I'm amazed we're at the end of April. I think because the weather has been so winter-like in Ohio, it doesn't feel like we should be four weeks away from summer vacation. Even yesterday, the chilly weather felt more like a warm winter day than spring. LOL
At least the ramp up to season-enders on television seems to be worth staying inside for. That said, I have to play catch-up. The lead up to the school musical took a lot of time this week along with several editing projects.
I'm almost finished with Blindspot's second season. I have one more DVD to watch. My only complaint would be how slippery Shepherd continues to be. I truly hope the takedown is worth watching and, you know, actually happens.
I'm catching some new to me episodes of Midsomer Murders and I'm excited to see what else Acorn TV has to offer. Also caught an episode of Chicago Fire and Chicago PD and enjoyed both. Nice to see Casey move up the rank chain. Also great to have Antonio back at District 21.
I'm up to episode nine of Jessica Jones. So far, the second season has been a little slower than the first, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it's given me time to really, really want to bitchslap Trish. I haven't decided how I feel about that yet. Usually it's Geri I want to smack really hard. LOL
Finally got to watch the musical episode of Riverdale. Watching Cheryl get her groove back? Excellent. I'm kind of on the fence about Hal and Alice. I had some investment in FP maybe finding some happy moments, you know? Archie and Fred being kind of on the same page made me happy, along with Betty and Veronica burying the hatchet. The ending though? Wow. Definitely some twisty shit.
I like Krypton. Seriously, the pacing is terrific so far with backstory being woven in with current plots moving forward. So far, so good. Also caught another episode of Ghost Squad and I'm a little on the fence with this one. The end of the episode threw me a little.
Endeavor is keeping my interest. I rather like seeing how Frost grew into his big shoes. Also started a subscription to BritBox and watched The Coroner. Really terrific first episode.
Today, I'm catching up on The Flash and hopefully Arrow. Also started Constantine: City of Demons. I'm gearing up for the character to be a regular on Legends next season.
That's it for television. Tonight's post is from Ghost of a Chance, a novella exploring how a couple comes together after the death of someone they care about.
Here's the mini-blurb:
Valerie Queen and Jay Pennyworth meet through Chad Adsworth, Jay's best friend. When Chad is killed in a plane crash, Valerie reunites with Jay after five years. When the chance meeting leads to a long discussion, they end up spending the night together… but the specter of Chad hovering between them may be more than they can overcome.
And a snippety peek…
Jay patted his stomach. "You weren't kidding about the food." He'd had a sampling of everything, which ranged from casseroles in the oven to slow cookers on her counter along with several meat and cheese trays and a cooked ham.
Valerie's lips twisted in a wry smile. "Nothing brings out the food brigade more than births and deaths. Good thing my freezer is mostly empty. I'll have plenty to fill it up." She started clearing out a few of the foil casserole pans.
Jay stepped up beside her. "You empty. I'll stack the packages in the freezer." She looked like she might argue but relented and grabbed a box of plastic containers.
Thirty minutes later, Jay put the last of the food in the freezer and Valerie stowed some of the leftovers in the fridge. She'd changed into a form-fitting T-shirt and soft, fleece warm-ups. A pair of fuzzy socks completed her outfit. He'd shed his dress jacket, but excused himself to swap his uniform for clothes similar to hers, a pair of black workout pants, a gray T-shirt, and a pair of black no-show socks. He fought the weird vibe of not having Chad there to trade barbed banter with and returned to the kitchen.
She nodded toward the living area. "Wanna watch a couple of movies?"
Jay didn't care what they did; he wanted her to relax a little. "Sure. Stream or DVD?" He followed her into the next room.
Valerie dropped down on the sofa. "Let's stream. I'm in the mood for action movies." She grabbed the remote and brought up the onscreen menu.
Jay cracked a smile and settled beside her. "Always a good choice." He didn't have a preference, but action movies sounded like a safe bet.
Valerie picked a recent superhero flick and pressed play. "Chad wanted to see this when it came out, but our schedules didn't match up and we ended up not going. I've been looking forward to watching this one." The opening credits washed over the fifty-inch television.
Not even five minutes into the movie, Jay shifted his position. He couldn't seem to get comfortable. Watching the movie without Chad's rambling play-by-play didn't feel right. He'd always offered up a random commentary when they'd had movie nights, especially during action scenes. One of the many little things Jay would miss about his friend. And if Jay struggled with the small stuff… how did Valerie cope?
He gave her a sideways glance and almost kicked himself for being an idiot. Silent tears leaked from the corners of her eyes. Obviously, Valerie had finally reached her limit. Probably a good thing, but Jay didn't know how to help.
Following instinct, he wrapped an arm around her and tugged her toward him, tucking her against his side. Her shoulders shook with silent sobs and Jay let her go with it. He didn't tell her everything would be okay… it wouldn't, not for a while. Instead, he held her, oddly comforted by having her in his arms. Other than smoothing a hand over her head and quietly handing her a box of tissues, he didn't get in the way of her grief. She needed to take the time and mourn her loss.
He'd had a ten-hour flight to work through most of his. Jay had lost friends before, but Chad's death made Jay angry. A senseless death on a mission somehow didn't compare to the twist of fate Chad suffered.
A few minutes passed before he realized Valerie had gone quiet. He glanced down, discovering she'd fallen asleep. Haven't slept more than a couple of hours since I got the call. She'd finally succumbed to the exhaustion and stress. Maybe the crying jag released enough tension for her let go and truly begin grieving and healing. Maybe his presence helped. He sure as hell hoped so.
Jay got comfortable. He didn't care if her cheek rested on his tear-soaked shirt. No way in hell would he wake her. She needed the rest.
And he wanted to give her whatever comfort he could.
I'm so pleased with the tone of this scene. I didn't know how it would turn out, but the underlying care is exactly what I wanted.
That's it for this week. Happy reading!
Skylin
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