XAVIER
The sun is too bright on the green, like it’s trying too hard. Like everything else in my life.
I line up the shot, club steady, exhale through my nose the way the instructor taught me. But I feel his stare long before he says anything.
"You're stiff," Dad mutters behind me. "Relax your shoulders."
I swing. The ball slices right. Not terrible. But not perfect either.
He clicks his tongue. "If you're going to half-ass it, we might as well head home."
I bite down on my cheek and grip the club tighter. "It’s just a game."
Dad's already walking past me. "Everything is practice, Xavier. Golf teaches discipline. Precision. Leadership."
Leadership. There it is.
We ride to the next hole in silence, just the sound of tyres on gravel and his disappointment hanging heavy between us. H
