I spent several hours working on Part II of T&T today. I cut approximately 1500 words and added a few new ones. I cut fat–I’m begining to see muscle emerging.

I’ve reached a section that needs extensive reworking, so it will take some reflection to determine where it needs to go.

Here’s a short segment from the original text–Jeff has recently discovered Nikki wants to abort their child, and he’s seeking advice about how to stop her:

“How can I stop her? I know abortion is legal, but I want this baby. Even if she doesn’t. I can’t let her kill it. It’s mine, too, Judge.” Jeff waited. The Judge had his elbow on his chair and his chin cupped in his hand. He watched Jeff and cocked his head. He started to say something and stopped. He leaned forward, turned in his chair, and put his elbows on the table with his hands tented in front of his face. Jeff could just see him in the light of the streetlight.

“I understand what you’re saying, Son. I don’t want to have to say this, but you have to hear it. Fathers, especially unmarried fathers, don’t have any rights when it comes to what happens to their unborn children.” He paused, allowing the weight of his words to sink in.

Jeff studied a fingernail. He bit his lip. He blinked and looked far off into the distance. He didn’t want to cry in front of The Judge. Men didn’t cry in front of other men. He thought about the Cotton Bowl coming up. He thought about Timmy moving out to the country and working his way up on his uncle’s farm–the uncle that didn’t have any children interested in farming. Timmy loved that place. The tears receded. He looked back at The Judge, “Is there anything I can do? Anybody I can talk to who might be able to come up with something, anything before the end of January that might help me?” His voice cracked, but he needed to know.