Page 27 of I see you Beauty

Meanwhile, I take the potatoes out of the oven and arrange them with the steaks on the plates. I place the remaining potatoes in a porcelain bowl so they can serve themselves if they want a second helping.

When everything is placed on the table and I'm just about to pour two glasses of red wine to go with the meat, I hear the door opening. Thomas comes in a minute later, briefly furrowing his brows in irritation when he sees the table and our daughter, as if it's surprising that June is here for dinner on a Friday evening. Then his face brightens again as he walks up to her, beaming with joy, to greet her. I choose not to comment on his strange behavior and give him a quick kiss before inviting him to sit down with an inviting hand gesture.

“This looks delicious. If I’d known you were cooking, I wouldn’t have eaten so much with my client for lunch today,” Thomas jokes, clutching his stomach.

I furrow my brows in disbelief and want to remind him I’ve been cooking for him every day for nineteen years, but again, I decide to keep my mouth shut. June still needs to have a meaningful conversation with her father, and I don’t want to provoke him unnecessarily.

“How are your studies going, Pumpkin? I assume you’re doing well.”

June immediately tenses up at her father’s words and gives me a pleading look. Smiling kindly, I encourage her to tell him the truth. I’m afraid you’ll have to start sometime, dear.

June swallows hard, puts her cutlery aside, and turns to her father. Meanwhile, he continues to eat his steak in peace. At least everything was right with the food today, and I didn’t upset him in advance again.

Tense, I take a big sip of wine and watch June open the conversation.

“Dad… I wanted to talk to you about that,” June begins uncertainly but tries to keep her nervousness under control.

Thomas looks first at me and then at her with an irritated expression as if he can’t understand what there is to talk about. Men…

“Is that so?”

June nods but kneads her fingers in her lap. Oh dear!

I mentally cheer her on. I want to do this for her now, but she must do it alone. Unfortunately, part of growing up is standing up for the important things and fighting for them. If she doesn’t learn to do it now, when will she ever?

I’m certainly as agitated as she is, but I remain silent and will only intervene if there is no other way. You can do it, dear!

I reach under the table for her hand and give it a firm squeeze to give her some courage.

“Yes… I… well, I want…” June stutters more to herself.

“What do you want? June, please be clear! You know I don’t like it when you talk like that,” says Thomas more sternly than he should, and the mood shifts.

“Darling, our daughter is trying to tell you this: She’s not quite so happy in her life anymore and wants to change it. Wouldn’t you like to help your daughter and support her?”

I carefully place my other hand on his and look at him with a gentle smile. I hope my words calm him and he doesn’t freak out. But when Thomas’s face contorts with anger, I know my hope is futile.

“What do you mean, change?” he shouts at June, and I’m met with a fiery glare.

The thought of confronting him briefly strikes me because I can’t stand it when he talks to our daughter or me like that. But I think it’s enough for one person at the table to raise their voice. Besides, this isn’t about the power struggle between my husband and me, but about the well-being and future of our daughter. Surely he must see it that way, too?

“Dad, I don’t think studying law is right for me. I failed my mid-term exams, and I don’t enjoy it at all,” June tries to explain, but he doesn’t want to hear it.

Thomas thunders his fists onto the dining table with a loud clang, his nostrils flaring like an angry bull.

“You think it’s not right for you? Are you kidding me? Cora, you can’t possibly support your daughter’s laziness!” he turns to me in horror.

I frown at him because I don’t understand his train of thought. June is many things, but certainly not lazy!

“Lazy? I’m not lazy! I just don’t want to be a boring lawyer!” June objects indignantly, unfortunately only making things worse.

“Not a boring lawyer? I see. What do you want to do instead? What do you want to study? What do you want to do with your life so you don’t become a boring lawyer?” Thomas probes, and I can tell June’s defense is faltering.

“Why can’t you just accept that I’m an adult, and I can make my own decisions!” June’s voice is cracking, and I realize this conversation is gradually escalating.

“You’re an adult? I don’t see it that way. Because if you were, you wouldn’t be talking such nonsense! You’d act responsibly and do what’s best for you and your future!” Thomas counters dryly, and unfortunately, he’s not entirely wrong.

June doesn’t have a Plan B, and that’s another problem entirely.

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