Page 4 of The Winging It Holiday Special

Dante’s parents had relocated to a quiet suburb of Raleigh. That wasn’t a problem; it was nice that they were in a place where he had games a couple times during the season. Plus, great barbecue.

But he was having a minor crisis about it because—

“So, like.” He frowned as he stood in the doorway to the office and tried to figure out how to say this. “Do you think my parents are going to adopt a polycule of lesbians?”

From the desk, Gabe blinked at him. Slowly he reached forward, turned off the monitor, and swiveled to face Dante. “A what?”

“Polycule,” Dante repeated. “You know, polyamory?” When Gabe’s blank expression remained, he realized he’d jumped ahead of the conversation. “Their new neighbors are a throuple. Three girls, one bed? Women,” he corrected automatically. “Anyway, Mom and Dad invited them to Thanksgiving.”

Finally the lightbulb went on. “Gotcha. Anyway. Not surprising, your parents are kind of….”

“Like us?” Dante realized. Treating your teammates like family was a hockey-player thing, but he and Gabe were kind of next-level about it. Not a lot of guys had teammates who named their kid after them.

Gabe wrinkled his nose. “Technically I thinkyou’relikethem.”

“Anyway,” Dante continued, because he did actually have a point and he needed to get it out now before Gabe could freak out, “it won’t just be the four of us at Thanksgiving dinner.”

“Okay?”

Had Gabe just not put all the pieces together? He’d beensuperweird about Canadian Thanksgiving without his dad.

Then again, this was Dante’s family, not his. He only had a few years of experience to build expectations on. Maybe a changeup here wasn’t as big of a deal.

Maybe Dante was being the weird one now. He was maybe a little concerned that his parents were going to see the neighbors had a kid and start making noise about grandchildren, which was a subject he had been mentally and verbally dodging.

“You’re okay with new people at family dinner?”

Gabe shrugged, cementing the fact that it was Dante who was wigging out. “I guess I’ll wear my good suit.”

“And torment me with an awkward boner at family dinner?” Dante mock gasped. This conversation needed a new direction.

Gabe was probably about to make a smartass remark about how many other ways Dante had embarrassed himself at dinner, family and otherwise, but before he could do more than open his mouth, Dante’s phone rang.

Gabby Yorkshire.Five was definitely too young to have your own phone, never mind one with an international calling plan, but what did Dante know; he didn’t have kids.

“Trouble!” he said cheerfully. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

The only answer was muffled sniffling.

Shit.

“Gabby?” he tried. “Sweetheart, did you pocket dial me?” Please let her have pocket dialed him.

No such luck. “Uncle Dante?”

Dante’s face must’ve been doing something obvious, because Gabe picked up his own phone with a questioning expression. Dante held up a finger.

“Yeah, sweetie, it’s me. What’s wrong?”

Another sniff, then a wail. “Mommy and Daddy don’t want me anymore!”

Oh fuck,what?

“I’m sure that’s not true.” Dante hoped he didn’t sound like his heart had just shattered into a thousand pieces or like he was shitting his pants in terror. He did not have the training for this. “What makes you say that?”

An extremely wet gurgle followed. Gabby was cute and she probably really needed a hug, but part of Dante was a little glad he wasn’t in snot-bubble range. He was too young to start carrying a pocket handkerchief. “They’re gonna have a new baby. They won’t need me anymore.”

The words about knocked Dante on his ass. It felt like he’d taken a slap shot to the chest.

---