One Single Choice




March 2025


More info on Cory's background in the prequel story about his family - parts one, two, three.



It had been hard to find, the first time he came here; he could only vaguely remember the place from his childhood visits with his father.


A quiet spot off to the side, against a wall that didn't seem as tall as it had been, back then.  The grave was tidy, and someone - probably his father - had grown a pot of flowers there.  Red, her favourite colour.

He wasn't here to leave flowers.  He wasn't sure why he was here at all... only that he'd been coming here a lot lately, after years of never wanting to see the place.


Cory had kept his promise.  He'd been telling the truth, when he told Rose that he wasn't drinking again. Not yet, anyway.


It'd be so easy, one single choice, one promise broken, and all the bad feelings go away.  And what's one promise, anyway?  Is it even worth keeping one promise, when you've broken so many others?

He'd promised Rose he'd never lie to her, but he'd lied when he said that he didn't know what was wrong.  He knew exactly what was wrong.


He'd lied to his brother, too.

"...it was your friend that did the kissing, not you.  It's not like you did anything wrong or anything, is is?"
"Well, no... "


But it wasn't just Samantha who'd done the kissing.  And it wasn't just the fact that he'd wanted that kiss that was eating away at him now.  

The truth was, he still wanted it, and more, every time he saw her.


"The last time you acted like this, you were seven years old and your mother had left."

Sometimes his father was so perceptive, it frightened him.  It was when he was seven years old, that he'd first learned the difference that a single choice can make.

He'd lied when he told them that he didn't remember his mother.


He hadn't known what it meant, but he'd known that it was wrong.


He'd known that if he told anyone, something terrible would happen.  So he hadn't told anyone.


And something terrible had happened.


He could reason that it would have turned out the same, no matter what he'd done... his father had found out anyway, some weeks later.


But maybe if his father had found out sooner...... maybe, just maybe, she wouldn't have gotten pregnant to her lover... maybe his parents could have worked it out... maybe she wouldn't have died.


April wasn't the only one he'd hated back then.

There was only one way that this could end.  He'd never believed in destiny before,but now it seemed so clear.  His father had once told him that he didn't have to re-live his mother's life.  His father had been wrong.



Even back then, he couldn't possibly have hated himself any more than he did right now.


----


Oh, Cory... 

I didn't do this, he got himself into this mess all by himself!  I had a particular storyline planned for him, but he made a choice in-game - one single autonomous action, that blew it all apart.  While I was taking the pictures for the New Year update, Samantha tried to kiss him.  Not the first time that's happened, but the first time that he didn't reject her.

I was going to have some more detailed notes here about what happened after that and why I'm writing it in this particular way, but I decided to let the story stand on its own for now - with the addition of a couple of screen shots.


Cory, again:




... so Cory has some choices to make here... or, at least, I have some choices to make for him.  The reasons for what we decide make sense to me in terms of his character, and I hope they'll make sense in the story, too - if not now then, by the time I finish telling it. :)


This was originally the ending of the previous entry, but I decided to make it a separate one, partly because the other one is long on its own, and partly because, although it doesn't feature Samantha, its the one part of Cory's story that anyone who is only following the SBP needs to read, in order to make sense of what happens for the rest of Samantha's stay here.

Comments

  1. OMG! Okay, I was right, lol! (And I'm glad he isn't dying too!)

    Oh, what trouble! I'm wondering if this event will have something to do with the reason she moves on?

    And it is coming toward the end of her stay soon, isn't it? I'll add this one to the list, even though she's not really *in* it exactly, it's certainly about her! :o

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  2. I guessed right too. I was thinking he was messing around. His poor family, his wife is going to be heartbroken. *sadness*

    I've been commenting using my lj name (juliejaz). I opened a blogger account this morning.

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  3. :( <-- that's how I feel for poor Cory. I don't want him to jeopardize his relationship for Samantha... He can't handle her leaving him, and losing his life he's built up.

    In this instance, I'm just not happy with Samantha. It's not like she knows she's leaving Richmond (and off to wherever) like we know, but man. I wish she did, and that she'd just be Cory's friend instead of bringing on all these emotions.

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  4. OMG I just finally found this and it is wonderful! I am blown away with your writing.

    Cory is so torn, trying so hard to work it out. The way you describe his feelings, I'm right there.

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  5. Laura, so it was what you thought? I figured it wasn't too hard to see, although all the New Year stuff and the conversation with Aaron was written before I even realised that he'd gotten all obsessive over Samantha.

    She is coming to the end of her stay - probably another r/l month before she goes. This will definitely influence how and when in the story.

    Julie, yeah, his wife is going to be hurt a lot.

    lepifera, that really sums this whole thing up!

    maisie, Samantha really has stirred things up, hasn't she? You'll see a bit more of this from her point of view in the future.

    S.B., welcome, and thank you!! Glad you like it.

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  6. I just found this and now I'm so intrigued. It seems I have a lot of back reading to do before I'm all caught up.

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  7. HCove, thanks for reading... this blog isn't that old compared to some, but it is at the point where new posts are starting to depend on older ones, in order to make sense. I hope you enjoy catching up

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