All Comments on 'The Tie That Binds'

The confrontation scene between the daughter and the grandfather at the end of the story really does not work because it's not really confrontation. To still believe that the husband somehow caused the wife's cancer and the grandfather is still seccing over that 20 years later is a little hard to Understand.

And the daughter is non reaction reaction to grandfathers stunningly inept mismanagement never mind his intense hatred of her father also ruins the story

worthy of every one of the Five Stars.

Nicely done.

There are things that make you proud to be human. A father's unconditional, do anything, love for his child is on that list.

You NAILED this. Perfect. 10 by any measure.

Thank you for this. It felt personal, it's personal to me, and it's amazing.

Not what I expected, but nice and nicely written.

Lue

I'm sure you could make it as an author in any category

What a wimp, to stay under in-law's thumb.

Love a happy ending... enjoyed the story but the finish felt a bit rushed... maybe a little reminiscing from her father could have added to it.. all the same it was very enjoyable. Thank you for sharing.

But he was completely spineless. And Grandpa was a complete jackass. What man ruins his own business to punish his son-in-law? If the shipping department was that bad for 19 years how is the business still IN business? That makes absolutely no sense. And why would she even CONSIDER going back to work for her Grandfather? A truly horrible man. And while it was a happy ending (maybe) his daughter certainly isn't a peach as she pulled away from a Father that loved and supported her unconditionally. I'm not convinced this fits the story challenge presented by qhml1. She really doesn't have any power in the story other than to withhold her love from her Father. So the only one that gets corrupted is when her Grandfather makes her Father look bad in her eyes. Still, this was well written and interesting. I haven't read the second story you wrote and you seem to be the only author that wrote two stories. Off to read the other. CHEERS!

I couldn't find a damn thing to criticize about it, and I am a picky and pedantic fool.

I hear by Accord you my highest Honor:. "Get Some Dude"!!

PS. Of course in keeping with the finest traditions of LW, the only Inane comments belong to anonymice.

The silly criticisms seem to always be anons. I wonder why. Excellent, moving story. Thank you.

Loved it!

Be surprised if vandelay is still there in 5 years. Rampant theft & incompetent Management. Jacie really should have delivered her report to the board of directors, assuming there is one.

Grandpa allowed his heartbreak to justify delusion, and could not have been any more vindictive against the man his daughter had chosen to marry... the man who was father to his grandchild, unless he had Martin assassinated.

He was vindictive, evil and cruel.

Seeing the truth of the burden that her father had born in silence for 19 years...

Seeing him hide his heartbreak as his daughter's judgement became obscured through money and position...

Knowing he had stepped back to let his daughter live the best life he thought she could get...

If I were the granddaughter, I would have next, gone to grandmother and explained the truth, and apologised to her that the grandfather's actions meant losing her as well as her mother.

This was a short, yet well written piece showcasing a father's love for his daughter - and the extent he will go to make her life better.

Well done.

5/5

He didn't realize that hurting her father was hurting her. Quitting is not enough. She should cut him off completely. Grandma was ok and when grandpa passes, Jacie can step up to help her out.

JacI missed her chance. When she hugged her grandfather and sympathizedesires with him over the loss of his daughter (her mother. ) She should have pointed out a few things. 1. Cancer took her mother from her life. He took her father from her life. 2. Cancer took his daughter from his life. His despicable treatment treatment of her father took her out of his life, permanently! Too bad she didn't have enough character.

Bee-Bop a Lula, you're the best.

Most heartwarming story!

BP

You are talented. Thanks so much for your effort!

Really good, really touched me, the writing crisp and clear, the story flowed beautifully. That is a 5* all day long.

This story is a perfect indication of you being in the top tier of authors here . The only critique , very difficult to read with misty eyes. Well done!

Oh,and nice touch with the Dink connection.

-DK

But Jacie when she discovered the truth of what her grandfather did to her dad ,she should have gone nuclear on the old bastard. Sorry,but he was a sick fuck to do what he did,she should have told grandma thst because of what he did she could no longer stand the sight of either of them, grandma wss just as evil. No child knowing whst the grandfather did would allow that to pass,both of the grandparents should pay the price for what he did. I loved the rest of the story,just wanted justice for the old stupid fuck.

Nuff said.

If that ain't a recipe for tear jerkery, I don't know what is.

Terrific take on the "Welcome to the new world" writing event. While I can acknowledge some of the criticisms in the comments section have merit, this was a shockingly well developed story of a father's feelings for his daughter... and for the maturing of a child's understanding as she becomes an adult.

5* & favorited!

Thank you!

Don't know why I didn't comment on this on Event Day. I just noticed the "Dink Foundation," an obvious nod to the Montauk series.

Not that it would excuse Martin's behavior, but nothing was said about her mother's cancer - WAS it treatable if caught sooner? If so, why wasn't it? Did she refuse screening, despite his best efforts?

I like the name "Vandelay" - reminds me of an episode in the old Seinfeld series - wasn't that the name a bogus company in one of George's scams? Heck, I've got it as a character name, spelled a little differently, in an unfinished story I haven't worked on in several years.

A good story, not erotic but I like the way it fits in with the theme. Thanks for posting it.

Nice to see the daughter finally figured things out, but the whole things was just so sad. The dad pretty much threw away everything else in his life. It was all a waste.

could not stop a real man from achieving his paternal obligations, TK U MLJ LV NV

Martin staying in a job he hated to be abused by his cruel father-in-law wasn't some noble act, it was pathetic!

He had two options after his wife died:

1) Be a real man and provide the best life possible to his daughter. That means finding a better job, finding a second wife so that Jacie would grow up with a mother, then saving up to send her through college himself. He would have had a much better relationship with his daughter if she was living in a happy home with a loving family!

2) Stop taking shit from the father-in-law! Martin could have threatened to cut off all access to the granddaughter if the abuse continued. Martin was the parent and parental rights trump a grandparents rights... he could have moved across the country taking his daughter with him, and they'd never see her again. As much of a hardass the old man was, his wife would soon wear him down when she was prevented from seeing her grandchild.

Impoverishing himself and selling the family home to send Jacie to college was ridiculous. As Jacie said herself, all the memories of her mother were in the family home... and he sold it! That led directly to Jacie staying at the grandparents and the eventual estrangement from her father. At the very least, Martin could have sucked up his pride and let the in-laws pay for his daughter's college fees. They had the money, let them spend it!

This reminded me of "A boilerplate rendering". Being a self-sacrificing martyr is not the best way to raise children! They thrive in a loving environment and can easily see when the parents are miserable and faking it. Martin was a loser and failed Jacie, because he let himself be crushed by adversity.

Move to other city, Train your dogs and send the grandparents to hell, cutting them from their granddoughter.

He sure lost his whole life with a shitty job.

are BORING. Have Martin show some emotion. This is like coloring by the numbers.

Don't think I could find a better foundation to contribute to, but they don't accept outside funds. Nice tie-in, well done.

He is portrayed as infinite patience and love

Grandparents? Why didn't grandma step up and stop it?

Ok only as above

Lost my passwords to all and slowly redoing

johntwheels

If my daughter and my parents treated my husband that way after I died, I would climb out the grave and beat their collective asses. The grandparents behavior is sadly not terribly uncommon. Some attempt to create conflict between the grandchild and parent. It inevitably completely screws up the children if allowed to continue. In the case here where they are extremely wealthy? Jessica's behavior was pretty spot on up to the end. I am not sure the emails would have mattered to her. Maybe I am wrong but she was worked over and conditioned for 20 years. Her personality would have been well established.

Whilst the story as an happy ending,I think his daughter is too much like her grandad to be thought well of.

This is the first story I’ve read of yours, and I most certainly have mixed feelings about it. I completely understand self-sacrifice, but only if you’re powerless otherwise, and Martin was not. He had the power to explain to Jacie how totally cruel and unreasonable her grandfather was. He had the power to remove her from her toxic

grandparents. With his business skills, that only became obvious at the end, he could have secured a job elsewhere at the time of his wife’s death and not have had to enslave himself to his father-in-law. He could have still kept his dog grooming business going, if only on weekends, or by hiring good groomers during the week.

There are so many alternatives that could have been pursued, yet I realize it would not have been in keeping with the challenge...I get it. Hence, my mixed feelings about the story. However, what WAS very clear is that you have excellent writing skills, well done!

Time now to explore your other literary creations!

Your concise writing is wonderfully to the point. It also takes me, the reader, to important moments of vulnerability and realization. Thank you.

Too much wrong with this story. As has been said, Martin could have done better elsewhere, but Jackie’s reaction to her abusive and cruel grandfather after she learned the truth is just an example of her ugly brainwashing. Hug him and tell him how she loves him after she KNEW he destroyed her father? She should have kicked the old man in the balls!

I like the basic story, but I think show more details of how Jacie changes both from the little girl who loves her dad and colors pictures, then to the teenage brainwashed grandfather protege, and finally the awakening of the mature young woman who realizes the fatherly ties of love and how poorly she misjudged him.

Showing those extreme changes in Jaci between the consistent polars of her moral father and filthy rich grandfather would add greater depth to this tale.

I rarely find fault with Bebop3's work but this is too short, feels rushed, doesn't flesh out any of the characters, and overall is a disappointment after reading such great stories like "Hop on a bus, Gus" and "The Peasants are Revolting".

Kinda short..... But I liked the premise...... And subsequent results with daughter understanding the sacrifices her Dad made.

It was a fine story, but it could have been so much more. Lots of meat still on the bone with this one. Maybe the author wasn’t trying to squeeze every drop out of it, but it leaves me wanting more with nowhere for it to go to deliver it.

Good story Bebop. Sure glad his daughter finally came around. She had eye's but could not see. 5 BIG FAT FUZZY STARS!

It was surprising and painful that family can be so petty and vindictive. As the twig is bent so grows the tree?

Her full cycle from entitled princess to honoring her fathers sacrifices by the cuts of a thousand wounds because of a bad/false case of survivor guilt. Sometimes good/misguided souls should have a better ending...

Regardless of lesser opinions the story is another example of a well written story. Leave the story development to the writer, they know the tale far better than you unless you want to create your own. Thank you Bebop.

somewhere east of Omaha

Well done.

A very good story showing a parent's sacrifice and love for his daughter, and the hate and anger another can dish out. I was glad to see that the daughter was able to recognize the sacrifice. 5 *****

Very sweet.

Odd story. Just a bitter old man and enabling Grandmother, trying to ruin a real Dad/Man's life ?

If only real life had more poetry to it?

Every father dreams of being appreciated for his life of work. To just be a knowledged for working 50 years for idiots, assholes and morons.

Needs more;how did her grandfather's business do without her father and her to organise things?.Did she go back after five years?.Was there a business to go back to?.

***** Thanks for sharing this very enjoyable read. It has a real feel good ending.

Tears...happy...sad...so good...thks

Very good!

Such a beautiful, brilliantly written story. Even now, this one gets me right in the feels.

I loved the emotion written in the story but wishes the ending had a little more about the dad and the value of his sacrifice..even though she did find out more could have been easily added..still worth five stars

By allowing the grandparents in her life when he didn't have to could have come back and bit him on his ass. It almost did as she got caught up for a while in the elite rich lifestyle.

If she hadn't did some digging she would have never found the truth and moved further away from her relationship with her father.

This is why you ALWAYS tell others, especially your kids the truth about things and people. Given the chance, people will always twist the facts to better their situations as the grandparents did.

My second read. Came away the second time the same as the first. A very well written and developed story. One I will look forward to retreading many times in the future.

The grandfather was a waste of skin!

Very nice. I would like a second part about how the grandfather dies alone and in pain.