diff --git a/fstree/fstree.go b/fstree/fstree.go
index 56205cc..899580d 100644
--- a/fstree/fstree.go
+++ b/fstree/fstree.go
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"mend/styles"
 	"mend/utils"
-	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 
@@ -27,27 +26,6 @@ const (
 	FolderNode
 )
 
-// ==================== Message types ====================
-type Msg interface{}
-
-type MsgMoveUp struct{}
-type MsgMoveDown struct{}
-type MsgToggleExpand struct{}
-type MsgLeftClickLine struct {
-	Line int
-}
-type MsgCreateNode struct {
-	Parent   *FsNode
-	Name     string
-	NodeType FsNodeType
-}
-type MsgDeleteNode struct {
-	Node *FsNode
-}
-type MsgHover struct {
-	Line int
-}
-
 // ==================== FsNode definition ====================
 // a single node, Fs => deals with file system related info mostly
 // a name for example can be content derived as well
@@ -82,26 +60,28 @@ func (t *FsTree) Init() tea.Cmd {
 
 func (t *FsTree) Update(msg tea.Msg) (tea.Model, tea.Cmd) {
 	switch m := msg.(type) {
-	case MsgMoveUp:
-		_ = t.MoveUp()
-	case MsgMoveDown:
-		_ = t.MoveDown()
-	case MsgToggleExpand:
-		_ = t.ToggleSelectedExpand()
-	case MsgLeftClickLine:
-		nodeAtLine := t.lines[m.Line]
-		if nodeAtLine != nil {
-			t.selectedNode = nodeAtLine
-			if nodeAtLine.nodeType == FolderNode {
-				_ = t.ToggleExpand(nodeAtLine)
+	case tea.KeyMsg:
+		switch m.String() {
+		case "up", "k":
+			_ = t.MoveUp()
+		case "down", "j":
+			_ = t.MoveDown()
+		case "enter", " ":
+			_ = t.ToggleSelectedExpand()
+		}
+	case tea.MouseMsg:
+		t.hoveredNode = t.lines[m.Y] // hover
+
+		// click
+		if m.Button == tea.MouseButtonLeft && m.Action == tea.MouseActionPress {
+			nodeAtLine := t.lines[m.Y]
+			if nodeAtLine != nil {
+				t.selectedNode = nodeAtLine
+				if nodeAtLine.nodeType == FolderNode {
+					_ = t.ToggleExpand(nodeAtLine)
+				}
 			}
 		}
-	case MsgCreateNode:
-		_ = t.CreateNode(m.Parent, m.Name, m.NodeType)
-	case MsgDeleteNode:
-		_ = t.DeleteNode(m.Node)
-	case MsgHover:
-		t.hoveredNode = t.lines[m.Line]
 	}
 	return t, nil
 }
@@ -125,16 +105,11 @@ func NewFsTree(rootPath string) *FsTree {
 	// but since I use a map, it's easy to add
 	walkFileSystemAndBuildTree(rootPath, root)
 
-	var tree *FsTree
+	tree := &FsTree{
+		root: root,
+	}
 	if len(root.children) > 0 {
-		tree = &FsTree{
-			root:         root,
-			selectedNode: root.children[0],
-		}
-	} else {
-		tree = &FsTree{
-			root: root,
-		}
+		tree.selectedNode = root.children[0]
 	}
 	tree.buildLines()
 	return tree
@@ -227,22 +202,6 @@ func (t *FsTree) ToggleSelectedExpand() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (t *FsTree) GetSelectedContent() (string, error) {
-	if t.selectedNode == nil {
-		return "", errors.New("no node is currently selected")
-	}
-
-	if t.selectedNode.nodeType != FileNode {
-		return "", nil
-	}
-
-	contentBytes, err := os.ReadFile(t.selectedNode.path)
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", err
-	}
-	return string(contentBytes), nil
-}
-
 func (t *FsTree) renderNode(node *FsNode, depth int, builder *strings.Builder) {
 	if node == nil {
 		return
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index d4d0465..783643d 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -111,48 +111,18 @@ func (m model) Update(msg tea.Msg) (tea.Model, tea.Cmd) {
 		return m, cmd
 	case tea.MouseMsg:
 		if m.tree != nil {
-			// track hover for all mouse events within file tree
+			// pass mouse events within file tree bounds to tree
 			if msg.X < m.width {
-				m.tree.Update(fs.MsgHover{Line: msg.Y})
-			} else {
-				m.tree.Update(fs.MsgHover{Line: -1})
-			}
-
-			if msg.Button == tea.MouseButtonLeft && msg.Action == tea.MouseActionPress {
-				// within file tree
-				if msg.X < m.width {
-					m.tree.Update(fs.MsgLeftClickLine{Line: msg.Y})
-					content, err := m.tree.GetSelectedContent()
-					if err == nil {
-						m.viewport.SetContent(content)
-					}
-				}
+				m.tree.Update(msg)
 			}
 		}
 	case tea.KeyMsg:
 		switch msg.String() {
 		case "q", "ctrl+c":
 			return m, tea.Quit
-		case "up", "k":
+		case "up", "k", "down", "j", "enter", " ":
 			if m.tree != nil {
-				m.tree.Update(fs.MsgMoveUp{})
-			}
-		case "down", "j":
-			if m.tree != nil {
-				m.tree.Update(fs.MsgMoveDown{})
-			}
-		case "enter", " ":
-			if m.tree != nil {
-				m.tree.Update(fs.MsgToggleExpand{})
-			}
-		case "l", "L":
-			if m.tree != nil {
-				content, err := m.tree.GetSelectedContent()
-				if err != nil {
-					fmt.Println("Error getting selected content:", err)
-				} else {
-					m.viewport.SetContent(content)
-				}
+				m.tree.Update(msg)
 			}
 		}
 	}
@@ -175,7 +145,6 @@ func main() {
 		rootPath = os.Args[1]
 	}
 	// if rootPath is empty, createModel will use cwd
-
 	p := tea.NewProgram(
 		createModel(rootPath),
 		tea.WithAltScreen(), // full screen tui