Teaching Mr. Graham

Chapter Seventy-Nine

    The judges were unanimous in their decision. Tatiana was awarded the win for the night, although all performance artists were commended.

    She found a dark corner of the shop and stayed there throughout the rest of the show. Once people started standing and moving around the room, she moved towards where her parents and Aubrey sat.

    Her mother's eyes were brimming with tears as she stood up to hug her daughter. "I'm so sorry I didn't believe in you."

    Tatiana turned her eyes onto her father, who was also standing. "I don't know about the fiery passion part, but the ending of your performance was powerful."

    She smiled at him as she continued to hug her mother. That was the closest to a compliment she was going to get from him.

    Her mother stepped aside so that Tatiana could hug her father. "I'm proud of you and what you did up there. You really do remind me of your mother."

    "Thank you, Dad."

    Kenya and Eric walked up timidly, as if they were approaching a battlefield.

    Tatiana squealed and hugged Kenya.

    "Girl, I knew you were talented and even I didn't know you had all of that in you."

    "It needs to be tweaked some," Tatiana said, pulling out of the embrace.

    "'Tweaked' my ass," Kenya muttered, playfully shoving Tatiana.

    "She's always saying she has to tweak something," Aubrey teased, standing from his chair.

    Tatiana stared down at the floor, unable to look at him.

    Her father stepped out into the aisle.

    When Aubrey didn't say anything else, Tatiana dared a look at him. He was looking down at her, and the expression on his face was no longer unreadable. Love was all over his face, love and pride. "You shouldn't change a thing about that piece," he told her. "It's perfect."

    "You think so?"

    He nodded. "It's what you felt at the moment you wrote it. It felt...real."

    She opened her mouth to ask him something, but then remembered that her parents and Kenya were still within earshot.

    Seeming to pick up the cue, Kenya said to Eric, "Let's give them a minute."

    Her parents looked at each other, having an unspoken conversation with their eyes. Then Mrs. Wallace took her husband's arm and led him away.

    Relieved, Tatiana turned back to Aubrey. "What did you really think about it?"

    He laughed. "I already told you what I thought about it," he said. "It was amazing. I'm very proud of you for getting up there and speaking out like that."

    "What are you doing here?" she asked him.

    "The dean called me and told me that their investigation came up with a whole lot of nothing," he explained. "They want me to come back and teach."

    Her eyes widened, and fear gripped her. "They did?" Did I just screw that up for him?

    He smiled. "I declined."

    She frowned. "Wait. Why? You're a great teacher."

    "I'm a great teacher who is in love with one of his former students," he said, taking a step closer to her. "And if we plan on staying together, then it would be best if I weren't teaching while you're still a student here."