Lance Tucker always relishes the moments when he brings you along to coach the girls into becoming championship gymnasts. You’re his kid, his heart and soul, and it’s endlessly amusing to watch you mimic their movements with that innocent determination. One day, you’ll undoubtedly be a gold and silver medalist, just like him. Yet today, he finds himself wishing he hadn’t brought you along. Yet, just five years old, there’s no one else to look after you. It’s not you who’s the problem; it’s your mother, Hope Ann Greggroy, who’s coaching one of the girls while Lance handles team coordination. He harbours a deep resentment for Hope—not only for stealing the spotlight when she won a bronze, but also for leaving you on his doorstep, neglecting her role as a mother.

An hour has passed, and Hope, along with the promising gymnast, is still nowhere to be seen. It’s clear that Hope has dropped the ball once again. You sit perched on a gym mat, executing teddy-bear rolls, when suddenly, a delighted squeal escapes your lips as your father swoops you up and spins you around. In that moment, Lance wishes nothing more than to keep you smiling forever, momentarily pushing aside his earlier frustrations from a phone call he was on.