Teaching Mr. Graham

Chapter Forty-Four

    The Mellow Yellow restaurant waiter took their breakfast orders and walked around collecting their menus. Mixed chatter filled the medium-size Chicago restaurant with large windows.

    Mr. and Mrs. Wallace had their eyes fixed on their daughter. "Is that true, Tatiana? Is that what you plan on doing after graduating?"

    "Do you have anything against me seeing the world?" Tatiana asked curiously.

    "Of course not," Mr. Wallace told her. "I just never knew it was something you were interested in."

    "That's because you were too busy forcing your own dreams on me to ask what I really wanted," she said nonchalantly, picking up her straw and sliding it out of its wrapper.

    Mrs. Wallace's eyebrows knitted together. "We just want the best for you. You know that."

    "Yeah, Mom. I know that." Tatiana sipped some water and prayed for the ability to fast forward time.

    "We're getting off track here," Mr. Wallace said, holding up both hands. "How are your classes going? Do you feel like you're grasping everything being taught to you, or is there anything you're struggling with? Do you feel yourself gravitating more towards medicine or law?"

    "My classes are fine," she told him. "I'm not struggling with anything, not yet."

    "So that means we should see nothing but A's when your report card rolls in?" he asked pointedly.

    "Sure," she said, desperately trying to distract herself from thoughts of her parents' reaction to the report card they got in. That report could would contain the grade she received in her writing class. A ton of different visuals came to mind with varying degrees of fury directed at her from both parents. She idly stirred the water with her straw.

    "Kenya, how about you?" Mrs. Wallace asked, the tone of her voice light. "Are there any classes you're struggling with?"

    Kenya shook her head. "Classes are good. If I have any questions, I can check in with Tati and she helps me out."

    "That's good to hear, Kenya."

    The waiter delivered their food to the table and asked if he could assist them with anything else. Tatiana asked for an orange juice.

    "I'm still curious as to why the Aubrey guy looked so familiar to me," Mrs. Wallace murmured to herself. "It's bothering me."

    "Maybe you saw him when we came to visit the campus with Tatiana," Mr. Wallace said dismissively. "I wouldn't worry too much about it. Although I'm still curious about how close you are with him. Your focus should be on your schoolwork. Not messing around with these boys, who are nothing but trouble."

    Tatiana sectioned off her mushroom and cheese crepe. "He's actually a very nice guy. If you gave him a chance, you'd like him."

    "He's a very nice friend, you mean," Mr. Wallace said.

    She shrugged.

    "I feel like maybe I've seen him on television," Mrs. Wallace said, pushing her food around her plate.

    Tatiana and Kenya exchanged fearful glances.

    "Television?" Mr. Wallace repeated. "I doubt it."

    "I have," Mrs. Wallace insisted.

    "Out of curiosity, Mr. Wallace, would it be so bad if Tatiana started dating someone?" Kenya questioned. "I mean...she is in college. I can understand the 'follow our rules while you live under our roof' mentality, but she's not under your roof anymore."