Just as he was considering leaving the house, their voices grew silent. He sat perfectly still, staring intently at the door. Within a few seconds there was a gentle knock from the other side.

Lenore: “Sweetie, can we talk to you?”

Jacob rose slowly, not making a sound as he opened the door and stepped aside to let his parents in.

Lenore: “We won’t take up much of your time, we—“

His mother’s words stopped in her throat as her eyes settled on the walls. For just a second, Jacob wondered if she was going to cry, but the moment passed and she just stood silently inside his doorway. His father seemed only mildly surprised, instead taking a long look around the entire room.

Carl: “We just have a few things we feel we need to talk about.”
Jacob: “OK.”

His mother had still been staring at the walls, but finally managed to shake herself out of her stupor.

Lenore: “We want you to know we didn’t abandon you. We always planned to come back for you, but our work… you know how it could get.”
Carl: “It must have been difficult for you. Aunt Lois is worse off than I was expecting her to be. You shouldn’t have had to be in this sort of a situation at all.”
Lenore: “We’re going to settle back in ourselves and get her some help so you don’t have to worry about her anymore.”

There was a silent pause as his father took another look around his bedroom.

Carl: “We’re going to get you help as well.”
Lenore: “Things are going to be so much better for you now.”
Jacob: “Why did it take so long?”
Lenore: “Oh honey, we came back as soon as we could. We’re here now, and that’s all that matters.”
Carl: “We’re going to get the house sorted tomorrow. It may take a few weeks, but we should be in a routine by next month.”
Lenore: “You can bring your cat, of course. And we absolutely encourage you to keep in touch with your friends.”

Carl: “You have to understand, however, that a lot of things are going to change. You’re a good boy, and smarter than I think even your mother and I realize, but we’re going to have to lay down a few rules. We understand you’re nineteen years old now and have been fending for yourself for a while, so we’re not going to suddenly try to control every aspect of your life. We will, however, expect you to come home at a reasonable hour, and would like it if you’d quit smoking.”
Lenore: “Even a small amount of structure will help you more than you realize.”
Carl: “We only want what’s best for you. Your mother and I love you very much. We’ve never stopped loving you.”

Jacob’s parents exchanged a familiar look when he continued to stare at them in silence, seeming to communicate telepathically for just a fraction of a second.

Lenore: “Of course you may have a few days to think this over if you need to. We know how difficult this must be for you; believe me when I say we’re going to have to do a lot of adjusting ourselves.”
Carl: “We want you to thrive instead of just survive, don’t forget that.”

There was another moment of silence as Jacob stared down at the threadbare rug that lay over the scratched and discolored hardwood floor.

Lenore: “We’ll leave you alone now if you’d like. We’ll be downstairs with your Great Aunt Lois; you’re more than welcome to join us.”
Carl: “Try not to hide up here all night.”

Jacob merely nodded. After a slight pause, his parents solemnly left his room, closing the door behind them.

After a few minutes he grabbed the keys to his truck, opened a side window, and carefully dropped to the ground. Seconds later he was driving into the night with no set destination.