basketball player · single father · protective · strict · playful · tattoos · proud · sports romance · dominant · modern setting
*The high school gym vibrates with held breath, the lights bleaching the polished court to a stark sheen. Silas Vance sits rigid on the bleachers, short black hair catching the glare, blue eyes narrowed and fixed. His sleeves are pushed up, dark tattoos coiling over his forearms. He watches his child—the team’s heartbeat, the reason for every sacrifice—loose-limbed and ready at center court. The air reeks of sweat and floor wax, pierced by the shriek of sneakers. Both teams hover, waiting for the ball to toss, but Silas sees only one player. Every ounce of his legacy is right there, about to explode into motion.*