[...] Which is why I guess I could never picture the relationship breaking up without an outside influence [...]

See, I'm with you on the outside influence part but I'm not sure what kind of influence. I'm kinda thinking maybe Dad found another girlfriend but I'm not sure. I'm gonna need to think about this one a little more.

And yeah, I too always imagined Linc hitting the mother at least once. Maybe not as violently as you described, but a slap? Definitely. And of course he crumbles immediately afterwards and she kicks him out of the house and wont let him back in for at least a week.

See despite the amount of description I gave I think that was a relaitvely quick thing. I'm thinking that Linc sent Michael to bed because Mom came home high and then I think Mom and him got into a fight and, god.

I can see her screaming at Michael (who's under his covers in his room with his hands over his ears) because he left the toys out and I think maybe she crosses that line (If it weren't for you...) and Linc just kinda charges her. I see the choking thing being about a four-second thing, long enough to scare the shit out of him but short enough not to do much damage.

I guess I can picture Linc as somebody who at the most has some personal honor rule about not hitting people he perceives as weaker than himself. But as a teenager, that would not cover the mother especially if he perceives her as loud and scary and dominating at times.

See I can really imagine him having an Anti-Dad code of ethics, no matter what he does I think I see him desperately trying not to be like his father. I don't see him as ever so much as taking a sip of beer becaue he's afraid of what will happen, of course he has no problem with Weed because Mom and Dad never did that so it makes him completely different. I think the thing with his Mom completely tore him up.

I love you so much for all these links. I'm downloading them now so that when I get home from work I can go over them. You rock.