I arrived at 3pm to Frank's and Mary busted open the door and I smiled when I saw her.
"I worked in the book all day." She said and grabbed my hand pulling me in the house and I saw Frank sitting at a table working on something. He didn't even acknowledge I walked in. Mary sat next to me on the couch and started showing me all the work she did. I was in shock because the workbook was half finished.
"Did you put it down at all?" I asked and she gave a small smile.
"She won't do anything but work in that book. I need her to be a kid too ya know." Frank said and I sighed.
"Your Uncle is right. You need to be a kid too. Go out and play, get dirty, something." I said and she sighed.
"I play with Fred sometimes." She said and Frank huffed a laugh.
"Who is Fred?" I asked and Mary ran away.
"Where is she going?" I asked Frank.
"To get Fred." Frank said looked even looking up at me. Mary came running back in holding this large orange tabby cat.
"This is Fred." Mary said and I took the cat from her and I noticed he had one eye.
"Hey Fred." I said and I started to pet him as he sat in my lap.
"Mary, did you even asked if she liked cats?" Frank asked slightly annoyed and Mary look at me sad.
"I love cats. I have a cat of my own." I said and glared at Frank. Mary smiled as I pulled out my phone and showed her pictures of Cleo who was a calico cat.
"Her and Fred could be friends." Mary said and I smiled putting my phone away.
"Maybe." I said and Mary smiled. I looked at Frank.
"Do you mind if I take a blanket and Mary and I go outside and sit in the grass and do some work? It's so nice out today." I said and Frank shrugged and looked at Mary.
"What do you want to do?" Frank asked and Mary left to get a blanket and Fred followed her.
"Why outside?" Frank asked.
"Like I said, it's nice out and she could stand to get outside. I think I can even get her to be a kid while she is out there and run around." I said and Frank groaned.
"You are her tutor in math, not on how to be a kid." Frank said.
"You mentioned wanting her to be a kid, so please pick which you would prefer. I am trying to help with both here. You don't see too concerned about it just working on...whatever that is." I said motioning to the part he was working on.
"This? This is job." He said and I crossed my arms.
"I didn't know philosophy professors job was working on some kind of car part." I said and Frank growled.
"I see you looked me up too." Frank said and I shrugged.
"Former professor, not my job anymore and this is a boat part. I repair boats." Frank said and I nodded. Mary came in with a blanket.
"I'm ready!" Mary said and I smiled gather up our workbook and my tote.
"We will be outside." I said and went to walk outside.
"Hey!" Frank said and I looked at him in enough time to see him toss me sunscreen.
"She needs some." He said and I nodded.
"Okay." I said and I headed outside. Once we got set up I put sunscreen on Mary and even myself since I had some skin exposed and we started working. I had made a game out of it that once she finished a problem she had to do something silly or run around or something and it seemed to be working. She was having fun and learning. After a few hours Frank opened the front door.
"Mary, tutoring is over. Time for dinner." Frank said and she whined.
"Do I have to?" Mary asked and Frank just shook his head.
"Come on Mary, inside." Frank said and Mary sighed and got out. I handed her the workbook.
"Only 5 problems tonight, no more." I said and she sighed. She gave me a hug and I smiled.
"Can Lina stay for dinner?" Mary asked Frank and he looked at me.
"Oh that's sweet of you to ask Mary but I have plans with my sisters." I said and Mary hung her head.
"I will see you tomorrow." I said and she nodded as she headed inside. I walked up to Frank.
"Can we talk?" I asked and he nodded.
"Eat, I'm going to walk Melina to her car." Frank said and Mary nodded.
"What's wrong?" Frank asked.
"Nothing, I wanted to ask if I could take Mary somewhere with me Saturday." I said and Frank looked at me oddly.
"There is a math competition..." I said and Frank shook his head.
"No." Frank said and I groaned.
"Hear me out...." I said.
"No Melina! She won't be going to be paraded around in front of everyone. You said you wanted to keep her safe." Frank said.
"I do, that isn't what I wanted to do..." I was saying.
"NO! Final answer!" Frank said and I groaned.
"I just wanted her to come and watch Frank. I'm a judge and work the problems out before I give them to the contestants to complete." I said and got to my car. I opened the door and tossed my bag in.
"Only let Mary do 5 problems tonight. I will see her tomorrow." I said and I went to get in the car.
"Melina..." Frank went to say and I just shook my head.
"I don't know how long it is going to take you to trust me but I don't want anything to happen to that little girl to where she ends up in some Russian think tank or something like that. They sooner you learn that the better we will all be." I said getting in my car and leaving Frank standing there. I drove home fuming and when I pulled in my driveway I groaned seeing 2 people sitting on my porch.
"I thought we were meeting out somewhere." I said and Ang my older sister shrugged.
"We wanted to meet here. We brought the food and the booze." Britt my younger sister said and I laughed. I walked up to the door and unlocked it.
"Don't one of you have a key? You could have gone in." I said and they shrugged.
"Nice night." Ang said and I nodded. We got set up with the food and drinks and sat at the small dining room table.
"So I heard you got a tutoring job. How is this genius?" Britt asked and I asked.
"Well she is 7 and already working on Differential Equations." I said. They both looked at me in shock.
"Yeah I know." I said.
"Who is she?" They asked.
"Mary Adler...." I said and I gave it a minute for it to sink into them.
"Adler...as in Diane...as in...-" Ang started to say.
"As in the girl I always came up against in nationwide competitions as teens....yeah." I said with a sigh.
"Is Diana there? Why doesn't she just tutor her?" Britt asked.
"Diana killed herself when Mary was a baby. Mary lives with her Uncle now." I said and they looked down at their food.
"Does he know who you are?" Britt asked.
"He knows I'm a genius but he doesn't know I came against Diane all the time. Or if he doesn't he hasn't said." I said and I put my head in my hands.
"This is going to get complicated isn't it?" I asked looked at my 2 sisters for reassurance and they were just nodding.
YOU ARE READING
Mathematics of Love ⭐
Fanfiction*~ COMPLETE~* Frank Adler is doing all he can to give his niece Mary a normal life even though she excels in mathematics. Franks mother, Evelyn convinces Frank to get Mary tutor to help her keep her mind bright and get her further. Frank gets a nam...
