“But no flirting,” Theo said.
“Mr. Santos said I graduated to Rainbow Romance.”
Theo said, “Very cute.”
They ended up with two bags each—rainbow shorts, glitter eyeliner, a pink wig for Theo, and a soft pastel-blue one Finn wasn’t sure he could pull off but bought anyway because Theo insisted it matched his eyes.
By lunchtime, they were starving. Finn and Theo grabbed a table outside a deli, the kind with wobbly metal legs and a bright yellow umbrella that flapped every time the breeze rolled in from the bay. The air carried a mix of toasted bread, sea salt, and the faint sweetness of someone’s iced coffee drifting by. Cable cars clanged in the distance, their bells echoing off the steep streets.
“I love it here,” Finn said, unwrapping his turkey sandwich.
Theo took a huge bite of his roast beef. “Me too. I keep wondering what Charlottesville will be like.”
Finn shrugged. “Never been. But the food here is ridiculous.” He lifted his sandwich. “This is the best turkey I’ve ever had.”
Theo wiped his mouth with a napkin. “I called my mother last night. Told her I want to move to Virginia with a man.”
Finn put his sandwich down. “And?”
“She got upset at first,” Theo said, picking at the crust of his bread. “But she agreed to talk to my uncle. He’s the one paying for school. She said if I could get into another program, she’d move to Charlottesville too. But only if I stay in Charlottesville after my last year.”
Finn leaned back in his chair, watching a group of tourists pose in front of a mural splashed with neon colors. “So what happens if your uncle won’t pay for your last year in Virginia?”
“David told me not to stress about it.” Theo took another bite, talking around it. “He said if it comes to that, he’ll help me. But honestly, my uncle’s always been supportive. He bought my Pride Express tickets. He just wants me happy.”
Finn smiled. “I bet it all works out.”
A cable car rattled past them, tourists hanging off the side, cheering as it climbed the hill. The sun broke through the fog for a moment, lighting up the rainbow flags lining the street.
“Tomorrow’s going to be so much fun,” Finn said. “I can’t wait.”
Theo grinned. “Me too.”
They sat there for a moment, letting the city buzz around them—the chatter, the clanging bells, the smell of the ocean drifting in from somewhere beyond the buildings. It felt like the kind of day that stuck with you.
And Finn liked that.
Finn had just dipped a French fry into ketchup when his phone started ringing. He glanced at the screen. “Oh boy,” he muttered. “My parents.”
Theo perked up. “Put it on speaker. I want to hear what Danish parents sound like.”
Finn rolled his eyes but tapped the speaker anyway. “Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad.”
His mother’s voice came through first. “Hi, sweetheart! How are you doing?”
His dad chimed in. “Where are you? It sounds loud.”
Finn swallowed his bite. “Uh… I’m in San Francisco.”
There was a pause.
His mom said, “San Francisco? Did you take a trip alone?”
“Yeah,” Finn said, leaning back in his chair. “I went on a Pride Train. Cross-country. It was amazing.”
Theo gave him thumbs-up.
His dad sounded impressed. “We wondered why you hadn’t mentioned it to us, but I saw your Pride Train ticket and was waiting to hear, but nothing. I know we’re in Denmark, but we still want to keep up with your daily life.”
