A quality short story! 😊 As an amateur writer, I love reading tales like these that inspire me to work on my craft! Please have a look at my short story blog and let me know what you think? 😊🙏
“A Christmas Confrontation: My Short Story of the Week.”
This is one of your best! I love the set-up. I love the characters and know them well: Both of the men as well as the thirteen-year-old girl. What is especially good in this story is your character development, which is deep even for a long story, but positively brilliant in such a short one. You also continue to provide layers of meaning in your every word. I especially like the ability of Marty to see through James all the way to his pain.
And the whole scene here–this newer kind of worship and especially places of worship (“…had more in common with a shopping mall.”)—is handled with great perceptiveness and, as a bonus, humor.
SCOTT WILLIAM FOLEY 
A quality short story! 😊 As an amateur writer, I love reading tales like these that inspire me to work on my craft! Please have a look at my short story blog and let me know what you think? 😊🙏
https://mzansishorts.wordpress.com/
“A Christmas Confrontation: My Short Story of the Week.”
This is one of your best! I love the set-up. I love the characters and know them well: Both of the men as well as the thirteen-year-old girl. What is especially good in this story is your character development, which is deep even for a long story, but positively brilliant in such a short one. You also continue to provide layers of meaning in your every word. I especially like the ability of Marty to see through James all the way to his pain.
And the whole scene here–this newer kind of worship and especially places of worship (“…had more in common with a shopping mall.”)—is handled with great perceptiveness and, as a bonus, humor.
Thank you, Jane! Religion is a constant source of peace and conflict for me, which probably came through in this story. I appreciate your readership!