"The Comfort of Keys and Bacon" follows best friends Kim and Ryan as they go on one of their frequent trips to Waffle House. Mischievous Kim has the idea to break into Ryan's ex-boyfriend's apartment, upon seeing that Ryan still has the key. Upon entering the apartment, Ryan's ex, Adam, comes in shortly after, forcing Ryan to hide in a closet while Kim confronts him; while in the closet Kim reflects on her relationship with Adam. When she finally is able to leave her hiding spot, Ryan leaves her key behind, realizing she's ready to move on.
I can really relate to this story, since my own boyfriend broke up with me just a few days ago. I thought the part of the story where Ryan tries to avoid looking at trucks while she is driving, because they might be Adam's is really realistic. I loved how she wasn't weak at the end of the story; from what Adam said, he'd gladly take Ryan back. However, Ryan is able to reflect upon past experiences with Adam and realize that she deserves someone who doesn't expect her to conform to "southern" ideals. Kim is also a great character, because she represents a true friend: she stands up for Ryan and also encourages her to let Adam go by applauding her for not defending his actions. It's very clear that Ryan goes from being unsure of her feelings towards Adam at the beginning, to knowing she's definitely done by the end.
The biggest suggestion I have for this story is to enlighten readers about what happened in Destin. It's mentioned several times in the story so obviously it's important, but the only thing I gathered that happened was that Adam's family was rude to Ryan. I think elaborating more on the circumstances surrounding the Destin trip would help readers understand Adam and his apparently snobby family better. I would also like more background on Ryan in terms of where she's from: obviously from her remarks on lacking "southern charm" and not doing Adam's laundry, she isn't originally from the South. I felt that Adam's character was a little cliché: a spoiled, rich, Southern boy waiting to take over daddy's business.
Overall though I felt the story had a good pace, and that enough dialogue was used to help the story run smoothly.
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