Peter and Grace Liao, characters in The Freshman and The Senior series, are Kaitlyn's parents. They are first seen in Book 2, Chapter 10.
Appearance
Peter and Grace have black hair, brown eyes, and tan skin. Usually, Peter wears a white shirt and a black jacket, and Grace wears pearl earrings and a white dress with purple flowers on it.
Personality
Peter
From dialogue with Kaitlyn, we are given the impression that Peter is a very strict and traditional parent. Kaitlyn is still afraid to come out to her parents and the way he constantly talks about Arjun doesn't help her feel more comfortable. When she accidentally does come out to her parents in The Freshman, Book 2, Peter storms off. Grace assures her that he isn't mad, but says that he needs time because he was dreaming of Kaitlyn getting married and having children. Your Character is able to tell her that the dream can still come true, if Kaitlyn wishes to. Later in the book, Kaitlyn tells Your Character that Peter has apologized for storming off and that he is still adjusting, but that he loves her no matter what.
In Book 3, Chapter 1, Kaitlyn tells Your Character that she had the best spring break ever, because she went home and it was not weird with her father: she mentions that "he wasn't exactly waving a rainbow flag, but the acted totally normal" and that they had a horror movie marathon together.
In Book 4, when visiting the Liaos' home in Texas, it is shown that Peter is trying his best to be a supportive father, to the point of becoming a donor of GLAAD and receiving a set of mugs emblazoned with "LGBTQ+". Naturally, Kaitlyn is embarrassed by this, although she secretly admits she appreciates his efforts.
Grace
Grace is presented as a traditional mother who loves her daughter. When Kaitlyn accidentally comes out to her parents, Grace reveals in The Freshman, Book 2, Chapter 11, that she had suspicions about Kaitlyn being gay for a long time, but never said anything because Kaitlyn never talked about it. She can even say she'd have to be blind not to see that Kaitlyn likes girls. She gives Kaitlyn a long hug, accepts her the way she is, and encourages her less supportive husband to give their daughter a chance.
Chapters
The Freshman
Book 2
- Chapter 4: Playing the Part (Mentioned)
- Chapter 10: Ballot Boxing
- Chapter 11: Visitors
- Chapter 15: Setting Sail (Mentioned)
Book 4
- Chapter 5: Born to be Wild
The Senior
The Senior
- Chapter 5: The Jungle Line (Determinant)
- Chapter 15: Changes
Relationships
Kaitlyn
Kaitlyn is Peter's and Grace's daughter.
Arjun
Peter sees in Arjun the perfect son-in-law and always tried to matchmake Arjun and Kaitlyn. Grace also likes him very much but because she knows that Kaitlyn is gay, she's probably never seen him like that.
Your Character
Before they even met Your Character, Kaitlyn already told Peter and Grace a lot about her.
Trivia
- Peter shares the same name as Peter Graves from The Heist: Monaco, Peter Wallace from Foreign Affairs, and Peter Koenig from Laws of Attraction, Book 1.
- Grace shares the same name as Grace Hall from the Endless Summer series.
- Peter reveals in The Freshman, Book 2, Chapter 11, that Romeo and Juliet is their favorite ballet and that they used one of the songs for their wedding processional.
- In the same chapter, Grace mentions they first met in the high school orchestra. Back then, Grace dated a guy named Christopher Doyle who is described by Peter to have been obnoxious.
- They both appear in The Senior, Chapter 5, but only if Your Character is dating Kaitlyn. They both attend Kaitlyn's graduation in Chapter 15.
- They are both Taiwanese-American just like their daughter, Kaitlyn Liao.
- The name Peter is of Latin and Greek origin and means "stone" or "rock".
- The surname Liao is of Chinese origin and means "kill" or "destroy". It's a variant of the surname Liu. Liao is also the name of an ancient state, which is presently in the province of Henan.
- Grace's appearance is also used for other characters, for example for Carlie, a character in a premium scene of Open Heart, Book 1, Chapter 8.