ok - so I knew it was gonna be sad, was expecting it, was expecting some kind of drawn out angst (in a good way!) - then..
you literally stunned me - 'Your Dad died last night' - literally took my breath away. no preamble, no warning..I truly had to pause for breath before I read on - goosebumps.

This story did have a lot to cover, and the middle section went by very quickly - but it remained true throughout, others have commented on the consistancy of your 'side' characters,and I would like to echo this. In particular what this story had was a warmth, Jack felt real, his aging was realistic and reflected in the narrative.

and you made me cry..