I like to know more about Brit steph friendship growing up and their connection with nicki . I also love the tommy jack and Julie stories
Thanks for the question and comment! I began to write a few memories of Stephanie and Britt when they were little, and it’s been a fun exploration of who they were before we knew them. Nikki was much closer to Stephanie, but the three girls had moments growing up where they were close.
Brittany’s life took a dramatic turn when Nate died and the fact she moved so far away from Stephanie and Nikki really changed the dynamic of their story, as well as Britt’s. Nikki and Stephanie moved to Paris and Nikki met Josh, and everything changed. The fact that Britt was in the heart of her fame made it challenging for her to keep in touch, and her seeking out Stephanie after the assault was a cry for help from a lonely and scared Britt.
Nikki was an integral part of Stephanie meeting Jack. Everything that Stephanie went through while living with Josh and Nikki truly ate away at her self esteem and her feelings that she would ever be worthy of any relationship. When she got the nerve to leave and in turn, Nikki dumped Josh and followed her, it finally made Stephanie begin to believe that maybe she was worth the effort. The trouble came when Josh followed them and destroyed all that Stephanie loved.
Everything that happened with Nikki and Josh led Stephanie to that ledge where she met Jack, and reconnecting with Brittany came from a sense of love and family that Jack and Steph needed Britt to help them find. The result was so much more than I ever imagined.
The second part of your comment, about Tommy, Jack and Julie is probably one of my proudest parts of the series. Tommy and Jack’s friendship is one I feel is incredibly profound. They are brothers, and going through such loss at a young age, both Jack losing his mom and by default, his dad, and then the crash with Tommy’s parents, it just made sense that they formed this connection to each other. Julie was the wild card. She was and is a spitfire and two 18 year old boys who were themselves dealing with such profound life changes, had no idea what they were getting themselves into. It is highly unlikely and improbable, but Julie is their glue. She gave both boys a reason and a purpose to do right by her and each other. For Jack, Julie was the sister he never had, and through her, he felt like a part of his mom was still there. He was fiercely protective of both her and Tommy, and he became her biggest champion. He also found a purpose when he had truly been lost.
For Tommy, keeping his family together was more than a mission, but a necessity. He was only able to survive losing his parents because of Julie and Jack. They gave him a purpose and a reason, and through watching Julie grow up, Tommy felt like he was able to make his parents proud. He is a fiercely loyal man and selfless to a fault. His life became more than his when the call came about the accident. He became a guardian and a father figure to his sister and it was his greatest honor.
Tommy, Julie and Jack’s friendship is unusual, but one of my most favorite things to write. The laughter and love in the flashbacks is always the driving force behind how I write them, and I also like to show that although she is an opinionated and self sufficient woman, Julie reverts back to needing her “parents” many times, and Jack and Tommy are happy to oblige. They are truly the family by choice.
Thanks! More answers on the way…
