As the afternoon wore on, the rain faded to a light drizzle, and counselors began guiding campers toward their scheduled activities. Despite the weather, a current of excitement buzzed through the air. The first true spark of Camp Pride had caught.
Colin’s mandatory drug education class went off without a hitch. He stood before the campers—shoulders squared, voice steady, no badge in sight—while Joshua sat near the back, quietly watching, his heart filled with pride. Colin didn’t preach. He gave them only facts—unflinching, unsweetened. The campers listened. Some leaned forward. Some sat still and silent. One or two wiped away tears. Afterward, he rejoined the group in the dining hall and raised his voice above the noise. “Baseball squad!” he called. “Meet me at the diamond. We’ll wait in the dugout until the rain stops. First order of business—picking a kick-ass name for our team! Then, weather permitting, Trent and I will lead some baserunning drills.”
His team let out a cheer.
“Playwriting group!” Nate called out, standing on a table in a corner of the dining room. “Our outdoor pavilion is soaked, so we’re meeting here to discuss first ideas for our play!”
“Cooking class, the kitchen awaits!” David called, standing in the kitchen doorway. “We’re making tonight’s dessert, so let’s GO!”
“Botanical scavenger hunt and terrarium building group meets over here,” Jeff yelled from a table near the door. “I’ll be handing out flashcards to use on our first hike, and you can pick your terrarium jar.”
“Group One,” Joshua called out. “Mandatory group counseling takes place now, in the counselor’s hall. Any of you who also signed up for other activities can return to them once we’re done. Afternoon snack here in the dining room at three thirty, then an hour and a half of free time before dinner. Weather permitting, Colin will be available at the lake for some rowing classes, and Trent will also be at the lake serving as lifeguard if anyone wants to swim.”
In the counselor’s hall, Joshua gathered six campers in a circle around him. “First things first: this is a safe place. Here,you can share what you’re feeling or what is happening in your life without being judged. Along the way, you may discover that you’re not as alone in your thoughts and feelings as you thought you were. Also, if you’re worried that I’ll ask you to ‘open up about your deepest trauma’ in the next five minutes, relax—not going to happen.”
Joshua flicked his gaze across the table to gauge their engagement. A couple of campers met his eyes, wary but still listening, and one crossed his arms, clearly skeptical. “I only have one rule,” Joshua continued. “And that rule is one word long:respect. That means we listen when others talk, we support any of our members who are struggling without judging them, and we’re honest with each other. Respect also means that what gets said in this groupstaysin this group.”
“Mr. Campbell-Abrams?” one of the boys said, raising his hand.
“It’s Josh,” Joshua told him. “Did you have a question, Luke?” He glanced around the room. “And please, put your name tags on so I can learn your names.”
“The blond guy … the baseball coach? He said Nate got attacked by a raccoon! Did he?”
Another boy shifted in his seat. “Josh, what if someonedoestalk about it later? The stuff we say here.” He hesitated. “Uh … my name is Robert. Bobby.” His tone wasn’t defiant, just wary.
Joshua nodded, appreciating the honesty. “Fair question.” He turned to the first boy. “Luke, I’ll answer your question in a second.” Then he turned back to Bobby. “I can’t control what people do outside this room. But here’s what Icantell you: sharing what is said here outside of these sessions is a betrayal of our trust. Anyone who does that will be asked to leave the group.”
There were startled reactions from the campers, and the youth with crossed arms narrowed his eyes. “So … if someone screws up, they get kickedout?”
Joshua held his gaze. “No. They removethemselvesby not respecting what this safe space is for.” He leaned closer to the group. “And that goes for me too. I don’t talk about what’s said in this room. To anyone.”
A pause. The skeptical boy gave a slow nod.
Joshua exhaled, letting the tension ease, then softened his tone. “However, anyone whoisasked to leave will be allowed back in by a unanimous vote of the entire group. Look, I know that trust takes time. No one’s expecting you to pour your heart out today. But Idoexpect you to look out for each other. This camp is about being safe. Belonging.Not tearing each other down. That’s also what PRIDE is about. And that starts right here in this room.”
Then, he clapped his hands once, shaking off the tension. “All right. Now, the real scandal—my husband slandering Nate with raccoon attack stories. Because, you see, the big, blond, baseball coach also happens to be my husband. And he’s the world’s biggest tease.”
That got a few grins, and Joshua silently blessed the man he had married.
He gave the boys a cautious glance, then drew in a huge, fake sigh. “Remember! This is just between us because, truth to tell, it IS pretty damned funny.” He rubbed his hands together and grinned. “He didn’t get attacked. But the damn thing did scare the bejesus outta him! Scared me too!” He spread his hands wide apart. “It was THIS big!”
The group burst into laughter, and Joshua made a comical face.
“Well …” he drawled out, then grimaced and brought his hands much closer together. “Colin says it wasthisbig.” Heinched closer to the group. “He and David chased it away, but still I’ll make him check our cabin every night before we go in … just in case a wild animal decides to make a home in our closet!”
He shook his head, grinning. “I felt bad about laughing, but Nate washilarious. I swear to god, it was like watching the guy inJurassic Parkwho was sitting on the toilet when the T. rex came!”
The boyshowledwith laughter.
“Ew! NO ONE deserves that,” one camper gasped between giggles.
“Dude, I’d make my boyfriend check, too,” another snickered.
The laughter faded, but the camaraderie remained. One of the boys, a lanky kid with a cautious expression, looked around at the others before finally speaking up.
“So … does that mean we can talk about, like … other stuff here?”
Joshua met his eyes. “You can talk aboutanythinghere.”
