The morning sunlight streamed through the windshield, glinting off the hood of Kai’s black SUV as it rolled down the familiar tree-lined road toward the school.
Khalil sat in the backseat, legs sprawled out, arms crossed, a permanent scowl etched on his face. “Do we seriously have to do this every morning?” he grumbled. “You could just let Mom drive us, Dad. Or better, let the driver handle it. You don’t have to come. We’re not six.”
From the passenger seat, Abigail tried not to laugh as she sipped her coffee. “It’s called bonding, Khalil.”
“It’s called humiliation,” Khalil shot back, slumping lower in his seat. “What kind of seventeen-year-old still gets dropped off by his dad? And mind you, the same dad who stares down at everyone like we’re still in kindergarten?”
Kai kept his eyes
