Rival Cafés, Rival Sons

In a small, mostly white Vermont town, two immigrant families—one Asian, one Puerto Rican—run rival cafés. Theo Mori, the prickly, athletic son of the Asian bakery, and Gabi Moreno, the anxious, closeted son of the Puerto Rican café, are locked in a generational feud. Both families' businesses are struggling, threatened by a new, trendy World Fusion Café. The boys, forced into proximity by soccer and school, see each other as the enemy, each blaming the other for their family's woes. Their rivalry is as much about family expectations and cultural pride as it is about business.

Collision on the Soccer Field

Theo and Gabi are teammates on the school's perpetually losing soccer team, but their relationship is anything but friendly. On the field, Gabi's clumsiness and Theo's frustration lead to literal and figurative collisions. Both boys are weighed down by their parents' expectations—Theo's to be the perfect student and son, Gabi's to be the masculine, straight athlete his parents want. Their mutual resentment is fueled by misunderstandings, cultural pressures, and the looming threat to their family legacies.

Family Pressures and Secret Plans

At home, both boys face mounting pressure. Theo's parents, struggling to keep their shop afloat, are haunted by an overbearing uncle who owns their building and threatens to evict them. Gabi's parents, considering selling their café, are focused on financial survival and their son's future. Both boys secretly take on extra burdens: Theo skims from the tip jar to build a college fund, while Gabi hides his love of dance and his sexuality. Their families' inability to communicate openly only deepens their isolation.

Fusion Café Threat Emerges

The arrival of the World Fusion Café, with its Instagrammable drinks and fusion menu, draws customers away from both family shops. The boys' parents blame each other, but the real threat is the new café's ability to capitalize on trends and aesthetics. Theo and Gabi, each desperate to save their family's business, begin to realize that their real enemy might not be each other after all.

Underground Boba Operation

Determined to fight back, Theo launches a secret operation selling trendy drinks and pastries at school, enlisting his friend Justin. The scheme is risky and technically against school rules, but it brings in much-needed cash and attention. Gabi, inspired by Theo's initiative, tries to help his own family, but struggles to find a plan as effective. Their rivalry starts to shift as they recognize each other's desperation and resourcefulness.

Unlikely Allies, Reluctant Friends

Circumstances force Theo and Gabi to work together—first out of necessity, then out of growing respect. When Theo is injured (thanks to Gabi's soccer mishap), Gabi volunteers to help with deliveries, and their forced partnership reveals their shared struggles. As they collaborate on expanding their underground business, their animosity gives way to awkward camaraderie, and then to something more vulnerable.

Deliveries, Deceptions, and Discoveries

Their joint venture flourishes, using Homecoming Committee badges to run in-school deliveries. As they spend more time together, they begin to confide in each other about family, identity, and dreams. Gabi's secret love of dance and Theo's feelings of inadequacy come to light. The boys' friendship grows, but so do the risks—if they're caught, both their families could lose everything.

Secrets, Shame, and Soccer

Both boys wrestle with shame: Gabi's fear of coming out to his parents, Theo's guilt over not living up to expectations. Their growing closeness is tested by misunderstandings and the ever-present threat of exposure. A near-kiss and a public misstep force them to confront their feelings and the consequences of living inauthentically. The soccer team, once a source of stress, becomes a backdrop for their evolving relationship.

Apologies and Coming Out

After a painful confrontation in which Gabi fails to defend Theo from his father's homophobia, the boys' relationship fractures. Gabi, wracked with guilt, finally comes out to his parents, facing their disappointment but also their love. Theo, after a heart-to-heart with his brother, realizes his own family's love is more resilient than he thought. Apologies are exchanged, and the boys begin to rebuild trust, this time with more honesty.

Homecoming Hustle

With Homecoming approaching, the boys' business faces exposure, and their friendship is tested by betrayals and school politics. Gabi is forced to dance on the Homecoming float, a public act that becomes a metaphor for embracing his true self. Theo, now openly supporting Gabi, joins him in the performance. Their public partnership signals a turning point—not just for them, but for their families and community.

Betrayals and Breakthroughs

Amidst school drama, family confrontations, and the threat of losing everything, the boys and their friends confront their own flaws and fears. Apologies are made, friendships are mended, and both families begin to see the value in change and acceptance. The boys' courage inspires those around them, and the possibility of a new, joint family business emerges.

Dancing Toward Acceptance

The Homecoming float dance becomes a moment of liberation for Gabi, who finally claims his identity in front of his peers. Theo's support is unwavering, and their relationship becomes public. Their families, witnessing their sons' happiness and the community's positive response, begin to reconsider their own prejudices and priorities.

Family, Forgiveness, and Future

Both families confront their past mistakes and begin to forgive—each other and themselves. Parents apologize, siblings reconnect, and the boys are finally seen for who they are. The threat of the Fusion Café is neutralized not by competition, but by collaboration and authenticity. The possibility of merging the two family businesses becomes real.

The Big Game

The Homecoming soccer game, once a source of dread, becomes a stage for Gabi's growth and Theo's leadership. Though the team still loses, Gabi scores a goal, cheered on by Theo and the team. The game symbolizes the boys' journey: imperfect, but full of heart, and ultimately victorious in ways that matter.

The Float and the Dance

On the Homecoming float, Gabi and Theo perform together, their dance a symbol of their journey from rivals to partners. The school and community respond with acceptance, and the boys' relationship is celebrated rather than hidden. Their courage paves the way for others to be themselves.

New Beginnings, New Café

In the aftermath, both families agree to merge their businesses, creating a new café—Café Con Lychee—that honors both cultures and both sons. The boys, now openly together, look forward to a future where they can be themselves, supported by family and community. The story ends with hope, healing, and the promise of new beginnings.

Characters

Theo Mori

Theo is the son of Chinese-Japanese immigrants, carrying the weight of his family's expectations and the threat of losing their bakery. Outwardly tough, sarcastic, and competitive, he hides deep insecurities about his academic struggles, his sexuality, and his perceived failures as a son. His relationship with his parents is complicated by cultural expectations and an overbearing uncle. Theo's journey is one of learning to accept love and support, to forgive himself, and to open up to vulnerability—especially with Gabi, who challenges and ultimately heals him.

Gabriel "Gabi" Moreno

Gabi is the son of Puerto Rican immigrants, torn between his parents' dreams for him and his own passions—especially dance. He is closeted, deeply afraid of disappointing his family, and struggles with internalized shame. Gabi is sensitive, loyal, and eager to please, but often paralyzed by fear. His journey is about finding the courage to be himself, to come out, and to claim joy and love—even when it means risking everything. His relationship with Theo transforms him from a passive bystander in his own life to an active participant.

Justin

Theo's best friend and confidant, Justin is supportive, quick-witted, and often the glue that holds the group together. He helps Theo with the underground business and provides a sounding board for both boys' struggles. Justin's own on-again, off-again relationship with Clara mirrors the messiness of teenage love and friendship.

Melissa "Meli"

Gabi's best friend and the Homecoming Committee president, Meli is a force of nature—organized, ambitious, and sometimes overbearing. She pushes Gabi to participate in school life and, despite her flaws, is unwaveringly loyal. Her own struggles with control and vulnerability parallel Gabi's journey.

Vivi

A newer friend to Gabi, Vivi is empathetic and supportive, providing a safe space for Gabi to open up. Her own crush on Gabi and subsequent heartbreak add depth to the story's exploration of identity and friendship.

Theo's Parents (June and Masao Mori)

Theo's parents are hardworking, proud, and sometimes emotionally distant. Their struggle to keep the bakery afloat is compounded by cultural expectations and family drama. Over the course of the story, they learn to see and accept Theo for who he is, moving from disappointment to pride.

Gabi's Parents (Pedro and Mrs. Moreno)

Gabi's parents are loving but deeply invested in traditional values and appearances. Their initial reaction to Gabi's coming out is disappointment and fear, but they ultimately choose love and acceptance, realizing that protecting their son means supporting his happiness.

Thomas

Theo's older brother, Thomas, is the family's academic and social success story. His absence and perceived perfection haunt Theo, but Thomas's own struggles and eventual support help Theo heal and reconcile with his family.

Uncle Greg

Theo's uncle owns the bakery building and represents the older generation's rigid expectations and prejudices. His threats and manipulation drive much of the family's anxiety, but his power wanes as the families unite.

Clara

Justin's on-and-off girlfriend, Clara's relationship with Justin provides a subplot about communication, jealousy, and the messiness of teenage love. Her presence also highlights the importance of honesty and vulnerability in all relationships.

Plot Devices

Dual Narration

The story is told in alternating first-person chapters from Theo and Gabi's points of view. This structure allows readers to see both sides of the rivalry, misunderstandings, and eventual romance. It deepens empathy and highlights the ways internal struggles mirror and contrast with external conflicts.

Enemies-to-Lovers Trope

The classic enemies-to-lovers arc is used to explore how prejudice, misunderstanding, and competition can mask deeper similarities and needs. As Theo and Gabi are forced to work together, their animosity gives way to respect, friendship, and eventually love.

Family Business as Metaphor

The rival cafés are more than just businesses—they represent cultural heritage, family pride, and the boys' sense of self. The threat to the shops mirrors the threat to the boys' identities, and the eventual merger symbolizes reconciliation and growth.

Secret Schemes and School Setting

The boys' secret operation at school is both a literal and figurative coming-of-age journey. It forces them to take risks, break rules, and confront authority, all while learning to trust each other and themselves.

Dance and Soccer

Dance and soccer serve as parallel arenas for the boys' struggles and growth. Gabi's dance is his true passion, hidden from his family, while soccer is the public stage where both boys confront expectations and find community.

Foreshadowing and Symbolism

Early scenes—like the boys' collisions on the soccer field, or their awkward attempts at collaboration—foreshadow their eventual partnership. Food, dance, and sport are recurring symbols of identity, love, and the blending of cultures.

Analysis

Café Con Lychee is a heartfelt, witty, and deeply resonant exploration of identity, family, and the courage it takes to be yourself. Emery Lee uses the familiar enemies-to-lovers trope to subvert expectations, showing how rivalry can mask shared pain and how vulnerability can transform relationships. The novel deftly weaves together themes of cultural heritage, generational conflict, and the immigrant experience, all while centering queer joy and the messy, beautiful process of coming out. Through Theo and Gabi's journey—from rivals to partners, from shame to pride—the story argues that true belonging comes not from fitting into others' expectations, but from embracing your own truth and finding those who celebrate it. The merging of the two family cafés is both a literal and symbolic act of healing, suggesting that the future belongs to those willing to blend, adapt, and love without reservation. In a world obsessed with appearances and competition, Café Con Lychee is a sweet, satisfying reminder that authenticity, community, and love are the real recipes for happiness.

Last updated: May 3, 2025