Dom & Don: The Story

The story of Dominique and Donovan is quite sad. Dom and Don were always best friends, and no matter what happened, they stuck together. They first met on the first day of Grade 8 when they were both new students. They instantly clicked, and over time, their parents became friends too. Eventually, their families grew so close that they all began living together in an old five-bedroom, five-bathroom house owned by Dominique’s grandfather.

Dom and Don started calling each other brothers. They were one big family, and they proudly told everyone they had two moms and two dads.

What brought Dom and Don together was basketball. They were Grade 8’s top hoopers, both starters on Edge Water’s lineup. Dom played point guard and was known for his flashy moves. They called him "Baby Hardaway." His killer crossover was so smooth that defenders looked like they were skiing on the court. Don played shooting guard, with a jumper like Klay Thompson’s. He was a clutch shooter and once dropped ten three-pointers in a game, hitting the buzzer-beater to win it.

Dom and Don also loved to wrestle. They bought lots of plastic WWE belts for only a dollar each, and the winner of their backyard matches would take home the title. They built a giant ring outside, and the rules were simple: fall off the ring, and you lose.

They even hosted their own backyard basketball All-Star Weekends. Every year, when the real All-Star Weekend came around, Dom and Don invited all their friends over to compete. Even their dads joined in. For the past 10 months, Dom and Don had been 2v2 champions. Don held the 3-point crown, and Dom was the reigning skills champion, along with his dads.

Life was going great. Two families, one home, endless laughter, and nothing but love.

Until the night when buckets couldn’t stop the tears

Dom and Don stayed home while their parents went out for their monthly restaurant trip. It was 11:00 PM, which was much later than usual. They always came back by 9:30. The boys were getting worried.

Then came a soft knock on the front door.

Randy, the community cop, stood thee holding a box with their family’s belongings. He didn’t say much. He just nodded and left.

Tears weren’t enough to express what they felt.

That night was 10 months ago.

Since then, the boys have had to move on with their lives alone.

This was the beginning of a tough and brave journey, one they never asked for but had no choice but to face.