BETWEEN WORLDS: BEHIND THE SCENES (CHAPTER 10)

Taking a look back at Chapter 10

The photograph reveal at the end of the chapter wasn't planned. While writing Coach's scene with Azeil, I realized Coach having something of his mother’s would have a profound impact and allow him to accept this next step. Having Coach pull out that old team photo showing Elise playing basketball at Langston Hughes, it clicked perfectly. Azeil discovers his mom played the same game in the same gym and even hit a game-winner from the same spot he did, which opens his mind in a way that he couldn’t imagine.

This changes everything for Azeil. His mom never told him she played basketball. She worked so hard to get him into Highland Prep and give him opportunities she didn't have, but she never mentioned her own athletic past or her time at Langston Hughes. The photo shows a side of her he never knew—just a teenager who loved basketball. The story from Coach is nice, but seeing it is different.

The irony is striking. Elise planned a completely different path for her son. She wanted him in Highland's world, not back where she started. But life brought him right back to Langston Hughes anyway. Same school, same court, same struggles she faced.

Coach becomes essential because he knew Elise back then. He can tell Azeil stories about his mother that no one else can. When Coach explains that Elise's careful way of presenting herself was strategic, not shameful, it helps Azeil understand both his mother's choices and his own way of thinking, at both Highland and Langston Hughes.

In this chapter, Azeil stops seeing Langston Hughes as foreign and starts seeing it as part of his lineage. He's not randomly displaced—he's connected to this place through his mother's history. It's not the future she planned for him, but it's not entirely disconnected from her journey.

His grief is evolving, too. Instead of just raw loss, he's starting to carry his mother's memory as something active. Her advice means more now than ever, recognizing the message wasn’t just based in the game, but in her own experiences. The connection makes his grief different. Not healed, but more manageable.

I wanted to show Azeil building something new at Langston, not just surviving. He's done with Highland Prep—there is too much resentment there. But he's also not wallowing. He's figuring out how to move forward with this new understanding of his origins.

The chapter shows how sometimes you end up back where your parents started, but with a different understanding of why that matters. Azeil's path isn't what his mother planned, but it's still connected to her strength and determination. It may feel like the circle repeating, but he has a chance to break it if he wants to.

See you tomorrow for Chapter 11.

---

Hope you enjoyed this insight into Chapter 10. If you want to catch-up on BETWEEN WORLDS please check out the chapter index. In addition, be notified on the next post by subscribing below.