You A Different World

Lance Gould

I knew my mother was hiding something the moment she told me to be home by seven.

My mother never gave instructions without a reason.

“Is there something happening tonight?” I asked, watching her adjust the cuffs of my shirt.

She didn't even look at me. “Why would you think that?”

“Because you never tell what time I should get home and you're smiling suspiciously right now.”

“I smile all the time.”

“Not like that.”

She laughed. “So, I can't smile now?"

"What are you up to ma?"

"Nothing!" She squeals.

She leads the way out the house and into the car.

My mom and dad stole glances at eachother as my dad drove in complete silence, as though if he said anything he would give everything away.

I just knew something was going to go down.

When my father pulled into the driveway of the destination, I immediately noticed the extra cars.

Some belonged to family members who lived across the city.

I looked at him. “Dad.”

He kept his eyes forward, fighting a smile. “What?”

“What's going on?”

“Get inside.”

That was all I got.

The moment I opened the front door, voices I recognized erupted.

“SURPRISE!”

I stood there, completely caught off guard.

My grandparents were there. My uncles, aunts, cousins, family friends.

Even Malik and two of my closest friends from university were standing near the bar, looking entirely too pleased with themselves.

Amara pushed through the crowd first.

“You should see your face!”

“I hate all of you.”

She laughed. “No, you don't.”

She hugged me anyway.

Malik handed me a drink. “Master's man.”

I looked at him. “Say that again and I'm leaving.”

“You can't leave. This is your party.”

“Watch me.”

He laughed.

I looked around the room and felt something warm settle in my chest.

This was my family.

The Goulds had never been the kind of family that celebrated quietly.

When one of us achieved something, everybody showed up.

My grandmother pulled me into a hug before I could escape.

“My baby! I'm so proud of you.”

“Thank you, Grandma.”

She held my face between her hands. “Your grandfather and I were talking about you all afternoon.”

My grandfather nodded from behind her.

“You've made good choices.”

I smiled. “The job is not done yet.”

He smiled back. “I know.”

That was the thing about my family.

They celebrated what I'd accomplished, but none of them expected me to stop there.

The Gould name carried expectations, and I'd never been afraid of them.

My father eventually called everyone together.

He stood in front of the room with his glass raised, and the conversations slowly died down.

My mother moved beside him, smiling.

“Lance has always been focused,” Dad began.

A few people laughed.

My sister immediately shouted, “That's an understatement!”

Everyone laughed, including me.

Dad shook his head. “She's right.”

Then his expression became more serious.

“You've always known what you wanted.”

“And you've never been afraid to work for it.”

He looked around the room.

“But ambition means more when you understand where it comes from.”

“We come from people who built with very little and gave us much more.”

His voice carried through the room.

“We are a Black family. We are educated, driven, successful—and proud of every part of that.”

“We don't hide our excellence, and we don't apologize for it.”

I watched him carefully.

“Black excellence isn't simply about having nice things or impressive titles,” he continued.

“It's about discipline. Character. Education. Ownership. And making sure the people who come after you have more opportunities than you did.”

The room went quiet.

My father looked directly at me.

“Lance, you're standing on the work of generations. Now it's your turn to build from this.”

The applause came before he even finished.

I didn't say anything.

I just nodded.

Because he was right.

I'd spent my entire life watching him build Gould Holdings.

I knew the company better than most people realized.

I'd sat in boardrooms long before anyone expected me to understand what was happening.

I'd listened to negotiations, studied reports, watched my father make decisions that could move millions.

I didn't want his position because it was prestigious.

I wanted it because I knew I could take the company further.

Dad suddenly smiled.

“And since we're talking about the future…”

The doors to the garden opened.

I turned.

A black Lamborghini Urus sat beneath the lights, polished so perfectly that it looked almost unreal.

A massive red bow stretched across the hood.

For the first time that night, I genuinely had nothing to say.

Amara screamed.

“NO WAY!”

Malik laughed. “Your parents really don't know how to do small gifts.”

My father walked toward me and held out the keys.

“You've worked hard. This is just a little appreciated for being the best son I could have ever asked for.”

I stared at the keys in his hand.

“Little?! Pops, this is too much.”

He smiled. “You deserve this.”

I took the keys.

Amara immediately grabbed my arm.

“I'm driving.”

“No.”

“Lance!”

“Absolutely not.”

She folded her arms. “You're boring.”

“And you're not insured.”

That earned another round of laughter.

I looked around at everyone again.

My family had given me more than money, education, or a name.

They had given me a foundation.

They had taught me that success was a responsibility, not a personality.

That you could walk into any room knowing exactly who you were.

And I knew exactly who I was.

I was Lance Gould.

My father's son.

My family's legacy.

And one day, I would be the man sitting in his chair.

The master's degree was simply the next step.

I had already decided what came after that.

There was no question in my mind.

I had a path.

And I intended to stay on it.