Oh yes. I am having many feels about the ending. Bits is already stressed about Coach being there and then The Check.
I do not have any anger for Coach at this juncture. I've known too many men like him. He's trying. He's there. He's flailing, but he isn't shutting Bitty out either.
I think the one situation probably impacts the other. I doubt that already being stressed about Coach and family weekend is probably not going to help Bitty as he gets a big check.
The fact he's there is a positive step, sure. But the fact Bitty's had to deal with him unexpectedly and he's specifically said the word friend (when it could have been avoided if he didn't want to reference the relationship status), I can't help but feel the hurt there. And I can't help but imagine that's how Jack is regularly referred to, and every time it reminds Bitty that his relationship is ignored, dismissed or not believed in. Aand then I get angry.
Oh they absolutely affect one another. Bits is completely off his game and out of sorts even before they get on the ice, really. He barely says two words while Coach is at the Haus.
Jack mentioned in the previous comic that Bits hadn't seen his father since March. I'm finding it hard to believe Bits is calling his dad either, or really talking to him at all. I'd put money down on Suzanne having been the go-between for the entire visit. Bitty didn't even read the text his dad sent that he'd landed; or if he did, it didn't merit a response.
I'm more willing to believe that Coach, who lives in the South and has his entire life, doesn't know how to refer to Jack (as Bitty's boyfriend) because Bitty and Coach don't talk. They talk near each other and past each other when they're in the same place, but they don't talk to each other. For a lot of reasons, not just because Bitty's gay or did figure skating or whatever. But I don't think it's a lack of love or even acceptance for his kid.
Which does not diminish Bitty's feeling about the situation! He's allowed to be upset that his father hasn't said anything about him and Jack. But has he even talked to his dad about any of it?
*shrug* Like I said above, I've got a lot of complicated feels.
I think this falls in with how I feel about reading WIP fanfic. Sounds weird, but bear with me. I like having a payoff for my feelings investment at a (relatively) defined point in the future. Cliffhangers are not my friend, but I can't help myself.
Plus Coach is doing things I recognise from people in my life. Maybe he's on his way to acceptance, and you're probably right that the fact they've not spoken is probably lifelong (or at least somewhat ongoing). We've seen them talking Hockey before iirc, but my initial reaction was definitely gut-churning anger/fear combo. You know, at least until someone writes some fix-it, or we get another update to clear matters up somewhat.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2019-06-21 07:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-06-21 07:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-06-21 08:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-06-21 08:20 pm (UTC)I do not have any anger for Coach at this juncture. I've known too many men like him. He's trying. He's there. He's flailing, but he isn't shutting Bitty out either.
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Date: 2019-06-21 08:35 pm (UTC)The fact he's there is a positive step, sure. But the fact Bitty's had to deal with him unexpectedly and he's specifically said the word friend (when it could have been avoided if he didn't want to reference the relationship status), I can't help but feel the hurt there. And I can't help but imagine that's how Jack is regularly referred to, and every time it reminds Bitty that his relationship is ignored, dismissed or not believed in. Aand then I get angry.
no subject
Date: 2019-06-21 08:57 pm (UTC)Jack mentioned in the previous comic that Bits hadn't seen his father since March. I'm finding it hard to believe Bits is calling his dad either, or really talking to him at all. I'd put money down on Suzanne having been the go-between for the entire visit. Bitty didn't even read the text his dad sent that he'd landed; or if he did, it didn't merit a response.
I'm more willing to believe that Coach, who lives in the South and has his entire life, doesn't know how to refer to Jack (as Bitty's boyfriend) because Bitty and Coach don't talk. They talk near each other and past each other when they're in the same place, but they don't talk to each other. For a lot of reasons, not just because Bitty's gay or did figure skating or whatever. But I don't think it's a lack of love or even acceptance for his kid.
Which does not diminish Bitty's feeling about the situation! He's allowed to be upset that his father hasn't said anything about him and Jack. But has he even talked to his dad about any of it?
*shrug* Like I said above, I've got a lot of complicated feels.
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Date: 2019-06-21 10:44 pm (UTC)Plus Coach is doing things I recognise from people in my life. Maybe he's on his way to acceptance, and you're probably right that the fact they've not spoken is probably lifelong (or at least somewhat ongoing). We've seen them talking Hockey before iirc, but my initial reaction was definitely gut-churning anger/fear combo. You know, at least until someone writes some fix-it, or we get another update to clear matters up somewhat.
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Date: 2019-06-22 01:20 am (UTC)This is the hard part, for sure. But I have hope that the end of this chapter in Bitty's life will be happy.
If I'm wrong, we still have fic.
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Date: 2019-06-21 11:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-06-22 01:15 am (UTC)