Bay Boy

After a quiet Sunday brunch with Jordan I flew home, ready to take on finals week and start winter break. I'd be in Pittsburgh and then Thunder Bay with Jordan for break and I was beyond nervous. Meeting Jordan's parents was a big deal and a huge step in our relationship. We'd been going out for just three and a half months and I was nervous. I didn't have time for my self doubt though, I had to study. I'd missed a lot of schoolwork when I'd been with Jordan and I needed to make it up. I knew it was unacceptable to be playing hooky now that I was in medical school but I felt that three weeks was just too long for Jordan and I to be apart, especially since our relationship was relatively new. Our relationship was still fragile and we had to give it a lot of time and effort to make it work. Besides, I couldn't go very long without seeing Jordan. He had invaded my mind, my body, my soul, and I couldn't get rid of him even if I tried. I wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing or what but it scared me a lot. I was letting myself be vulnerable again and trusting Jordan not to hurt me, although I knew he had promised he never would.

I took out my biochemistry notes, studying for my exam which was on Thursday. It was my first exam and I was nervous for it. I knew it'd be nothing compared to how I'd feel when I took my licensing exams though. I shuddered simply at the thought of the tests that would determine my future as a doctor. I pushed it all to the back of my mind and focused on biochemistry, knowing I needed a good grade on my semester final.

An hour and a half later, Dad came in, his arms full with grocery bags. I helped him unload the groceries, putting them in the fridge neatly. I put the grapes, the final item, in and shut the fridge door.
"Thanks Milena," Dad said.
I nodded quickly. "No problem Dad."
Dad shifted, looking uncomfortable. "Mila, we have to talk. I'll make dinner and then we'll sit down and talk okay?"
I was perplexed, Dad generally just came right out and said whatever was on his mind. He never told me he had to talk to me in advance. "Yeah, sure," I said, bewildered.

Dad called me down half an hour later, letting me know dinner was ready and it was time for us to talk. I hurried down the stairs nervously, hoping nothing was wrong. Dad had made eggplant Parmesan, one of my favorite dishes, along with some whole wheat linguini. I wondered why Dad was buttering me up with food and if it had anything to do with the conversation we were about to have. It most likely did because Dad rarely cooked. He wasn't completely useless in the kitchen or anything but he just wasn't Martha Stewart and didn't like it. Dad spooned some linguini and eggplant Parmesan onto my plate before handing it over to me. He wandered over to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of red wine, one of the nice ones that we only drank on special occasions. He found two wine glasses and poured us each a full glass of wine.

After I'd scraped my plate clean and had gone back for seconds, Dad decided it was time for us to have our little chat.
"Mila, we need to talk. Earlier today I talked with a colleague of mine, Lisa. Her son is a reporter for the Pittsburgh Sun, and she's subscribed to the Sun. Anyways, today she approached me and showed me an article. Much to my surprise, it was about you." Dad said, raising an eyebrow and pulling out the paper from his briefcase. He laid it out on the table and opened it up to the sports section.
The headline screamed STAAL SPOTTED WITH NEW MYSTERY BLOND!
I quickly read over the article and was not pleased. They hadn't said anything bad about me, just that I was Jordan's suspected girlfriend, and unidentified sources said my name was Milena Narkov. But still, I was annoyed that my relationship with Jordan was in the limelight now. I spotted a picture of Jordan and I at the fancy restaurant we'd ate at and another one of Jordan and I kissing at the airport. I had no idea that I'd been photographed and I wondered how the press had gotten ahold of the photos.

"Dad, I don't know what to say. . .obviously, I had no idea about this."
Dad sighed loudly.
"Look Mila, I just want the best for you. Try to stay out of the press' view okay? When you apply for your internship I don't want your future employer to look you up and see a picture of you and Jordan in an, um, compromising position."
My face reddened at Dad's words.
"Yeah, of course Dad." I said calmly.
"Mila, are you sure this Jordan guy is really what you want? More articles like this one could really mess up your future professional life Lena. And you seem tired from all that back and forth going from Pittsburgh to here." Dad cautioned me sternly.
"Dad, I really, really like Jordan. It's what I want, I'm sure of it." I said evenly.
Dad sighed again, sounding exasperated.
"Alright Mila, if it's really what you want. I just want you to be happy." He said lowly, dropping a kiss on my forehead. I could sense a bit of disappointment in his voice though and it absolutely crushed me. I loved Dad a lot and there was nothing. Would have wanted more than his approval of Jordan.

A glass of wine and some grapes later, Dad decided to drop another bombshell on me.
"Lena, Lisa invited us over for Christmas Eve. I haven't given her an answer yet, but I think it might be nice, having a québécois Christmas. What do you think?" Dad inquired.
I took a deep breath. I hadn't told Dad about my Christmas plans yet and I needed ti do it now. I summoned up my courage and spit the words out quickly.
"Dad I'm spending Christmas with Jordan and his family," I said speedily, all in one breath.
Dad nodded curtly. "I guess I'll confirm with Lisa then, RSVP for one."
Just then I got a sinking feeling in my stomach that I couldn't shake, feeling like I'd disappointed Dad. But something told me it was deeper. I'd disappointed my mom too.