Demon: Book 1

Chapter 38: Lesson Learned

Chapter 38

Lesson Learned

 

I walked to the kitchen with my parents still discussing the working of a washing machine. A box was sitting on the table. I glanced inside and felt my stomach drop. Picking one up, I read the title of a self-help book for troubled teens. Taking a deep breath, I set it to the side and shuffled through the other books. All had the same message, how to fix a messed up teen.

“Aden,” said my mother softly.

I glanced over my shoulder to see a soft smile.

“Aden Perri, you better have not even thought for a moment that I bought any of those.”

Laughing lightly, I shook my head. My eyes were burning though, and I was doing my best to hide it. She walked over and hugged me as my father appeared.

“What this?” Walking to the table, he picked one up, and his eyes went wide.

“Gifts from the Harpers.” She put her arm around my waist and squeezed me against her side. “I’ll make it clear now, I will not be apologizing to such a dreadful woman again.” She turned and went to the living room. “Quint grab the matches and bring the box.”

My father chuckled to himself as he did so. I picked up the one left behind and followed them to the fireplace.

“She was so excited that I showed up, so she won’t have to drop them off at the house for me. This is how I feel about her taste in literature,” mocked my mother, before grabbing one and ripping out a handful of pages. She tossed it into the pit. After ripping up a few more, she motioned to her husband. “Just dump the rest.”

He did so with a smile on his face. Kneeling down, he struck a match and held it to the pile of torn pages. I watched from behind them as the fire grew.

My mother looked at me and then the book clutched tightly in my hands. “Aden,” she said calmly, nodding toward the fireplace.

Walking over to her, I dropped to my knees and ran my thumbs across the indented words on the cover. “Why would she give you all of these?”

“Because I must be raising my son wrong, if he turned out gay, and she’s just looking out for the well being of the community.” She rolled her eyes. “No child has turned out worse than the horrid boy she raised. No wonder you hit him.”

I sucked in my lips to stop from smiling.

My mother reached up and brushed my hair behind my ear. “Aden, I don’t want to change you. I don’t want you to force yourself to be straight, because then you won’t be you. You won’t be my son.” Grabbing my chin, she give it a gentle shake. “So be gay,” she stood, “from what I’ve heard they’re fabulous.”

I couldn’t hold it my laughter this time. “‘kay.”

“Well, have you two had breakfast?”

“No.” I shook my head.

“Then I’ll make us some pancakes. I even put in some chocolate chips. I think we all need it.”

She walked to the kitchen. A few seconds later I could hear her getting out the pans. My father rose to one knee and grabbed my shoulder. He gave it a gentle squeeze, before standing and leaving the room.

The tears were threatening to fall. They were good tears though, one of relief. I roughly wiped them away and let out a wavering breath. Opening the book, I tore out a chunk of the pages and tossed them onto the dying flame. My parents accepted me. I didn’t need the Harper’s or the town’s approval, or even that of anyone in this world. My family did, and that was enough.