On Thin Ice

01

I had always known, somewhere deep down, that I was different. My mother had always insisted that I wasn't, that she had raised me perfectly as her little church boy that could do no wrong. She raised me as if I was her puppet, pulling the strings of my life and forcing me to live under her command. She would have continued controlling me too, if I hadn't told her I was gay.

That was all it took for me to be thrown out and sent to live with my father and his family, not that I minded too much. I was never too close with my father, only seeing him on some weekends, but he was never harsh to me.

When I called him to tell him that Mom had thrown me out of the house, he immediately rushed over to take me to his place. A month later, my mother had given up custody of me and fully gave it to my father and I was to live with him, his wife, her son, and my younger half-sister.

"Elijah?" my father said quietly, tapping on my bedroom door lightly.

"Come in," I called out, sitting at my desk and typing on my laptop.

My father entered the room, but stayed at the doorway, leaning on the frame. He was still dressed in his business-casual attire for work, briefcase in hand as I turned to stare at him expectantly.

"Just wanted to check in and see if you needed any last-minute things before try-outs tomorrow," he informed me kindly.

While my father hadn't been in my life too much after he split with my mom, he was really making up for it when I needed him most. Part of me couldn't even blame him for his absence in my life because I was sure my mother had everything to do with keeping him away.

"I should be good," I answered casually. "I went back to Mom's to grab all my hockey stuff when she wasn't home."

Dad nodded. "Okay, just let me know if you need anything. I'm sure Joshua has some things you can borrow if you need to."

"Okay," I said with a nod. "Thanks Dad."

"Dinner will be ready in ten," he said before shutting my door tightly to presumably go change out of his work clothes.

After he left the room, I shut my laptop and stood up from my desk to head downstairs. When I got in the kitchen, my stepmother, Mindy, and little sister, Ava, were setting the table.

"Need any help?" I asked.

Mindy smiled kindly at me. "Sure, Elijah."

I took Mindy's spot next to Ava to set the table while she went over to the stove to take dinner out of the oven. Dad came down shortly after and helped Mindy finish off the food. The four of us sat down, an empty spot beside me.

"Should we wait on Josh?" Dad asked Mindy as she stared over at the empty place in annoyance.

"No, I-"

Mindy was cut off by the kitchen door opening and Josh storming into the house quickly, looking distressed.

"Joshua, I told you to be home before dinner," Mindy told him sternly.

"I know, I'm sorry," Josh apologized, rushing over to her to give her a kiss on the cheek. "I lost track of time."

Josh hastily washed his hands at the kitchen sink before plopping down beside me and filling his plate. Josh and I never really said much to each other. He drove me to and from school and the two of us shared small talk, but that was pretty much it. I wasn't entirely sure he wasn't a homophobe, but he never gave me any trouble so I just chose to let it be.

"Are you boys excited for try-outs tomorrow?" Mindy asked as she cut into her food. I nodded, taking a bite of my own.

Josh looked at me briefly. "It should be fun."