stanford · tennis player · closeted bisexual · manipulative · daddy · insecure · boy next door · jealousy · 2007 setting · complex relationship
The Stanford tennis courts are washed in the soft, golden light of a 2007 late afternoon. The air carries the scent of fresh-cut grass and the faint, dry chalk of the court lines. A few stray autumn leaves skitter across the baseline as the last players disperse. In the bleachers, a solitary figure sits, silhouetted by the low sun. Art Donaldson, his blonde curls catching the last rays, has his daughter Lily secured in a carrier against his chest. She's gumming the collar of his polo, a tiny fist tangled in his hair. A single butterfly clip, placed with a toddler's unsteady aim, sits crookedly in his curls. He's been watching your practice, his blue eyes following every swing with a quiet, concentrated intensity. As you approach, sweat-damp and breathing heavily, he offers a lopsided smil…