Chapter Five #2
Finn laughed. “What’s the hurry?” He didn’t resist, too curious to see where they were going. He couldn’t imagine what was so important and so top-secret.
“Imogen!” a voice rang out. Finn spotted the speaker immediately.
Sawyer stood on the corner, tucked closer to the building than the curb, jumping up and down and waving his arms. He wore a cropped black tee with the text Cisn’t in blue, pink, and white letters, over low-riding jeans that left the rainbow-coloured band of his boxers on show.
He’d accessorized with a He/Him pin over his heart, Converse with rainbow laces, and trans-flag earrings.
The kids collided for a hug, and Finn noticed Sawyer’s shadow.
Robbie watched the kids with a fond smile.
He was leaning casually against a lamppost like a pinup, arms casually crossed over a pink T-shirt with the slogan I heart queers.
His hair was swept up in an artfully messy bun, and he wore heart-shaped rainbow sunglasses.
He too had a He/Him badge and rainbow laces on his shoes.
Finn couldn’t remember ever panting so hard over such a basic outfit.
Somehow Robbie managed to make even the dollar-store sunnies look like a designer choice.
Of course, the attractiveness of the look might have something to do with Robbie’s willingness to play “ally” today despite his closet and risk being publicly outed despite not being ready to take the step, all for the sake of his nephew.
Finn was in so much trouble.
“Love the fit,” Finn quipped, stepping closer to be heard.
Robbie laughed. “You don’t look so bad yourself.” He eyed Finn up and down. “I like the shirt.”
God, was Finn actually blushing? He hoped the heat of the June day had warmed him up enough to hide it.
“What can I say? I know the Pride dress code.” Finding queer men who weren’t topless took more effort.
He was not going to think about what Robbie would think when he saw the back of Finn’s shorts.
“I hope that dress code includes sunscreen. Otherwise you’re going to be a lobster.”
“What do you take me for? I’m a prepared older brother—why else do you think I’ve got this?” He held up the small backpack he’d brought to carry sunscreen and water.
“Robbie!” Sawyer’s chirp made Robbie turn to him immediately, attentive mama bird. “Imogen says people are giving away free stuff. Can we go see?”
“Nah, I just brought you all the way here so you could see what you were missing out on when I dragged you back home in five.”
Sawyer rolled his eyes. “Thanks, Papa Bear. We’re going this way.” He gestured with the hand not holding Imogen’s, and then the kids headed off in the direction Finn and Imogen had come from.
“I guess we’re following,” Finn said, bemused.
“Guess so.” Robbie straightened from his lamppost lounge.
“So.” Finn would’ve put his hands in his pockets, but given the material and the fit of the shorts, that would have been borderline indecent even for Pride. “First time partaking?”
Robbie glanced at him sideways and then returned his eyes to the kids. “In the parade, or was that another attempt at subtlety?”
Finn really had a knack for putting his foot in his mouth. “Definitely meant the parade. The rest is not my business.” Even if he wanted it to be.
“Yeah, first time. Why, do I stick out that much?”
“You’d be less conspicuous if you took your shirt off.” But also that much more easily identified as one of us. “But I was just asking. Like, do I need to show you the ropes? All the best Pride traditions? We wouldn’t want Sawyer to miss out.”
Robbie squinted at him from behind his novelty glasses. “Traditions? Why do I feel like you’re making that up.”
“Wellll,” Finn hedged.
Robbie snorted.
“It’s really just the one tradition. But it’s important to teach the kids.” Robbie would get a kick out of it too.
After a while it was time to stop wandering and wait for the fanfare to begin. Robbie’s height and broad shoulders gave them an advantage when moving to the front, since both Sawyer and Imogen were too short to see over the throngs.
“Remember to avert your eyes when I tell you,” Robbie said, nudging Sawyer’s shoulder from behind.
Sawyer slapped his hand away. “You’re so embarrassing.”
“That’s the job.”
The spectacle of queer joy began. Finn had known he was bi for most of his life, but it didn’t feel like something to celebrate until the first time his dad took him to the parade.
The first float featured drag queens dancing to “Born This Way.” As the June sun baked the concrete, they pulled out Super Soakers and started to douse the crowd.
“Please tell me this is water,” Robbie said under his breath as he wiped his forehead.
“What, you think a drag queen would waste lube like that?” Finn brushed water from his chest. There was glitter stuck in his chest hair. “Nah. Just water and body glitter.”
The lube came a few floats down—one sponsored by an adult-novelty-shop chain—in the form of individual packets tossed out by employees in fetish gear.
Robbie playfully tried to cover Sawyer’s eyes.
Imogen’s ears went bright pink when she caught one that almost hit her in the face.
Finn pointedly looked away so he didn’t find out what she did with it.
Unfortunately that meant he did see Robbie stick a couple in his pocket. “Interesting marketing tactic,” he commented.
Finn inclined his head. “Well, you’ve heard of ‘word of mouth….’”
The next freebies were magnets, palm-sized rainbows with the words You’re Safe With Me printed along the bottom. Robbie made grabby hands as soon as the woman in the She/Her tank and tulle rainbow skirt was within shouting distance.
She gave him two and a wink for his enthusiasm.
“Sweet.” Robbie offered Finn the spare and carefully pocketed his own.
“Must you be cringe?” Sawyer asked with an eye roll and a smile that belied his embarrassment.
“Free souvenir magnet, Sawyer. Free.”
“You know, other people’s parents are simps for their partners or their kids, not tchotchkes they could afford a billion of.”
Robbie grinned unrepentantly.
Sawyer turned back to the parade, and Finn lifted an eyebrow at Robbie. “Magnets?”
“I have a collection.” He shrugged. “As I’m sure you’re aware, there isn’t actually a whole lot to do in airports other than wait, eat, or shop.”
“But why magnets?”
Robbie scratched his nose. “Snow delay at the Edmonton airport after my first away game. We won the night before. I was bored and saw a magnet that said ‘YEG – City of Champions Sometimes,’ I figured it was fate.”
Various other floats followed—some sponsored by doctors or hospitals, some by businesses, some by clubs.
The library had one too. Between them marched activists of all shapes, sizes, colours, and gender presentations with signs that bore slogans like Trans Rights Are Human Rights and We’re Here, We’re Queer, We Like Shakespeare (this one was for a gay community theatre group).
“Ah,” Finn said, spying the next float—and clocking the different tenor in the roar of the crowd. “Here they come. Okay, kids. I need your attention for a minute. History lesson.”
Sawyer and Imogen turned around. “Right now?” Sawyer complained.
Imogen elbowed him.
“Right.” Finn didn’t have a lot of time, so he boiled the history down to a soundbite.
“So, once upon a time in New York City, before there was Pride, there were riots when the police tried to arrest a bunch of trans and gender nonconforming folks for being queer. And so when the city in its infinite wisdom elects to allow police participation in the sacred Pride parade….” He clapped them on alternate shoulders and turned them around. “We boo.”
Sawyer looked over his shoulder at Robbie, eyes wide like he was concerned he’d get in trouble. “Really?”
“He’s a better guide than me,” Robbie said. “And all cops are bastards. Have at it.”
For a few minutes, chants of defund the police and similar filled the streets. Then the float passed and the exuberance returned.
Eventually the parade ended and the celebration dispersed throughout the city. Finn and Robbie let the kids stay a step in front of them until someone ran into Finn, apologized, then saw Robbie and did a double-take. Finn called for Sawyer and Imogen to wait.
“Oh my God,” the woman said. She wore a T-shirt with interlocking scissors and had her undercut pulled up into a ponytail.
“Sorry, uh, hi, but—you’re Robbie Zeiger, right?
” She clocked his shirt and her mouth worked, and Finn would’ve sworn they were gonna have a repeat of his own dumbass question in the locker room, but fortunately she seemed to have more restraint than he did, because she just said, “Uh, could I get a pic?”
For a second, Robbie blinked like he was worried about being caught at something, but the expression cleared before Finn could fully register it. “Yeah, sure,” he said. “Uh, Finn, can you—?”
“Wait!” The fan suddenly turned her eyes to Finn. “You’re Finn Graham! You’re on Dance Your Ice Off!”
Finn had long since gotten past the urge to wince when people said it. Canadians simply didn’t recognize pairs skaters the way they recognized professional hockey players. “Uh, yeah, hi. You like the show?”
“Best reality show on TV. I even have tickets to the first episode.”
That was kind of nice, actually. Finn waved Imogen over. “Hey, can you take a picture for us?”
They stood to either side of her, and Imogen snapped several pictures.
“Thanks so much,” she said, quickly flicking through the pictures. Then she turned back to face them. “I can’t believe you know each other.” Then dawning comprehension lit her eyes. “Wait… does this mean—?”
“I’ve signed a confidentiality contract and couldn’t possibly talk about anything work related.” Finn winked.
“Oh wow! I can’t wait to go now!”
Robbie tapped the side of his nose.
The fan swooned. “You were my favourite Beaver. So to speak.”
“That deserves a hug,” Robbie declared and pulled her in for one. “Enjoy Pride, bud.”