UPDATE FOR AWIG (and my other reader)

Aspen's brother and his stepfather recently had a heart to heart, the result being 'bubby' being allowed to try residing at the house again. This is a good thing. Where he had been staying for the last months was just shy of being a crack house or a meth lab or something of that nature. He had no room to himself so he slept on the couch. It was such an unsavory place that he never brought over his bass guitar or any other items of value knowing they would be lifted by any of the other residents as soon as his back was turned. He had even forbid his girlfriend from going over there when he wasn't around. I don't think she was too big on the idea of going over there when he was there either. The only redeeming factor about the place was the woman who owned it was a kind hearted church going lady who allowed these high school dropouts to live there thinking she was helping them out. Perhaps she was simply enabling them to not make their way in the world. At any rate, she had taken him under her wing, the result being some positive changes in him. Either way though, it was not a safe nor productive residence for anyone. Hopefully he has gotten a nice taste of what the real world can be like. One would like to think he has gone back to his stepfather's with a renewed appreciation for what he had previously taken completely for granted: his own room, his own shower, a place that is quiet in the night, a place that is clean, a place with a working phone, and a place where he can leave his belongings (and girlfriend) and not fear that they will be damaged or missing when he returns. I don't know the specifics of what the two of them worked out. If he has to pay any rent, what the curfew is, if he has a vehicle again, what share of the housework he will have to do, etc. Hopefully it is 'yes, 8pm, no, and alot'. His mother was against the idea of him moving back. She was of the idea that the lady of the other house would be able to give him better supervision than his step dad. Granted, his stepdad is away a bit with his business. But supervision was not the only thing to consider in this situation. The fact that he now has a safe place to reside where there are some rules for him to follow, where there is someone he has to answer to far outweighs how many hours a day there is an adult in the house where he can come and go completely as he pleases. Time will tell if his renewed appreciation for basic living conditions will remain or he will fall back into his old habits. I'll keep you posted. BTW, Aspen and I had dinner at the restaurant where he works the other night only hours after this deal with his stepdad was struck. It was the first time in months that he actually had a smile on his face. It was obvious he was very relieved to know he did not have to return to the drug den any more.