Free The UnKnown (A Novel) by Lara Henley

school?” Who the hell was this man?
    “Yeah, I guess. I’m eager to start at The Gallery next week.” I prepared myself for him.
    “I’m glad son. You should do what you love. You should follow your path in life. Did you know I wanted to be an actor when I was younger? Your grandfather wouldn’t have it. He made me follow his job choice. I regret giving you hell about your art history major. It’s what you love.” I had no idea what to say to him. Who was this man standing before me?
    “Where is all of this coming from Dad? You seem to be so different. The last time we spoke you were riding my ass. You said I had no future.” I remembered the conversation like it was yesterday. I was studying for my finals and my dad called me. He told me it was a wasted career choice. That the art industry was going downhill. He grilled me for about twenty minutes before I was able to get him off the phone.
    “Well, I just woke up one morning and regretted it all Drake. I was never really there for you and Sean. Look how Sean turned out. He is twenty-five years old, working at McDonalds, and lives with us. I should have just loved you both and not pushed so hard. I am trying to get Sean to grow up, but it’s not working. Maybe you can talk to him. I am thinking of retiring early and taking some time to get to know you boys. Be the father that I should have been.” I couldn’t even speak. This was the father I always wanted. I wanted to be accepted for who I was, not what he wanted me to be.
    “Dad, I have no idea what to say. I love you and I’m sure things will be ok.”
    “I’m sure they will son. I just hope I’m not too late with Sean. I know that you and I will work out our differences.” My dad strolled over to me and hugged me as though he never hugged me in my life. I was seeing a brand new man.
    “I’ll let you unpack. Your mother cooked. We left you a plate in the oven.” What the hell?! She cooked? She never cooked.
    “Have I entered the Twilight Zone ? Mom doesn’t cook. She has never cooked a single meal my whole life, and all of sudden she is cooking and you are retiring.” My dad just gave me a dumb-looking smile.
    “What can I say, we are changing Drake. She’s taking cooking classes and I must say they are paying off. You will see.” He turned and walked out of my room, shutting the door behind him.
    I sat on my bed dumbfounded. I looked around my room to see they had changed it a bit. It felt like it had been ages since I’d been here. Normally I came home for the holidays, but I guess it had been almost a year since my last visit. My room was very big by today’s standards. I had a king size bed that sat in the middle of the room. There was a walk in closet and an attached bath. Most people would think this was a master bedroom. Our house, correction my parents’ house, consisted of five bedrooms, four baths, two living areas, and a basement. I loved my room; it was my oasis. I had the walls painted a cream color and I had a black and white bedspread on my bed. My parents thought it best to change it to a brown oriental theme. I would have to hunt down my old comforter. I started to put my things away when I heard a small knock on the door. “Oh Lord, what else can they shock me with today,” I said to myself.
    “Come in,” I yelled out. The door opened slowly and she was standing there.
    “What are you doing here, Sara?” She looked so different. Her hair was now jet black and she seemed to have lost some weight. Had everyone in my life changed and I missed it? Her eyes were bloodshot from crying. She made it perfectly clear she never wanted to speak to me again, but now here she is. I should have known I couldn’t get rid of here that easily.
    “I wanted to see you. I wanted to talk things over.” Oh now she just wants to talk after wishing me dead and calling me an asshole. 
    “There is nothing to talk about, Sara. We just need a break.” I was in mid-sentence when There Goes