Tourist season at Lake Wallenpaupack means a break in the monotony of Alexi’s life. They’ve been secretly advertising the ice cream parlor they work at through the Foodspotting app, hoping that will bring even more customers. One such customer is Eli, a recent addition to the area with a bright and open disposition that Alexi is drawn to immediately. And since Eli is demisexual, Alexi welcomes him into their friend group of other queer twenty-somethings.<br><br>The more Alexi gets to know Eli, the more smitten they are. If only they didn’t have crippling self-esteem issues, problems at home with their dad, and enough emotional baggage to fill a freight train. They’re desperate to get out of that rut so they can have space in their heart for someone like Eli. After years of playing a passive role, making the first steps towards change might prove too much for them.

#IceCreamSundae

“That was…good,” their dad said after the movie ended. “I could see that being a new tradition for the day.”


“Yeah,” Alexi said with a half-genuine smile. “Sounds great.” Next year felt so far away, yet simultaneously way too soon. The six years Alexi had spent living alone with their dad all blurred together. A few events stood out because they were juxtaposed with a definite point in time, and most of them happened with Pat or the rest of Alexi’s friend group. Another six years or more of this made Alexi more nauseous than the smell of their dad’s pot smoke.


Alexi tossed and turned as they attempted to fall asleep that night. Their internal discomfort translated to external restlessness. It was as though they had never slept on this bed before and had no idea where to position their arms.


Chapter 29