All Comments on 'The Gift'

I don't often read romance stories, but this is a very well received tale. Great, as a matter of fact. Thank you, DC, very much. Geeze, an escort and a bus man. Whoda thunk? Cheers!

Such a moving story! Deserving of way more than 5 stars, IMO. Now... where are those tissues?......

MastersWench

Just wow!!!

It had everything in it that makes you such a fabulous writer. The characters were good guys that we quickly come to love; it was sad, and loving, and totally wonderful!

I honestly wasn't sure of Mary's motives but once you got them to Cathy's apartment i was sure. Sad but great story.

All three characters had great integrity.

What an amazing story. I read it early last fall and loved it but couldn't rate it or comment since I was camping/fishing and using my laptop and the wifi was spotty at best. Knowing the ending really puts a different slant on the whole story and you pick up on some details that you don't really think were that important the first time. I still got the same emotional reaction, though. Just as entertaining as the first time. That says a lot about a story. Thank you

it is one of the best stories I have read in a long time, and I do not mean just on this site. It is so real, seemingly so true, I wonder if the author actually experienced something similar to this, or knew someone who did. If he did not, he has a tremendous talent as a writer, and storyteller. Good luck!

After re-reading the story and some of the comments, I wonder:

How may guys fantasize about finding and hooking up with an escort?

How many escorts fantasize about finding and hooking up with a guy like Doug?

Great story! Really enjoyed the premise, the characters and the plot. Would like to have known more about Mary, but her mysteriousness added nicely to the overall theme!

Thanks and please keep writing!

Thank you so much !

Five star romance. Mary is truly a loving wife. Well done.

Im a 50 year old man and this story brought me to tears in the end.

the best story i have read till date at literotica

That was the most beautiful story I have ever read here. I am a 30 yr old man and that brought tears to my eyes. I actually forgot I was reading erotica and didnt mind at all. Great writing, straight forward but engrossing. Thank you.

Congrats DC. It was a beautiful story. 5 Stars!

Hey u need to read it again and write a sequel/ prequel. U can't let this be over.

I just ran into DreamCloud yesterday and I've read a couple of his short stories and the serial, "The Job." I'd like to say that this person has tremendous talent, far beyond the majority of the people who write... anywhere. I am a sentimental man, and a thinking man, and the twists of "The Gift" were completely unexpected.

Very good work.

This story would make a wonderful chick flick script! A great tear jerker.

I'm a little disappointed ion Doug. The story ends 7 years after Mary's death & he has a 5 year old child. It seems like he spent a year at most in mourning before getting together with Cathy. One year of mourning is not enough for one's soul mate.

I'd love for you to pick up the story again at

the start of Doug's relationship with Cathy after Mary's death.

*sniff, sniff* It was wonderful. I have yet to meet a man as loyal as Doug, though. I love stories like this, even though this one has a bittersweet ending.

Lovelots, HunterChic1807 xoxo

I've been binge reading your works over the last week, and this one is my favorite so far. The ending was unexpected, but in a great way. Trying to keep myself in check, as I decided to read this in public :(. Keep writing.

DC, I have been trying to catch up with your posted stories, that I have not yet read. Honestly? Each story catches me by surprise and leaves me an emotional wreck!

Your writing skills, combined with your beautiful characters and vivid realist situations, are a geometric progression of brilliant art.

The twists and turns, especially at the end, puts this story in a separate category.

You have created a great set of characters. Mary, Mary, Mary, quite so frigid. Dave, Dave, Dave, an unbelievable male who is able to turn away from a freebee with an awesome inspiring women,Cathy, Cathy, Cathy beautifully described, a more mature dark haired Pamela Anderson. Mary's setup was perfect. I thought at first that Cathy was going to end up selling Dave some buses (ha). There was the line with Cathy on the phone with Mary that suggested Mary was offering her more money, that was a great line I suspect most readers missed. The build up to the sex scene between Dave and Cathy was a superior piece of writing. The twist at the end was an HEA (Happy Eve After) ending that most readers and myself enjoy. Great writing, well designed plot ,and did I say great writing..

I was about to give my first 1*, but the surprise changed it to the usual 5*

Pride may be one of seven deadly sins, but you deserve to be proud of this skillfully crafted work of human art. I haven't read all 126 reviewers yet know each one was touched deeply in some way by your script. Some have known of, or experienced a similar situation to help transition a loving relationship through a seemingly insurmountable pain and loss. This could easily been a candidate for a Hallmark production ... Maybe the theme is, or was. We had an opportunity to assist a gentleman mourning the possible loss of his youthful daughter fighting cancer treatments. We hosted him in our home while his wife escorted daughter to Minn for lengthy hospital treatments for years. Through those years we met with his family and watched the "family" survive through her recovery. What no one could have guessed, his system was weakening to point that 5 yrs later with daughter's declared recovery, a different illness took his life in a matter of 2 months. He was prepping us to watch over his family. You brought back those memories to both of us ... With loving attention to all concerned. Thank you for sharing. Tony C

I'll even give it five stars. I was concerned with the direction of this tale at first, but then the surprise twist. Very nice.

... that you can't bear to read this story again. You've created three people who meet tragedy with love, and do the right thing for each other no matter what. I reread it repeatedly just because I like all three characters so much. Thank you for writing this.

I have never read a story that touched me like this one. The love and devotion is something that we all crave. This is truely a piece of art. I have epilepsy and given a,time frame. Living with this reality and reading this I can't stop the tears from flowing.

You should be writing a published book of short stories!!!!

I was hesitant to read it, but so awfully glad i did. How wonderful of a gift you've given us. And I'm even a gamer (I guess you couldn't say Catan because of legal issues...)! Wow, thank you so much. TH

Thank you for your effort and keep writing

No way, the idiot is having an affair? Normally I would quit reading at this point, but because it is DreamCloud, I kept reading, preparing myself for disappointment. But the story does not disappoint! And normally if there is no epilogue, a story won't rate a 5. This one, like the rest of your stories, rates a 5+. I have reread most of your stories, some more than once. "The Promise" by far the best story on Lit, and your other stories are a close second!!

That's a beautiful story. Thank you for sharing. Please keep on writing. :)

Very good storyline, you most definitely should continue to write, thank you...

Amazing, I did not see any of that coming! Fantastic story of love of 2 women!

Louisiana Cajun in Baton Rouge

I loved this story. While it may be dark it's so full of love and care that it is amazing. Simply beautiful.

Wonderful, unexpected turn to the story. Sad, yes, but such a feeling of unconditional love and giving.

Thank you. So well written and scripted. Such a wonderfully, sad twist followed by a happy ending. Nothing like the negative stuff normally found in this heading.

This is titled the same as the classic O'Henry short story, but is better. Please tell future readers to have the Kleenex box in easy reach. You are an accomplished writer and I am looking forward to reading your future stories.

The was to read the story you wrote for us.

Well done. Loved it all. Thank you !

I am going through your submissions one by one and damn if you don't do a number on me.

Like one of the anonymous commenters said, I'm going through your stories one after the other. This is another great story by a really talented writer. Thanks. Now where is that box of Kleenex?

...should have warned me. It was obviously different from 'don't want to put any more effort into this'.

Still, it caught me totally by surprise. I expdcted Mary to be aiming for some kind of V constellytion or somrthing. I was in shock along with the other two when realization hit.

This was fucking GRAND!

I'm glad to read this story. This brought a tear to my eye. I thought it was just a man struggling to be faithful, but it was a lot more. And I felt for all the characters behind that.

Thank you for bringing my emotions to that state. Few things do since I had my own losses.

When I was 19, I was selected by an exceptionally beautiful 36 yr. old woman who had formerly worked for 14 yrs. as an exclusive high price call girl. I was a good looking stud but she taught me... and I mean she TAUGHT me to be a lover of women. She shared her knowledge and explained what she did with her pussy muscles so that, one day, I could teach other women the skills that she'd learned. Mainly, she taught me to pay attention to what women responded to and, when a woman did something special to ask her to explain how she'd done it so that I could add that to my knowledge bank. In my life, I've taught hundreds of young girls and wives how to use their pussies to give their partner more pleasure and to get more pleasure for themselves. Some of the girls were the young teenage daughters of the wives that I'd taught. Their mothers didn't want them getting fucked in the back seat of a car by some Jr. high dork who didn't know shit and would just pump them 6 or 7 times, squirt his cum in them and leave them feeling like they'd been used for a trash can. I was a lucky, lucky man. I got six years of training before Ellen sold her beauty salons and retired to Arizona @ 42. She was still incredibly beautiful. She'd begun connecting me with other women before she left so word of mouth kept me busy for years afterward. I'm well into my senior years but I don't show it so I still get a lot of what, to me, is young pussy.... in their mid thirties and forties. (and I do myself proud... even if I do say so myself)... I can tell by their happy smiles and their totally relaxed and fucked out demeanor. (I was taught to watch for that and make sure it happened)

I know this site expects a certain amount of descriptive sex in their stories, this one only needed a general overview of the principals couplings. The story stands on it's own, just wonderful.

This is one among the greatest stories I have ever read.

I am totally surprised by this very powerful and heart touching storie.

Same as your another story Rehab it has a very interesting story which cannot be left without finishing once you start it.

I should sure give you the Noble prize for adult story writing if it is in my hand.

Keep it up dear

junedalamk@gmail.com

Many stories beg for a follow up, this one wraps it all up with a ribbon and a Bow.

And Yes, I cried. so sue me.

This is not what you expect on this site But I have to thank you.

This is a heart warming, touching story of love.

Ramjet

Another well written story. Your writing is so addicting!

Yoshi

I can not believe I liked this story. It matched all the criteria I like, no descriptive sex, no loud noises etc. I will try all your stories until you cross the line.

Ed Grocott

edgrocott@gmail.com

Once I accept the suspension of some near disbelief, I liked this story... OK, I liked it anyway, but...

Mary found a woman who likes comics, likes the same music, was willing to ignore politics due to a differing view, liked super hero movies (which for people who don't know, is NOT the same as liking comics), liked sex... And what's more, looked fairly similar to her...

Oh, and could be hired to have sex WITH him...

Yeah, not impossible - how awesome was THAT dating service...? - but it ended as well as it could under the circumstances so I'd read it again...

Curious though... Who loved who more...? Him her because he didn't hide ANYTHING from her... Or her him because she did the best she could to keep him from being any more hurt than he had to be...?

I am a man, married. I can not believe how much this story rocked me to my very core! To think someone could love, or be loved enough for this type of scenario to play out as it did....it brought me to tears!

Funny it sounds so outlandish. So improbable bordering on impossible. The thing is could see my lovely bride of 30 years doing exactly the same thing. A long love becomes about the other, especially when the end is near.

Simply put, an outstanding story.

I've felt let down by one of your stories. Obviously others were moved by it. Perhaps I'll come back to it some day.

I think what bothers me is that the ending was so obvious to me from the beginning. Usually you surprise me.

Ah well. It was still well written.

....and each time this former Marine bawls like a baby....I'm such a softie.

Some interesting comments here....well thought out too.

You brought a tear to my eye. As a 47 year old mechanic shop owner, who edits romance for my wife and her author friends, that doesn't happen often.

I enjoyed the use of a transportation convention. Creative. I thought Mary was testing their marriage, so was warmed to learn if was something else. Nice.

Most of the time it seems that the designation 'Loving Wives' is meant ironically, there's some really awful garbage on this site, that just leaves one depressed and angry.

Then I come across a story like this, and I feel my cynicism wane, reading about a real loving wife, and end the story with a smile on my face, it's a nice feeling.

A clear 5 star rating. What a wonderful story and a true definition of a loving wife! Thanks.

Just happened on this and was struck be the coincidence. Very close friend had very similar circumstance. His wife was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer and she had searched for her replacement beforehand. It was tragic and humbling to say the least. Very powerful love there. He remarried on the date and place of his first wife's choosing.

I know this sounds stupid but I have a similar story, not a wife but a husband, and my father. He knew he was ill, it was just a mater of time, his father went the same way but we did not know that. He somehow knew before it would be critical. He auditioned lots of potential husbands, took them fishing, hunting, played cards, music, watched sports, all of it was an audition to find the man to take up the slack of husband and father. We knew nothing of it, he always seem happy and healthy, worked every day, never once complained even when he was in pain. When we got the call from his work that he had collapsed and was in the hospital, we were shocked. It was extensive, inoperable, probably from the start they said, nothing probably could have been done, if they had time it would have been to buy time, but the aggressive type of pancreatic cancer just does not respond to treatment. We asked if they knew he was prone why did they not remove it just in case. They said that is just not done. No one would remove something like that without disease and there is not screening for it anyway. It is almost always found when it is too late. It took less than a month, he was diagnosed and 22 days later we were at the funeral. Jim was a big help. He drove everywhere, bought groceries, let mom cry on his shoulder, let us cry everywhere, let me hit a tree with a baseball bat until my hands bleed, then held me while I cried. I can not believe anything could hurt so bad and live through it. But I did. It took mom a year and a half to realize she loved Jim. Another year to marry him she was 32 and he was 35, mom married dad young but dad was 42 when he passed. I was Jim's best man, at 13, my sister was moms maid of honor.

It was after Jim passed 41 years later, and we had to move mom to assisted living last year. We finally had to we started having to clean out the house to sell it and that included all dads stuff. It was almost as hard as the funeral. That is when we found the journals. He hid writing them pretty well. I never saw him write in one my whole life, but there were entries from when he was in high school and his dad died. He never talked about him much, grandpa died when dad was just 16. Grandpa was 44. Dad wrote almost ever day from then till he was hospitalized. The last entry was a week before he collapsed at work. He knew he was dying. How I don't know how he knew. He wrote pages about loving mom, memorizing everything about her, things that were hard to read for a son, my sister read every work and laughed and cried at the same time. Women can do that. Romantic stuff, dreams for our future, prayers for us (pages and pages). He was carefully scouting future husbands, went through logs of everyone he knew, joined clubs to find new candidates. When he found Jim he hung on. We found out that he told Jim everything. Jim never let on, dad hired Jim, coached him on mom and us, groomed him for the inevitable. All because he was worried we would be alone. The thing that killed me was that box had been moved around dozens of times, it was carefully packed and repacked by someone, we knew it was Jim, I remembered him doing it - he said it was full of memories. At the end of the last journal we found a note he left. When he was diagnosed with colon cancer he found the journals. He wrote a thank you to dad for giving him a chance to have a family, he could not have kids of his own, the said he hoped he did a good job.

I think he and dad did a great job.

I didn't know they still wrote stories like this, that doesn't spend the entire story moaning in capital letters, with the guy having a seventeen-inch cock and the woman having 70% of her entire body weight in her upper torso. Where the guy filled out his senior year to play wide receiver. It's naturally amazing that "cathy" doesn't become "cat" by the end of the tale - such a predictable move.

Not everyone thinks only below the waist. This writing was great, and just the right length.

I just read your comment about yourself. You said some have called your stories drivel. It's hard to see how someone could conclude that, but I guess it doesn't surprise me. Some people aren't sophisticated enough to appreciate good work, but are mean enough to criticize it. Shame on them.

As for the story, what a lovely one, in a sad way. Thanks for sharing.

When you write a story, and the comments from across the wide spectrum of LW writers and readers are overwhelmingly positive nothing has to be said.

But I will say thank you for a beautiful story.

Obviously, 5 stars and favorited.

I love reading well written stories. My favorites I tend to go back to time and again. But while I have read all of your stories at least twice now (some even more than that) I could only read this once. I just can't bear to read it again. That is the power this story contains, and I thank you for sharing it.

A true tale of what u means to be in real love. Great story 10*****

What a great story. Had me hooked from the start. And the ending was well written. I felt a bit of the pain from the loss because I can relate. I'm glad there was a happy ending

Reading on this site for couple of months and this is the 1st time I rate and comment a story...very well written...gjob

I enjoyed the emotional complexity, extreme suspense, surprising twists and downplayed sensuality. The unusual characteristics make the story a perfect tease to the reader. The underlying sadness makes me hope it is fiction. If not, it is an uncanny parallel to the reality of some friends of mine and the irony of the sadness and happy ending.

I did not expect it to end like that, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. 5 stars.

This is the first time i wrote a comment for an erotic article and in fact the first time i never skipped a sentence on an article. This caught my full attention from beggining to end. Such a wonderful plot and climax. Good job! More power to you.

Beautiful! One of the best.

Wonderful, heart warming story. One of the best.

I cannot bear to read it again either. Ever. For many reasons that are nobodies business.

Another great story it made me cry in the end

You truly have a gift. This was a great story and I'm not ashamed to say it made me tear up in the end. You deserve six stars.

A work of art!

Even though I knew what was coming the ending still brought tears to my eyes.

When a writer as talented as oshaw calls a story an "absolute treasure" you know the story is unusual. Another six star story in a five star world.

He should have said no- only a low life would say yes in a situation like that

Love

I just don't see this as a male fantasy. What male in a healthy, loving relationship wants his spouse to die?

To the naysayer(s) His actions do not make him a scumbag or bad man. Before you berate the story for those points sit down and talk to members of a Polyamorous or Consentually Polygamous Relationship first.

"This was supposed to be a light hearted male fantasy. I am sorry how it turned out."

Thank you for the apology. I understand and even see how and where the story took on a life of its own. It started as a 'Wife buys a girl for her husband' story, there are a million of those, [some of them real] and became something more. While the evolution of the tale took something away from the whole, going to read something to getoff factor, it more than developed this into a heart tugging excelent story.

IMHO DreamCloud is so talented, he should be SELLING his stories. I´ve read every thing he has posted in this site, and I´ve liked every one of them.

Please, DreamCloud, keep writing, Those stories will be alive long after you´ve crossed out

. . . . but please try to understand the difference between your and you're. You're much too smart to make those kind of grammatical mistakes. And, while we're on the subject, for readers of my comments, be careful with their, there, and they're. Just saying . . . .

I've been reading DreamCloud for a long time, this is the third time I have read this and still think that he should sell his stories. You are a great writer and for sure have been added to my favourites, keep on writing.

Dam - I got teary eyed at the end of this very enjoyable story. I will read it again over time but, as of right now this is the very best story I've read on this site. Thanks - you are a great writer.

Love this so much. More than a sex story, this is a love story. Thank you.

Dam you straight to hell. I was enjoying a good story till the last. Then you made me tear up. They can't get much better. I think loving wives is the wrong category though. Romance would have been a better choice.

Without doubt this is the best story on this site - period!

Just stumbled across your work, and delighted that I did!

I agree with Jott50 that this belongs in Romance, not LW.....

Will be reading the rest of your tales as time permits, thanks again for a wonderful read....

My wife and I loved each other but we had lost the "in love" with either-for about the last 20 years we just grew apart until there was nothing left. She died in the hospital many reasons - I didn't even fucking know. ---- I got home from the desert to tell the hospital to pull the plug. Take flowers home tonite

My wife of 43 years took 4 years of me living for her before dying in my arms. It's been 3 years and I'll never get over her, I adored her. Our kids kept me alive for four months then beat me into taking counseling. A couple months into that a woman who had lost her husband to cancer contacted me and we've spent 2 1/2 years coming to feel for each other what we had for our previous spouses. We talk about them at times and hold each other when the feelings and tears get in the way. We won't marry, it's not necessary, but neither of us feel that we'll ever part.

She's a bhuddist and I'm a Taoist and we look at death differently than most people now. I'm not sure what'll happen if either loses the other, but we talk and don't think it'll destroy us like the previous ones did. It's amazing what the philosophy has taught me.

I'll turn 75 this July and 5 days later she'll turn 70 so we're going to spend a combined birthday on her family's 4,000 acres in Connecticut. She's been planning her 70th for years and now I get to share it with her. How beautiful is that?

Thank you for that marvelous story. It is a love story, but it's a story about a loving wife that loved her husband more than herself.

And, yes, I cried too, I couldn't not cry.

Damn it, Dreamcloud, Noone should be this good. I envy your imagination and your talent in bringing people to life. May you live long and prosper.

As for the category debate., if Mary isn't a loving wife, then who is? One could also argue that Cathy turned out to be a loving wife, as well.

Masterpiece

So,did Mary go to Craig's List and post for a whore who like Gaming and the Grateful Dead?! ~ A little too convenient to be realistic.

Half way through the story I thought that Mary had set this up,although at that point I thought she was banging a boyfriend.

A very nice fairy tale but just not realistic!