Fangirl Down

“Wells kept coming back, not wanting to disappoint her. His last remaining fan. His last remaining…anything. Josephine. But he didn’t want to do it anymore. Didn’t want to show up and try uselessly to recapture the glory days. He’d lost his magic and would never find it again.”

Josephine’s character encourages Wells to continue believing in himself even when he isn’t proud of his performance on the golf course. Josephine’s loyalty as a fan helps Wells, reflecting The Importance of Encouragement and Support. In this passage, the narrator is inhabiting his consciousness and revealing the complex way that he sees Josephine even before they get to know one another. Indeed, it is his fear of letting Josephine down that inspires him to rip her sign in half, rather than his ill will.

“Everything Nate had said was true—he had behaved like a relentless prick his entire career. Trash-talked the other pros instead of making friends. Been indifferent toward the fans. Either outright ignored the press or gave them answers they couldn’t air on television. More than anything, he wanted to give the world his middle finger and go back to bed. No one expected anything from him. He had no family to let down. No real friends to piss off. No mentor to disappoint. But as loudly as oblivion called to him, the crystal-clear memory of her sang louder.”

Josephine’s character ushers Wells’s character over a difficult threshold and toward his Journey Toward Fulfillment and Personal Growth. Wells wants to quit golfing for good and retreat from life. However, simply remembering Josephine helps him to overcome these defeatist urges and to engage with his life once more. This passage thus marks a pivotal turning point in Wells’s character arc and ultimately instigates his and Josephine’s working relationship.

“That’s what she said out loud. However, the truth was that she took on everything alone. She didn’t know any other way to feel like a capable adult. Growing up as a diabetic meant a lot of people assuming she was incapable of certain things. Are you okay? Do you need a break? Should you eat that? That constant concern from others had let to Josephine’s being determined to prove that she could do anything without issue or assistance. And she could do mostly anything […] Unfortunately, staring at the mess that was her family’s shop and having no clue if she’d be able to salvage it, she didn’t feel capable of diddly-squat.”

Josephine’s belief in herself falters when Hurricane Jake destroys her pro shop and threatens her future. Josephine has been desperate to prove that she’s strong, independent, and capable, but the shop’s destruction makes her feel otherwise. This passage thus reveals Josephine’s vulnerabilities and her fears of disappointing her parents and failing to realize her dreams.

“It probably wasn’t even possible. The longest of long shots. But maybe…Maybe one last time, he’d swing like he had nothing to lose. ‘If I can get back on the tour, if they’ll allow me back on, why don’t you put your money where your mouth is and caddie for me? Since you know so goddamn much.’”

Wells’s decision to hire Josephine as his caddie initiates the characters’ close working and romantic relationship. Wells is acting on impulse when he suggests this arrangement. However, doing so ultimately ushers him and Josephine toward The Redeeming Power of Love.

“She’d traded words with Wells on occasion at tournaments and their exchanges had been interesting. Snappy. Memorable. She couldn’t help but be kind of pleased to know they shared the same dynamic in real life. Not because she wanted to date him. Or because he was a shade sexier when he was in a foul mood—fine, several shades—but more so because his crabby disposition made her feel…open to challenge him. She’d never really experienced that before.”

Josephine’s newfound proximity with Wells at the PGA tournament changes her outlook on the professional golfer. Josephine has always seen Wells as an attractive individual. However, she never imagined that working with him would foster a deep connection between them. In this passage, the narrator is excavating Josephine’s complex interiority and revealing Josephine’s growing interest in the golfer.

“All at once, she became very aware that this man was now her boss—and he was right. They were in Texas to play golf. Getting into a bickering match with a golfer who could change her life by winning was not the wisest move, was it? And being that Wells was her boss, she should spend as little time as possible standing in front of him in an extremely brief towel.”

Josephine and Wells’s golfer-caddie arrangement acts as an obstacle to their romantic attraction. Josephine can’t deny her attraction to Wells when they’re together in San Antonio. However, she also knows that this attraction could threaten their professional relationship and compromise her individuality and independence. These relational dynamics heighten the narrative tension and act as conflicts between the two characters.

“A lot of things occurred to Wells at once. The fact that he really liked Josephine, probably too much, was first among them. Second, he started to wonder if he might grow to trust her. Like, actually trust her. One of the reasons he never kept a caddie around for long was his inability to believe that (a.) someone might know more than him, Or (b.) want the best for him.”

The third-person narrator inhabits Wells’s consciousness in order to reveal his evolving regard for Josephine. Wells carries himself as if he doesn’t need anyone and doesn’t care what anyone thinks. However, this moment of interiority suggests otherwise and illustrates Wells’s shifting perspective on himself and others.

“She definitely hadn’t come to Texas with the intention of forming a romantic entanglement with the professional golfer. It hadn’t even crossed her mind. Fine, she was attracted to him. And baths made her feel more sensual than usual. The fact remained that this was not on the agenda. There was the not-so-little matter of rebuilding her pro shop. Furthermore, they had this man’s career to resurrect. When he had said near kisses wouldn’t happen again, she should have been relieved.”

The more time that Josephine spends with Wells the more complicated her feelings for him become. Josephine is learning how to balance her sexual and romantic desires with her professional aspirations and financial needs. These contrasting inclinations intensify the narrative atmosphere and heighten the tension between the two protagonists as they navigate their Journey Toward Fulfillment and Personal Growth.

“‘Well.’ She moved to stand at his side, so they were both looking out over the course, though their height difference meant her view didn’t reach as far. ‘If you have the jitters, this is a good time to remind yourself that it’s about the game.’ Man, her voice was…soothing. ‘Not the people and shouting and cameras. Try to remember the course just like this when all the noise starts. A big, quiet field. It’s here to be enjoyed, not feared.’”

Josephine’s use of language illustrates her caring and thoughtful nature. She doesn’t treat Wells in a condescending manner when they’re on the golf course. Instead, she speaks gently and calmly, while suggesting new ways for Wells to regard himself and his circumstances. Their exchange reflects The Importance of Encouragement and Support.

“The kid behind the counter asked Wells what he’d like, but he was distracted by Josephine swinging around the small cross-body bag and taking out the green object that looked like a pen. When she uncapped it, he could see that it was a needle. Insulin. She was eating, so she had to give herself insulin so her body could process the carbs. How easily he’d thought about consuming a mountain of them without worrying how it would affect his body, the way it would Josephine’s. Biting her lip, she clicked a wheel on the end to a certain setting.”

The more time that Wells spends in Josephine’s company the more he realizes his own self-centeredness. Seeing Josephine administer her insulin shot is a turning point for Wells, in that it compels him to sympathize with Josephine and to invest in her experience.

“So…what. After last night and the way she’d called him out in an eerily accurate manner, he wanted Josephine to understand him better? That didn’t make a lick of goddamn sense, either. Except that if she understood him better, there was a chance that their golfer-caddie relationship could become stronger. He’d never given a second thought to that kind of thing in the past.”

Josephine’s unique manner of interacting with Wells contributes to his Journey Toward Fulfillment and Personal Growth. Josephine doesn’t treat Wells with cruelty as she’s a gentle, loving character. However, she’s also fierce and intolerant of his cynicism and thus refuses to cower in his presence. Her manner inspires Wells to respect her and to want a deeper connection with her.

“There they were. Five freshly polished blue toes. With yellow letters on them. Spelling out W-E-L-L-S’. He went very still. Three seconds passed. Four. And then, ignoring her sputtering protests, Wells yanked off the other shoe and sock, revealing the word B-E-L-L-E. He said nothing. No movement. He’d become a statue.”

Josephine’s toenail polish awakens Wells to the significance of his and Josephine’s developing dynamic. Seeing her nail polish reminds him that Josephine has always supported him and that she refuses to give up on him. The polish is a symbol of Josephine’s encouraging and supportive nature and thus empowers Wells to believe in himself.

“She stood in front of him, phone in hand, flipping it end over end. ‘I was thinking, you know…I’ve been expecting you to trust me blindly out on the course and you don’t really have a reason to. Trust me. But what if I trusted you with something? I don’t know. Maybe that would help.”

Josephine’s decision to let Wells follow her on her glucose monitoring app deepens the characters’ relationship. She invites Wells to do so because she wants him to trust her and thus believes in the power and importance of reciprocal, balanced relationships.

“He allowed himself a moment of stunned pride before he gently lifted Josephine into his lap, turned, got onto his knees, and stood. He carried her to the row of white plastic lounge chairs arranged near the perimeter of the pool area and sat down, leaning back and closing his eyes with his caddie in his arms. Doing his best to memorize the feeling of her before his own eyelids grew heavy, as well. Just before he fell asleep, the most absurd thought occurred to him. What if the problem that morning hadn’t been their inability to sleep? What if they’d been unable to sleep…apart?”

This intimate scene between Josephine and Wells captures and conveys the profound power of their connection. Wells is not only attracted to Josephine sexually but deeply cares about her well-being as a person and finds power and comfort being in her presence, reflecting The Redeeming Power of Love. This scene foreshadows the ways in which their romance will enrich each of the protagonist’s experiences.

“Josephine searched for the right words. ‘After you play a really good shot, you get this look on your face. Like you’re really deep in thought. I think that’s you trying to manage your feelings. Like, oh no. You wouldn’t want to get carried away being too happy. So you stand there intellectualizing the shot or hunting for the negative side.’ She smacked his chest. ‘Don’t do that, Wells. Let positives be positives.’”

Josephine and Wells’s golfer-caddie relationship teaches Wells The Importance of Encouragement and Support. Josephine sees and understands Wells. Therefore, he trusts her insight into his game and respects her opinions. She never treats Wells like a project when they’re working together but rather engages him like an equal and a friend.

“Maybe for the first time ever, the dream she’d been nursing for years took a more distinct shape. She could bring this firsthand experience of working with a professional golfer—no, the best professional golfer—and pour that familiarity into the Golden Tee. She could take what she’d learned and drag her family’s business into the twenty-first century…with the knowledge and confidence to back it up now.”

Josephine’s investment in her family’s pro shop captures what her character wants and needs to be happy, reflecting her Journey Toward Fulfillment and Personal Growth. She likes being a caddie for Wells, but this passage reveals that her heart remains with the pro shop’s future.

“When she met Wells’s eyes over Buck’s shoulder, she saw shock and recognition, followed by regret. Oh God. Finally, she looked at the television, her mouth falling open when she saw herself on the course, the footage taken earlier in the day—she could tell because of her ice-blue skirt. Beneath her was the headline: Golfer Gives Down-and-Out Diabetic Caddie a Helping Hand. Her skin turned icy, stomach roiling. No. She had to be reading that wrong.”

The media’s distortion of Josephine and Wells’s professional relationship creates a kink in the new lovers’ romantic future. Josephine is taken aback when she sees the headline because she has explicitly told Wells how important it is that people respect and believe in her. This passage marks a turning point in their relationship—they will have to communicate to rebalance their dynamic.

“Three days remained before she was supposed to meet Wells in California. She’d distracted herself for the last seven with cleaning and gearing up to make major changes to the shop, but three more days seemed interminable now. That morning she’d considered getting in her car and driving the ninety minutes to Miami to see him, but wouldn’t that contradict every decision she’d made on their final night together in Texas? She was keeping her distance for the good of her reputation. In the name of professionalism. Respect.”

Josephine remains protective of her personal dreams even after she falls in love with Wells, reflecting her commitment to her own Journey Toward Fulfillment and Personal Growth. Returning to Palm Beach is her way of respecting herself and thus showing others that she is a capable, driven individual independent of her new lover.

“Was Josephine the one? It hadn’t occurred to him to think of her that way because he’d never expected to find the one. Hell, he’d never considered that the one existed. That term was a bullshit romantic notion that was used to sell Valentine’s Day cards, right? But his bones were telling him—and they were dead certain—that he could spend the rest of his life walking the planet and never come across anyone that made him feel a fraction of the way Josephine did. Being away from her was making that all too obvious.”

Wells’s conversation with his friend Burgess Abraham inspires Wells to reflect upon the significance of his connection with Josephine and The Redeeming Power of Love. Wells hasn’t ever connected with a woman in the way he’s connected with Josephine. However, Burgess’s words make him realize that Josephine is in fact changing his outlook on romance and love.

“‘Especially after you kicked in my door. You…’ She searched for the right words because the moment called for them. ‘You make me feel capable and healthy. But still like there’s someone who has my back. That’s not an easy balance and you somehow…know how to navigate it. Without me having to guide you. It’s hard and you just…do it.’”

Wells’s decision to drive to Palm Beach to check on Josephine is a manifestation of his love and care for her. Josephine isn’t sure about their future, but when they reunite at her apartment, she begins to realize how unique their bond really is. Wells is not only protective of her, he also gives her freedom.

“They’d entered into this arrangement knowing it was temporary, but that was before…well, before. The former number one golfer in the world was asleep in her bed and he’d made it very clear he didn’t want to take any more breaks. If Josephine was being honest with herself, she didn’t relish the idea of spending long periods away from Wells, either. But her lifeblood, her family legacy, her heart, was here in Palm Beach and she couldn’t ignore the Golden Tee forever. Furthermore, she didn’t want to.”

Josephine’s love for Wells complicates her perception of the future and her Journey Toward Fulfillment and Personal Growth. She wants to commit to a relationship with Wells but is afraid that doing so might compromise her pro shop dreams. The narrator inhabits her consciousness in this scene to capture the significance of her internal conflict.

“They had a problem. Josephine needed to be seen as capable and valued. She wanted success through her own merit and she damn well deserved that respect. The media had incorrectly labeled her as someone at the mercy of his kindness. Being in a public relationship would only compound the issue and yet, he already knew that pretending she wasn’t his girlfriend on tour was going to eat him alive. Hiding was beneath them. Did he have a way to solve these problems in one fell swoop? Maybe. Yea. He just might.”

Wells’s decision to give Josephine half of his winnings is inspired by his desire to respect and support Josephine. He doesn’t like that others disregard her professional capacities because she’s a woman and because she’s diabetic. In this passage, he’s privately deciding to publicly show the world who Josephine is and how valuable she is.

“Well, he’s my boyfriend and friend. We balance each other. I smooth out his rough edges and he makes me feel…stronger and more capable than I’ve ever felt. Ever. He respects me. Look what he did, flying you here. He’s thoughtful. And he’s so mean, but in a way that I love? Because that’s normal.”

The way that Josephine describes her relationship with Wells to Tallulah illustrates how transformative the protagonists’ romance has been for both characters, invoking The Redeeming Power of Love. Josephine hasn’t just helped Wells resurrect his career; rather, Wells has also contributed to Josephine’s personal growth journey.