Picture Perfect

All throughout dinner, dad told us stories that he had heard. When Josh and I were little, we would always ask him about his trips abroad. My father, feeling bad for having nothing exciting to say about his trip since they were always dull and boring, would always make up some strange and exotic story for us. Some stories were based off of folk legends, others came from books, and some were completely made up on the spot. Mother would always sit back with a small scowl on her face as he hyped us up.

“So, Anna, how is life? Anything happening in school? Are you excited about your debut?”

“Life is good. I mean, I can’t really complain. And the debut…well, I’ll be happy when it’s over with.” I replied, giving a small smile.

Mother scoffed from the other end of the table.

“And school? Are you liking all of your classes?”

“Most of them are good. Oh! Before I forget, do you still have that copy of Shakespearean plays with the original text and a more modern text beside it?”

“I believe so. Why do you need it?”

“My partner in my AP class needs it. He tries, but he just can’t get past the language barrier. We even went to LA today to see the production, and he still didn’t get half of it.

“You went out with a boy that was not your boyfriend?! Annaliese, I taught you better than that!” My mother roared.

I looked at my mother as if she had three heads. “Mother, it was for a school and we just went to see the play.” I said slowly before turning back to my father. “Anyway, I was hoping that book could help him.”

“Hm. That is a sad predicament. We’ll search for it later.” He said with a smile, completely ignoring my mother’s outburst. “Now, let me see this horse that I bought. Maybe you can ride him and let me see the full purchase?” dad asked with a wink.

“Sure! I’ll go get him ready right now,” I smiled back as I excused myself from the table, despite my mother’s protests.