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TWO

ANDRE

I stepped into Red’s and the familiar scent of coffee, maple syrup, and bacon hit me as I made my way to our usual table in the back. Olivia was already there, her vibrant green hair a stark contrast to the others in the diner.

“Morning, sunshine,” she chirped, sliding a steaming mug toward me.

“Thanks,” I said before taking a sip. I’d been up too late between library work and festival details. “Where’s Wade?”

As if on cue, the bell above the door chimed and Wade rushed in, their laptop bag slung over one shoulder.

“Sorry I’m late,” they panted, sliding into the booth next to Olivia. “My alarm took the morning off.”

“Don’t worry about it,” I said, stifling a yawn. “I’ve only been here about a minute. Olivia, of course, beat us both. How are you two this morning?”

Olivia smiled brightly. “I should be sleepier, but I’m doing great. I got carried away designing last night.”

“I’m good. Psyched that we’ve got less than a week to go.” Wade drank from the coffee Olivia put in front of them. “What about you, boss?”

“Trying not to be worried that we’ve bitten off more than we can chew. This is our most ambitious Pride celebration yet.”

Ingrid came over to get our order. “What can I get you all?” She looked at me.

“I’ll have my usual veggie omelet and toast, please.”

Ingrid nodded.

Olivia went next. “Blueberry waffles and maple sausage for me.”

“And I’ll take the maple bacon pancake stack special.” Wade sounded eager.

“Half or full?” Ingrid asked.

“It’s gotta be a full stack.”

Olivia’s mouth dropped open. “You’re going to fall back asleep before we’re even done with this meeting.”

“Nah, I’m only going to eat half. The rest will be for dinner.”

“Uh-huh.” Olivia shot a doubting look to me and I shrugged while Wade rolled their eyes.

“Don’t judge me.” Wade got their bag off the floor and pulled out their laptop.

“So it’s pretty last minute, but I had an idea.

” They looked at Olivia and me before they continued.

“We’re already planning to stream the main stage events but there are so many other amazing things happening. What if we could stream more?”

That was a fantastic idea. “How would we even do that?”

“Well…” Wade paused.

I shot them a smile and nodded. Wade had shared with me last year that they sometimes feared their enthusiasm overshadowed the ideas they had. I did everything I could to encourage their big thoughts.

“I’m pretty sure we could turn it into a media project for some friends I have at school.

I was helping a couple of them out last night and told them what I was doing here with the streaming and the VR history project.

That triggered a whole discussion about streaming more to show off the festival, the town, everything that makes Maplewood special. ”

Ingrid brought the food, and Wade quickly moved the laptop out of the way. While Olivia and I had one plate each, three plates with pancakes, bacon, hash browns, and eggs landed in front of Wade. Their eyes lit up as they surveyed the food.

“I love the idea. It could be an amazing showcase. What did you and your friends come up with?”

As we dug in, Wade explained that there’d be a mix of computer science and journalism students here to run the streams. For events that might not stream well on their own, the journalists could provide commentary, maybe interview people and such.

It would not only showcase the festival but also be something for the students’ portfolios as well.

“I like it.” I reached down to pull my tablet from my backpack.

With the pencil, I scribbled a few notes.

“Can you put together a full proposal including how many people would be involved, the plan, and what tasks there are to pull it all together? And I kind of need that before the meeting tonight.”

“Already on it.” Wade didn’t even stop to think about it. “I’ve got most of it ready. I’ll have it to you by noon.”

“Great. Good job.”

“That’s very cool.” Olivia stole some hash browns from one of Wade’s plates. “Let me know if there’s anything I can do.”

“Will do.”

“And everything’s set with the VR project?

” I wanted to make sure that was still good to go.

The expansive project, chronicling Maplewood’s history and its Pride celebrations, was a central part of Thursday and Friday’s educational sessions.

We couldn’t lose focus on that while adding more streaming.

“It is. I’m doing the final check today and I’ll have the demo units for you and Mayor Axelrod to try out tomorrow as planned.”

“I’m looking forward to that.” I smiled. I knew they’d have it ready, but it eased my mind to hear them say it.

“So I’ve got something new too.” Olivia rummaged in her bag and brought out a notebook. She handed me folded pages that made up a program. “This is what I came up with last night.”

Her artistic flair had transformed our basic program into a vibrant, eye-catching one that captured the spirit of Maplewood’s Pride.

Small illustrations brought each event to life, using a palette of warm oranges, deep reds, and rich purples reminiscent of autumn maple leaves interspersed with the rainbow colors of Pride.

Some of the drawings stood out. For the parade, she created a procession of colorful floats and at the front a tiny Ethan Gallagher waved from a convertible adorned with maple leaves and rainbow flags.

The dance performance featured one man lifting another, a scene I recognized from one of the promo photographs we had.

For the exhibition hockey game, she’d created an action-packed scene with players mid-motion on the ice.

Intricate maple leaf patterns morphing into various Pride symbols decorated the margins of every page.

The result was a program that was not just informative but a work of art in itself.

It wasn’t a surprise. Olivia created all sorts of designs for Maplewood festivals, but this one was above and beyond.

Each individual drawing could easily hang in The Wild Palette’s gallery, alongside the other artwork she curated from Maplewood artists.

“I don’t know what to say.” I handed the mock-up to Wade. “It’s stunning. You did that last night?”

She nodded. “I had one idea for the parade, and then I just kept coming up with more.”

“I wish we’d charged more for the ads since they’re going to be surrounded by your gorgeous art.”

“Wow,” Wade said under their breath.

Olivia beamed. “Thank you. I’m glad you like it.” She took it back from Wade. “I’ll talk to the printer to see what this version costs and if it can be done in time.”

“It’ll be worth the money. I’m sure we can shift funds if we need to.”

We spent another hour talking about all the events and the status of everything. In the midst of it, Ingrid cleared away our dishes and boxed up Wade’s leftovers.

“Now, about the grand marshal duties…” I trailed off, unable to keep the edge from my voice. The thought of working with Ethan frustrated me despite my best efforts to remain professional.

Olivia raised an eyebrow. “Has something happened?”

I forced a smile, shoving my personal feelings aside. Selecting the grand marshal was a community decision, and I had to work with whoever was chosen.

“No. He arrived yesterday as planned. It’s just… a lot of moving parts to coordinate. He’s got his hockey camp starting too. And honestly, we don’t normally have someone of his status as the GM.”

Wade looked up from their screen. “He’s certainly a big draw. There’s a lot of buzz because he’s got some of his NHL friends with him for the charity game.”

“Yes, the extra attention’s great,” I said quickly, not wanting to dampen their enthusiasm. “I’m sure he’ll be fine. I just want to make sure we brief him properly on all his activities.”

Olivia leaned forward, her expression thoughtful. She knew our history and that I wasn’t happy about his selection. “I can meet with him if that helps.”

I sighed, running a hand over the top of my shaved head. “I appreciate it, but I’ll take care of it. As the lead organizer, it’s my responsibility.”

She nodded. “Well, tell me if you need anything.”

“Thanks.” I tried to give her a reassuring smile. “I think that’ll do it. I feel good about where we are. Can we meet up in the mornings at this same time over the next few days, just to check in?”

“And more pancakes!” Wade said.

Their enthusiasm helped me put aside any concerns.

As we packed up, Mickey, my best friend and the son of the diner’s owner, came over. “Sorry I couldn’t join in this morning. How’s everything?”

“It’s looking good,” I said. “Thanks for organizing all the food vendors and sponsoring the picnic.”

He beamed. “Always! Oh, and congrats on that award you and the library are up for. That’s amazing.”

My face heated in a flush of pride. “Thank you. It’s an honor to be recognized for the banned books initiative.”

Olivia leaned in, her curiosity piqued. “How do I not know about this?”

“It only got announced late yesterday afternoon, and the library is getting a release out today.” I couldn’t hold in a big smile.

“Good job, boss,” Wade said. “It’s great what you’re doing.”

“Thanks.” I was at a loss for words. The announcement had been unexpected and I was still taking it in alongside everything else going on. “I need to get going and open up the library. We’re meeting the next few mornings. Can you hold our table for us?”

“Will do.” A bell rang and Mickey looked over to find one of the servers with a big order. “I’m going to help them. I’ll see you all tomorrow.”

As we were settling the bill, the bell above the door chimed, and Nicolas Montgomery walked in with Mr. Barclay.

“Andre!” Nicolas called out, his face lighting up with recognition. “How are you?”

I went to him and we hugged. “It’s all good. How’s life in Boston?”

“Busy but good.” I heard the weight he carried in his voice. “Just taking care of some business here.”

That was fortuitous. “How long are you around? I heard you’re selling your family’s place. I’d love to talk to you about that.”

Nicolas looked sheepish. “I actually sold it this morning. That’s why I’m here.”

“Oh. I didn’t know it’d been officially listed.”

“It came together really quickly with Ethan Gallagher.”

My stomach dropped, and I hoped I kept my expression neutral. “Ethan. Well, that’s… unexpected.”

Nicolas nodded, oblivious to my inner turmoil. “He spent a lot of time there and he wanted to keep that part of his childhood. I didn’t know you were interested.”

“Don’t worry about it. I had some ideas bouncing around. I’m glad you were able to get that wrapped up quickly.”

“Yeah. It was for the best. I wish we had time to catch up, but I need to get to my meeting.” He gestured to where Mr. Barclay sat reading his phone. “Good luck with the festival. I’m sad to miss it this year.”

“Thanks.” I hugged him again. “You might even be able to watch it from Boston if Wade’s plan comes together.” Wade smiled as I nodded in their direction.

“That would be amazing. Send me the details.”

After we said our goodbyes, I headed out.

My mind reeled. Ethan Gallagher bought the Montgomery place? How did that happen so quickly? I took a deep breath, trying to quell my frustration.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. Dad’s smiling face lit up the screen, and I answered.

“Hey, Dad!” Hearing from him improved my mood. “Didn’t expect to hear from you today.”

“We had to call. Just heard about your nomination. Congratulations!” Dad’s voice radiated happiness. “We’re so proud of you.”

“You’re amazing!” Sato, my stepdad, called out from somewhere in the background.

“Thanks, both of you. I’m still processing it, to be honest.”

“You deserve it. Your banned books initiative has made significant impact.” Dad paused. “How’s the festival prep going? You holding up okay?”

I forced brightness into my voice. They didn’t need to know about the challenges, especially since they were halfway around the world in Tokyo.

“Everything’s on track. Just finished a planning meeting, actually.

Lots of exciting things coming together.

Grandma’s going to be able to watch at least some of it from there. ”

“She would love that,” Sato said, closer to the phone now.

“Speaking of Grandma, how’s the birthday celebration?”

“She’s having the time of her life,” Dad said. “She sends her love.”

“Tell her I love her right back, and happy birthday again.”

We chatted for a few more minutes, and they mentioned they were looking forward to being home before the festival began. Right after we disconnected, Dad sent me a picture from earlier in the evening showing Sato’s mom surrounded by friends and family, beaming with joy.

The moment with my dads and seeing the terrific family photo provided a needed reset for my mood so that I could get on with the rest of the day.