Abel plans to sabotage his father David’s wedding by giving a disparaging toast. While rehearsing his speech in the bathroom, Abel encounters Travis, his 9-year-old future stepbrother, secretly playing in the linen closet. Things take a turn when David's attempt at reconciliation with Abel spirals into an argument. Adding to the turmoil, Travis accidentally reveals parts of Abel's speech to his mother, Priscilla, leading to a probing inquiry about Abel's troubled upbringing.
Abel forges a connection with Travis, as he recognizes parallels between his own past and his stepbrother's current struggles. Wrestling with conflicting emotions, Abel has to decide whether to go through with his planned sabotage or give his soon-to-be stepbrother the chance to have the father he never had. What choice will he make?
This is a story for outsiders—for anyone who has ever felt left out, abandoned, or exploited. It is about family. As a child, Abel had little choice over his circumstances. As the story progresses, he wrestles with choices about which parts of himself—shaped by his upbringing—he wants to keep, let go of, or change. Abel’s story invites us to explore the possibility of change at a time when so much seems intractable.
Ultimately, I hope this story will remind us that no matter where we come from, no matter how broken or bruised we are, we should draw these parts of ourselves—these wounds we try to numb—close. For it is only in this embrace that we can listen, reflect, and grow—to choose a different path, to find another way.
Abel: Smart. Talented. Wounded. A computer science major more interested in becoming a stand up comic. Toxically self-sufficient. Feels that if he were to disappear, no one would notice.
David: Abel’s father. A neglectful and emotionally abusive father to Abel. Wants a new beginning with his new family without confronting his past. Yearns to reconnect with Abel but is stuck figuring out how.
Travis: Perceptive. Nerdy. A storyteller and chess enthusiast. Always listening. An outcast. Reminds Abel of his younger self.
Priscilla: David’s bride-to-be and Travis’ mother. Fiercely protective of Travis. Knows that David is flawed and trying to change, but is unaware of the extent to which he has hurt Abel.
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