Reality: A Short Story

Homecoming

I knocked on the door and heard silence inside. No noise, just silence. As I do live in this house for the moment I tried the doorknob and to my luck it turned and opened.
The atmosphere difference between inside and outside was spine tingling. There was television noise that immediately stopped when the floor created under my feet, and then; silence. No noise from the living room, no sound except my own breathing could be heard. I could feel the tension building in my chest as I walked towards the living room. I had no idea what I was going to find, my family just waiting to talk to me, a family waiting to throw me away, or a family who was going to accept me for who I was inside.
"Olivia please just get in here already." I heard my mothers voice. Dread fills me inside, my mother never calls me Vanessa; I've always been Liv to my family. Olivia usually means I'm in trouble. Obligated to do what my mother tells me to I come into the living room and sit in the single kitchen chair that has been placed in front of my family members.
"Would you kindly tell us what's been going on?" Mom asks without looking at me.
"Mom how-" I start.
"Don't ask me how Olivia! Tell me how! You tell me how in this beautiful Christian household that is always under the watchful eye of our lord, how on earth you decided you were a lesbian!" My mother yelled. My brother slumped down into his leather seats as I glared in his direction; he also refused to look at me.
My father was the only one who looked at me, and he did not seem mad. He seemed relaxed and mostly patient, it was like he was just waited no for his turn to speak.
"I shouldn't have to tell you how mom. This is how I have always been. I tried dating boys, I tried kissing boys, and it was always wrong to me! I could never feel right in the eyes of our lord and savior if I had wrongfulness in my heart by loving someone whom I did not love!"
"Oh don't you dare bring up God. You know you are going to Hell for this." She said it as a statement instead of a question. "There is no way that Jesus can be in your heart with the sin you have committed. Our family will be lucky if they are even welcomed into heaven now because of you."
"I didn't do anything wrong mother!"
"You didn't do anything wrong? You love a woman over a man, that's all you have to do. We shouldn't even have to be having this discussion, your father wanted us to talk it out."
I look to my dad who is still staring at me except now, his eyes are full of tears.
"So what do you want me to do? Never leave this house again? Have sex with a man and hope it fixes me? There's not much you can do mom!"
"You think you are staying in this house? After what you've done to us religiously and mentally. The whole town probably thinks we are all gay now just because of the stunt your little girlfriend pulled."
"My girlfriend has a name, and it's Chloe. If you aren't going to respect me mother you can at least respect her."
"She is the one that ruined us socially along with you."
"You don't even know her! Mom I love her! She's one of the best things that have ever happened in my life, you are allowed to say anything about me because I am your daughter; but keep any of your comments about her in your head."
"Get out of my house, you cannot speak to me like that." Her voice grew more cold as she talked. "Get your things, and get out of my house."
"Honey couldn't we-" Dad tried to interject.
"Get out!"
"Barbra Stone!" My father yelled standing up from his seat to stand in front of me. "I will not let you throw our one and only daughter out! You cannot do this to our family and you cannot do this to her."
"Then you can leave too Jonathan."  My mother said not backing down.
"Honey you don't really mean that."
"If your so keen on this then you can leave to, I can call my lawyers and get a divorce set in a day."
My father turned around to me, he looked at me with tears streaming down his face and pulled me towards him in the tightest hug we've ever had. It was only a couple of seconds but when it over I could feel the dread coming back. He left my side and walked back over to my mother who graciously smiled and took his hand lovingly; then she turned her eyes to me.
"Now go gather your things and get out of my house."
With that I ran upstairs to my room, pulled my suitcase out from under my bed and started to throw clothes inside of it. I grabbed my laptop, chargers and camera and shoved them in as well. When I got to my desk and saw all the photos of my family I grabbed them out of the frames and tossed them in. I know I didn't have much time because I heard someone on the stairs, so I grabbed the box under my bed that had important memories in it and emptied it into the case; as I tossed more clothes on top there was a knock on my door.
To my surprise, John came in and fell down at my feet in tears. I watched him lay there in tears as he practically groveled at my feet.
"I didn't know she would go to this extent. I thought she was just going to talk to you about it so you could be out with Chloe. I just wanted you to be happy."
"You tried John and now you get to be the only child." I zipped my suitcase and lifted him to his feet. "Good luck, if you need me I'll be right down the street at Chloe's and I'll probably have to get another phone so I'll let you know what that is."
"She's going to come up here, she told me to come get you."
"Then let's go." I grabbed my jacket off my closet door which was almost empty and shoved it on throwing some more underwear in my pockets.
We walked downstairs and she was standing at the door waiting for me so she could officially kick me out no doubt.
I hugged my father again and told him I loved him and did the same with my brother as she watched my every move. I handed her my car keys and house keys then simply walked out of the house without a backwards glance.