All fics are arranged by character name. An asterisk (*) beside a title denotes a current WIP.
Billy RussoÂ
Perfect Strangers (Billy Russo x reader)
Brooklyn Lager (Billy Russo x reader: prequel to The Capsize)
The Capsize (Billy Russo x reader; Laniâs 2nd Mystery Challenge submission)
Collision Course (Billy Russo x reader) Requested by @fireeyes-on-teller-dixon-grimesâ
Rewind, Restart* (S2 Billy Russo x reader) [ Prequel ] [ Part One ]
Guilty Kiss (Billy Russo x reader)
Snapshots (Billy Russo x OCs) (1)*
Five-word prompt drabble (Billy Russo x reader)
Easy (Billy Russo)
Ryan Brenner
Oh, Christmas Tree (Ryan Brenner x reader)
Bah Humbug (Ryan Brenner x reader)
A Familiar Face* (Ryan Brenner x reader) [ Part One ] [ Part Two ] [ Part Three ]  [ Part Four ] [ Part Five ] [ Part Six ] [ Part Seven ]
Electric (Ryan Brenner x reader)
Growing Pains* (Ryan Brenner x OC) [ Part One ]
Benjamin Greene
Hopeless (Benjamin Greene x reader)
Logan Delos
Text Drabble (Logan Delos x reader)
Multi-Character Combos
In the Line of Fire (Multi-Character) [ Part One: Billy Russo ] [ Part Two: Ryan Brenner ] [ Part Three: Logan Delos ]Â
Whispers in the Wind*Â (Multi-Character) *[Part One: Benjamin Greene]
âŠmore like a few gears, honestly. You may know me as @suchatinyinfinity or Dani, that former fanfic writer, and thatâs what brings me hereâ out of my former fanfic fam, writers and followers, who is still here? Who is still writing? Which fandom are you writing for? And most importantly, how are you?
Iâm going to tag some of you here and Iâll inevitably forget some of yall, but if so, hit me up anyway.
When a disabled person says that they canât do something, we donât mean that we just donât want to. We also donât mean maybe. We mean that we physically cannot do it or that we could, but it could really harm us. We have to pay consequences. You donât.
Just a short and not-so sweet drabble (less than 500 words?) about one Billy Russo. Hope you enjoy!
My tags are not working, so I apologize to those on my tag list!
Things had never been easy for William Russo. Heâd struggled through childhood, abandoned and alone. Heâd struggled through adolescence, through abuse and rage and pain.Â
But then, he trained to become a Marine, a scout sniper, and nothing had been easier to Billy Russo than war. Nothing had been so effortless as his dark eyes sweeping through the scope of his weapon, waiting silently and honing in on the enemy until it was time to pull the trigger. He would hit his target wherever Billy had imagined the bullseye to be. A head. A heart.Â
Sex was almost too easy for Billy Russo, filthy rich, flawlessly handsome, and owning more power than he knew what to do with. His name tumbled through the lips of women, wanton, caught between begging for more or begging him to stop, to let them cumâ in his mouth, around his cock, spilling over his fingers. However he wanted them, whenever he wanted them, wherever he wanted them always went his way, literally falling into his lap as he licked his lips as his gaze darkened. Some women would dare to drag their lips and tongues along the lengths of his battle scars as they rocked their hips, tight around his cock, and all Billy could do was smirk, feel the confidence and power swell in his chest as his thrusts grew faster and deeper. The two things that were easiest for Billyâsex and warâ would crash into one another for as long as a woman doted on those scars, and somewhere in that short stretch of time, Billy would cum. Heâd bury himself deep inside whomever he was with, force growing stronger as that immeasurable power grew inside him like a cancer.Â
The third thing that became easy for Billy crept into his life over time, but it settled there, taking root alongside sex and war: killing. The only thing that was different when it came to a kill was the sense of apathy and emptiness that always followed. As he cleaned himself up afterward, Billy would make sure the blood that stained his hands was something only he could see. Heâd step over the body he left in his wake without even realizing it had belonged to a living human being when heâd encountered them. When he left them, they were someone elseâs mess to clean.Â
But his hands were always soiled. After the crimson red blood was scrubbed awayâ or the gunpowder, perhaps the smell of sexâ his hands werenât clean. In appearance, yes; perfectly manicured, long fingers and soft palms, it was all an illusion, a manipulation of sorts. His hands were filthy from the dirt of money, the skin of a woman, and the lives of those that heâd taken away. But Billy Russo was an illusion, a manipulated man. His hands were merely an accessory.
Itâs the return of Ryan Brenner, and it will be quite a journey! Itâs also the introduction of Gracie, our main OC in this story. Iâm super excited to share part one of a one-shot turned series Iâve been writing for months now. Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy so far!
As always, if youâd like to be added to or removed from my tag list, just shoot me and ask or DM!
A loud whoop made her jump where she sat, and page 43 of the book she was attempting to readâ The Giver by Lois Lowryâ was sprayed with water. Laughter, louder than the whoop that startled her in the first place, erupted from the mouths of the four boys that were chest-deep in the lake as water lapped at their skin.Â
âThought you were gonna jump out yer skin and end up a pileâa bones,â her brother, Jonathan, called out to her as he laughed. Jonathan was 3 years her elder, and his mission at thirteen years old was to torture his baby sister Gracie. Jonathanâs friends from school, Steven and Ryan, usually joined in, not with the teasing as much as the laughing. And Ryanâs cousin Eric had tagged along that day as wellâ an extra gross boy to laugh at Jonathanâs stupid jokes. Gracie had decided she didnât care for Eric. He was the whooper.
âShut your mouth, Jonathan. Iâm trynna read!â Not that she was really all that able to see with water splashed over half of page 43â she could swear the ink was beginning to run. Â
âMaybe you shouldnât be such a nerd and bring a dumb book to the lake!â
Still grinning, Ryan swam a few strokes closer to the lake coast, though he was still a yard or so from her. If she had to pick between one of her brotherâs stupid friends, it would be Ryan, but only because Steven was just like Jonathan, and one Jonathan was enough.Â
âWhatcha readinâ?â Ryan asked, squinting over at the girl. Gracie squinted back, regarding Ryan, and then held up the paperback.
âThe Giver,â she told Ryan. She put the book down over her right knee, cover side up. âUntil someone splashed water all over page 43.â She averted her eyes to glare at Eric, who was farther out in the lake joking with Jonathan and Steven. Gracie wrinkled her nose in distaste. âWhy do you hang out with them, anyway?â
Instead of answering right away, Ryan just swam closer until he was there on the shore, towering over Gracie and dripping wet. âWhy donât you, liâl bit?âÂ
Gracie just glowered up at him. She may choose Ryan out first out of the four boys, but it didnât mean she liked him. âName is Gracie, Ryan Brenner. And donât drip on The Giver.â
                       *   *    *   *
All Gracie had asked to receive for her eleventh birthday was permission to go to the lake without Jonathan as a chaperone. Her mother was reluctant, but after several instances of begging and a conversation with Gracieâs father, her birthday wish was grantedâ with the understanding that sheâd be home before sundown. The lake wasnât far from homeâ about a quarter of a mileâ and the rural Virginia town where Gracie lived was safe, and she was responsible for her age.Â
There were still a few small gifts to open and cake and ice cream to be had, but she had two free hours until then Gracie wanted to spend them at her favorite place, alone, soaking up the sun and diving into Anne of Green Gablesâ the first of two gifts sheâd opened. The second was a watch, insurance that sheâd be back home in time to sing Happy Birthday.Â
Book in hand, she ran almost the whole way to the lake, book in hand. The sun was warm and bright, but there was a lazy breeze rustling the leaves on the clusters of towering trees she passed on the way. It was a perfect day for some quiet reading, the only sounds surrounding her that of the breeze, the quiet rippling of the water, and the turning of pages.Â
Slowing down, her chest heaving at the effort to catch her breath, Gracie froze in place. Did she hear music? No, it was impossibleâ just her imagination. Shaking her head, she made her way to the lake and stumbled upon the source of the music.Â
âNo.â She made a beeline for Ryan, stopping a yard away from the old wooden swing that hung from a low, looming tree branch. âNo way. Get outta here with that noise, Ryan.âÂ
He had stopped strumming long enough to squint up at Gracie, the sunlight casting an ethereal glow around her form. He could barely see the exasperated and annoyed expression on her face due to the sun's rays. She had a book crooked in her arm and cradled against her chestâ as always.Â
âCâmon, Lil Bit. I ainât gonna bother you.â He looked back down to his old guitar, placing three fingers side by side on three of the six steel strings. âHappy birthday, by the way.â
Gracieâs brows rose in slight surprise. Heâd remembered. Relaxing her stance, she continued to look down at him for a moment. âThanks.â Turning and taking a few steps back, she tucked her book under her arm and grabbed the two fraying ropes that held the old, wooden swing from a thick, sturdy tree branch. The ropes were fraying and rough in her hands, the material weathered like the seat she gingerly perched herself on. That old swing had been hanging there as long as she could remember, and it creaked under her weight. âAre you coming to eat cake?âÂ
âIt looks beat up, Gracie,â Ryan warned as she sat. The creaking made her feel a bit wary, but the old swing seemed sturdy enough to hold her weight if she kept mostly still. He watched her for a moment after she sat, and she shrugged her shoulders, offering him a satisfied smile. âDonât fall, Liâl Bit.âÂ
âNobodyâs fallinâ. And I told youâ my name is Gracie.â She paused for a moment, unopened book still perched on her lap. Ryan just winked in response and turned back to his guitar. Before he could strum, Gracie spoke up again. âYou canât call me Liâl Bit forever, you know. Iâm eleven.âÂ
Eleven years old, Gracie thought, was much more mature than ten. Ten year olds were just kids. Sheâd been eleven for half a day now, and felt much more grown up than she felt the day prior.Â
She heard Ryan chuckle, and she knitted her brow. âEleven? I apologize, maâam. Miss Lâil Bit.âÂ
Gracieâs jaw dropped in surprise, but she couldnât help the laughing that followed. âYou must not want any cake,â she said in mock indignance, narrowing her eyes. âJust play your guitar, Ryan Brenner.â With that, she finally cracked open her book, flipping past the first few pages and stopping at Chapter 1. If someone else had to be at the lake, Gracie guessed sheâd choose Ryan over any of the other boys.Â
                       *   *   *   *
Gracie didnât know what was up with Ryan. It was mid-July, so steaming hot outside it was almost hard to breathe, and Ryan had been sleeping over at her house for over two weeks straightâ as a matter of fact, had been staying over with Jonathan so long that Gracieâs mother was threatening to give him chores. She was laughing, Jonathan was chiding his friend, and Gracie was going stir-crazy. It was miserably hot, but maybe sheâd go for a swim. The water would be warm, but a nice reprieve from not only the sun, but also Ryan and her brother.Â
She was perched on the countertop, legs folded. Gracie had initially come into the kitchen for an ice cream sandwich, only to find an empty box in the freezer. Jonathanâ and her new housemate, it seemedâ had gone through the entire box in less than a week, not counting the single ice cream sandwich Gracie had snagged just after coming home from grocery shopping with her mother.Â
She didnât loathe Ryan like she did her brother, but he had cut into her ice cream quota. Her distaste for the guy was slowly rising.Â
âWhat do you think, Gracie?â Her motherâs voice directed at her had caught her attention; all the chattering between her and the two boys, she had drowned out. She had no idea what her mother was asking. What do I think about what? Two fifteen year old boys under one roof? A lot of things Iâd get grounded for saying.Â
âI think there are too many boys here and not enough ice cream.â Instead of looking at the two boys, she made a point of not looking at them, and hopped off the counter, making a beeline for her room. Quick as lightning, she stripped off her clothes, changed into her swimsuit, and redressed. On her way out, she stuffed a towel and a copy of The Outsiders into an oversized tote.Â
Back in the kitchen, Gracie slid her feet into a pair of cheap flip flops that sheâd discarded when sheâd walked into the door. âIâm going to the lake and I really donât want company.â Before Jonathan could reply with some stupid remark, Gracie was our the door and in her way.Â
It had been roughly two minutes when she heard footsteps hitting the concrete behind her. She refused to look back. Continuing on her way, she quickened her pace. The footsteps were still behind her.Â
âHey, Little Bit, wait up!â
Only one person called her Little Bit. âGo home, Ryan.â He caught up to her, matching her pace. Gracie ignored him.Â
âListen⊠I haveââ
She stopped short and turned to glare at Ryan. Maybe she was acting childish, pouting like she was. She didnât care. âI said I donât want company! Go home.â
âGracieâŠâ
Gracie. The indignant expression she wore faltered for a short beat of time. Ryan never called her by her name. She surveyed him, from his face, down to his feet and back up again. Without another word, she turned away and continued her trek to the lake. She heard Ryanâs steps on the concrete behind her, and then there he was, walking beside her. She kept her eyes focused straight ahead.Â
âGot ourselves a scorcher today.â Looking sideways at Ryan, she didnât answer. He wasnât following her uninvited to talk about the unrelenting heat. âKnow what would really hit the spot?â
She narrowed her eyes and made a sharp turn, walking on grass instead of concrete. If Ryan was insinuating ice cream and not just a swim in the lake, she would throttle him⊠or hit him, at least. He was fourteen, and tall, and maybe she was eleven years oldâshe lifted her chin in indignanceâ but she knew a hit from her wouldnât even hurt Ryan, and wasting the energy would be foolish. She sped up her steps, but Ryanâs strides were longer than Gracieâs, and he caught up to her quickly.
âCanât you take a hint, Ryan? Leave meââ
âA dip in the lake.âÂ
Gracie paused her authoratative walk long enough to give Ryan a suspicious look. Why had he seemed desperate to catch up with her and not go away like she clearly wanted him to? Surely, not for a swim in the lake on a hot day when all she was craving was ice cream while reading her bookâ alone. She didnât know what Ryanâs aim was, but he could swim while she read because what she thought was small talk was as pleasant on nails down a chalkboard.Â
She began walking again, her pace slower as a slight breeze ruffled the leaves on the trees. Weaving between two ancient oaks, sheâd be at the lake in two minutes using the shortcut she always did to get there. As she and Ryan approached the water, he stripped his shirt off, tossing it to the side as he ran for the lake and jumped in. Gracie wasnât close enough to get wet, but an overabundance of water splashed as the result of his jump, and she couldnât help herself. Dropping her tote onto the ground and stepping out of her flip-flops and shorts, she ran for the lake as Ryan surfaced, shaking water out of his dark hair. She let out a little shriek as she jumped into the water, her body going under the gentle current of the lake before she swam to the surface. She had droplets of water running over her face, cutting the heavy heat in the air by a long shot, and she laughed as she rang out her hair.Â
âThought you were readinâ and wanted to be left alone,â Ryan teased in jest. His voice held no connotation of any type of bullying, not at all mean-spirited, but almost gentle. Gracie narrowed her eyes as she treaded water, just a yard away from Ryan.Â
âThat was the plan,â she responded, fighting a smile and losing the battle. âIâve read The Outsiders before. Itâs one of my favorites.â She slipped under again, swimming past Ryan and popping up to breathe behind him. âI donât usually pass on readinâ for anything but since you refuse to leave me aloneâŠâ
Ryan chucked as she trailed off, and a glint of mischief set his eyes alight. âHey, Lil Bit, you know what would really hit the spot?â
âRyan Brenner, if you sayââ
âIce cream,â he interjected, lips spreading into a grin and showcasing his dimples. âCold and creamy, melting over your fingers and makinâ âem sticky⊠I got money. I mowed the lawn for old Miss Butler, cleaned up the yard for Mr. Elliot next door while he was in New Orleans, stuff like that.â
Gracie went from preparing herself to yell at him for mentioning ice cream, squaring her shoulders and all, only to wilt as Ryan continued to talk. He had money. Had his motive in following her been buying her ice cream?Â
She looked down at the water, her shadow being distorted by the rippling surface of the lake. âIt was mostly Jonathan hogging the ice cream,â she said, her brow furrowed. Her older brother was becoming more insufferable by the day and he wasnât the type one could simply ignore. He was loud and obnoxious and unaware of anything that didnât have to do with himself, and Gracie could never understand for the life of her why Ryan was his friend. Jonathan would never offer to buy her ice cream, unless he did it begrudgingly because her Mama made him.Â
âI had at least four of those ice cream sandwiches,â he confessed with a smile. âOver the course of a few days, one by one. I didnât stuff four at a time down my throat like Jonathan did.â Turning his back to Gracie, he began trudging through the water toward the land. âCâmon, letâs go to TCBY.â
She stayed in the lake, suspiciously eyeing Ryanâs back as he made it to shore. She slowly and somewhat reluctantly began following suit, heading for the shore as Ryan made his way onto the sand. His shorts and hair were dripping with water, and he raked his fingers through his thick, dark hair, slicking it back and out of his eyes. âCâmon,â he urged Gracie again, offering her a smile. Maybe sheâd been acting like a petulant brat, but really, Ryan wasnât a bad guyâ and Gracie still really wanted ice cream.
And itâs another new incarnation of Ryan. Itâs not involved with âyouââ itâs a story with multiple OCs. And while I wanted it to be a one-shot, it has to be broken into chapters, and readers will see why! Iâll post part 1 today. Iâm excited about this one.
Why do I love you was savage lmao wowđđ Wonderful writing once again though. You paint a picture beautifully I can picture your stories in my head like a movie
I was actually anxious in posting it, because it took me about 10 minutes to write at most, and Iâm very not used to being short-winded, but Iâm so happy you liked the savagery! đ
Thank you so much for your lovely compliments, and if youâre able to see my imagery play out in your mind, then my goal has been met! Youâve made my day, thank you again!
If you would like to be added to/removed from my tag list, just send me an ask. As always, thank you for reading!
Billyâs hands rose to his face and he pressed a finger over each of his closed eyelids. He stayed that way for long enough for you to notice that his fingernails were no longer pristine and perfectly manicured. His hands almost looked foreign, the hands of a stranger who had been battered and broken; hands that shook as they held an M40 rifle, deafened by the atrocities of war; hands that had, at one time, ran over every inch of your body and resulted in you screaming his name. Those hands rubbed down his scar-ridden cheeks, one falling to his thigh as the other ran over his mouth and chin, bringing your attention to his goatee. Your brows furrowed as the realization hit youâ he was unable to grow a beard, not with those deep, puckered wounds that disfigured his face.
He claimed to remember nothing, to be void of any memory over a span of years; Billy thought he was still a Marine, which meant Billy would remember you. Youâd known him before his first tour. Just before he left for training, you told him you loved him for the first time of many. Heâd never once said it back. Now he was begging for answers, for any shard of information he could grasp onto in hopes he could remember somethingâ anything.
And there you stood, his voice thick with an accent you hadnât heard so pronounced since before echoing in your head: âWhy do you love me?â
You sank down into the chair across from Billy and searched for any remnants of his former face. Even his eyes were completely different. They were haunted, yet hungry with the desperation of hope.
âWhy do I love you?â You echoed his question and shrugged your shoulders. âI recanted those words when I learned what you did to Frank and his family. You donât remember, but I do.â You stood back up again, walking to the door. You opened it to let him out. âWhy do I love you?â There was a hint of a smile tugging at your lips though you tried to keep it at bay. âI donât.â You gestured to the door. âTake care, Billy.â
This was requested by @fireeyes-on-teller-dixon-grimes for the prompt âYour ass is going to be seven different shades of red after that little stunt with Billy Russo.Â
Rating: PG-13 to R-ish due to language and some zest.
Iâm trying something new with our love Billy Russo here. His broken mind does eventually wake up to memories, flashbacks, random moments and experiences in his life. This series of one-shots, drabbles, etc-- most likely unrelated-- is going to basically give insight into some of those re-encountered memories.Â
If youâd like to be added to/removed from my tag list, please send me an ask.
Thanks for reading!
 (1)
"Lieutenant William Russo."
Her voice was thick with disgust; her expression no more than a sneer.Â
Billy waited. He waited for her eyes-- those intoxicating eyes-- to focus on his face, for her mind-- her brilliant mind-- to register what she was seeing. Â
âHow unfortunate."
She stayed there, standing in the threshold of the entrance to her penthouse suite, and as the seconds ticked by, her sneer turned into a gratified smirk. Billy Russo was hideous; he was ruined. His face had been mangled. Heâd been shot and cut and the evidence of that was all over his once flawless face. It used to make her heart race, back before the mere thought of him made her stomach turn.Â
But now⊠now his face wasnât so perfect. In fact, it was marred with scarsâ thick, pink, evident scars, the tissue that had been stitched together puckering in jagged lines. She focused on one in particular, high up on his forehead and dangerously close to his hairline. He was wearing a beanie, but she suspected his always styled hair was something else heâd lost.Â
The satisfaction she felt was impossible to hide. What had happened to Billy wasnât just fitting, but sadistically amusing. âWhat a shame, you used to be so pretty.âÂ
Billyâs nostrils flared. He stood to his full heightâ no more slumping of his shoulders, no more averting his eyesâ and his gaze went straight to hers. He was staring her down just like she was him, and she saw his jaw flex. What really jarred her, if just for two seconds, was the look in his eyes. He could play angry, but she knew that look because she'd become quite acquainted with it from looking in the mirror. It was shame. And never had she seen Billy Russo with shame in his eyes. She found herself pushing back from the threshold of the door, turning away and walking inside. Whatever he wanted, he wasnât getting.
Standing outside the door was enough for Billy. It was darker there, and though he had his hoodie pulled up over his head, he preferred standing in the shadows. It reminded him of being in combat, staying hidden from the enemy, a phantom until they rounded a corner. Then, he was the face of death. Now, the shadows hid part of his ugliness.Â
Even so, he stepped inside after lingering outside for a few moments, squinting as his eyes got acclimated to the light inside. The kitchen was alight, and the open floor plan allowed Billy to see through the penthouse to the living room, the floor-to-ceiling windows presenting the celebrated New York City skyline to any onlooker inside. Hands stuffed in his pockets, he seemed almost transfixed by his surroundings. Eyes narrowed, his eyes darted around his surroundings, an eerie familiarity settling over him like a foggy morning mist.Â
She saw his expression out of her periphery and smirked. She felt a soar of satisfaction in her chest and retrieved her wine glass from the counter where she'd placed it when she got the door.Â
âI made some changes,â she said, turning around to admire the view for herself. âJust a fewâ new furniture, those couches you had were too dark. They were doing the lighting a disservice.â Turning her head to look at him, her attention strayed, focused at the scarring on his cheek. Heâd been so carelessly and messily stitched. âI always hated those couches. Iâm not one to hide my distaste.â
Finally, he blinked and turned to look at her head on. Reaching upward, he pushed the hoodie from his head and ran a palm over his scalp. Shrugging his left shoulderâ it achedâ he settled his gaze on her own. She'd told him why this place gave him that odd feeling; she'd connected the dots without Billy saying a word. This penthouseâ her penthouseâ had once been his.Â
He remembered fragments of stories heâd been told: a company, Anvil, one heâd built from the ground up with money heâd sold himself for. A CEO, filthy rich and powerful witt his tailor-made designer suits, ridiculously expensive cars, woman after woman after woman⊠his penthouse.Â
She saw something new in his eyes, an amalgamation of emotions all built into one look. She saw regret. She saw shame. And she caught something all too familiar, so strikingly Billy, she felt chill bumps pop up over her spineâ she saw a flash of anger.Â
âThis place is mine.â Billy spoke through clenched teeth. His eyes never wavered from hers. Heâd looked around his surroundings enough, noticed some things unchanged that incited a recognition so strong, it was visceral. He may not remember how it became hisâhe supposed it had something to do with this Anvil operation he was told aboutâbut the semantics of how meant nothing to Billy then. For months, how and why had been all he cared about.Â
âWas yours, Lieutenant.â Her voice was smooth, cool. She enjoyed taunting him; she found pleasure in it. âA lot of things were yours.â Her eyes were ice cold, but beyond that, they held a haughty look of pride. âLook at you now.â Boldly, she reached for his face, and with one fingertip, traced the crooked, puckered scar over his left cheek. Billy Russo was destroyed. And nothing had given her as much pleasureâexcept, perhaps, the countless nights theyâd spent tangled in sheets and in one another. It had been a lifetime ago.Â
I fully realize this and I do apologize. I have gained a significant amount of new followers in the last year (I think its been that long, give or take, with the exception of 2 one-shots) and I have noticed the reblogs, the likes, and the notes, especially lately. The great, positive feedback, as well as big personal changes, have kicked up my desire to start writing again. My inspiration is there. Thank you all for continuing to read, to follow, and keep up with my little writing blog. (If anyone would like to be added to or removed from my tag list, please shoot an ask my way. And, as always, requests are open!)
'Castles Made of Sand' was just WONDERFUL and so touching!!!
This makes me so happy to hear because this was, by far, the most difficult story for me to write out of all of those Iâve posted! I love Benjamin as a character, and especially wanted this one to come out well because it was a request. Thank you so much for reading and for your thoughtful and kind words!