Author's Notes:
This story may be short, but it serves to add in many details I'd removed over the course of writing my previous stories. For example, the parts about Waylon Smithers' childhood were almost completely removed when I broke my original manuscript into the four separate pieces. I had mountains of notes on Smithers' history, his high school and college years; how he met Lydia, and the events that ultimately led to their divorce. In and of itself, it's not a story I felt like devoting a great deal of time to writing, because I feel like fans already know the gist, and writing a detailed story would have little direct impact on the here'n'now I've set up in these timelines.
In "Revelations of Men," there were likewise large swaths of story that got cut, not the least of which was Burns' relationship with Lawrence Harlgrove, son of the popular town gadabout, Edmond. I always wanted to explain why Burns named his son Larry, ever since I started writing "Revelations," but there was never a good place to put that. So, I tossed it aside, wondered vaguely if Readers would notice the connection between "Lawrence" and "Larry;" and filed the idea away for things to talk about at a later time.
Preston's history, likewise, has been something I wanted to share, but hadn't found a good place for until the idea to combine all three backgrounds popped into my head one rainy November afternoon.
Hopefully, you've enjoyed reading this; and likewise I hope that it provides a bit more detail to these characters' respective identities.
As always, thanks for reading!
~ Muse