Stan came home from work. He stepped into the kitchen and saw his wife, Molly, cooking dinner. He glanced around but didn\u2019t see his son, Mike, anywhere.<\/p>\n
\u201cWow, something smells great,\u201d Stan said as he walked over to Molly and kissed her on the cheek.<\/p>\n
\u201cThanks,\u201d Molly smiled. \u201cI wanted to make something special for you and Mike,\u201d she added, nodding toward the oven. Inside, a roast chicken was cooking. Molly had been staying home ever since Mike was born.<\/p>\n
Stan had asked her to leave her job so she could focus on their family. Stan liked things to be the way he grew up.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re amazing,\u201d Stan said, giving her a warm look. \u201cIs Mike upstairs in his room?\u201d<\/p>\n
Molly shook her head. \u201cNo, he\u2019s not home yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stan frowned. \u201cHe\u2019s been out late a lot this week. Do you think he\u2019s got a girlfriend?\u201d he asked, trying to sound casual.<\/p>\n
Molly let out a short laugh. \u201cA girlfriend? Stan, he\u2019s only eleven. The only thing he\u2019s thinking about is finishing that new video game.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stan chuckled. \u201cAnd how do you know that for sure?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m with him all day, remember?\u201d<\/p>\n
Stan raised his hands. \u201cAlright, you got me there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mike walked into the house while Stan and Molly were already at the table. He headed for his room, but Stan stopped him.<\/p>\n
\u201cMike!\u201d Stan called out.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, Dad?\u201d Mike replied, stepping into the kitchen.<\/p>\n
\u201cAren\u2019t you hungry? Dinner\u2019s ready,\u201d Stan said, looking at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m starving, but I need to change my clothes first,\u201d Mike answered, already turning toward the stairs.<\/p>\n
\u201cOkay, but don\u2019t take too long.”<\/p>\n
Mike left and came back a few minutes later. He had changed into shorts, but Stan noticed something unusual.<\/p>\n
\u201cHold on, what happened to your knees? Where did you get those bruises?\u201d Stan asked.<\/p>\n
Mike glanced down at his legs. \u201cOh, these? I just fell,\u201d he said quickly.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust fell?\u201d Stan\u2019s eyes narrowed. \u201cYou\u2019ve been coming home late, and now you\u2019ve got bruises. You\u2019re not telling us everything, are you?\u201d he asked, his voice firmer now.<\/p>\n
\u201cI swear, Dad, I just fell,\u201d Mike said again, sounding a bit nervous.<\/p>\n
\u201cStan, he\u2019s a boy,\u201d Molly said, jumping in. \u201cYou used to get bruises too, remember?\u201d<\/p>\n
Stan looked at Mike again. \u201cIf that\u2019s true, why are you coming home so late these days?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n
Mike stood a little straighter. \u201cWe\u2019ve been doing our homework at the library, so we don\u2019t have to do it at home,\u201d he explained quickly, as if he\u2019d already rehearsed the answer.<\/p>\n
Mike\u2019s late nights were bothering Stan more and more. He couldn\u2019t shake the feeling that something wasn\u2019t right. \u201cWhat\u2019s he really doing?\u201d he wondered.<\/p>\n
He finally decided to find out for himself. One day, he took off from work early and drove straight to Mike\u2019s school.<\/p>\n
First, Stan went to the library, where Mike said he and his friends were doing homework. But when he walked in, the room was empty. Not a single student in sight.<\/p>\n
His heart sank, and his suspicion grew. \u201cI knew it, he’s lying!\u201d he thought, clenching his jaw. He was about to head back to the car and call Mike when he heard something\u2014music. It was faint, but it was coming from the gym.
\nStan followed the sound and pushed open the gym doors. His eyes widened. There was a ballet class in full swing. Girls in leotards twirled and danced gracefully.<\/p>\n
And then, to his shock, he saw Mike. He was dancing too, right there with them! Stan couldn\u2019t believe it. \u201cIs my son really doing THIS?\u201d he thought, frozen in the doorway.<\/p>\n
\u201cMIKE!\u201d Stan\u2019s voice boomed across the gym.<\/p>\n
Mike froze, his eyes wide as he turned toward the door. \u201cDad?\u201d he whispered, his face pale. He quickly stopped dancing.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are you doing here? And why are you dressed like that? In tights?\u201d Stan yelled, his voice full of anger and confusion.<\/p>\n
Everyone in the gym turned to look at Stan\u2014Mike’s classmates and even the coach. They were all shocked by the scene.<\/p>\n
\u201cDad, I can explain!\u201d Mike stammered, his voice shaking. \u201cIt\u2019s just dancing! I\u2019m not doing anything wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s ballet! That\u2019s for girls!\u201d Stan barked, his face red with frustration.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut boys can dance too!\u201d Mike defended.<\/p>\n
The coach stepped in. \u201cThat\u2019s right. Boys do ballet, and Mike is one of my best students. He\u2019s doing an excellent job.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stan shook his head, furious. \u201cNo! My son is not doing ballet!\u201d He walked toward Mike, grabbed his arm, and pulled him out of the gym.<\/p>\n
\u201cDad, please! You don\u2019t understand! I love dancing!\u201d Mike cried as they headed for the door.<\/p>\n
Stan didn\u2019t stop. He kept pulling Mike along, dragging him to the car. Mike sobbed all the way home.<\/p>\n
\u201cStop crying. You\u2019re not a girl. This dancing is making you soft. You need to act like a man,\u201d Stan said sternly.<\/p>\n
As soon as they parked, Mike jumped out of the car and ran straight to his room, not saying a word. Stan followed him into the house. He looked frustrated, but he didn\u2019t speak.<\/p>\n
Molly stood in the kitchen, watching them. She gave Stan a worried look, sensing something was wrong, but he ignored it and headed to the living room.<\/p>\n
Hours passed, and the house stayed quiet. Stan sat on the couch, thinking. Then, he heard footsteps. He looked up and saw Molly and Mike getting ready to leave. Mike had a sports bag slung over his shoulder, his eyes red from crying earlier.<\/p>\n
\u201cGet in the car, honey. I\u2019ll talk to your dad,\u201d Molly said softly, and Mike nodded, walking out the door.<\/p>\n
Stan frowned. \u201cWhat\u2019s going on? Where are you taking him?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n
Molly sighed. \u201cMike asked to stay at a friend\u2019s house for a few days. He has a performance coming up in two days, and you wouldn\u2019t let him go.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stan shook his head. \u201cOf course I wouldn\u2019t! He\u2019s doing BALLET! How is that normal?\u201d<\/p>\n
Molly stayed calm. \u201cIt\u2019s just dancing, Stan. He loves it. It makes him happy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stan\u2019s face tightened. \u201cYou\u2019re telling me you knew all along? You let him do this behind my back?\u201d<\/p>\n
Molly looked at him, her eyes sad. \u201cI\u2019m sorry I didn\u2019t tell you. Mike wanted to invite you to his performance. He wanted to tell you himself, but now you\u2019ve ruined that chance.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stan threw his hands up in frustration. \u201cWhat kind of reaction was I supposed to have? What kind of man will he be if he keeps doing this?\u201d<\/p>\n
Molly looked at him firmly. \u201cHe\u2019s your son, Stan. You should support him, no matter what. Dancing doesn\u2019t change who he is. I\u2019ll be back soon.\u201d She turned and left the house.<\/p>\n
Stan knew there was one person who would understand his frustration: his father, Jerry. He picked up the phone and called him.<\/p>\n
\u201cDad, you won\u2019t believe this,\u201d Stan started. \u201cMike\u2019s been doing ballet.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jerry\u2019s voice was firm on the other end. \u201cBallet? Boys don\u2019t do ballet. That\u2019s girly stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought so too,\u201d Stan replied. \u201cI didn\u2019t want him involved in it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you can\u2019t stop him, I will,\u201d Jerry continued. \u201cYou don\u2019t want him growing up like that. It\u2019s our job to make sure he stays on the right path.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stan felt a weight on his chest. \u201cI\u2019ll handle it, Dad,\u201d he said quietly.<\/p>\n
Jerry chuckled. \u201cRemember when you wanted to take piano lessons? Same thing. I said no son of mine would do that, and that was the end of it. You didn\u2019t take those lessons, did you?\u201d<\/p>\n
Stan paused. He had almost forgotten. \u201cYeah, I remember. Alright, Dad. I\u2019ve got to go,\u201d he replied and hung up.<\/p>\n
When Stan was younger, he had really wanted to take piano lessons. It started when one of his teachers showed him how to play a simple tune during break time.<\/p>\n
Stan liked the way his fingers moved across the keys, and the sound of the notes made him feel calm. Excited, he rushed home and asked his father if he could sign up for lessons.<\/p>\n
But his father didn\u2019t react the way Stan had hoped. \u201cPiano lessons? That\u2019s not something boys should be doing,\u201d his father had said sharply. \u201cYou\u2019re not going to waste time on that. It\u2019s not for men.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stan had felt crushed. He didn\u2019t argue, and the idea of piano lessons quickly faded. But as the years passed, he sometimes wondered how things might have turned out if his father had said yes.<\/p>\n
For the two days that Mike was away, Stan stayed quiet. He didn\u2019t talk to anyone and spent most of his time thinking.<\/p>\n
The night of Mike\u2019s performance, Molly came downstairs, ready to leave. She looked at Stan, who was sitting on the couch.<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you sure you don\u2019t want to come with me to see Mike\u2019s performance?\u201d Molly asked gently.<\/p>\n
Stan didn\u2019t look up. \u201cNo,\u201d he said flatly.<\/p>\n
Molly sighed, standing there for a moment. \u201cAlright,\u201d she said softly. She picked up her keys and walked out of the house, leaving Stan alone with his thoughts.<\/p>\n
Stan paced back and forth around the house, his mind racing. He kept asking himself if he had made the right choice. Should he go to Mike\u2019s performance or stay home like he said he would?<\/p>\n
He thought about everything\u2014what his father would say, how Mike might feel. He just didn\u2019t know what the right thing to do was.<\/p>\n
After what felt like forever, Stan found himself grabbing his car keys. Without thinking much more, he got into the car and started driving. He headed straight for Mike\u2019s school, his heart pounding. He didn\u2019t want to miss it.<\/p>\n
When he got to the school, Stan rushed inside, almost running down the hallway. He reached the gym and saw it was full.<\/p>\n
Every seat was taken. He didn\u2019t let that stop him. He walked closer to the stage, trying to get a good view.<\/p>\n
Stan stood there, watching as Mike danced across the floor. The coach had been right\u2014Mike was really good. Stan felt a sense of pride as he watched his son.<\/p>\n
At one point, Mike spotted him and looked nervous. Stan quickly gave him a thumbs-up, and Mike\u2019s worried face turned into a smile.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Stan came home from work. He stepped into the kitchen and saw his wife, Molly, cooking dinner. He glanced around but didn\u2019t see his son, Mike, anywhere. \u201cWow, something smells great,\u201d Stan said as he walked over to Molly and kissed her on the cheek. \u201cThanks,\u201d Molly smiled. \u201cI wanted to make something special for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":1825,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1824","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tales"],"yoast_head":"\n