I don't think being a stay-at-home-dad makes a man less of a man. Millions of women can do it so why shouldn't men be able to? To me, Trey's problem is that he has no backbone at all. He is a victim because he allows his wife to turn him into one. It's going to be interesting to see what happens once he starts to gain self-confidence. And I'm really excited about what will happen between Kevin and Trey. They are both interesting characters and I like the dynamics between them, created by the age difference and their divergent personalities.

When I first started reading More out of Life I was immediately sucked in to that first chapter, and I have to admit this took a little longer- I guess partly because I was expecting romance and there isn't any immediately, you're just building story with that first chapter- but by Chapter 3 I was hooked XD and now I just want to read more and more.
I really love the way you take your time over details (I think I've probably said it before) and the story seems to just unfold so naturally.
And I really feel for poor Trey, I like how you've got him being trodden lower and lower and Kevin is there offering just the tiniest bit of light.
I look forward to more.

Suki

I really love how it's going right now and I will certainly wait for more. The way you write Trey's feelings and insecurities is very realistic. Keep up the good work, hopefully ;D

Yes, what a good chapter. I really loved this. You are so capable with keeping your characters firm over such long distances - it's something you should treasure. It's like being born with Christina Aguilera's lungs. You can work on your lung capacity, but if you can just belt it out from the get-go, you have an enormous leg up on everyone else.

We really see Kevin becoming more of a solid person here, which I like. I enjoyed seeing his different facets. I also thought your handling of their encounter was really capable. It wasn't maudlin or gaudy, it flowed perfectly out of what was happening.

I have no idea how your going to get these two together. Right now I feel like if they had a relationship it would be the most mutually destructive thing possible. I'm liking the feeling, because it's always good to be unsure what exactly is coming next. You're keeping me on my toes.

Also, here's something: you could have (if you felt), held back the narration from the beginning of the story, and put it in here. Either with him telling Kevin, or him narrating to himself and deciding not to share with Kevin. Not that I'm saying it's what you should have done, but it might have been interesting to keep the reader unsure about what had happened until chapter four.

Hey so I didn't get a chance to review last chapter but guess what! Good news! I bought an iPad and it is infinitely easier to type on this thing than the ol' iTouch, so I'm more inclined to suffer through an Apple keyboard to actually type something out. (Yay!)

I still enjoy Kevin immensely. Seriously. And no worries Trey, because I totally did not have the gaydar go off either. I mean, I did because I knew going into this that he would like men, but from an OBJECTIVE standpoint...I wouldn't have guessed immediately. The small amount of Trey backstory/foreshadowing on the maybe-liking-dudes front was good too...doesn't hit you over the head at all.

Gosh, the lips! That's so cute, and not totally obvious either. Like, who even looks at lips? It's so funny...I think if my parents had been in the same position they would think neither of them were the parents. I take after my black grandpa but I'm white so...who even knows. Lips. Not as obvious as a nose. I like it.

I just can't handle his wife. She is just a big old meanieface. Assuming she IS sleeping with Greg, which while I can't confirm, because Trey may just being emotional, seems likely.

Teddy bear toast sounds awesome, but I would make some changes for myself...use margarine and cinnamon-sugar instead of peanut butter, and chocolate chips instead of raisins. Not for kids, of course, but I'll take my chances with diabetes. :P

Hearts,
Maggie

On my freakin god, I love Kevin.
And I'm totally making teddy bear toast tomorrow morning. For myself.

I love that Trey isn't the perfect superhero father with two perfect angel babies and a son who fawns over them like the perfect older brother.