All Comments on 'Past Loves Ch. 11: Bobby and Hettie'

I'm a sucker for war dramas, and this landed like a rifle butt to the chest. It's certainly an -unusual- premise, but in marked contrast to my critique of Chapter 6, this is -much- better grounded and, dare I say, your single best to date. A lot of writers would be tempted to play this light and opt to make Bobby "walking wounded"—leaving her -permanently- disabled takes guts, and honestly the story is better for it. As much as I prefer the fluffier side, it's adversity that tends to goad the greater pathos.

It also means the story leaves a large and bittersweet question as to how this all continues: it's not -impossible- that they hook up after the war, and given Bobby is clinically deaf she'd have ready cause to seek a personal caretaker, but given the awkward questions raised by anyone shrewd enough to start tugging the strings of her service record, and given we're now into the century where the Moral Guardians are cracking down on same-sex relationships in force, the future is anyone's guess. If you ever do want to return to any of these vignettes for expansion, this is a prime contender.

Side note but as someone who -does- know this period fairly well, I'll point out that the actual order to go over the top would be a whistle blast, not a vocal command.

Quite possibly my favourite lesbian story I've read on this site.

Am not an expert on the doings in WWI. But I do write for a living, and I can say this was beautifully composed. And a tender, beautiful love story. Thanks for sharing this.