Nestled in southwest Alberta’s rolling foothills lies the quaint little town of Cardston—the Miller and Bradshaw families’ hometown. Cardston straddled the Lee Creek valley and served as a shopping and tourist hub for southwest Alberta, and was the unrivalled centre of Mormon life in Canada. Three-quarters of the town’s residents belonged to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, while the other quarter was Catholic and Baptist. The town’s social life revolved around family life, team sports and religion. 

Greg Miller was the captain of the town football team, the Cardston Cougars, and the proud son of John and Teresa Miller. Greg’s parents owned the only shoe store in town, where Greg helped on weekends and summer holidays. 

Greg and his teammates had been busy preparing for their next big game against the Calgary Golden Bears; it was the Cougars’ opportunity to bring back home the trophy they lost to the Bears three years ago. Unfortunately, John and Teresa couldn’t be there to cheer on their son—John had his business to run, and since Greg would be in Calgary, his mother would have to be at the store instead. Sales had been down, and closing for even one day could cause the family hardship in the coming months. Tyler had attended Greg’s practices ever since they met. You could tell in Tyler’s eyes how proud he was of his boyfriend―his secret boyfriend. Unfortunately, Greg and Tyler needed to be discreet and hide when they wanted to meet, a drawback of living in a small religious town. 

It was Greg’s last year of high school, and if his team won the game, it could mean a scholarship for him at the University of Alberta and a golden chance to play for the Golden Bears. Over dinner, Greg asked his parents once more if they were sure they couldn’t make the game. 

His father looked at him and said, “Sorry, Greg. I wish we could go, but we can’t close the business. You know how important November is to us.”

“Can’t you ask Steve to cover for you?”

“No. Steve has decided to move on, and even if he was still with us, I don’t have the money to pay for him to replace me. I’m sorry, son, you’ll have to do this one on your own.”

“You don’t need us there,” his mother said. “You’ll do just fine.”

“I know. It would have been nice to have you guys there, that’s all. But I understand,” Greg said.

“Besides,” his mother said, “if we went, we’d need a hotel room and Calgary’s expensive.”

Greg nodded and lowered his head. He quietly finished his meal, took his empty plate to the dishwasher, and went to his room. He turned on his computer and browsed the internet for anything and nothing, then went and laid in his bed, staring at the ceiling. Bummer. I’ll probably be the only guy whose parents won’t be there. 

He texted Tyler about meeting up. Thirty minutes later, Greg stopped by the living room and told his parents he was going out. He hopped on his bike and met his boyfriend, Tyler, at Lee Creek Park. 

Unlike Greg, who was a Catholic, Tyler was Baptist. Tyler thought being Baptist was very similar to other denominations, but their parents thought differently. A typical week for Tyler was packed with religion, beginning with a seminar at six in the morning, youth group on Wednesdays, and bible school on Sunday. In high school, Tyler was referred to as the boy who didn’t drink, smoke, or hook up with girls. There was nothing he’d like more than to be like the other guys his age, but his religion forbade it, as did his parents.

Tyler was already at the park when Greg arrived, sitting near the creek, leaning against a tree and lost in his thoughts. Greg quietly approached him from behind the tree and grabbed one of his arms.

“What the…” Tyler jerked his arm away, and Greg burst out laughing. 

“You scared me,” Tyler said.

“How’s it going, dude?”

“Okay. And you? Ready for the big game?”

“I think so, but it’s a bummer my folks can’t come.”

“Oh, that’s too bad.”

“Yeah, but what can you do?” Greg said with a shrug.

“Would you like me to be there? I can be your cheering section in the audience,” Tyler said with a smile.

“You would do that?”

“Of course.”

“That would be so cool. We could rent a room for after the game.” 

“Won’t you have one already?”

“Yeah, but we’re four of us in there, and I don’t think the coach would let you crash. Besides,” Greg said, leaning forward towards Tyler, “we wouldn’t be able to do this.” The two of them kissed.

“You have a point there,” Tyler said. “I’ll ask my parents to reserve a room for me. You need to keep your cash for university.”

“Will they let you go?” Greg asked, excited at the prospect of being with his boyfriend alone where no one knew them.

“Don’t worry about that. I’ll be there to support you,” Tyler said with confidence.

“I can’t wait for us to be at university so we can be together. I’m tired of hiding,” Greg said, looking at Tyler.

“Me too. You’ll have to wait, though, because you’re a school year ahead of me.” Tyler grinned.

“Right.” Greg made a sad face. “But you can join me the year after,” he said with a smile.

“Think of what would happen if our parents found out about us,” Tyler said, lost in his thoughts. 

“That’s a scary thought. Come here.” Greg placed his hands on Tyler’s shoulder and lowered him on his lap. 

Tyler rested his head on Greg’s lap, and Greg bent over and placed his lips on Tyler’s.