What Can Be

By: Mary Calmes

Narrated by: Robert Nieman

Thirteen years ago, Eli went on a summer trip with his mother and never came back. Now, existing in a new life as Jacob Somerville, he's again running from fear and memories, only to end up where he started. As Jacob struggles to reconnect with his father and brothers, he realizes that his lover, Craig Zhao, was the only thing filling his empty heart and standing between him and ghosts of the past. It will take the power of love - from his family, from Craig, and from himself - for Jacob to see that his life truly is filled with the promise of what can be.

A novella from the Dreamspinner Press 2011 Advent Calendar package I'll Be Home for Christmas

©2011 Mary Calmes (P)2016 Dreamspinner Press

Wow, great story

Eli leaves with his mother for a summer vacation and disappears for 13 years. The story evolves and you are sucked in for the ride. Great story, great characters and Robert Nieman does a wonderful job of the narration.

Good short

Any additional comments?

Disclaimer – The back story that Jacob (Eli) tells the family is a hard one to hear. Involving violence towards him at a young age and his mother.

This two and half hour audio has a lot to offer us. The healing of time and love as well as family and understanding.

We have a lot going on in the couple of days this is set over.

Jacob, has been living a false existence ever since is mother took him away all those years ago. And because of that he refusing to let anyone get close to him.

Until Craig steps in and starts getting too close for comfort, so Jacob runs. Problem is running causes more issues than first thought.

Craig and Jacob are clearly made for each other, and it takes the patients that Craig has to show Jacob that finally, finally he can stop.

I did enjoy this fast story, filled will enough info that I didn’t feel anything was lacking when it was done. The only thing, is I think it may be part of a bigger series? I kept thinking, I’m missing a bigger story, bigger picture I’m not aware of?

But that aside, these two clearly deserve the HEA that they get in the end.

Narrator did a fine job keeping up with different characters

Absolutely loved both the story and narrator.

Listened to it several times. Engrossing. Great characters and pacing. Eli stole my heart. He was so vulnerable he made me cry. What a wonderful great character.

Very Short

What Can Be was very short story. I think Mary should more of the mean character so we get to knew them better. We get to knew about Eli and more about his relationship with there boyfriend. The book tell us that Elli reunite with his family. He tell them want be happens is 13 years he was missing for his family. His father want to know what happen to his Mom and him when she Dyes. They wonder why he never what home after she dyes. There were a lot of character that you really want to get to know much better. The Narrated did a really great job on the book. #runaway #Christmas #FeelGood #short #PastMeetsPresent #Families #LGBTQIA+…or any other point of view #tagsgiving and #sweepstakes

Angsty

I’m surprised this was part of a Christmas anthology because it’s angsty and serious. But it did have a surprising and satisfying ending.