Perspective

“What do you mean you don’t like fashion, it’s our whole business!”

“What your father is trying to say is: why would you want to do something else when you already have a stable life to look forward to.”

           “You don’t get it.” Danny mumbled finding himself sink deeper into the leather armchair in his parents’ office. The office was just as flashy as what they were all wearing despite it all being in one accent color and neutrals. The ceiling was high with a gray light fixture spread across it while the floor was a shiny wooden brown. The oddly shaped furniture in reds screamed artists as the pillows or blankets were the designer brands you would expect from a family like them. However, the main attraction was the wall behind the power couple that had photos of their best sellers and awards from fashion shows on shelves just below them. Danny felt himself smothered by the weight of them in front of him.

           “What is there to get? You want to give up an easy life for something that would push into, into, I don’t know, starvation.” Mr. King huffed while straightening out his rose cufflinks of his suit.

“Now that is a little extreme Melvin.” Mrs. King said while smoothing her red dress down trying to be the middleman; but Danny had learned if they were both straightening out their clothes, they were mutual on this.

           “I know I am Rosie, but I just don’t want our son ending up somewhere bad.”

“Could you guys not act like I’m not here and speak to me?” Danny pleaded while his parents turned their attention toward him. “I don’t want to be the next generation of ‘Rose Illusions’ there are plenty of fashion lines that can hold it up.”

           “But Sweetpea, fashion has been in the family since your many great grandma put together a Mushroom hat for a singer’s wife in the 1870s.”

“Along with your great great grandpa on my side who design fashionable suits.” Mr. King said looking like he was posing in his beige waistcoat and matching pants. It looked classy especially with the family’s logo on the pockets of the suit.

           “I know, I know, you guys have told me this my whole life.” Danny said trying to sit up straight so his parents weren’t looking down at him anymore. “But there is something that actually gets my passion out and won’t be hidden behind some brand name.”

“Are you just afraid of not making a name for yourself?” Mrs. King asked making Danny pull on his ginger hair in frustration.

           “You can always change the logo when you take over our business. People rebrand all the time and it’s usually the reason you are giving.”

“Ugh I need a break!” Danny huffed while pushing himself off the chair and making his way to the door. “Maybe I can explain it better when I am not angry with you two.”

           “What gives you the right to be angry at us?” Mr. King said while following his son out the office with his wife not far behind. They were still confused on the subject and felt it wasn’t fair that he was walking out on them just because he sprung this on them. “You are telling us that after years of training, drawing outfits, fashion gigs from here to there, and more that you don’t enjoy it anymore.”

           “I will talk about it later.” Danny said while exiting the front door of their home without even looking back at his parents.

“He gets that from your side of the family.” Mrs. King said trying to lighten the mood as she brushed her curly, brown hair off her shoulders. Solving problems straight off the bat, wasn’t the Kings’ best skill Rosie had come to learn.

           “Well he gets not listening from yours.” Mr. King said giving her a playful look as he fixed his waistcoat over his big tummy.

“From what I can tell it was both of us.”

           “…You’re right,” Mr. King sighed starting to make his way back to the office but stopped at the staircase. “do you remember what he said he wanted to do instead of fashion?”

“Honestly, he didn’t even tell us that’s why I am so confused.”

           “Guess it’s time to be the nosy parent then.” Mr. King said while making his way upstairs where all the bedrooms would be.

“Oh Melvin, we aren’t going into his room, are we?” Rosie asked while they made their way to Danny’s closed door.

           “Rosie, how are we supposed to know what he’s talking about if we can’t get it straight from the horse’s mouth?” Melvin asked, but he didn’t reach for the handle of the door. They haven’t been in his room ever since they found out about his secret of being into men. Of course, they didn’t mind, but Danny was very assertive about them not going in there after that. He was never good at telling them information until he was ready. Report card day was always a push and pull kind of deal.

“He will forgive us eventually.” Rosie said opening the door in one go surprising her husband that she was the one to take action. They first poked their head in not really knowing what to expect. It still looked like it did four years ago with the salmon colored walls with the oranges and cream accents to tie it together. Though they were bare of posters or photos. The black furniture was new, a parting gift Mr. King wanted him to have since he was going to college pretty soon. Everything looked in place and well kept something they always praised Danny for.

           “What do you think we are looking for?” Melvin asked while taking the first step in and checking the desk that was away from his bed. It had photographs of the family and his current boyfriend on it making Mr. King stare on with pride.

           “Something in place, I used to hide a lot of stuff from my parents just by not hiding it at all.” Rosie explained while going beside his bed to run her hands on the canvases that she believed were on the walls before.

“If that is the case, sketchbook would be my go-to then.” Mr. King said while picking up the black book from the desk and opening a couple of pages. It had a few fashion designs in the first pages with X’s or scribbles on top of it. He frowned actually liking them, but he understood when a sketch doesn’t sit right. He flipped on and noticed that the models were turning more into the scenery of the places they were in. Mr. King got to the last sketch of his and Rosie’s office with so much detail that he could believe it was the real thing.

           “These are quite beautiful.”

“I can agree there.” Melvin said then looked to see that Rosie wasn’t looking over his shoulder at the sketches. She was still near Danny’s bed and seemed to be staring down at the canvases. Mr. King made his way over to her and looked at the pieces too; quite surprised to see them all being landscapes. There was a beach, a park, mountains, and just a room that had a crown symbol at the bottom of each one. “I think I saw this park one in his sketchbook.”

           “Well, we can tell his artistic side is still intact.” Mrs. King said running her hand on the oil painting as if she was touching a rose petal. Gently, but cautious.

“W-Why are you guys in my room?” Danny asked getting his parents to look at him standing in the doorway. His eyes immediately fell onto what they were looking at as he felt a flash of embarrassment rise to his face.

           “We wanted to understand, Danny and you didn’t give us much to go off on by holding back information.” Mr. King said while walking up to his son who look ready to bolt at any moment.

           “Danny, you know we are quite open with you…I just don’t understand why you can’t be open with us?” Mrs. King said while running a hand onto his cheek making Danny deflate.

“I’m just expecting you guys to not accept me one day,” he mumbled trying to keep his head down. “just like most parents I hear about.”

“Danny, I have bright red hair, the biggest belly in the industry, and I am a fashion designer of mainly women’s fashion,” Mr. King said while getting a chuckle from his wife as she lifted Danny’s head to look at them. “why wouldn’t I accept my own son?”

           “I understand where you are coming from Sweetpea, but even I don’t want to lose you over something so trivial of not wanting to like girls or getting the perfect grades or even continuing the family business.”

                       “But you guys seemed so disappointed and mad just a moment ago.”

“I blame that on you for holding back on the details.” Mr. King said making Danny sigh in defeat knowing he probably should have said what he wanted to do instead of just saying he didn’t like fashion anymore.

           “The one thing I have no idea where you got that from since detail is like our whole business.” Mrs. King laughed seeing a genuine smile on her son’s face. “Just talk to us, Sweetpea. Don’t worry about what other families are doing because we’re not them.”

           “Alright, you’re right.” Danny said while pulling them into a hug that they gladly returned.