Page 19

NINETEEN

ETHAN

It was a gorgeous day. Sunny, just a few clouds, comfortable temperature, and a pleasant breeze. A perfect early summer day.

The area was bustling with nearly every parking space filled and lots of people on the sidewalks.

Maplewood wasn’t a huge town, but people came out for the festivals.

Today was no different. Most people were headed toward the park like me, with window shopping and lively conversations along the way.

I tugged at the hem of the Seattle Riptide Pride shirt I’d chosen to wear.

I had other Pride shirts I’d wear during the week, but it seemed appropriate to start with this one.

Dark denim shorts and my most comfortable sneakers completed what I hoped was the right first impression for the grand marshal.

“Ethan!” Mrs. Goddard waved as we approached each other in front of Special Blend. “Happy Pride.”

“Happy Pride. How are you?” We traded a hug.

“Excited for Pride as always. Are you ready for the weekend?”

“As much as I can be, yeah.”

“I know you’ll do great.” She patted my arm. “I better get in here and get my coffee so I can claim a good seat.”

“I’ll see you there.” She smiled warmly before heading inside.

I’d only gotten a few steps farther when I caught sight of Mom and Momma. Their matching rainbow-colored Proud Moms T-shirts made me smile. They’d worn variations on the shirts for Pride as long as I could remember.

“There’s our boy.” Momma pulled me into a tight hug.

“How are you feeling?” Mom asked, giving my shoulder a squeeze.

I shrugged. “Like I might throw up.”

“You’ve got this.” Mom’s voice carried the same steady confidence she’d used anytime I was unsure. “You’ve written a great speech and you’ve practiced. Most importantly, you’re speaking from the heart.”

Their support calmed some of the jitters. “I’ve got it printed out too.” I patted the folded papers in the pocket of my shorts. They were my safety net. But even though they were in large print and in a font that was easier for me to read, I didn’t want to rely on them.

“Remember, you did great at reading to the kids too,” Momma said as we crossed the street. “Everyone loved it.”

“That happened so fast, there wasn’t time to get stressed.”

“Oh my, look how beautiful this is.” The wonder in Mom’s voice as she took in the decorations throughout the park ended the conversation. I was thankful for that. If we talked about it more, I suspected my anxiety would intensify.

The park was alive with energy and color. Pride flags fluttered in the gentle breeze as people streamed in. Attendees filled up the rows of chairs in front of the amphitheater stage while others gathered to stand behind them, and the vendor tents had already drawn people.

My heart swelled with excitement for all Andre and his volunteers had accomplished.

“I guess we should get backstage.” Momma checked her watch. “I’ll see you afterwards.” She kissed Mom.

“I’ll be cheering you both on,” Mom said. “Love you both.”

In the backstage area, the space buzzed with activity as people moved around with purpose. Mayor Axelrod reviewed notes while Mickey and Olivia had their heads together, whispering about something.

“Fantastic.” Jenny, dressed in rainbow overalls rather than a Special Blend apron, came over to us as she tapped on a tablet. “Right on time. I’ve got you both checked in. Grace, you’ll be speaking after Olivia. Ethan, you’re up last as grand marshal. Andre will make the introductions and…”

Andre came into view and Jenny’s words faded away. My attention locked on him, and I took in his outfit of pressed khakis and a crisp white button-down adorned with small rainbow polka dots.

He came over and the surroundings snapped back into focus just as Momma was thanking Jenny.

“Everyone’s here and knows the plan, Andre. Wade also checked in and they’re ready to start.” She looked at her watch. “We’ve got about three minutes.”

“Thanks so much, Jenny,” Andre said, sounding calm.

She smiled and nodded before moving over to a podium next to the stage entrance.

“Hey.” Andre turned to me. His smile was soft and private despite the surrounding bustle. “You ready for this?”

“As I’ll ever be.” I returned his smile.

Every muscle ached to embrace him, but the bustling backstage area held me back, although I suspected the town grapevine already knew about our date.

“It’s going to be great.” He squeezed my arm, the brief contact sending zings through me.

He then turned to Momma. “Grace, always good to see you. I can’t wait to see the program you’ve put together for the weekend.

” He leaned in close. “Don’t tell anyone else, but the evening performances you’ve got are what I’m looking forward to the most.”

She beamed. She’d been working on the lineup for months. “The response to it has been incredible.”

“Andre,” Jenny called to him.

“Looks like it’s time. I’ll see you out there.” Before he left, he squeezed my arm again and my heart fluttered with happiness.

Momma waited until Andre was out of earshot before raising an eyebrow. “Last night was good?”

My moms knew about the date and my apprehensions and they’d admirably restrained their questions earlier. After witnessing the looks between Andre and me, though, Momma deserved some info.

“Yeah. Best date ever.”

“I’m so glad.” She squeezed my shoulder. “I won’t ask more about it now, but Mom and I want to know as much as you want to tell us.”

“We’ll catch up. I promise. Though maybe not until the weekend is over.”

“Of course.” She smiled and gave me a brief hug.

We joined Mickey, Olivia, and Mayor Axelrod at the side of the stage so we could watch while we weren’t on stage.

Andre stepped up to the microphone first, his welcome speech hitting all the right notes about community and inclusion. He made public speaking look effortless. I hoped I could channel some of that.

The crowd had grown considerably since I’d come backstage.

Familiar faces dotted the audience. Liam sat with Mom in the front row, an empty seat next to them.

Had they saved that for Momma? Tommy, Milo, Mimi, and others from hockey camp were a few rows back, with Dixon and Oscar near them.

Caleb, Kyle, Miles, and Cole had also arrived and were part of the standing crowd.

Olivia followed the mayor’s welcome remarks.

She offered details about the vendor marketplace, art installations, and crafting activities.

Momma was up next, outlining the theater programming.

Her passion for the arts showed in every word and even gave me goose bumps as she described what was ahead.

Mickey’s rundown of the food offerings had my stomach growling despite my nerves, which was the last thing I needed.

I tried to focus on what each speaker shared, but as each one of them finished and my time drew closer, I was increasingly worried I’d mess up. The folded papers in my pocket felt like they weighed a hundred pounds.

I made and released fists a couple of times, focusing on the movement as I counted through my breathing exercises.

I peeked out from backstage again, finding Andre, who stood at the back of the stage while the speeches were happening. His smile reminded me of Liam’s advice to pretend I was only talking to him. I’d have to imagine it since he wouldn’t be in my line of sight.

Suddenly Mickey was walking toward me, having finished. He stopped in front of me and put his hands on my shoulders. He said nothing as we locked gazes, silently calming me. I smiled and he nodded.

“And now it’s my pleasure to introduce our grand marshal,” Andre said.

“Ethan Gallagher was born and raised here, learned how to play hockey here, and has played in the big leagues with several teams over the years. He always comes back to Maplewood in the offseason to spend time with friends and family and run a youth hockey camp. And even when he’s away during the hockey season, he supports this community in so many ways. Please welcome Ethan to the stage.”

The walk to the microphone felt like skating through mud.

Applause washed over me as Andre met me at center stage with a huge smile and shook my hand.

His touch was even more steadying than Mickey’s had been.

Taking my place, I put my hands on the sides of the podium and worked to not grip it too tightly.

“Thank you, everyone, for that incredibly warm welcome.” My voice cracked on the first words. I paused, took a breath, and found my moms and Liam in the crowd. “To be honest, when I was asked to be the grand marshal of this year’s Pride festival, my first thought was, you’ve got the wrong guy .”

The words started flowing more naturally, just like they had during the practice sessions. I talked about growing up here, about my moms, about learning how to play hockey at school and at the place I now called home.

My voice broke again, though, as I talked about the camp where we brought so many young people together.

This time it was pure happiness as I shared how proud I was of our players coming together across different languages and skill levels.

I caught Milo’s and Tommy’s bright smiles as I took a breath.

As I talked about the library’s work protecting access to books, I decided that was a reason to steal a glance behind me at Andre. His eyes widened, possibly surprised to hear his work mentioned, but it was important work for the queer community.

By the time I reached the end, my voice was steady and strong. “So, thank you for your support, thank you for standing together, and thank you for making Maplewood the incredible place that it is. It’s an honor to celebrate Pride with all of you. Happy Pride, everyone!” I waved to the crowd.

The response was immediate and enthusiastic. My moms were the first on their feet, followed quickly by others until the entire audience stood cheering. Relief, joy, and satisfaction washed over me.

I survived it, and I thought I’d done pretty well.

Andre stepped up beside me, waiting for the applause to die down.

“Thank you, Ethan. You’ll find Ethan at many of our activities over the weekend.

And you’ll get to see him, some of his friends from the NHL, and the teens who are part of the hockey camp play at Saturday’s charity game.

” He glanced at me with a grin. “But before that, we have one more important thing to do—planting this year’s Pride maple tree. ”

Mayor Axelrod came back on stage to join us as volunteers brought forward a young maple sapling, a decorative pot, and soil in another pot.

“This tree represents our commitment to growing and nurturing our inclusive community,” Mayor Axelrod explained.

“Every year since Maplewood’s first Pride march in 1970, we plant one during our celebrations, creating a living reminder.

For this weekend the tree will be on display here in Maplewood City Park and then it will be transplanted in Pride Grove. ”

The mayor took the sapling and put it into the pot, which already had some soil in the bottom, and she held it as Andre and I took turns adding soil. As I patted the dirt into place, I thought about how this tree would grow along with Maplewood, becoming part of the town’s story.

Once the ceremony concluded, people dispersed toward the vendor tents and other activities. I jumped off the stage to accept congratulations and answer questions about Saturday’s game. My moms hugged me tight before heading to the theater to welcome people attending the afternoon film lineup.

“That was beautiful.” Andre’s voice came from behind me. I turned and found myself face to face with him. “Thank you for mentioning the library’s work.”

“I meant every word.” I took his hand in mine. “Your work matters.”

His brown eyes sparkled in the sunlight as he glanced at his watch. “We should head over to meet Maya, the reporter from Burlington. She’s talking with Wade about the streaming aspect.” He pointed to where the two were talking at one of the camera setups.

“Lead the way.” We walked through the park, which was alive with chatter and laughter, with music playing through the speakers on the stage. “All of this is amazing, Andre. You and your team did an incredible job.”

“We all did.” He bumped his shoulder against mine. “I’m glad the opening ceremony’s done and things are underway. What I’m really looking forward to is more time with you.”

“I’ve got a lot of art to look at after the interview, but can we get together later? Check out some of the festival together?”

“Yes, to all of that. Let’s touch base later in the afternoon and we can figure it out.”